Steet Ponte Auto Group’s 12th Annual Halloween Costume Contest Was a Spooktacular Success!
We’re 12 years strong with our Annual Halloween Costume Contest, and this year was another blast! Every year, we love seeing how creative, funny, and inventive our employees can be with their costumes — and 2025 did not disappoint. From solo outfits to entire store groups getting into the spirit, the competition was fierce and the results were amazing.
For the past several years, our contest categories have been judged by none other than Joe Steet Sr. and Steve Ponte Sr., and this year, our winners are:
🎨 Best DIY: Rain Storm — Suzi Smith, Steet Ponte VW
😂 Funniest: Technician Bananas — Steet Toyota Yorkville
📺 Best Pop Culture: Pirates of the Caribbean — Liz Uebelhoer & Will Marriott, Steet Ponte Ford Lincoln
✨ Most Creative: Moana Family — Josh Perez, Steet Ponte Chevy
👥 Best Group: Crayon Box — Steet Ponte Nissan (entire store dressed up!)
🏆 Joe’s Favorite: 50’s Sock Hop — Cyndi Wilson, United Auto Sales
🌸 Steve’s Favorite: 70’s Hippie — Amy Biggie, Steet Toyota Johnstown
From clever DIY costumes to full-group efforts, our employees never fail to impress. The creativity, humor, and teamwork shown in this year’s contest reflect the fun-loving spirit that makes our Steet Ponte Auto Group family so special.
A huge congratulations to all of our winners and participants — your efforts helped make this another memorable and festive Halloween across all of our stores. We can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with for next year’s 13th Annual Costume Contest!
If you’re shopping for a compact SUV that balances style, space, tech, and safety—all without going overboard—the 2026 Nissan Rogue is worth a serious look. With several trim options, lots of standard features, and new upgrades for 2026, it’s designed to make life easier (and more comfortable) for families.
What’s New & What Makes It Stand Out
- Dark Armor Trim: For 2026, Nissan introduces a new Dark Armor version of the Rogue. Think gloss-black accents, black 19-inch wheels, heated front seats & steering wheel, an HD surround-view monitor, and a panoramic moonroof. If you want rugged + premium flair, this trim aims to deliver.
- Rock Creek Remains a Strong Choice: The Rock Creek trim continues with all-wheel drive, more rugged styling, and features aimed at those who want a little adventure.
- More Tech & Comfort Across the Board: Depending on trim, you’ll find heated seats, larger digital displays, upgraded infotainment, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and more driver assistance features. Even base models are well featured.
Trim Levels & Pricing
Here are some of the trim levels and approximate MSRPs for 2026 (before taxes, fees, or options):
| Trim | Approx Starting MSRP* |
|---|---|
| S | ~$30,180 Cars.com+2Kbb.com+2 |
| SV | ~$31,180 Cars.com+2Nationwide Nissan+2 |
| Rock Creek | ~$35,080 Cars.com+2Nationwide Nissan+2 |
| SL | ~$36,680 Cars.com+2Cars.com+2 |
| Platinum | ~$40,380 Cars.com+2Kbb.com+2 |
*Prices can vary by region, dealer incentives, packages, and whether you choose front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Also, some trims include AWD only.
Why Families Will Love the 2026 Rogue
Here’s what makes the Rogue a strong contender if you need a vehicle for family life:
- Roomy Interior & Cargo Flexibility: Seats five comfortably. A generous cargo space (especially with the rear seats folded) lets you haul groceries, sports gear, strollers, etc.
- Safety First: It comes standard with Nissan Safety Shield 360, which includes features like automatic emergency braking (with pedestrian detection), blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, etc. Higher trims add more advanced driving assist features.
- Fuel Efficiency: The base engine is a 1.5-liter turbo 3-cylinder with Variable Compression (VC-Turbo), which delivers solid performance but is tuned for efficiency. Combined MPG is good for its class, especially in FWD versions.
- Versatility & Drive Options: You can get front-wheel drive or add intelligent all-wheel drive, depending on which trim you choose. Useful for dealing with snow, slippery roads, or tougher terrain.
- Tech & Comfort Upgrades: Higher trims bring more luxury—items like panoramic moonroof, semi-aniline leather upholstery, premium sound, heated seats/steering wheel, driver memory settings, larger touchscreens—features that families appreciate on long drives.
Things to Consider
- The base trim (S) is well-equipped for its price, but many of the nicer creature comforts come at higher trims or optional packages. If you want features like heated seats, leather, upgraded sound, or AWD, plan for those options or trims.
