All-new 2014 Nissan Versa Note unveiled at NAIAS

 Nissan gave the world its first look of the all-new 2014 Nissan Versa Note at the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) this week in Detroit, Michigan.

2013 Ram 1500 named Truck of the Year

 

Over the past month, the 2013 Ram 1500 has hauled away “Truck of the Year” honors from numerous automotive experts.

The editors at Motor Trend, The Detroit Free Press, AOL Autos and Four Wheeler Magazine all chose the new Ram 1500 as their Truck of the Year after evaluating trucks on the market this year. Each group touted the power, design and dependability of the truck.

2013 Jeep Wrangler awarded SUV of the Year

 

 Autobytel, an industry-leading automotive advisor, has picked the 2013 Jeep Wrangler as the 2013 SUV of the Year.

“The 2013 Jeep Wrangler is the prototypical off-road warrior, and for the 2013 model year it continues to offer a very impressive package of all terrain capability matched with a decent amount of daily practicality,” write the editors at Autobytel. “…it's impossible to deny that the Wrangler is without a doubt the most capable affordable SUV around when it comes time to tackle the rough stuff. Its variety of four-wheel drive systems, excellent ground clearance, and solid front and rear axles are not to be trifled with on the trail.”

The 2013 Wrangler has the capability and power to get you to the highest mountain peak or to the edge of the ocean with great fuel economy to boot. It also features standard electronic stability control, Hill-Start Assist and Trailer-Sway Control.

The 2013 Jeep Wrangler is currently available in Allentown, PA at Jeep dealership Rothrock Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.  

2013 Nissan Altima named Top Safety Pick Plus

 

The Institute for Highway Safety recently awarded the 2013 Nissan Altima with a “Top Safety Pick Plus” designation. The award recognizes passenger vehicles for their outstanding performance in five safety tests issued by the IIHS.

"Driver and passenger safety are top priorities for Nissan, which is why we make features like Safety Shield technologies available," said Bob Yakushi, Nissan's director of product safety. "The 2013 Altima is truly Nissan's most innovative Altima ever, and the 'Top Safety Pick Plus' designation by IIHS reflects the engineering and design that have gone into this car to make it stand out in the class."

Nissan’s Commitment to Staying Green

Nissan was one of the first companies to successfully produce and market an electric car to the masses.  By doing so, the Nissan LEAF, which was introduced in the United States in December 2010, has been able to bring home several accolades that speak to its innovative ways, including the “2010 Green Car Vision Award,” the “2011 European Car of the Year,” the “2011 World Car of the Year,” and the “2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan.”

Now, Nissan is upping the ante on their green initiatives once again by cutting its use of the rare-earth mineral dysprosium in the LEAF’s engine by 40 percent without affecting performance.  In fact, if anything, drivers should actually feel increased performance in their LEAF.  Dysprosium is used in the electric motor magnets to help increase their resistance to heat.  However, a new process called “grain boundary diffusion” allows Nissan to drastically cut back on its use of the rare-earth mineral.

As if this isn't impressive-enough news, Nissan also announced that they will be creating 15 new hybrid vehicles over the next four years.  Nissan has always been one of the most innovative companies we know of, and with commitments like that it’s easy to see why.

Convenience, Value and Trust

When you've been in the business 50+ years like we have, you start to learn what works.  That’s why we base our business on three words that we hold in equally high regard: Convenience, Trust and Value.

Convenience:

We try to make ourselves open to you whenever you need us.  That’s why we stay open until 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, and why we stay open until 5 p.m. on Saturdays.  We know you’re busy and that your schedule doesn't match anyone else’s.  We also have free shuttle service available as well as express service that doesn't require an appointment.  Plus, if we do need to keep your vehicle for a few days, we have rentals available on site to keep the entire experience as hassle-free as possible.

Trust:

We strive for the most worry-free experience possible when you come to Rothrock for your vehicle’s needs.  Our award-winning Collision Center has state-of-the-art equipment and all of our technicians are Factory and ASE certified.  Not only that, but we carry genuine manufactured parts, so you can ride easy knowing that your vehicle was worked on with the right materials, the right care and with the best people in the business.

Value:

When you shop at Rothrock, you know you’re getting the best value for your buck.  We offer free state inspections and free 16 point vehicle checks whenever you bring your car in.  You’ll find each one of our vehicles competitively priced, and we even offer exclusive email & social media specials for even more discounts.

We understand that choosing a dealership for service might not always be your first choice because of the way some other dealerships operate.  After a recent talk with a friend about dealership service we discussed pricing.  When I asked about her thoughts on bringing the vehicle in for service she stated that “the dealer costs too much.”  When I asked about what service she was talking about, she said, “all of them.”

