ALL-SEASON TRACTORS: Belle Mead Garage owners Christopher “Kip” Higgins (right) and Roy “Murph” Higgins (seated), and new partner Chris Carnevale are proud of their new selection of Massey Ferguson tractors. They are shown with their popular and versatile Model 1739E, which offers a front loader for digging and features on the rear for a mower, rake, scraper, rotary tiller, post hole digger, and so on.

Summer is here for sure, and what better time to zip down the open road in a new convertible, mini van, SUV, or special sedan? Whether it’s a brand new model just off the assembly line or a carefully-tended, pre-owned choice, area dealers have a full range of vehicles in all styles, sizes, colors, and price ranges.

Perhaps a Mercedes-Benz is in your future. Have you always wished to have one of these high-end expertly designed and manufactured automobiles in your driveway? Now you can!

Mercedes-Benz of Princeton offers a complete selection of new and previously-owned choices. Located on Route One in Lawrenceville, this family-owned and operated exclusive Mercedes dealership opened in 1982. Providing clients with quality customer service in all areas, including sales, service, and customer relations, has been a priority from the beginning, notes Owner and President Bob Greces.

“The person we sold our very first Mercedes-Benz to is still a customer today,” said Mr. Greces. “The degree of repeat business has been tremendous. In some cases, we have sold to the children, even grand-children, of original customers, representing three generations of owners. I am very grateful for this loyalty.”

Exceptional Service

“We have earned a strong reputation for exceptional service, value, and competitive pricing, which has led to a very high level of customer loyalty,” continues Mr. Greces. “We are very proud of our relationship with our customers. It is very meaningful for me to have earned their trust.”

After three decades in business, Mercedes-Benz of Princeton has sold more than 30,000 new and pre-owned vehicles, and has received numerous awards from Mercedes-Benz.

In addition, reports Mercedes-Benz of Princeton Marketing Manager Joseph F. Hobbs, Jr., “We have again earned the Edmunds.com Five Star Dealer Award for meeting the needs and providing excellent service to today’s car shoppers. We are proud to have received this honor four years in a row. Also, the GLC, our hottest SUV model, won the Motor Trend SUV of the Year for 2017.”

Today’s drivers are interested in the latest technology, he adds, and Mercedes-Benz offers the most up-to-date high tech features, including safety options, whether in lane detection, rear view cameras, impending collision sensing, radar sensors,  etc. Mr. Hobbs notes that the Mercedes E-Class includes the most technological advances.

In another aspect of the business, Mercedes-Benz of Princeton is now a Mercedes-Benz commercial van dealer, says Mr. Hobbs. “We have a large inventory of Sprinter and Metris vans, and we also have the ability to build these vans to your specs.”

Pre-owned vehicles are a large part of the business, he adds. “Our pre-owned department is well-stocked with low-mileage, one-owner Mercedes-Benz certified vehicles. Most of them are lease returns from our own customers, and in most cases, we have sold these vehicles new and serviced them throughout their previous ownership.”

Tip-top Condition

The dealership’s service department is outstanding, continued Mr. Hobbs. With 25 bays and MBUSA-trained technicians, keeping customers’ cars in tip-top condition is a high priority.

Also, he notes, “We comprise one of the most competitive lease and purchase options available for customers.”

Mercedes-Benz of Princeton’s longevity is appropriate to Mercedes-Benz’s long history and tradition, points out Mr. Hobbs, referring to the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft’s Mercedes and Karl Benz’s 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, widely reported to be the first gasoline-powered automobile. Henry Ford’s famous Model T was not introduced until 1908!

Indeed, Mercedes-Benz of Princeton is proud of its history of growth and customer satisfaction, and Mr. Greces is grateful for the company’s success. He has worked hard to give back to the community, which has included contributing to charitable organizations, such as Birdies for the Brave, benefiting wounded veterans and families of deceased veterans; also Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, the American Cancer Society, and several nonprofits that provide help to those in need.

Another very successful dealership in the area is Honda of Princeton. Located at 987 State Road since 1981, it offers a complete selection of new Hondas and pre-owned vehicles.

Hondas have received numerous awards and honors over the years, reports Honda of Princeton General Manager Barry Magnus. “Honda Accord has been voted Car and Driver Magazine Ten Best for 30 years running, and the Accord has been one of Honda’s core models for more than 30 years. In addition, the newly redesigned Honda CRV continues to dominate in its class of the AWD (all wheel drive) SUV segment.

“Speaking of new,” continues Mr. Magnus, “the Honda Odyssey and Pilot are also redesigned, while the Civic maintains its dominance in its segment as well.”

All Areas

He points out that Honda takes pride in its ability to please customers in all areas of their driving needs, including providing vehicles of all sizes, styles, safety, performance, and technological features.

