January 11th, 2012

2011 has finally come to an end, and what a year it was for Mercedes-Benz! A new article from eMercedesBenz reports that 2011 saw record breaking sales from Mercedes-Benz, smart, and Maybach vehicles. In total, 1,362,908 cars were sold, breaking the previous record from 2007. Domestically, Mercedes-Benz USA also broke records selling 264,460 vehicles.

Despite reporting the highest volume of sales in the company’s history, top executives at  Mercedes-Benz refuse to become complacent. The company see’s even more potential for growth in 2012. Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Dr. Dieter Zetsche sees the upcoming A-Class as a tremendous opportunity to reach a younger market, and new technology and innovation will continue to propel Mercedes-Benz forward. Zetsche also points to strong demand for smart cars in 2011 and sees the new third generation smart fortwo as a strong entry to the energy efficient segment. With vehicles for all types of drivers, global consumers are paying attention to Mercedes-Benz and eagerly anticipating what’s to come in 2012.

Make sure to stop by Ray Catena Mercedes-Benz of Edison to see the newest models everyone is talking about  including the new C-Class, and find out what puts Mercedes-Benz in a class by itself!

Source: emercedesbenz.com

Tis the season for the NFL playoffs!  This weekend as the playoffs season kicks off, we wanted to share with you the 2011 enhancements made to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.  The New Orleans Saints take on the Detroit Lions this Saturday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome at 8 PM for an NFC matchup.  Read up on the following enhancements made to the Superdome in 2011 and make sure to check out the video below that offers an inside look of the renovated stadium!

Mercedes-Benz Superdome and Champions Square Enhancements

The Mercedes-Benz Superdome recently completed an $85 million renovation that completely modernized the facility. Enhancements began in late January 2011 and recently concluded to host ESSENCE Music Festival in early July 2011. This brings the total amount spent on renovations to $336 million since 2006.

Key, significant enhancements include:
- Expansion of Plaza (100 Level) concourse
- Additional concession points of sale and restrooms on Plaza (100 Level)
- Replacement and reconfiguration of the East and West Side Plaza
Seating Units (100 level) – offering 3,100 new seats and improved sight lines.
- Addition of two premium ground/field level bunker clubs
- 3 additional elevators for improved vertical transportation
- Expansion of Exterior Plaza Gates A and C

Source: Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Take a look inside the latest 76,468-seater, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, renovated, re-lit and ready for the playoffs.

Preview our selection of new and certified pre-owned models at this Mercedes-Benz dealership in Edison. To contact us, click here or call 732-549-6600.

Its almost time to ring in the New Year, and we here at Ray Catena Union would like to remind everyone to be safe driving on this celebratory day! Our Ray Catena service and repair center will always be around to keep your new or used Mercedes-Benz on the road. Learn more about this NJ Mercedes-Benz dealer, Ray Catena of Union, and have a happy and safe New Year!

Source: essentialarticle.com

New Year’s Eve is the time to remember all the good things from the past year and ring in the new year with style and celebration. For many of us, this means heading out to a favorite restaurant or bar, or even to a friend’s house for festive drinks. But this happy day can be dangerous for drivers due to increased traffic, the potential for bad weather and higher risk of drunken drivers on the road.

Here are some New Year’s Eve safety tips to consider before driving:

1. Say “no” to drinking and driving

Every minute, one person is injured from an alcohol-related crash, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Be smart and plan ahead if you’re going to be drinking at a holiday gathering. Take a cab, stay at a friend’s house or designate a sober driver. Some bars and restaurants offer safe rides home as a service to patrons during the holidays.

2. Be a cautious, yet defensive driver

Even if you’re not drinking at your New Year celebration, you need to be extra aware of what’s going on around you when you drive. If you spot someone whom you suspect of driving under the influence, call the police and give them the license plate number. You might save multiple lives by being proactive and thinking of the safety of yourself and others.

3. Prepare your vehicle for cold weather

Want to know important holiday safety tips when hitting the road? Have your car checked to ensure it’s prepared for winter driving. The battery and brakes are two essential things to have checked. Make sure tires are properly inflated so they provide the best traction possible. Also make sure your engine coolant and windshield washer fluid is full.

4. Check the weather before heading out

Cold weather can bring snow and rain that is traitorous to drive through, especially on New Year’s Eve. Before you drive, take time to remove any snow and ice from your vehicle, including the mirrors and lights. If the weather is particularly bad, you may want to cancel your plans or simply leave earlier or later. If you do decide to drive during bad weather, make sure you have a charged cell phone handy, and either let people know when, where and how you are traveling, or have a passenger with you for additional safety in numbers.

