Thank you everyone who helped out with the Ford Drive One 4UR School program. Through this philanthropic event, the Irwin Automotive Group was able to raise more than $1,700 to support the drama club at Laconia High School! The weather worked out in our favor; with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s, we couldn’t have asked for a nicer day to test drive some new Fords. As always, the volunteers who helped out with the event did a fantastic job and everyone had a great time. We hope to host this event again next year and to see you there!

The Irwin Automotive Group will be a hosting a Business After Hours networking event at the new Irwin Hyundai location, 446 Union Avenue in Laconia. The event will be held in conjunction with the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerece and the Lakes Region Young Professionals network. The event will be an excellent opportunity to meet other professionals in the community, while exploring the completely renovated Iwin Hyundai showroom. To make this even even more memorable, the Lakes Region Young Professionals will be hosting a Cornhole Tournament. Do you have what it takes to be the 2012 Cornhole Champ? You’ll have to come to the Business After Hours to find out!

The Cornhole Tournament will be fun for all ages

It may sound like a contradiction at first, but the latest trend in the automotive industry is affordable luxury. As the economy continues to rebound and consumer confidence begins to return, many customers are starting to buy that new car they had been putting off. This is not surprising in and of itself. The average car on the road is 10.6 years old, the highest age on record, which indicates that there is pent-up demand for new cars. Additionally, with record-low interest rates (many manufacturers are offering 0% financing), there has never been a better time to buy. What is interesting, however, is that consumers are showing a strong preference for sedans with the sorts of loaded features normally reserved for high-end luxury cars. This trend indicates that consumers are feeling confident enough to take on a new car payment, and are even willing to splurge on very nice cars; the difference is that these vehicles are in the $25-30,000 range as opposed to the $45-50,000 range.

CNN Money made a list of the Top Five large sedans that provide affordable luxury. Of these five vehicles, three are available at the Irwin Automotive Group, and all are completely redesigned for this year. The Hyundai Azera bridges the gap between the Sonata and the Genesis. The Azera’s new “fluidic design” exterior borrows heavily from the Sonata, while its highly refined interior (power leather seats are standard) rivals that of the much more expensive Genesis.

The Toyota Avalon has long been known as Toyota’s finest sedan, and just a small step below Toyota’s lexury brand, Lexus. That step has gotten even smaller quality-wise with the redesigned 2013 Toyota Avalon, which has created a lot of buzz throughout the automotive industry. The 2013 Avalon will feature an improved suspension and quieter, richer interior. It has also been specifically designed and engineered to appeal to a younger audience, which can be seen with its impressive front end and athletic, aggressive profile.

The redesigned 2013 Avalon features a flashier grille and more aggressive stance

The 2013 Ford Taurus provides a smooth, confident ride and a whisper-quiet interior. It also comes in three different engine configurations: a 2.0L, 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine which is expected to achieve 32 mpg on the highway, a 3.5L conventional V6 engine, and a 3.5L 6-cylinder EcoBoost engine which will deliver the equivalent power of a V8 engine with the fuel economy of a V6 engine. 

The 2013 Ford Taurus has been completely redesigned

Thank you to everyone who pitched in to make our first ever Ladies and Wheels event a successful and fun evening! Our volunteers all did a wonderful job by helping with valet parking, and food and drink service. Many thanks to our corporate sponsors who donated time, money, and gifts for our raffle drawing.

Ladies and Wheels started off with snacks and sweets and followed by a presentation about routine car maintenance, namely oil changes and tire rotations to prolong the life of your vehicle and tires. The two instructors were our service manager, Ron O’Connor Jr., and our Laconia Quick Lane manager, Bill Salta. Between the two of them, they have over 70 years of experience in the automotive industry!

Next, it was off to the garage for a look under the hood (and under a car!) to see exactly how many features of a car work. One of our service technicians, Wayne Thayer, demonstrated how brakes work, how to check fluid levels, what an air filter looks like and more. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn about some of the most common issues that come up during car maintenance.

