Heiser Chevrolet's October Newsletter
Heiser Chevrolet Welcomes Used Car Manager, Jeff
Wenzen
When asked
about the move from a Ford to a Chevrolet dealership, Jeff said it has been a
smooth transition. He enjoys selling domestic vehicles and believes that
driving an American-made product is the only way to go. Advances in technology have affected all
vehicles, not just foreign entries.
Stylish for its day, Malibu made its
mid-1960s debut as Chevrolet’s first “intermediate” car – and one of the first
midsize cars in America. Before then, Chevrolet’s passenger car lineup
consisted of a range of full-size models, headlined by Impala, along with the
Corvair and Corvette. Named for the Los Angeles-area enclave that was center of
the beach culture in the 1960s, the Malibu was the top trim line for the
intermediate platform, which also included the Chevelle as an entry-level
model, and the El Camino truck. It was lauded for its robust, body-on-frame
construction and responsive coil-spring front suspension.
Unlike regular cruise control, the
full-speed-range adaptive cruise control system uses forward-looking radar to
let the driver choose one of three gaps at which to follow the car ahead. These
gaps adapt to the cruise speed selected, so a larger distance between cars at a
higher cruise speed is provided. The system can automatically accelerate and
brake the vehicle up to moderate levels to maintain the driver-selected gap,
and can even work under stop-and-go traffic conditions, such as automated toll
booths.
Heiser Chevrolet
is excited to have Used Car Manager Jeff Wenzen as the newest member of their
team. Jeff is a seasoned veteran of our automotive group family. He started his
Heiser career as a Finance Manager, and was promoted to Used Car Manager at
Heiser Ford Lincoln.
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Used Car Manager: Jeff Wenzen |
“I enjoy
working with both Chevrolet and Ford customers,” said Jeff. “Driving domestic
vehicles these days can be just as luxurious as other products. The Detroit
automotive manufacturers have really made their vehicles into efficient,
comfortable and safe vehicles. The have upped the standard of excellence in
today’s automotive marketplace,” he continued.
Customers find
Jeff a versatile Sales Manager. Because of his extensive experience he is proactive
in answering questions. He often anticipates concerns and is able to put them
to rest quickly. Reviews of Jeff’s
interactions indicate Heiser’s customers appreciate his direct manner when
overseeing their deals.
Jeff’s
personal philosophy is to give each customer the best sales experience possible.
“Buying a vehicle should be an enjoyable process,” stated Jeff. “I want my customers to have fun when they
come to our dealership and leave knowing they received a great vehicle that
fits all of their needs.”
Outside the
used car sales department, Jeff has an active life. He prides himself in being
healthy. He also is an avid Marquette & Packer fan. But most importantly, he is a family man. He
enjoys spending as much time as he can with his wife and 2 teenage daughters.
Chevrolet
Marks 50th Anniversary of First Malibu
In 1964, a gallon of gas cost
Milwaukee-area drivers 30 cents and a movie ticket cost $1.25. The Dow Jones
Industrial Average closed the year at 874 and The Beatles made their historic
appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. It was also the year Chevrolet introduced
the Malibu.
What a difference half a century
makes.
Now, the 2014 Malibu, a
technologically advanced midsize sedan, delivers drivers efficiency, comfort
and connectivity unimagined in 1964. In fact, its standard 2.5L
four-cylinder engine delivers 65 percent more horsepower than the original
Malibu’s standard 3.2L six-cylinder. Even when compared with the 2013
model, the new, standard 2.5L engine contributes 14 percent greater fuel
economy in the city (25 mpg).

The 2014 Malibu is the eighth
generation of the nameplate and the technological progress extends to safety,
comfort and connectivity features. What has not changed is Malibu’s mission as
a midsize car with styling that stands the test of time.
Generation 1 – 1964-1967:
Although originally launched as
premium sedan for families, the first Malibu was quickly caught up in the
muscle car wars of the 1960s and soon after its introduction; the sporty Malibu
SS was born. The Chevelle SS took the lead for Chevrolet’s muscle cars in 1966
and the Malibu continued as the premium model, tailored for the growing number
of suburban customers who sought roominess yet efficiency for their long
commutes every day.
Generation 2 – 1968-1972:
Based on the original intermediate
platform, the 1968-72 models’ dimensions shifted with a slightly shorter
112-inch wheelbase for coupes and convertibles and a longer, 116-inch wheelbase
for sedans and wagons. Like the 1964-67 models, each model year in the second
generation had distinctive year-over-year styling differences.
Generation 3 – 1973-1977:
The 1973 introduction of the
third-generation Malibu brought a new frame that retained the previous
112-/116-inch wheelbases, but to accommodate new federal crash standards, the
bodies grew about five inches in length and one inch in width. A
European-inspired Laguna model briefly dethroned the Malibu from its perch atop
the midsize hierarchy.
Generation 4 – 1978-1983:
Chevrolet discontinued the Chevelle
line after 1977 and the next generation of downsized midsize cars would stick
strictly with the Malibu name from 1978 onward. They were a foot shorter and
more than 500 pounds lighter, offering V-6 and V-8 engines. There was even a
dedicated police car package.
