Franklin Sussex Auto Mall Blog

There has been a lot of talk about Chrysler’s Let’s Refuel America Program in which buyers can choose to lock in the price of gasoline at $2.99/gallon for three years courtesy of Chrysler LLC. Just the other day, Chrysler announced that it would be extending the program, which began May 7th, until July 7th.

Clearly, this program has been extremely successful and with the way gas prices keep rising, the deal is only going to get sweeter!

While terms of the sale have not yet been completed, Chrysler has officially recognized that they have sold the Pacifica Advance Design Studio in Carlsbad California to Mercedes-Benz.

The Chrysler Pacifica studio opened in 1983 and spawned the Dodge Challenger concept in 2006. It also was responsible for the concepts that led to production versions of the Dodge Intrepid, Plymouth Prowler and Jeep Compass, as well as a number of influential concepts that were not produced, including the Chrysler Millennium and Chrysler Atlantic.

Chrysler closed the site earlier this year as part of a plan to streamline operations. The 20-person Pacifica design team has relocated or left the company.

Mercedes’ plans for its existing studio, 51 miles to north in Irvine, California, are unclear. It opened in 1990 and employs about 18 people, according to company materials. However, it measures about 13,000 square feet–less than half of the size of the Chrysler property.

Check out the full article on AutoWeek.Com

As part of our ongoing series regarding Frequently Asked Lease-End Questions, we answer a question received by one of our customers whos lease wasn’t fully completed.

Question:
Can I purchase my vehicle now?

Answer:
Yes! However, we must caution you that the price you are going to pay may exceed the current market value of the vehicle itself. If you are taking out a loan to make this purchase, it could put you into a negative equity situation. If you stop by Franklin Sussex Auto Mall, we would be more than happy to provide you with a free appraisal to help get a better idea of your vehicle’s current market value.

However, this is only one of many options available to you at this time. We have many programs and options available to individuals in your situation. Chrysler often has a program called Pull Ahead that allows you to end your current lease early and jump into another brand new vehicle without penalties.

Overall, our experience has shown that the best time to complete the purchase option is within the last 30-days of your current lease terms.

For more information, you can contact Kevin Houghtaling @ 973-702-2546

Yesterday, I was able to check out some Chrysler Concept vehicles that may become actual production cars some day! Here are a couple shots of what we might be seeing on the road in just a few short years!

Jeep Renegade

Dodge Zeo 500

Dodge Slingshot

Dodge Hornet 500

Chrysler EcoVoyager

As gas prices continue to rise, I am seeing more and more cartoonists creating images for local papers and the web that poke fun at something that is affecting us all!

However, don’t let these cartoons bother you! If you are in the market for a new vehicle, Franklin Sussex Auto Mall has a full line of vehicles that obtain incredible gas mileage. For example, the new Jeep Patriot with Chrysler’s World Engine is one of the most fuel efficient vehicles in Chrysler’s current lineup!

To see what we currently have in stock, take some time and browse our new vehicle inventory!

Chris Shunk of AutoBlog.Com was able to get a couple images of the 2009 Dodge Ram that could have been. In an effort to stay competative, Chrysler had worked extremely hard to get this new truck just right. In the end, the results paid off with improved power and efficiency, more storage and a much more refined look.

Here are some excerpts from his blog post:

Friend of Autoblog Mike Levine at Pickuptruck.com got his hands on many of the designs that led to the Ram we’ll see in showrooms this fall, and the sketches range from interesting to bizarre. If you take the photo above, for instance, you can see where Dodge was trying to conceptualize nifty storage solutions. The forward-leaning cross-hair grille and integrated bumper had already taken shape, too. Check out our gallery below that includes some exclusive pictures of rejected Rams, and visit PIckuptruck.com to see even more.

Yesterday, Chrysler announced something that no other automotive manufacturer is currently doing. When you purchase any new Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep vehicle, they will lock the price of gasoline to $2.99 for the next three years for you!

The campaign called “Let’s Refuel America” provides new customers with a special card that allows them to fill up their new vehicle, as well as other vehicles in their personal fleet, for $2.99/gal for up to a 12,000-mile a year limit. If a cardholder sells their vehicle before the 36-month time period is up, they can still continue to use the card for the remainder of the three-year period.

The great part about this deal is that it also includes diesel-powered Ram Heavy Duty pickups. With national diesel fuel prices averaging $4.239 per gallon, according to AAA, a Ram Pickup owner with a Cummins engine could save $3,747, if Chrysler estimates average fuel economy at 12 mpg.

The following vehicles are eligible for the new Let’s Refual America Program (click on the vehicle name to search our current inventory):

Small/Compact Car
Dodge Caliber, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible

Mid-size Car
Dodge Avenger, Chrysler Sebring, Chrysler Sebring Convertible

Large Car
Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum

Crossover
Dodge Journey

Minivan
Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country

Compact SUV
Jeep Patriot, Jeep Compass

Mid-size SUV
Dodge Nitro, Jeep Liberty

Large SUV
Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Commander, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Aspen

Pickup Truck
Dodge Dakota, Dodge Ram, Dodge Ram HD

Mike Levine, from PickupTruck.Com, received the first official photos from Chrysler of the newly redesigned 2009 Dodge Ram Regular Cab. Here are a few excerpts …

Though we’ve yet to drive it, so far we’re mighty impressed with the new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500′s fresh approach in design and functionality that emphasizes day-to-day usability over extreme capability.

But we’ve only seen and touched the Crew Cab version. The traditional Regular Cab model has remained out of sight. No longer! Here are the first official Ram Regular Cab pictures, received from Chrysler.

The Regular Cab Ram 1500 will offer two bed lengths, 6-foot 4-inch or an 8-foot cargo box. The truck will have a 120-inch or 140-inch wheelbase, depending on the bed choice. The Ram pickups shown in this story all have the short box and 120-inch wheelbase. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to order the innovative new ‘RamBox’ side saddle storage option. It will only be available for the Ram 1500 Crew Cab.

Franklin Sussex Auto Mall has done it! We have been recognized as a Chrysler Pacesetter Club Member as we sold more than 1,000 new vehicles in 2007!

From the Press Release by Chrysler:

Chrysler LLC awarded nearly 200 dealerships across the nation with the 2007 Chrysler-Jeep Pacesetters award and the 2007 Dodge Charger Club Award. The Pacesetter winners are Chrysler-Jeep and the Charger winners all are Dodge-brand dealerships. The dealers each were selected for selling a minimum of 1,000
retail units or more during the 2007 calendar year.

“For our Dealers, becoming a Pacesetter or Charger Club member says that you have ‘made it’ and are now recognized as one of the best in the country,” said Landry. “These elite memberships prove that you can sell a
lot of vehicles, have satisfied customers, and be profitable. The real winners are our customers because in every market we have dealers that exemplify outstanding sales leadership and customer satisfaction.”

However, none of this would have been possible without the support from our incredible customers and our local community! We thank all of you for an incredible 2007 and we look forward to making it an even better 2008!