What is Lincoln Certified Pre-Owned?

Our West Herr Lincoln dealership in Amherst NY, offers a new car alternitive called Lincoln Certified Preowned. Lincoln Certified Pre-Owned vehicles provide added benefits when compared to used Lincoln vehicles. When you choose a Lincoln Certified Pre-Owned vehicle, you’re stepping into a vehicle that’s been meticulously inspected and has warranty coverage from Lincoln.

200-Point Inspection

If a vehicle doesn’t meet our strict criteria, we won’t certify it. It’s that simple. Find out what we check during the rigorous process of certifying a pre-owned vehicle. Find out the advantages that only Lincoln Certified Pre-Owned vehicles can offer. Download the PDF

Comprehensive Warranty Coverage

Enjoy the confidence of our comprehensive limited warranty coverage* on more than 500 components — included with every Lincoln Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. Download the Warranty PDF

24-Hour Roadside Assistance

Wherever you roam, we’ve got you covered with our roadside assistance program. 

Vehicle History Report

Feel confident when you get behind the wheel of your Lincoln Certified Pre-Owned vehicle with this informative, full history report. 

Quality service 
Buying a Lincoln Certified Pre-Owned vehicle entitles you to the same superior service as those buying a brand-new Lincoln. And for your convenience, our comprehensive warranty is backed by Ford Motor Company and honored at any Lincoln, Mercury or Ford Dealership in the United States and Canada.

Warranty Identification Card 
Following the delivery of your Certified Pre-Owned Lincoln, a warranty ID card is issued to you via mail. This ID card provides you with your proof of warranty coverage.

Complimentary oil change 
Your Certified Pre-Owned vehicle will have "fresh oil and filter at delivery." Also included with our Certified Pre-Owned Program is your first complimentary Motorcraft® oil and filter change. Visit your dealer for details.

Customer Assistance Center 
Should you have any ownership questions or need assistance with Lincoln's travel expense reimbursement, destination expense assistance or other issues, a designated Customer Assistance Center toll-free number is available. Any Lincoln, Mercury or Ford customer can call (800) 392-3673 day or night, 365 days a year.

Lincoln offers incentives from time to time such as low financeing. Check their Certified Preowned Site for Details.

Which way for high MPG, Stick or Automatic?

It might have been true once, but it's not true for all cars anymore. Vehicles with manual transmissions generally are more fuel-efficient than their automatic counterparts, but not always, and not by much. Take as an example the fuel-sipping 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco. Its manual version gets 28 mpg in the city, 42 mpg on the highway and 33 mpg in combined driving. The automatic gets 26 city/39 highway/31 combined. The manual will cost you about $100 less per year in fuel, according to fueleconomy.gov.

BMW 6 Speed ManualWith the 2012 Ford Focus, it's the six-speed automatic version that performs better. It gets 28 mpg in the city, 38 mpg on the highway and 31 mpg combined. If you spring for the Super Fuel Economy option package, which also uses the six-speed automatic transmission, fuel economy rises to 28 city/40 highway and 33 mpg combined. When equipped with a conventional manual transmission, the Focus can't match the automatic: 26 city/36 highway and 30 mpg combined. The 2012 Honda Fit with a manual transmission gets 27 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway and 29 mpg combined. The automatic, by contrast, gets 28 city/35 highway and 31 mpg combined.

Source: Bryan Nelson, Edmunds

Clean Your Car By Hand and In the Shade

My wife and I were talking the other night about Grampa Frank. "He had the cleanest car" she said, "He always pulled it under that big tree on  his lawn and wash his cars in the shade. 

My dad did the same thing, in his case he used to go to Como Park and park under the giant trees to wash and wax his favorate car of the moment. 

Is shade important? As it turns out it is critical, and the real pros even make sure that the engine has had a chance to cool down so the paint is cool to the touch. 

I can go into details but this video from AOL autos spells out the perfect car wash. Enjoy. PS our NAPA store in Orchard Park has all the cleaning gear if you need anything.

