How to have fun in the car with your kids...great article for all you parents!

Loved this article from Jenny Angelici, a local HB resident!



Here’s what we do in our minivan:

Ditch the DVD player. Do we really need this?
Roll down all the car windows. Children are like puppies — the breeze invigorates them. I recommend doing this at the end of the day when you don’t mind sacrificing your carefully coiffed hairdo.
Music is a must. Our favorite used to be The Wiggles. I was heartbroken when Greg left the band. Now, I pretty much rule the playlist with Pink and the Red Hot Chili Peppers currently leading the pack. However, I’ve had to explain to my boys that some questionable lyrics should not be repeated at school.
Bring a friend for pickup. Your little (and even not so little) ones will get a big kick out of seeing their favorite stuffed animal buckled-up and waiting for them in the car after school.
Ask open-ended questions. Each day after school, I will ask my boys what was their favorite thing about school. Now, before I have a chance to even ask, they are always ready with their answers.
Let the kids kick off their school shoes. I keep extra flip-flops in our minivan just for this reason. This way they don’t have to put their school shoes back on when we arrive at our destination. Also, it’s nice not to have to look for shoes when you want to quickly jump in the car and go.
Play flight attendant. Pretend like your kids are the passengers and you’re the super nice (not like that JetBlue guy) flight attendant. Have snacks and kids magazines ready. Our favorites are Ranger Rick and Highlights. Have fun hamming it up with announcements.
Give yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going. It’s better to arrive early and have to wait, than stressing out everyone by having to rush.
Read the signs. Have your early readers tell you what the traffic signs say. Who doesn’t remember reading the STOP sign when they were little?
Enjoy the journey and talk about what you see. There is a whole world out those car windows and learning opportunities at every corner.

Jenny Angelici is a mother of two boys and a resident of Huntington Beach.



http://www.huntingtonbeachmazda.com

The reviews are starting to flood in on the All New Mazda2!

From Car and Driver
The 2’s price is nice, starting at $14,730, and our test example rang in at $16,985. As for the competition, the Ford Fiesta hatchback starts at $15,795, the cheapest Honda Fit is $15,650, and the Nissan Versa five-door can be had for as low as $14,270. But add options to those models to equip them comparably to the 2, and their prices zoom past this Mazda’s; we stand behind our conviction that it represents a good value. Besides, the 2’s lively handling makes it among the most rewarding to drive of the bunch, even though it loses in cargo versatility to the Rube Goldbergian Fit. If you want to keep the price down, though, the Mazda 2 Sport should drive exactly the same as this Touring, and it still has features like A/C, power windows and locks, and keyless entry as standard. In either guise, the 2 provides clear proof of that secret we mentioned up top: Small, cheap cars can deliver ample fun during everyday driving, and they don’t come much more enjoyable than the Mazda 2.

See full story here http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/10q3/2011_mazda_2_touring_automatic-short_take_road_test

http://www.ocmazda.com/

Zoom-Zoom Concentrated is here! The all-new 2011 Mazda2 has just arrived! And true to our nature, we're going to celebrate in style!

Just off the truck moments ago, and a party in the works already!!

You are cordially invited to attend our 2011 Mazda2 Test Drive Event, starting Friday, August 6 and lasting through Sunday, August 22! You will not find this invitation at any other dealership in Orange County.

To make a reservation for the most fun you'll every have on a test drive simply click here!

http://www.ocmazda2.com/

Here's an extra treat for all families signed up for the OC Mazda 2011 Mazda2 Test Drive Event ...Angel Tickets! Box seats will go first and then general admission seats. So sign up early!! To receive the Angel Tickets, you must make a reservation on our Mazda2 site (www.ocmazda2.com). You must also print the response you will receive after making the reservation, and bring it with you for the test drive. No exceptions!

For every family making a reservation and taking a test drive, two Angel Baseball tickets will be given out between Friday, August 6 and Sunday August 22, at Tustin Mazda and Huntington Beach Mazda! The all-new 2011 Mazda2...great things really do come in small packages!

CHECK OUT WHAT AUTONEWS.COM HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE ALL NEW MAZDA 2!!!

CAR AND DRIVER MAZDA 2 REVIEW!!!

2011 Mazda 2 - First Drive Review

Mazda’s fun new subcompact is simple and affordable.

