It’s no secret that AutoNation loves our customers. This past Valentine’s Day, Pete Small, General Manager of Maroone Chevrolet of Fort Lauderdale, showed just how much we love our customers.

A couple planned to spend Valentine’s Day watching Andrea Bocelli in concert. On their way to the concert, the clutch on their Corvette ZR1 broke down. Both a towing company and a taxi service could not arrive in time for them to make the concert. Their romantic date was in danger of being ruined.

Luckily, they were customers of Maroone Chevrolet of Fort Lauderdale and called Pete Small. Pete was able to meet the couple in a matter of minutes. He picked them up and drove them to the concert venue. Then, he went back to the stranded Corvette and helped the tow company lift the vehicle onto the flatbed, which is not an easy task since the Corvette sits so low to the ground.

AutoNation would like to thank Pete Small for going above and beyond to help our customers and save Valentine’s Day. Pete really loves putting customers first.

Maroone Chevrolet of Fort Lauderdale, where Pete Small is the General Manager.

Thanks to high gas prices, diesel powered vehicle sales in the United States have increased by 35 percent in the first quarter of 2012 versus the first quarter of 2011. While diesels have increased, hybrids have decreased in market share over the past three years. In fact, diesels have passed hybrid vehicles in sales. So, why are more people buying diesels than hybrids?

At first glance, you would think diesels and hybrids could not be any more different. But as you dig deeper, there are many similarities. Both types of vehicles are fuel efficient, clean and earth friendly.

While hybrids get more MPG’s, diesels still provide a 20 to 30 percent increase in fuel efficiency over gas engines.

Over the years, diesels have gotten a bad rap. From dirty tail pipes to being bad for the environment, there are a lot of rumors swirling around diesel engines. That fact is, these claims are false. Clean diesels emit lower emission than gas engines. It’s no wonder diesel vehicles have won the Green Car of the Year Award two times over the past four years.

But diesels leave hybrids in the dust when it comes to longevity and cost.

Diesel engines require more compression to run, so the engine parts need to be built out of stronger and more durable materials. This helps keep diesel vehicles on the roads a lot longer. Want further proof, a Mercedes-Benz Diesel Sedan currently holds the world record for most miles driven, an astounding 2.8 million.

While hybrids cost anywhere from $3000 to $6000 more than their gas cousin, diesels are usually valued at $1000 more than gas engine cars. So, even if hybrids have a slight edge in MPG’s, you’ll recoup the cost difference in fuel savings faster in a diesel.

We are not advocating diesels over hybrids. We love both types of vehicles. In the grand scheme of things, diesels and hybrids account for less than 6 percent of all vehicles sold, 3 percent and 2.1 percent respectively. However, many industry insiders are predicting diesels to penetrate 10 percent of the market by 2015. Will you be one of them? Let us know in the comments.

AutoNation was at the 2012 New York Auto Show. So naturally, we shot a few pictures of the hottest new cars coming out over the next year.

Photo By Picture by Anthony Del Vecchio.

The all new 2014 Chevrolet Impala made its World Debut at the New York Auto Show.

Photo By Anthony Del Vecchio

What happens when you combine the Chevy Camaro with Hot Wheels?

Photo By Anthony Del Vecchio

The Chevy Sonic used to create the OK Go music video "Needing/Getting"

Photo By Anthony Del Vecchio

Fiat Abarth at the New York Auto Show

Photo By Anthony Del Vecchio

The New Toyota Prius at the New York Auto Show

Mystery Toyota Model above New York Auto Show

Another angle of the Toyota Mystery Car

Photo By Anthony Del Vecchio

2012 Ford Focus EV at the New York Auto Show

Photo By Marc Cannon

Mike Jackson and New Nissan Taxi

When you think of half price sales, you might think about clothes or sneakers or, if you’re really lucky, jewelry.  But one thing that you’ve probably never seen for half off – at least not legitimately – is a new car.  Until now.