Ever wonder how safe our cars are today

50 years of safety progress:

You often hear how "solid" the cars from the 1950's were made. My father would say things like "they don't make them like they used to" or "the new cars are all plastic" Truth be told, he was right. The modern car is far superior to the cars from the 50's especially in the area of safety.

So when we found this video we found it interesting how poorly 1959 Belair would fare against a new Malibu.

More on the Insurance Institure from their website:

In the 50 years since US insurers organized the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, car crashworthiness has improved. Demonstrating this was a crash test conducted on Sept. 9 between a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air and a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. In a real-world collision similar to this test, occupants of the new model would fare much better than in the vintage Chevy.

"It was night and day, the difference in occupant protection," says Institute president Adrian Lund. What this test shows is that automakers don't build cars like they used to. They build them better."

The crash test was conducted at an event to celebrate the contributions of auto insurers to highway safety progress over 50 years. Beginning with the Institute's 1959 founding, insurers have maintained the resolve, articulated in the 1950s, to "conduct, sponsor, and encourage programs designed to aid in the conservation and preservation of life and property from the hazards of highway accidents."

Help Needy Kids with School Supplies

There are hundreds of local kids who, like in years past will be starting school this year without the most basic school supplies.  In an effort to make that number of these kids just a little less, West Herr has again this year teamed up with the Boys and Girls Club and a variety of local businesses “2 Pack a Back Pack”.

We are looking for any and all types of schools supplies you may be able to donate. Last year West Herr collected enough supplies and backpacks to send 100 kids to school with the tools they needed to succeed and this year we hope to be able to help even more.

There are collection boxes in each store but time is short with only 9 days left in the drive. Any donation even a single item will be greatly appreciated by these kids and makes such a difference in their chances to succeed in school.

Worth The Wait

3 New Cars To Keep An Eye On

It never hurts to look ahead.  Recently, most automakers have focused on fuel efficiency.  While the 2013-2014 models will still have good MPG, it appears sporty design will be back in the fold.  

So if you value gas mileage AND a sleek look, it appears the next few years will be your style.  Without further adieu, here are the models to look out for:  

2013 Dodge Dart

Dodge is resurrecting the Dart but also redsigning it.    The front-wheel-drive models will go on sale this summer, but the faster R/T will launch in October.  So far, the critics at Popular Mechanics were very impressed by their initial experience with the Dart.  Visit West Herr Dodge in Orchard Park for more information on this exciting new ride.  

2013 Chevy RS

The RS is the sportier version of the Sonic, but still comes with an affordable price tag of $22,000. For the speed/sport types, the RS comes with 138 hp and a turbocharged engine.  Plus of course it offers storage space despite being a smaller car.  All in all a good value.  For Chevy Sonics in Western New York, visit West Herr Chevy in Orchard Park or Hamburg.  

2013 Dodge Ram 1500

For the truck fans, the new Ram will be a strong contender.  While the design will still keep the Ram spirit, the engine will be the real key.  It could potentially be one of the most fuel efficient engines in the pick up segment.  Most of the torque is available from idle, so it will barely lose any of that trademark ram towing power.  

Get Hitched With The Right Car

Honda Civic Named A Top Car For Newlyweds 

So you're about to get married or you just did.  You probably have a multitude of things on your mind, least of which being a car.  

Make it easy on yourself and check out Forbes'  "Top 10 New Cars for Newlyweds" list.  While many West Herr brands appear there, the Honda Civic stands out.  The 2012 was great, and the 2013 Honda Civic is about to hit Buffalo, and it's worthy of the hype!   

Forbes called it "one of the easiest recommendations among new car purchases" mostly based on the car's long standing reputation for reliability. Combine that with a fresh redesign and you've got a keeper.  

As with most cars these days, the key here is fuel efficiency. With that, you have a few options:

A selectable “Eco Assist” driving mode helps the civic HF model rate at 29-city/41-highway mpg; while the gas/electric-powered Hybrid sedan is again the fuel economy leader at 44-mpg city/highway. Not bad huh? 