“Safety includes the new Honda sensing feature to help with blind spots and technology such as Apple Car Play, which enables the consumer to connect cell phones to the screen on the vehicle and operate hands-free to an extent,” reports Mr. Magnus. ”Wireless charging systems are also on the rise in most models.”

Another important aspect of Honda of Princeton’s service is its competitive pricing. “Honda Finance has offered rates as low as 0.9 percent on most of our new models,” he points out. “And Honda’s certified used vehicles business has been growing by the day for the most part due to strong
one-year, 12,000 miles bumper-to-bumper warranties and seven-year, 100,000 mile power train (engine and transmission) with financing rates as low as 1.9 percent — one of, if not the most, impressive warranties in the pre-owned industry.”

Whatever style, size, or color (currently, Molton Lava and Basque Red are the Honda of Princeton “must haves”) suits your needs and desires, there is a Honda for you. As Mr. Magnus observes, “Honda of Princeton recognizes that we are in an extremely competitive market, and price is not the deciding fact in a consumer’s decision to purchase a vehicle. It’s experience.

“We must give the consumer a fun, transparent experience to differentiate ourselves from the competition, and then, in addition, provide a great service experience for many years to come.”

Faithful Clients

An unexpected new addition has materialized at Belle Mead Garage on Route 206 in Belle Mead. In addition to its inventory of pre-owned vehicles, rentals, as well as its service department, this long-standing automobile company, and former Chrysler dealership, now offers a complete selection of Massey Ferguson tractors.

A family-owned business since 1927, Belle Mead Garage has a long history of quality products and superb customer service.

“The folks at Belle Mead Garage are outstanding people,” says a longtime customer from Princeton. Their word is their bond, and their dealings are honorable throughout.”

It’s common to hear such remarks among the faithful clients of this 90-year-old family business. Father and son owners Roy (“Murph”) and Christopher (“Kip”) Higgins understand the bond between people and their automobiles. And now, a new partner, Chris Carnevale, has joined the team, coming on board in January.

Originally from New Jersey, Mr. Carnevale had been working in the automobile industry in the midwest. He also has experience in the tractor business, and sees its potential sales possibilities in New Jersey.

A longtime friend of the Higgins, he contacted them when he returned to his home state, and suggested adding tractors to the Belle Mead Garage as a supplement to the car business.

“More tractors are sold today in New Jersey than were sold in the state 30 years ago,” he explains. “Our forecast was to sell 25 tractors the first year. As it turned out, we sold 45 in the first five months! If this continues to progress, it will be a very big part of the business. Also, often, a lot of people come in for a tractor, and then get a car and vice versa.”

Tractors are being sold to a variety of customers, he adds. Homeowners with large properties, those with horse farms, and small farmers can all use tractors. They are available in so many styles and sizes, there can be one for almost any need and for any season. Multi-taskers, they can be utilized for landscaping, reshaping driveways, tending pastures, shredding, rotary tilling, clearing snow, and more.

Swiss Army Knife

“Our best seller is the GC 1710,” says Mr. Carnevale. “It’s like a Swiss Army knife, it can do so much. It’s just so versatile, and it can easily get into small spaces.”

Customers, including women, are all ages and backgrounds, he adds, and a new customer recently came by to trade in a motorcycle for a tractor.

The tractors typically last 20 years, and cover a wide price range, from $7,500 to $140,000. Belle Mead generally sells many in the $15,000 range, and it is the only Massey Ferguson dealer in New Jersey. Many customers
are pleased to find that the tractors come in only one color — red!

If a tractor is not in your current plans, however, Belle Mead can supply you with a variety of automobiles — from convertibles to vans to SUVs, Jeeps, and trucks. The selection of pre-owned vehicles includes all makes and models, with Hondas, Jeeps, and SUVs especially in demand right now, reports Kip Higgins.

“We tend to have cars with higher mileage, and they are popular, he adds. “We also have some with lower mileage, and then, customers like to have the latest technology. The more high tech, the better! They especially like plug-ins for their phones and other apps. The newer cars also have safety features like lane detectors and back-up cameras.”

Belle Mead’s pre-owned vehicles are carefully tested, he adds. “We do a full test on the car. If it’s almost new, there can still be a factory warranty left on it.”

Belle Mead also has a complete service department (everything except body work) which services all cars, whether or not they have been purchased at Belle Mead. The rental business includes mini vans, SUVs, and sedans.

“Service is our specialty,” notes Mr. Higgins. “We have different generation customers from the same family who appreciate our personal attention, which includes service reminders and free loaner cars, when needed. We have stayed small so that we can do everything ourselves, and our customers know they can depend on us.”