Wayne Thayer demonstrates how brakes work

I even did a presentation on how to buy a car online. The focus was on using tools such as CARFAX, Real Deal.com, and DealerRater.com to makes sure that the car-buying process is as transparent and as easy as possible. Inspecting the vehicle’s history to make sure there were no accidents reported and that the vehicle was serviced regularly helps provide peace of mind when buying a pre-owned car. DealerRater lets you check out a dealership’s reputation before you decide to do business with them. Buying a car is a major financial decision, and you want to make sure that you’ll be treated fairly and get a good deal; DealerRater.com helps you do that.

The evening concluded with a presentation by AAA of Northern New England on the dangers of distracted driving and a list of tips for what to do if you break down on the side of the road. The highlight of this presentation was when the attendees each received a thumb band to remind them not to text while driving. No texting thumb bands are increasing in popularity as people become more aware of how dangerous it is to text while driving.

At the end of the night, we raffled off dozens of prizes such as floral arrangements, restaurant gift cards, and even a full spa treatment! We hope that you enjoyed Ladies and Wheels as much as we did. And even more importantly, we hope to see you again at next year’s Ladies and Wheels.

A special thanks again to our volunteers and to all of our sponsors. Our sponsors are: Annie’s Cafe and Catering, AAA Northern New England, NAPA Auto Parts, Patrick’s Pub, Meredith Village Savings Bank, Lakes Region Floral Studio, Franklin Savings Bank, Petal Pushers Farm, Woodshed Roasting Company, Laconia Savings Bank, Winnisquam Printing & Copying, CARFAX, Belknap Independent Business Alliance (BIBA), SunDay’s Salon and Spa, Clearly Creative LLC, Nassau Broadcasting, Hoffman Sales Company Inc., ComCast Cable, Contigiani’s Catering Service, Beyond the Fringe Hair Styling, Laconia Village Bakery, Water Street Cafe, and Summit Health NH.

The 2012 Ford Transit Connect van is available for sale at Irwin Ford in Laconia NH. This versatile, two-seat commercial van has dual sliding side doors, and two hinged rear doors, all of which open into a cavernous rear cargo area which boasts a whopping 129.6 cubic feet of space for whatever you need! You will have plenty of room for all your tools and supplies. Plus, you can easily have shelves installed in the rear for additional organization. You can even use this handy Transit Connect as a moving billboard and grow your business with customized graphics. Come to Irwin Ford at 59 Bisson Ave in Laconia NH today and ask to see this trusty Transit Connect for yourself. And becuase the Transit Connect is perfect for a wide range of large, mid-size, and small businesses alike, our Fleet Manager Steve Pouliot is able to offer a variety of commercial and fleet solutions to meet the needs of your business!

The completely-redesigned 2012 Hyundai Azera has arrived at Irwin Hyundai in Laconia NH. The Azera now features the same “fluidic design” that made the Sonata and Elantra such run-away hits last year. The bold styling and crisp body lines of this design will definitely turn some heads. But what’s more important than just looking good is the comfort, convenience, and safety of this Azera.

A brand-new 2012 Azera at Irwin Hyundai

The 2012 Azera comes with a 293-horsepower, 3.3L GDI 24-valve DOHC V6 enine that delivers exceptional performance, while still providing best-in-class fuel economy. The Azera is rated at 29 mpg on the highway, which is better than the Toyota Avalon, Lincoln MKZ, and Lexus ES 350. The 2012 Azera is roomy as well. In fact, the Azera has 107 cubic feet of passenger space and 16.3 cubic feet of cargo space, for a total of 123.3 cubic feet of interior the space, the highest of any vehicle in its class.

Did you know that every 2012 Azera comes standard with leather seats, a rearview cameram, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a navigation system with a 7-inch touch screen? If you’re looking for a lot of luxury at a reasonable price, the Hyundai Azera provides a tremendous value with its seemless blend of high-end features and reliable performance.

If you want to experience a trult remarkable premium sedan, then come to Irwin Hyundai in Laconia NH today and test drive this stunning 2012 Hyundai Azera.