5. Make an emergency driving kit.

Should the worst happen, be prepared by having a winter driving kit in your car. It’s best if the kit includes a small bag of abrasive material (sand, salt, cat litter), a small snow shovel, a snow brush, traction mats, a flashlight with new batteries, window washer solvent, an ice scraper, a cloth or roll of paper towels, jumper cables, a blanket, warning devices (flares or triangles), drinking water and extra clothes.

Source: essentialarticle.com

Everyone at Ray Catena Motor Car in Edison and all of our NJ and NY Ray Catena dealers are very happy that we got to participate in the Randy Foye Foundation toy collection.   Over 1,024 presents were handed out to kids in Randy Foye’s hometown of Newark, NJ. For the official press release and more details check out the rest of this blog post.  Thanks to all those that dropped off toys at our NJ Mercedes dealer locations!
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The Randy Foye Foundation’s 4th Annual Holiday Toy Drive has been its biggest yet. Members of the Los Angeles Clippers guard’s foundation handed out 1,024 presents on Thursday to kids in Foye’s hometown of Newark, NJ.

On December 3rd before the NBA season began, Foye launched the toy drive at Dr. Jays in downtown Newark. Earlier this week, he handed out presents to Los Angeles youth alongside Clippers teammates Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Ryan Gomes.

“It’s always a great feeling to be able to give back,” Foye said. “This year was unique because I was able to make an impact on both coasts through my foundation and as part of the Clippers organization.”

Participating in this year’s toy drive was Ray Catena Auto Group, who collected presents at their 14 dealerships and service centers; Dr. Jays, who hosted the kickoff event and collected presents at all 3 Newark stores; Villanova University’s Campus Activities Team; Randy’s alma mater East Side High School; and Forrestdale School in Rumson, NJ. New York radio powerhouse Hot 97’s DJ Wallah also stopped by the launch event with a large amount of presents to donate.

“We were thrilled to have so many collection sites this year,” said Christina Vuocolo, Vice President of the Randy Foye Foundation (RFF). “It made it easier for our supporters to give a gift in their area and know that it ultimately ended up with an organization whose mission they deeply value.”

Over 50 volunteers pitched in to collect, sort, wrap and deliver the presents. Wrapping took place over two days at the RFF office with each gift being labeled for the appropriate age and gender of its recipient.

“For each of the past three years, we’ve made it our commitment to provide a present for every student at Dr. E. Alma Flagg Elementary School, which is the elementary school that Randy attended,” Vuocolo continued. “This year, we wanted to expand our outreach and are very pleased with the response. We were able to donate several hundred gifts to Dr. William H. Horton Elementary School as well.”

To read the full Press Release, click here.

Preview our selection of new and certified pre-owned models at this Mercedes-Benz dealership in Edison. To contact us, click here or call 1-908-379-7200.

With lots of places to go this holiday season, it’s important to make sure your Mercedes-Benz is ready for travel.  Luckily, Ray Catena’s service and repair center will help keep your new or used Mercedes-Benz on the road. Learn more about this NJ Mercedes-Benz dealer, Ray Catena of Edison, and have safe travels!

Source: Car Loves

Between Thanksgiving and New Years, lots of people take to the highways. Here are just a few tips (not exhaustive by any means) that will help you make your holiday driving trip more enjoyable and safe.

1. If going on a long trip, make sure the car is properly serviced. Check the usual, oil, break fluid, battery condition, tires, etc.

2. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep the night before the trip so you won’t be excessively tired when you start out.

3. Have your route planned in advance. Unsafe detours into unchartered territory can be dangerous and expensive.

4. Bring a paper map. Even if you have a state-of-the-art GPS, bring a current paper map that covers your route as a backup. You never know when you’ll need a backup.

5. Buy snacks and drinks before you leave at the grocery store rather than stocking up at the more expensive convenience stores and gas stations along the way.

For the full article, click here.

NBA guard Randy Foye has teamed up with Ray Catena Auto Group for his foundation’s annual holiday toy drive. From December 3rd – December 20th, donations will be accepted at all Ray Catena dealerships in New Jersey and New York. Proceeds benefit children throughout the city of Newark, NJ, where Foye was born and raised.

Requested are age-appropriate, unwrapped presents for boys and girls in grades K-8. Since 2008, the Randy Foye Foundation (RFF) has provided holiday presents to Newark youth and hopes to continue building on the previous years’ success.

Foye is no stranger to giving back to the Newark community where he was born and raised. Earlier this month, RFF provided 157 winter coats to city kids and complete Thanksgiving meals to 60 families. During the NBA offseason, Foye shared his life story with students at several schools, encouraging them that “education is the key to anything you want to do in life.” In addition to his Assist 4 Life mentoring program in city elementary schools, Foye has provided athletic uniforms and equipment to many youth sports programs throughout the city. RFF also partners with the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center to host a 5k at Branch Brook Park in the spring.