- As with many modern vehicles with lots of tech, you’ll want to check what comes standard vs optional, especially for driver assist features or premium infotainment, to avoid surprises.
Bottom Line
If you’re a family looking for a reliable compact SUV that offers safety, comfort, and versatility—without overpaying—the 2026 Nissan Rogue delivers. It has multiple trim options so you can choose what features are must-haves, a solid safety package, and modern tech that makes daily driving and family trips more comfortable.
Visit Steet Ponte Nissan at 4967 Commercial Drive in Yorkville OR shop online at SteetPonteNissan.com!
Steet Ponte Nissan is excited to announce our first-ever Fall Family Day at the dealership! Join us on Saturday, October 11th, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM for a fun-filled, family-friendly celebration of the season.
This event has something for everyone:
- Visit from the Utica Zoomobile from 10am-12noon!
- Pumpkins for the first 50 visitors
- Delicious food from Big Byrd Eats Food Truck
- Free professional photos to capture your family memories
- Live music from our very own Sales Consultant, Nick Kattato
- Freshly popped popcorn & chances to win prizes!
Whether you’re stopping by to grab a pumpkin, enjoy some food and music, or just soak up the fall fun, this FREE event is a perfect way to spend time with family and friends in a festive atmosphere.
Bring your loved ones, your smiles, and your autumn spirit—we can’t wait to celebrate Fall Family Day with our community!
Stay tuned to our Facebook page for updates and sneak peeks of the festivities, follow us @SteetPonteNissan 🍁
The Steet Ponte Auto Group is proud to announce the return of our 8th Annual Coats for Kids Coat Drive! As the colder months approach, we are once again collecting NEW winter outerwear in any children’s size to help keep local kids warm this winter.
We invite our community to join us in this mission by donating coats, snow pants, boots, hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves. Donations can be dropped off at Steet Ponte Nissan located at 4967 Commercial Drive in Yorkville—just look for the specially designated vehicle or drop-off area in our showrooms.
How We’re Giving Back
This year, each of our stores is partnering with schools in their community to directly support local families in need:
- Steet Toyota of Johnstown – donating to Mayfield and Gloversville Elementary Schools
- Steet Ponte Chevy (Herkimer) – donating to Herkimer, CVA, and Frankfort Elementary Schools
- Yorkville stores (United Auto Sales of Utica, Steet Ponte VW, Steet Ponte Ford Lincoln, Steet Ponte Mazda, Steet Toyota of Yorkville, and Steet Ponte Nissan) – donating to Utica and Rome City Schools
How You Can Help
If you’d like to participate, simply bring a donation of new children’s winter outerwear to any of our dealerships. Whether it’s a warm coat, sturdy boots, or cozy mittens, every item will help make a difference for a child in our community.
Together, with your help, we can ensure that kids across the Mohawk Valley and Fulton County stay warm, safe, and ready to learn this winter.
At Steet Ponte Nissan, giving back to our community is at the heart of what we do. This August, our dealerships came together for our 2nd Annual Backpack & School Supplies Drive—and we’re thrilled to share the impact it made!
With generous donations collected across all eight of our dealerships, we were able to purchase and deliver over 500 backpacks, each filled with essential school supplies, to local elementary students. Our goal was simple: to help students in need start the school year strong and on the right foot—and thanks to our team and community, we did just that.
One Friday, a dedicated group of our employees rolled up their sleeves and spent the day packing the backpacks with everything a student might need:
- Notebooks
- Folders
- Pencils
- Crayons
- A ruler
- Glue sticks
- Erasers
- Highlighters
- A pencil pouch
Each dealership then proudly donated the backpacks to local schools in their community:
- Steet Toyota of Johnstown: 130 backpacks to Johnstown and Gloversville Elementary Schools
- Steet Ponte Chevy (Herkimer): 124 backpacks to Herkimer, CVA, and Frankfort Elementary Schools
- United Auto Sales, Steet Ponte VW, Steet Ponte Ford Lincoln, Steet Ponte Mazda, Steet Toyota of Yorkville, and Steet Ponte Nissan: 250 backpacks to the Utica City School District
We are incredibly proud of our team and grateful for everyone who contributed to make this initiative possible. Education is one of the most powerful tools for a brighter future, and we’re honored to support local students as they head back into the classroom this school year.
Here’s to another successful drive—and to continuing our tradition of giving back to the communities we serve!