We’re happy to announce that AutoNation Direct, our online automotive merchant,has teamed up with eBay Motors to sell a select number of vehicles for half price. The sale begins today, March 23 through March 30, 2012, at http://stores.ebay.com/autonationdirect. Complete information about pricing, delivery and other details can be found there.

These aren’t some clunkers that nobody wants to buy.  These are high-demand Ford, General Motors and Nissan vehicles (all within the 2011 to 2013 model year range) that anyone would be proud to own – and at half off, you’ll have more to brag about than just your new ride.  Others can talk about how they out-negotiated the dealer, but nobody except a few members of Oprah’s audience and the occasional Price Is Right contestant will be able to top you.

What’s the catch? There isn’t any, except for the fact that there is only going to be a select number of vehicles put up for auction each day, so you’ll want to pay close attention to make sure you get yours. Act fast before they’re all gone.

Official Press Release

AutoNation Direct Launches Special Half Price Offer For Select New Vehicles on eBay Motors

WHAT

As part of its nationwide launch, AutoNation Direct, the online automotive merchant operated by America’s largest auto retailer AutoNation (NYSE: AN), announced today it will be selling more than 25 vehicles for half price (50 percent off MSRP) through eBay Motors, the premier marketplace to buy and sell all things automotive. While people frequently find great deals on items such as clothing, electronics, or jewelry, half price offers on new vehicles are a very rare occurrence.

New vehicles included in the special offer consist of high-demand vehicles from Ford, General Motors and Nissan within the 2011- 2013 model year range. A total of 29 Buy It Now vehicle listings are scheduled to appear on eBay Motors at half price over the course of the offer period, including a 2012 Chevrolet Corvette. The variety of vehicles available during the special offer period reflects the wide selection of new vehicles available to customers on eBay Motors at great prices every day.

WHEN

The special offer for half-price on a select number of new vehicles will begin at Noon PST on Friday, March 23 and run through Friday, March 30.

HOW

On each of the first seven days of the special offer period, four new vehicles per day will be listed on eBay Motors at half price MSRP and made available to customers at various times throughout the day on a first come, first served basis. If the most recent listing(s) have closed, customers are encouraged to check back on the site as new half price vehicle listings will be posted throughout the duration of the offer period. On the final day of the offer period, Friday, March 30, a single 2012 Chevrolet Corvette will be listed at half price at a random time during the day.

WHERE

Anyone interested in the opportunity to buy a new vehicle from AutoNation Direct at half price MSRP through eBay Motors can visit http://stores.ebay.com/autonationdirect during the offer period to view current half price vehicle listings. Customers must have a valid eBay User ID to participate.

When prices on gas spiked in 2008, thousands of drivers tried in vain to trade out of their gas guzzlers and into a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles. Unfortunately, during that time, manufacturers weren’t ready for the change of demand in the marketplace. Trucks and SUVs were still king at the dealership.

Today, the vehicle lineup is drastically different. From electric vehicles to hybrids to small cars, there are plenty of options available for those who want to avoid sticker shock at the pump. Plus, manufacturers have upped the average mpg on their entire lineup of vehicles. In fact, the average fuel economy of vehicles sold this past January hit an all-time high.

But manufacturers weren’t the only ones to make changes. To help consumers quickly identify fuel efficient vehicles, AutoNation rolled out our E-Vehicles program a few years ago. When you visit any AutoNation showroom, you’ll see a green leaf on the back of any vehicle that either average at least 28 miles or more per gallon, or are best-in-class in fuel efficiency. You’ll even be able to see the green leaf on E-Vehicles on our websites.

Which vehicles have AutoNation’s green leaf of approval? Well, you’ll find the usual suspects in electric, hybrids and small cars. But trucks, sport utilities and sports cars are also part of our E-Vehicle program. Why? Because we award our green leaf to the vehicles that also receive best-in-class fuel efficiency. (You can meet some of our Green Fleet on our Facebook page.)

So, as gas prices creep higher and higher, simply look for the green leaf and you’ll avoid being squeezed at the pump.