After reviewing marketing and pricing, dealerships make campaigns to “reeducate” people on why things cost what they cost.  Dealerships have spent years trying to convince people that the reason they pay more is that dealerships have more.  Dealerships have nice lounges and TV’s, they have WiFi and free coffee, so of course things cost more.  They are big buildings with lots of employees, so obviously you need to “pay” for all of these things through service.

Dealerships have factory trained employees and all the best parts for your vehicle.

Here at the Rothrock Family of dealerships, we look at things differently, by basing our business our convenience, trust and value.  Stop by Rothrock Motor Sales the next time you pass by; we’re just off Route 22 at 15^th Street.  If you've never shopped here before, you just might walk away surprised at the Rothrock difference.

The 2013 Dodge Dart is Available Now!

The 2013 Dodge Dart is available now at Rothrock Motors!

 

The Dart is a fantastic piece of machinery, combining fun-to-drive aspects with cutting-edge technology, a spacious cabin, top of the line safety features, a high mpg and a revolutionary exterior design.

The Dodge Dart has one of the nicest cabins in its class according to Edmunds, with padded surfaces, colorful trim and an available 8.4-inch touch screen.  There’s also plenty of room on the inside, with lots of legroom and a large back seat.

The exterior is unique in design, but borrows certain cues that have been successful with other Dodge cars in the past.  The racetrack LED lighting in the back of the car is inspired by the current generation Dodge Charger, and the flying buttress was inspired by the second generation Dodge Charger.

The safety features of the Dart are hard to beat, because antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front and rear side airbags, side curtain airbags and front knee airbags all come standard.  A rearview camera, a blind-spot monitoring and a cross-traffic alert system are also available.

Also, the 2013 Dart delivers incredible performance.  Estimated fuel economy is 25 mpg city/36 mpg highway, and the standard  2-liter four-cylinder engine produces 160 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque.  A turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine is also available.

If you’re interested in the 2013 Dodge Dart, be sure to call or visit us at Rothrock Motors, 866-218-7720, and we’ll be happy to arrange a test-drive.

What is our North Star?

“What is our North Star” is an analogy that is meant to describe what someone or something (like a our company) uses as its “guiding light”.

In this case, the term “North Star” comes from when sailors would use Polaris as the constant to navigate the ship to safe ports. The North Star was the one star that they always thought was the brightest one in the night sky, so it could always be found.  If you knew where the north star was, you could use it as a reference point to plot your course.

We at the Rothrock Family have something that we use as our “North Star,” and that is our customers. You are what we use to keep us on course, to guide us in the night sky of business to make sure we are on course.

When you do business with us in sales or service you can count on the fact that if we are “going off course” in the way we do things, it is only by you, by our “North Star” that we can get back on course, and that can only happen by you letting us know.

Our goal is to make every transaction you have with the Rothrock family be a remarkable and memorable experience. And as our guiding light, we count on you to correct and guide us with everything we do.

Posting Online Reviews

 

My wife Carmen and I recently had a great dining experience at a local restaurant and I felt compelled to write an online review. When I went to the Google reviews page, I was surprised to see a bunch of negative reviews at the place that we just such a wonderful experience that evening.

Now, of course reading the negative reviews didn’t have the ability to change the great time that my wife and I had, but I did have to reflect on my event. After reading all the negative reviews, it made me even more compelled to write a great review.

I became interested in reading people’s opinions about a lot of the places that I frequent. Strangely (in my mind) most places I loved had negative reviews, although most had very few. I wasn’t sure if the reviews were saying something about my tastes, something about online reviews in general or a little of both. But as I became an online review addict, the more I realized that the system worked, because even if I loved a place, everyone has different experiences everywhere they go.

There were places that had hundreds of reviews, and they were all great. And you know what? I started looking at them differently.

We in the Rothrock Family also provide the ability for people to write online reviews and we welcome you to do so. It is only through your honest feedback that we can alter our processes to make your next experience better.

I have found that whether with my own personal service experiences or with the experiences that we provide for our valued clients at Rothrock, it is not always the absence of problems that makes a great experience, but rather an appropriate and prompt response and an openness to make the process better that shows the character of a business.

So please feel free to make online comments about your experiences, and we’ll always be happy to hear what you have to say.

Who Are We?

 

 

 

Hi, my name is Rex Weaver, and I am the Service Director at Rothrock Motor Sales.

I remember calling a credit card company about some charges that I thought were incorrect. As I prepared for the call, my dislike for this company grew, and I was ready to take it out on whoever might answer the phone. I was sure I was right, and this company had no right to take advantage of me, “the little guy”. The phone was answered by a very friendly person, but I wasn’t having any of that, because I was on a mission. As the call progressed, though, I realized that I wasn’t talking to the “company,” but instead a person. And that person was just doing their job. They weren’t the company; they were an employee of the company.

