In addition to seeing a walk-around demonstration on the all-new 2013 Honda, event guests will…

• Meet dealership Sales, Service and Accessories staff
• Hear about the benefits of Honda Genuine Service and Honda Genuine Parts
• Learn the importance of scheduled maintenance
• See demonstrations of Honda vehicle features
• Receive a gift bag, plus an exclusive special savings offer on a Honda service visit.

Click here to to RSVP no later than March 17. Or, call 231-929-5461, and provide your full name and number of people attending.

Williams staff, customers and Northern Michigan community members are invited to participate!

Blood donors make a lifesaving difference. More than 4 million Americans would die each year without blood transfusions. And blood is a perishable resource that can be stored only for a short time. That’s why blood donors are needed every day.

To learn more about donating blood, please visit www.miblood.org

As part of American Heart Month, we’re filling our Chevy showroom with red cars and giving away 200 Red Bags of Courage to promote women’s heart health this Saturday, February 23, while supplies last.

Women Heart’s Red Bag of Courage was developed to provide women with accurate information on various aspects of heart disease, so they can make heart healthy decisions about diet, exercise, medical treatment and mental health.

Thanks to a Grand Traverse local Women Heart Champion, Williams obtained the Women Heart’s Red Bags of Courage to delivers life-saving information and tools, as well as coupons and products to help women take charge of their heart health directly to women with heart disease and women at risk.

To learn more about February heart health events for men and women, visit Heart to Heart website through Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, Mich.

Traverse City, Michigan 

Stereotypes abound: smaller vehicles can’t handle bad weather safely and smoothly. Chevrolet is disproving these beliefs by testing (video links:) Cruze, Sonic and Spark in conditions beyond snow and ice, enabling class-competitive safety, and equipping the line-up with more advanced technologies than ever before.

http://bcove.me/q9b4e0hq

GM dealers, including Williams Chevrolet have seen an 11 percent sales increase of Chevrolet small cars since last year. They are designed for consumers, climates and terrains around the country. Coupled with a number of advanced technologies, Northern Michiganders can rest assured that our smallest cars will perform well when any inclement weather rolls in.

“The Cruze, Sonic and Spark raise the bar for small car safety,” said Sylvia Dana, communications director at Williams Chevrolet. “With GM’s unmatched combination of safety systems, we’re confident that any Chevrolet small car model we offer will meet the needs of Northern Michigan area drivers.”

Both Cruze and Sonic have earned 5-star overall safety ratings by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – Sonic is the only car in its segment to achieve this – and Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Chevrolet small cars can help keep Northern Michigan drivers safe and on the road due in part to safety technologies found in larger vehicles and SUVs, such as standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover mitigation, traction control and anti-lock brakes.

All of the vehicles include six months of standard OnStar on these vehicles, with specially trained emergency advisors that can send the vehicle’s precise GPS location to emergency responders.

The Chevy small car trio also undergoes a variety of durability tests.

In addition to live road testing, Chevrolet also simulates the unpredictable in a variety of tests at GM’s Milford Proving Ground.  Winter-mimicking tests like the Salt Mist Facility, Salt Splash Road, and Corrosion Booth repeatedly expose vehicles’ exteriors and underbodies to salt, water and dirt.

Chevrolet’s mini, small and compact car sales followed a successful 2012 by surpassing 25,000 units in January and were up 18 percent as a group.

To learn more about Chevrolet’s small car offerings, visit the Chevrolet Cruze and Chevrolet Sonic/Spark Facebook pages, and follow on Twitter at @ChevyLife.

$223 – 2013 Cruze LS AT

$257 – 2013 Malibu LS AT

$253 – 2013 Equinox LS FWD

$292 – 2013 Camaro 1LS

Feb. 11-28, 2013

SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS

Thinking Camry? Here are 10 reasons why Honda Accord is the smarter choice:

While some late model vehicles still have a warranty, but some are sold “As Is.” Does that scare you? Here are five things to know about purchasing a used car “As Is” at Williams Chevrolet Honda Kia:

1. Buying an automobile “As Is” means you understand the vehicle is sold without a warranty. When you sign an “As Is” acknowledgment, you are agreeing that the dealer assumes absolutely no responsibility for any repairs, regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle.
2. You are strongly urged to take the vehicle to your own mechanic for a complete inspection before purchasing.
3. An “As Is” purchase could also mean the owner’s manual and/or second pair of keys may or may not come with a vehicle. However, those items can be purchased. (Our Used Car Inventory detail pages on our website show pictures of a pre-owned vehicles’s keys and owner’s manual if available).
4. For an additional cost, a service contract may be available for your vehicle, depending on mileage and age of the vehicle, i.e. vehicles less than 10 years old and less than 125,000 miles. Ask for details as to coverage, deductible, price and exclusions.

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• CashNetUSA | Four Things to Know When Buying a Car – CashNetUSA (cashnetusa.com)
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Fancy is our greeter in the Williams Chevrolet showroom.

Meet our new greeter Fancy, a Border-Collie and Cocker Spaniel mix — I think. Although, some customers have guessed a Border-Collie and Sheltie mix. Since mid-December of 2012, Fancy has been working for belly rubs and chest strokes in our Chevrolet showroom most days of the week, at least part time. She’s become a bit of a celebrity here at Williams and now has her own Fancy & Friends Facebook page.