In terms of the interior, a new dashboard display gives you tons of customizable options.  

All in all, definitely worth a look.  For Honda Civics in Buffalo. visit West Herr Honda today.  We are proud to be your Buffalo Honda dealer.  

Toyota Loves Teachers

Special Pricing For Educators At Your Buffalo Toyota Dealer 

Toyota has a special kinship with teachers. Teachers share the core values of Toyota: Hard-working, reliable, dependable, and smart.   

That's why Toyota is running a special geared specifically for teachers.  Toyota will waive the first lease payment for a teacher and award a $250 gift certificate to www.teachercreated.com, an online teacher supply store.

Toyota said in an official statement:

"Most teachers do not receive paychecks in the summer, and often delay major purchases, even though they have some free time before school starts. During this time however, many will have to come out of their own pocket for school supplies for their classroom. The "Toyota Loves Teachers" program solves both of the issues" 

This program is effective July 23, 2012 through September 4, 2012.

Visit West Herr Toyota in Williamsville or Orchard Park to get the full details.  Thank you to all our teachers out ehre and we are happy to work with you!   

College Grads: It's Time To Save Money On A Car

Take Advantage of Special Incentives 

You've graduated college.  First off, congratulations.  You're probably going through a wealth of emotions at the moment.    

One thing you shouldn't have to worry is a car.  Luckily, there are multiple manufacturers out there that have your back.  Ford, Honda and GM are all offering special pricing for college graduates, all with varying incentives.  

So let's take a deeper look by manufacturer:

Ford College Student Purchase Program 

Ford's program extends beyond recent graduates.  Full-time and part-time college freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, graduate students, and trade school students also qualify.  

It's fairly simple too: All you need to do is to sign up for the Ford College Student Purchase Program and then purchase or lease a new 2011, 2012 or 2013 Ford or Lincoln vehicle to receive your $500 student bonus. This is on top of any applicable national Ford incentives available at the time.  Visit West Herr Ford in Hamburg or Amherst for more info.  

General Motors Best In Class Alumni & Student Discount Program 

This one is slightly similar to the Ford program.  Eligible participants for the GM college discount program include college students from any two- or four-year school, recent graduates who have graduated no more than two years ago, and current nursing school and graduate students.

This one has some more intense details, so its best to check out the programs website to get specific details.  Or just stop in to your Western New York Chevy dealer:  West Herr Chevy in Orchard Park or Hamburg.  

Honda Graduate Program 

This one focuses more on flexible and competitive financing.  College grads can get a deferred first-payment option for 90 days, with 60 days interest-free.The program is open to graduates with a master’s, bachelor’s or associate degree from a U.S.-accredited two- or four-year college or registered nursing school.  Visit the program online here:  

Or just visit your Buffalo Honda dealer, West Herr Honda on Transit in Lockport.  

Store Your Stuff

Spacious 2013 Ford Escape Offers Creative Cargo Solutions 

Have you ever had to transport someting in your car and then realized "uh oh, I do not have the space for that" even when you thought you did?  It's happened to most of us at one point or another.  

Luckily, the 2013 Ford Escape will not only come with tons of storage space, it will also have some clever little compartments you'd never think of.  

Here's a breakdown:  The rear seats fold back with the push of a button and a lever release providing additional cargo space for bicycles, ski bags or luggage.

Clever spaces like umbrella holders on the seats, a second-row hidden floor bin and ticket holders in the sun visors help organize your belongings.

 “Whether you have an umbrella, parking stub, cell phone, sunglasses or large water bottle, the new Escape has a specific place for it where it won’t get lost or roll under the seat," said Eric Jackson, vehicle architecture supervisor. "The hidden storage under the second-row floor is great for keeping items secure and out of view.”

The available hands-free power liftgate brings new technology to the SUV market and makes it easier to stow gear. The Escape is the only SUV to have this convenient and unique feature.

Very cool.  For Ford Escapes in Buffalo, visit West Herr Ford in Amherst or Hamburg!