Generation 5 – 1997-2003:
After a five-year run with the
fourth generation, the sun set on Malibu from 1984 until 1997, when it was
reborn as an all-new, front-wheel-drive sedan, offering four- and six-cylinder
engines. It was named Motor Trend Car
of the Year for 1997.
Generation 6 – 2004-2007:
Malibu moved to GM’s award-winning
global architecture for 2004, offering greater technology, efficiency and
performance – including the return of the Malibu SS, which featured a
240-horsepower 3.9L V-6. The Malibu range also included the Malibu Maxx
five-door extended sedan, which offered greater cargo room and innovations such
as the ability of the rear seat to slide seven inches fore and after and
reclining rear seat.
Generation 7 – 2008-2012:
Riding on an enhanced, longer
version of the architecture introduced on the 2004 Malibu, the
seventh-generation models introduced greater levels of refinement, performance
and efficiency – along with enhanced safety features, including standard head
curtain side air bags. It was voted the 2008 North American Car of the Year at
the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Generation 8 – 2013-2014:
Redesigned for 2013, Chevrolet
further enhanced Malibu for 2014 with greater efficiency, new connectivity
features, comfort enhancements and a new front-end appearance. It offers the
segment’s first engine with standard stop/start technology and an available
2.0L turbo engine with 259 horsepower that continues a performance legacy
established 50 years ago.
Stressed Out? 2014 Chevrolet Impala May Offer Some Relief
Full-speed-range adaptive cruise
control could reduce workload during commutes
Full-speed-range
adaptive cruise control, available on the
2014 Chevrolet Impala can help reduce the number of repeated stops and starts
during every day commuting, which can be
stressful for drivers.
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The New 2014 Chevrolet Impala |
“The redesigned Impala is the first
Chevrolet to offer the adaptive cruise control technology,” said Mary Ann
Scaffidi one of the family-owners of Heiser Chevrolet. “By addressing the
repetitive task of braking and accelerating via a cruise control system, it
allows drivers the ability to maintain a driver-selected following gap with the
vehicle ahead.”
Adaptive Cruise Control still
requires drivers to pay careful attention to traffic and road conditions and
override the system when necessary by manually accelerating and/or braking.
General Motors and the University of
Michigan Transportation Research Institute conducted a large field test in 2005 in cooperation with the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, using Adaptive Cruise Control at speeds
above 25 mph.
Results indicated that brake-apply
rates were 25 times lower under freeway conditions relative to manual driving.
These results suggest that Adaptive Cruise Control can substantially reduce the
workload and stress associated with the everyday task of car following.
Two other Impala
features help drivers avoid or reduce the damage caused by crashes. Forward Collision Alert
warns the driver when he is approaching a vehicle ahead too quickly or if he is
following much too closely. Crash Imminent Braking, available with the ACC
package, can intervene to automatically apply the brakes, such as when a driver
fails to respond quickly enough to Forward Collision Alert warnings.
Other available features on the
Impala that can help the driver become aware of possible crash hazards include
Lane Departure Warning, Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Rear
Vision Camera, and Ultrasonic Rear Part Assist.
The new
Impala recently received the highest possible
5-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration’s New Car Assessment Program, and has one of the most comprehensive collections of standard
and available safety features in its segment.
2014
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 edged Chrysler Group's Ram 1500 in an evaluation of
the pickup trucks by Consumer Reports
magazine.
Editors at the influential shopping
guide scored the Silverado ahead of the Ram in a series of road tests that
measures such attributes as fuel economy, performance, towing and comfort.
It's the second time in recent
months that a redesigned GM model has come out on top in the magazine's tests.
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The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado |
In its September issue, Consumer Reports rated the 2014
Chevrolet Impala -- with a road-test score of 92 out of 100 -- the best sedan
it has ever evaluated.
Silverado bested the Ram in several
key areas. It has a larger cargo bed, can tow a heavy trailer, and delivers the
best fuel economy in the class -- 16 mpg overall.
The magazine also cited the
Silverado's built-in, rear bumper steps and lower step-in height.
The Silverado tested by Consumer Reports was powered by a
5.3-liter V-8 engine, six-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. It
returned 11 mpg city, 23 highway and 16 combined.
The Ram sported Chrysler's 5.7-liter
Hemi V-8 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. Its fuel economy came
in at 10 mpg city, 21 highway and 15 combined.
The trucks were tested on CR's own
test track and on public roads. Results of the evaluation will appear online
and in the magazine's November issue.
The magazine now ranks big trucks in
this order: Silverado, Ram, F-150, Toyota Tundra, and Nissan Titan.
The full-sized pickup market -- a
key and hugely profitable battleground for the Detroit 3 -- is booming as
housing and construction activity recovers.
Every automaker except Nissan Motor
Co. has posted double-digit gains this year in big pickup volume.
The redesigned 2014 Silverado went
on sale in June. Silverado sales are up 25 percent for the year.
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