BY STEVE SILER
June 2010

• Photos (38)

Mazda

News & Reviews

• 2011 Mazda 2 - Official Photos and Info
• 2011 Mazda 2 - Video
• 2011 Mazda 2 - Auto Shows
• 2009 Mazda 2 Three-Door - Auto Shows
• 2008 Mazda 2 - Mini Test Road Test
• 2008 Mazda 2 - Auto Shows

Top Competitors

• Chevrolet Aveo 5-door hatchback
• Ford Fiesta hatchback
• Honda Fit
• Nissan Versa 5-door hatchback
• Toyota Yaris 5-door Liftback

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door hatchback

BASE PRICE: $14,730

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection

Displacement: 91 cu in, 1498 cc
Power (SAE net): 100 bhp @ 6000 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 98 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm

TRANSMISSIONS: 4-speed automatic, 5-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 98.0 in Length: 155.5 in
Width: 66.7 in Height: 58.1 in
Curb weight: 2300–2350 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 9.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 17.4 sec

FUEL ECONOMY (MFR’S EST):
EPA city/highway driving: 27–29/33–35 mpg

With lofty government-mandated fuel-economy standards coming down on one hand and a shaky economy spurring consumer interest on the other, carmakers are serving up more subcompact cars to U.S. consumers than ever. Among the most hotly anticipated (at least among Car and Driver staffers) is the 2011 Mazda 2, Mazda’s first America-bound B-segment vehicle since the 323 and arguably the best such car Mazda has ever built.

Although Mazda is calling the 2011 model the “third generation” of the 2, it’s more or less a refresh of the second-gen car sold around the globe since 2008. Aside from redesigned front and rear fascias and sundry new interior bits, it’s essentially the same car as before, one that shares its architecture with Ford’s slick new Fiesta—which, incidentally, also arrives stateside for 2011.

Of the two platformmates, the 2 is the simpler machine: lighter, less powerful, and available only as a five-door hatchback in Sport and Touring trim levels. Its Eurocentric cabin assigns ergonomic priority to front-seat occupants while giving rear-seaters (and cargo) the somewhat shorter end of the stick. The interior design is pleasing, but the features list is surprisingly short. Unavailable, for example, even on Touring models, are a telescoping steering wheel, a sunroof, integrated navigation (a portable Garmin system will be available from dealers), a USB port, and a hands-free Bluetooth system. The only option beyond dealer accessories is special paint.

But the 2 is a hoot to drive. The 1.5-liter four-cylinder’s 100 hp and 98 lb-ft of torque won’t exactly burn your hair off, but this engine revs freely and sounds good as it springs the 2’s feathery 2300-pound curb weight (2350 with the automatic) into motion. Better yet, the electric power steering and the chassis offer surprising feel and quick, linear responses to driver inputs. Ditto the front-disc, rear-drum brakes. Meanwhile, fuel economy is good if not worldbeating, at 29 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway for the five-speed manual and 27/33 for the four-speed automatic.

The 2 hits dealerships this August, priced from $14,730 for the manual-equipped Sport to $16,985 for an automatic Touring model. It offers a lot of driving goodness for the money. But unlike the similarly priced Fiesta, the 2 has no available sedan body style, 20 fewer hp, and fuel economy that’s 3 to 5 mpg lower on the highway. If any of those things are important to you, the choice is clear: Go for the Ford. If, however, you want to keep your B-segment car at a B-segment price—the Fiesta can be optioned to more than 22 grand—go for the more-performance-oriented 2.

The joys of a $5,000 used car, from an article on MSN Money

Photo: 2002 Hyundai Accent, 73,338 miles, asking $4290.00

"If you're not hung up on that new-car smell, you should be able to find a reasonably priced auto that, given proper maintenance, will be on the road for years to come."
By John Pearley Huffman
MSN Money

It used to be that a car was toast at 100,000 miles. Worthless.

"Used up," agrees Phil Reed, a senior consumer-advice editor at Edmunds.com.

Today, that's a costly misperception. "For a lot of buyers, their frame of reference is out of date," Reed says. "Now you can easily go 200,000 miles with regular maintenance."

Heck, why not aim for 250,000? Or more? That dissonance between what many people believe and how well most late-model cars are built has produced a tantalizing buying opportunity: the $5,000 used car that you can drive virtually indefinitely.
It won't have that new-car smell, your retinas won't be scorched by its shine, and the neighbors won't be jealous. But the compensating virtues are overwhelming.

"A conservatively driven and well-maintained $5,000 car should last 10 years," says Steven Lang, who owns two used-car lots and half an auto auction, and writes frequently on used cars at The Truth About Cars. "Cars are engineered today so that you'll get tired of them long before they tire out on you."

You could save a bundle, learn a lot about cars and maybe even improve your social standing.



Click here for the complete interview from Money at MSN
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveonaCar/the-joys-of-a-5000-dollar-used-car.aspx?gt1=33017


Click here for our pre-owned inventory
http://www.ocmazda.com/bargain-inventory/index.htm?reset=InventoryListing

Celebrate with us and Claim Your Mazda to take full advantage of firecracker deals!

Click here for the complete line-up http://www.ocmazda.com/new-inventory/index.htm?reset=InventoryListing

http://www.ocmazda.com