The Irwin Automotive Group will be holding a Business After Hours event to showcase our brand-new Hyundai showroom at 446 Union Ave in Laconia. The event will held on April 25th from 5-7 pm and will be a great networking opportunity for professionals in the New Hampshire Lakes Region. Irwin Hyundai has teamed up with the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce  to put on the event, which is expected to be a huge success. In addition to snacks, fun people, and great conversation, the Irwin Hyundai Business After Hours will allow you to test drive new Hyundais all night long! We’ll be highlighting flagship models such as the Sonata, Elantra, and Santa Fe, and the all-new, sporty Veloster. If you have not yet had the pleasure of driving one of the new Hyundai models, definitely take advantage of the informational test drive spectacular at Irwin Hyundai! So come to our Business After Hours and eat, socialize, and meet tons of others professionals. While you’re there, be sure to try out a new Hyundai!

Business After Hours with Irwin Hyundai will be held on Wednesday, April 25th from 5-7 pm at 446 Union Ave in Laconia.

The Irwin Automotive Group will be hosting a special evening for women this coming Wednesday, April 11th called Ladies and Wheels. The event will be hosted by our Used Car Manager, Betty Ballantyne, and will include information about how to get the most out of your car. We will have a panel of experts to provide insight on everything from shopping to a car to getting proper car maintenance. And of course, we will have a variety of snacks, sweets, and gift bags. We will even have a raffle drawing for a bunch of fun prizes (including a trip to the spa!). So mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 11th. Our Ladies and Wheels event is going to be a great time, so don’t miss it! It will be held in our Toyota and Ford showroom at 59 Bisson Ave in Laconia from 6-8:30 pm.

Irwin Ford and the Ford Motor Company are teaming up once again to benefit Laconia High School. That’s right, the highly successful Drive One 4 UR School program is returning to LHS this year to raise money for the drama club. On Thursday, April 19th, every person who comes to LHS between 3 and 7 and test drives a new Ford vehicle will earn a $20 donation for the LHS drama club. All you have to do is show up, take a test drive, and Ford will give $20 to the LHS drama club. There is absolutely no obligation to buy, no gimmicks, and no pressure.

So be sure to mark your calendars now. It has never been easier (or more fun!) to help keep the arts going strong at Laconia High School. In these challenging economic times, budget cuts have hit arts programs especially hard. Not to worry, you can help earn money for the drama club(up to $6,000!) just by test driving a new Ford. All your favorite models will be there, including the Fusion, Focus, Explorer, Escape, Edge, and of course, the F-150.

When: Thursday, April 19th from 3-7 pm.

Where: Laconia High School, 345 Union Ave Laconia NH 03246

The 2013 Ford Fusion is still a few months away from being released, and this highly-anticipated sedan is already making some news. It recently won AutoWeek’s Best in Show Award after making a big splash at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. CarAndDriver called it “pretty darn handsome,” and Ford estimates that both Ford Fusion Hybrid models will beat the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Hyundai Sonata hybrid in terms of fuel economy.

Unofficial estimates put the fuel economy for the 2013 Fusion Hybaround 44-47 mpg. Additionally, the redesigned Hybrid models will be able to go faster for longer in all-electric mode. The 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Hybrid Energi Plug-In are both capable of achieving speeds of 62 mph in electric-only mode, 15 mph faster than models can currently achieve in electric-only mode.

The 2013 Fusion will be availablewith 5 different engines: a 2.5L conventional gas engine, a 1.6L EcoBoost turbo engine, and 2.0L EcoBoost engine.  The 1.6L EcoBoost will provide 179-hp and the 2.0L EcoBoost will deliver an impressive 237-hp. NH Ford fans who rely on the AWD drivetrain to conquer those snowy New England roads will be glad to know that AWD is available on the 2.0L EcoBoost model. All three gas engines come with 6-speed transmissions.

The 2013 Fusion has been redesigned to be bolder, more efficient, and more fun to drive. It will be available for sale in NH in the late third quarter or early fourth quarter of this year. Be sure to look for the 2013 Fusion at Irwin Ford in Laconia NH.