Fancy is a found dog. She’s the most docile, loyal and humble little dog I’ve ever met. I rescued her on my way downstate from Traverse City Dec. 5. She was running against traffic in the middle of M37, a two-lane highway (who knows for how long). She was starving, weak, dirty and deliriously exhausted.

After a few days, when she was finally strong enough to walk, I brought her into the showroom. People sometimes bring their dogs into our showroom and in our service waiting area, so I knew it would be OK to bring her to work just one time. I thought, perhaps, I might find her a good home. (I have three cats and live in an apartment complex where cats are OK, but dogs are not. Although several of my neighbors have dogs.)

As the dealership owner came through the Chevy showroom that morning, I asked him if he’d like to rescue a dog. Upon meeting her and hearing her story, he made an appointment for her to get checked out at his own vet, the Grand Traverse Veterinary Hospital. He even offered to pay the bill to nurse her back to health. That’s one thing I really appreciate about my employer — his love for animals and contributions to local organizations that help animals.

I put a picture of Fancy on our Williams Facebook Page and people starting asking for updates about Fancy. The vet said she was between 8 and 10 years old. She suffered from malnutrition, had tape worm and her blood work showed problems with her kidney function and thyroid, probably due to malnutrition. She has some broken ribs, but not from a recent injury. The vet said he was sure no one ever took care of Fancy, whose name was “Dealer Dog” at the time of the vet visit, and she most likely had been abused and neglected. See more photos of Fancy.

Now Fancy is worm-free, her blood work is showing improved numbers and she’s gaining weight. She loves the homemade dog food recipe I make for her, but she’s not a fan of the veggies. Follow the link to watch a video of Fancy eating her favorite food. (I’ve since learned to finely chop the veggies, so now she eats it all gone.)

Fancy got her name from our dealership owner, Bill. In the early days of her arrival, she was still nameless and I didn’t bring her to work all the time. Bill would stop by my desk and ask, “Where’s Miss Fancy?” and inquire about her health. He said her demeanor was a good fit for the showroom and that she was welcome to be part of the family. So after a while, the name “Fancy” has stuck and I’ve started to bring her to work nearly every day. Customers enjoy meeting her and talking to her. Many people whip out their pictures of their own canines to share with us. Employees like seeing her come to work everyday, too. She’s one of the gang.

Fancy has come a long way since we’ve been taking care of her. She follows me around the dealership, from Kia, to Honda, to the back lot, to Automax — everywhere. She doesn’t need a leash because she won’t take her eyes off of me. In the beginning, she couldn’t relax, sit or lay down. She would just stand close to me, with her head hung low. It seemed she was so used to hanging her head, she didn’t even know she could lift it. But she’s changing and growing every day — she lifts her head and politely asks to be pet, her eyes are less sad and more bright, she wags her tail and enjoys visiting with everyone she meets, especially kids and other dogs.

At home, she’s great with my cats and minds her own business. She loves sleeping in the bed that our Williams Kia service manager Ken Matthews gifted to her. She looks forward to our nightly walks around my neighborhood, trotting through the snow and tracking smells. She waits for the praise I give her for going potty in all the right places (anywhere but inside). I’m her momma now.

This vehicle has every possible option you can think of: 274 HP 6 speed Automatic Transmission, Navigation, Heated and Cooled Seats, and over 30 MPG. Lease it today with $1000 down at $299 per month 36 month/36,000 miles.

For more details or to schedule a test drive, please visit our Kia website.

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Chevrolet Volt Huge Discount at Williams Chevrolet . Come take a test drive on a demo unit at Williams Chevrolet  

Social media savvy community members are invited to sign up to test drive the Chevy Volt for a day and share their experience on social networks. Sign up by Oct. 30. Must complete test drive by Nov.9.  #volt #testdrive #williamstc #traversecity #nwmi

Traverse City, Oct. 24, 2012 –  The 2011 Chevrolet Volt, serving as a dedicated demo at Williams Chevrolet, is now available for purchase. Selling for $30,000 – about $14,000 off its original sticker price – the Chevy Volt also qualifies for a $7,500 tax credit this year.

To generate some buzz, social media savvy community members are invited to sign up to test drive the Chevy Volt for a 24-hour period and share their experience on social networks. Sign up by Oct. 30. A limited number of test driver spots are available. Must complete test drive by Nov.9.

Sign up form link – https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHV4ZlZ6bVVPR2puOXotM2tvNnJIYkE6MQ#gid=0

“It’s impressive,” is what many people say after test driving the Volt, the electric car with extended-range capability, at Williams.

“Customer reaction to the Volt has been exceptional thus far, and we know the best way for them to experience the Volt is to drive it,” said Sylvia Dana, Communications Director at Williams Chevrolet. “We are excited for consumer to form their own opinions of this revolutionary car that offers piece of mind that this is the only car that they need to own.”

The Volt is an electric vehicle that offers a total driving range of up to 379 miles, based on EPA estimates. With the Volt an individual can drive gas- and tailpipe-emissions-free using a full charge of electricity for the first 35 miles of their commute. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas-powered engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range another 344 miles on a full tank. Not only can consumers run errands around town but they can also take the Volt on extended trips or vacations without having to worry about charging the battery.

Media Contact:

Sylvia Dana, 231-995-7541, sdana at williamstc dot com

Related articles

• Chevrolet Volt by the Numbers (motortrend.com)
• We Hear: Army and Navy Buying Chevrolet Volts for Domestic Use (wot.motortrend.com)
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