Of course, this thought made me think of my own company. When people call a car dealership (and more specifically, the service department) they may think that they are calling a company, but they are actually calling me or one of my teammates.

 

And do you know who we are? We are the same people you see at the store or the baseball game. You see us in church or at the movies.

Now, while we are part of a great company and we all share the Rothrock Family vision, we are people just like you, and we are here to help. Because when we see you and your families at the store or out and about, we want to be able to be proud of what we are able to do for you at Rothrock. We want to be able to see you be happy, and we hope you would want the same for us.

One simple way to accomplish this is by giving us feedback. If something doesn’t go the way you expected, we want you to tell us. Our obligation to you is to take that feedback and be productive with it, and to actually make changes to make the experience better for you and all our other clients the next time and every other time afterwards.

It is not by the absence of problems, but by an appropriate response to a problem that shows the character of a company. Some of the best business relationships I have are with clients and other businesses where not every aspect of our business together went as planned, but the response was effective and well received. So while we strive for the best experience every time you come in for service, you can rest assured that if you have a problem, we are here to help.

Like most of the Rothrock Family, we live in the Lehigh Valley. Our children go to school here and we are proud to be part of this community, and we all look forward to seeing you not only at the dealership, but also in our community.

Should I go to the dealer when my vehicle needs service?

We know that we’ve all debated this question. People might say, “I have my own guy” or, “They are way too expensive.”

We’re here to set the record straight. There are many advantages of going back to the dealership where you bought your car to have it serviced.  Here are just a few:

1.    The dealership knows your vehicle: The technicians at the dealership are all trained and certified to repair and service your vehicle. Some people seem to think that all cars are the same and if you have a garage, you can fix or service any type of vehicle. Sadly, this just isn’t the case. As technology advances, so does the training of the people who work on vehicles, and having a factory trained technician who is updated on all the latest advancements is the best thing you can do when dealing with an investment as important as your vehicle. Being an expert on every type of vehicle is a tough job, so stick with the people who can focus on your specific vehicle, not every vehicle. I think we all know the old saying: “Jack of all trades, master of none.”

2.    The dealership has the right parts: I’m sure the same people who think anybody can fix a car would also think that a part is a part, but again, not the case. There's a huge selection of parts like oil filters and exhaust pieces, and the difference between one and another is remarkable. Sure, sometimes the best parts can be more expensive, but the old saying goes, “Good things are rarely cheap and cheap things are rarely good.” And, if you ever had the pleasure of working on a vehicle, there is nothing more frustrating on having an aftermarket part not fit. Factory parts are designed specifically for your vehicle.

3.    The dealership has more on the line: Dealerships not only service vehicles, but also try to sell you your next vehicle. If aftermarket garages don’t make you happy and you go somewhere else, that’s it for them. At a dealership, though, losing your service business means they wouldn’t expect you to purchase a vehicle from them in the future, either.

4.    The dealership can help with warranty issues: If you have a one-stop place to go for all your service needs, why wouldn’t you? Dealerships have trained technicians who can find warranty issues on your vehicle that you may not even be aware of, and they can help you with it while the vehicle is there. Of course, an aftermarket shop wouldn’t be able to bill the factory for the repair.

If you’ve never had your vehicle serviced at the dealership, you may be in for a pleasant surprise. Great amenities and hospitality, a group of trained professionals and available parts that your vehicle is designed to run on is a recipe for success when it comes to your satisfaction.

And if it’s been a while that you’ve visited Rothrock Motors, stop in and see us. We are the people trained to keep your vehicle in tip top condition and always look forward to seeing you.

We have an Express Service Station available that does not require an appointment, a complete service department with extended hours for your convenience and a full service body shop. We can satisfy all your service needs, including tires.

Stop in for complimentary Multi Point Inspection and enjoy the Rothrock Experience.  Click on the graphic below to view all the benefits of having your vehicle serviced at Rothrock!

Nissan creates a crowdsourced 370Z

All over the internet, people are discussing their dream car.  Which parts would it have?  What would its design be?  What features would be implemented?

Nissan has noticed this and has taken advantage of it!  They took their 370Z and gave it to the masses by crowdsourcing the vehicle.  Creative minds from all over the world got together and voted on every single modification, from the wheels, to the tires, to the interior, to the exterior, to the suspension.  Now, after two building stages, the car is finally complete.

In stage one, the front clip and hoses were removed from the 370Z to pull out the engine, which was replaced with a 3.7-liter six fitted with a Greddy twin turbo kit.  The suspension was also replaced, and a Stoptech big brake kit was added.

Stage two involved changing the fuel/air ratio and the aesthetics.  Check out the videos to see exactly how the 370Z turned out.

Looking for a 370Z yourself?  Check out our selection at Rothrocknissan.com!