“For me, it’s all about helping kids,” said Foye. “I walked the same difficult path that they are facing now. I want to encourage kids to achieve their full potential and let them know that someone believes in them and wants to see them succeed. Around the holidays, it’s especially important for me to give back and help put a smile on someone else’s face.”

The Randy Foye Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization formed in 2007 that raises funds and develops programs aimed at improving the lives of kids in Newark. For more information, visit www.randyfoye.org.

Additionally we are offering 10% OFF with any service invoice of $200.00 or more & with donation of a toy!

Click here to print this coupon.

Twitter:

Ray Catena @Ray_Catena,
Randy Foye @randyfoye,
RFF @RFoyeFoundation
Event Hashtag: #RFFToyDrive

Facebook Links:

http://www.facebook.com/RayCatena

http://www.facebook.com/randyfoyegivingback

To view the full Press Release, click here.

To view the flyer, click here.

unhumbug.

The 2011 holiday bash

Crowded roads and stressed out shoppers can be a bummer. It’ s time to unhumbug. Cruise in to Ray Catena’s smart center for some much needed holiday cheer. You can unstress with other smart enthusiasts, take a smart out for a test drive and check out the latest holiday offerings.

Know someone who could use some unhumbugging? Invite them, too. smart cars can put a smile on even the biggest Scrooge’ s face.

Happy Holidays! We hope to see you soon!
Your Ray Catena® smart center Edison.

WHEN: Monday, December 12th 4pm – 8pm

FOOD: Light Fare and Refreshments

WHERE: Ray Catena smart center Edison – 910 Route 1, Edison, NJ

RSVP:
Tracy Leipzig
732-549-6601 ext 443
smartrsvp@raycatenaedison.com

Click here to view the event flyer.

Greetings Benz fans! We came across this article on eMercedesBenz and it immediately caught our eye!  This Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is wrapped in fuchsia foil, so really how could it not have caught our eye?  Even if you were driving a discretely colored SLS AMG, perhaps black or silver, you would still make heads turn!   We would love to have this fuchsia colored SLS AMG in our AMG Performance Center in Edison, however this Benz is out in Dubai.  Check out this fuchsia foil wrapped Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG below and stop by our NJ Mercedes dealership for the ultimate AMG Performance Center experience!

Source: eMercedesBenz

You can depend on Ray Catena Motor Car to provide you with useful information you need to buy a new or used Mercedes-Benz, and deliver exceptional service throughout the life of your vehicle.

This holiday season keep traveling costs and stress in check by hopping in your Mercedes-Benz instead of flying or other travel alternatives.  Below the Car Care Council makes very valid points on the cost of driving versus flying.  You can drive your entire family somewhere for the holidays for the price it would cost to fly round trip with baggage.

“”Holiday travel by air is always hectic and expensive, but this year it is expected to be worse as airlines raise ticket prices and lower capacity. Add in baggage fees, crowded airports, fewer flights and long lines, and flying does not seem so friendly,’ said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. ‘When you consider that a family of four traveling by car costs about the same as one person traveling by air, driving is clearly the better option.’”

In addition to the obvious direct cost savings, going by car offers a number of advantages over flying including:

•    Leave when you want from where you want.
•    No airport parking.
•    No waiting in long ticket counter and security lines.
•    No weather delays.
•    Pack whatever and as much as you want.
•    Stop and stretch any time.
•    More and better meal options.
•    No rental car or taxi expenses.
•    More legroom and overall comfort.
•    No strangers sitting next to you.
•    Convenience and ease of taking your pet with you.
•    Better able to enjoy the ride.

Before traveling this holiday season get your Mercedes-Benz prepped by scheduling service for routine car maintenance.  You will want to make sure that your car is in tip-top shape before traveling anywhere.  Choosing Ray Catena Motor Car’s service and repair center signifies that you want only the best care possible for your new or used Mercedes-Benz luxury car. Our service center uses only certified Mercedes-Benz parts, installed by Mercedes-Benz trained technicians who are committed to providing you and your car with the ultimate in care each and every time you visit.

Source: Car Care Council

The truth is, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the new 2012 Mercedes Benz ML 63 AMG. However, thanks to Speed Lux we were able to get some insight on what to expect when the car debuts next month at the LA Auto Show. There will be changes to the already powerful and sleek ML 63 AMG not only on some exterior parts, but also under hood. With the reliable all wheel drive system and the new direct-injection 5.5-liter V8 engine, also found on the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG, this ML is going to be hard to keep around at our New Jersey Mercedes-Benz dealership. When the car debuts next month in LA, there will be so much more to talk about! Until then, we will be anticipating the arrival of the new ML 63 AMG and the rest of the luxurious 2012 Mercedes-Benz models!

Keep checking our Mercedes-Benz blog for more information about these new models to find out all the Mercedes news as soon as we do! You can also visit our NJ Mercedes-Benz dealerships or contact us for more information.

Source: SpeedLux