A special evening in Tustin...

On Tuesday evening, February 24, I had a rare opportunity. I had the great good fortune to spend some quality time with some of our very special customers.

Sometimes saying the words "thank you" just doesn't seem adequate enough. Especially for the time these wonderful "members of our family" gave me. But...I'll do the best I can.

This small army of customers stormed Tustin Mazda with the single purpose of shooting a commercial for us! Some were nervous, some were curious, but all were willing!

To our little army...You touched me with your kindness, you made me laugh with your quick wit and you gave me the most precious gift of all, your TIME . Something I'll never be able to give back to you.

To the following loyal members of the OC Mazda family, I thank you, I salute you and I'm always here for you. You are the best of the best!

Bob Steshetz, Kamden Steshetz, Kara Steshetz and Karen Craig
Judith Story and Charlie (the dog!)
Julie Kaplan and her son, Zach
Joe Haley
Roni Jones
Matt Olson
Lauren Steele
Melissa Santolla

With my heartfelt gratitude,
John Patterson

Most dealers want to sell you a car...let's talk about YOU selling ME one!

Our Huntington Beach showroom is almost complete! While we are open for business, both sales and service, and have been since construction started, we are starting to take a hard look at the large expanse of property we now have and I'd like to fill it up with cars! I've noticed an increase of interest in the following Mazdas and am on the look-out for them. If you, your friends, family members, co-workers or neighbors might have one of these Mazda models, please call us! We don't just sell new and used cars, we buy them, too!

2001 – 2003 Proteges or Protégé 5’s
2003 – 2005 Mazda 6’s
2002 – 2005 Tributes
2004 – 2005 Mazda 3’s
2003-2004 MPV’s

All the best!

John Patterson

Here are two of our favorites from MSN Autos' choices for the 10 best-equipped vehicles for less than $30,000.

Mazda3

Base price: $14,690
The Mazda3 is an economy car and an excellent, refined one at that. But the Mazda3 has two other distinct personalities. Buyers can opt for a Grand Touring version, which can be equipped like a near-luxury car, or a MAZDASPEED3, which is one of the best hot hatches on the market. A Grand Touring starts at $20,895 and comes standard with six airbags, electronic stability control, leather upholstery, automatic climate control, xenon headlights and heated front seats. Add a Bose sound system with a 6-disc CD changer and a sunroof ($1,335), remote engine starting ($350) and a navigation system with SIRIUS Satellite Radio ($1,950) and the total comes to $24,530. The MAZDASPEED3 ($22,740) adds a sport suspension, bigger brakes, a 263-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and tons of fun.

Mazda6

Base price: $18,550
According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 U.S. Automotive Emerging Technologies Study, 76 percent of shoppers are interested in blind-spot alert systems. That was the highest total for any feature included in the study. The Mazda6 is one of a select few vehicles that offer this technology for less than $30,000. In fact, it is standard on the Mazda6 Grand Touring, which starts at $24,910 for a 4-cylinder i version. Also standard on the Grand Touring are keyless access and starting, leather upholstery, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth cell phone connectivity, rain-sensing wipers, a universal garage door opener and xenon automatic headlights. Also available are a navigation system ($2,000), remote engine starting ($350) and a Moon Roof and Bose package ($1,760) with a moonroof, a 6-disc CD changer, SIRIUS Satellite Radio and a 10-speaker, 333-watt Bose sound system. Choose them all and the total comes to $29,020. Or, you can opt for the $28,260 6-cylinder s version, add the Moon Roof and Bose package, and still stay under $30,000.

What February brings

What an exciting month!
Not only do we have the opportunity to remind our loved ones of how dear they are to us, but we also honor presidents! In addition we celebrated a bit of summer, then fell right back into winter and we're doing all of this in the shortest month of the year!

I wanted to keep you updated on what else is happening this month in the world of OC Mazda, so, keep reading and never hesitate to call me if I can be of any assitance while you are looking for your perfect car!

Mazda launches an incrediable event! O% financing, 90 days until your first payment and $1,000 cash back! WOW!! Now is certainly a great time to buy a new car. Coupled with the below news from Washington and even if you thought a new car was not in your budget, you might just want to reconsider.

....And news from Washington

(From the Associated Press, two days ago)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers are expected to receive a tax break for the purchase of a new car this year but it may not have much impact on the steep decline in auto sales.
The $787 billion economic stimulus, which Congress was considering Friday, would give consumers a state sales tax and excise tax deduction on new cars purchased before the end of 2009. Many new car buyers could see savings of hundreds of dollars in next year's tax filing.
The incentives, worth $1.68 billion, were designed to boost auto sales and increase traffic in dealer showrooms during a dark period for the industry. General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC are living off of billions of dollars in government loans and must convince the Obama administration that they can emerge as viable companies.
"No matter how much government aid we give to the Big Three automakers, they can't survive if consumers don't start buying cars," said Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who sponsored the legislation.
A car buyer's savings will vary depend on financing terms, state and local sales tax rates and the buyer's income. Mikulski's office estimated a family with an income of $250,000 a year would save about $600 on a new $35,000 car.
Tax preparer Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. estimated that a single taxpayer earning $40,000 a year would save $300 in taxes on the purchase of a $20,000 car. A taxpayer earning $80,000 annually would save $485 in taxes when buying a $30,000 car.

...And some updates on the construction progress of our Huntington Beach location:

We are winding up! It looks like we'll be in our new building in another 4 weeks! The glass is in and the interior is painted! I can't wait to show you Orange County's only Mazda Retail Revolution Showroom! I certainly don't want to give away too many secrets, but think "Surf" and you'll have a good idea of how the interior will look!

Take the best of care and enjoy the rest of this all too short month!

John Patterson