This summer, Steet Ponte Nissan was proud to sponsor two local golf tournaments right here in our community: the Canadarago Lake Association Golf Tournament in Canadarago Lake, Richfield Springs, NY, and the Thomas Lindsey Memorial Foundation Golf Tournament at Valley View Golf Club in Utica, NY. Both events brought together golfers, supporters, and local businesses to enjoy the sport while raising money for great causes.
At each tournament, our team of Sales & Leasing Consultants set up a Steet Ponte Nissan tent and ran a fun putting contest for participants. For just $5, golfers had the chance to take three putts—sink one, and they walked away with a prize courtesy of Steet Ponte Nissan!
Not only was the contest a big hit, but it also helped raise additional funds. All of the money collected from the putting contests was donated back to the tournaments on behalf of Steet Ponte Nissan, supporting their missions and giving back to the local community.
We are grateful for the opportunity to support events like these that bring people together and strengthen our community. A big thank you goes out to everyone who stopped by our tent, joined in on the fun, and helped us raise money for two great causes.
At Steet Ponte Nissan, community involvement is one of our top priorities—and we look forward to sponsoring more local events in the future!
Steet Ponte Auto Group Sponsors the 26th Annual Fire Truck Spectacular with the New Hartford Fire Department!
We were honored to once again support a hometown tradition that truly lights up the community — the 26th Annual Fire Truck Spectacular, hosted by the New Hartford Fire Department at Sangertown Square Mall!
As a proud sponsor, Steet Ponte Auto Group was thrilled to be part of this exciting and family-friendly event that draws fire trucks from across New York State. It’s always incredible to see the dedication of these brave men and women — and the amazing vehicles they operate — all in one place.
This year’s Fire Truck Spectacular was bigger and better than ever, featuring:
🚒 Fire trucks and emergency vehicles from all over NYS
🍔 A great lineup of local food trucks
🎶 Live entertainment and music
🏆 Contests for firefighters to show off their skills
🔥 A fun and educational Smoke House experience for families and kids
In true Steet Ponte fashion, we showcased a proud lineup of a truck or SUV from each of our dealerships, including:
- Steet Ponte Chevy
- United Auto Sales of Utica
- Steet Ponte VW
- Steet Ponte Ford Lincoln
- Steet Ponte Mazda
- Steet Toyota of Yorkville
- Steet Ponte Nissan
It was an amazing evening full of community spirit, safety education, and admiration for the first responders who keep us safe. Events like this remind us how important it is to give back and support those who serve our neighborhoods.
Thank you to the New Hartford Fire Department for organizing another unforgettable event, and to everyone who came out to enjoy the night — we’re already looking forward to next year’s Spectacular! 🚒🇺🇸
Steet Ponte Nissan Hits the Ground Running as Official Pace Truck Sponsor of the 2025 Boilermaker Road Race!
This summer, Steet Ponte Nissan was honored to be the official Pace Truck Sponsor of the 2025 Boilermaker Road Race — one of Central New York’s most iconic and celebrated events!
We proudly kicked off this year’s race with two standout vehicles: a 2025 Nissan Frontier and a 2025 Chevy Silverado. Both trucks were specially wrapped and designed by local artist and graphic designer Tomm Moll, showcasing custom artwork that captured the spirit, energy, and pride of the Boilermaker and the Mohawk Valley community.
The wrapped pace trucks led the thousands of runners through the course, setting the tone for a race filled with determination, excitement, and hometown pride. It was an incredible feeling to see our vehicles at the front of such an inspiring event, supporting athletes and spectators alike.
Our sponsorship didn’t end at the starting line — we also took part in the Boilermaker’s Golf Tournament, where we had a foursome made up of team members from across our eight dealerships. It was a great opportunity to represent Steet Ponte Auto Group while enjoying a day of camaraderie and connection with other local businesses and supporters.
Being part of the Boilermaker is more than just a sponsorship — it’s a celebration of everything that makes our region special: community, tradition, and a whole lot of heart.
We’re grateful to be part of it, and we look forward to many more Boilermakers to come! 🏃♂️🏁🚚
On July 11th, Steet Ponte Nissan was proud to host our 2nd Annual Family Night Out at the ballpark with the Utica Blue Sox — and what an incredible night it was!
This event has quickly become a summer tradition we look forward to, and this year’s game was filled with fun, community spirit, and baseball under the lights. We were excited to welcome families from across the area for a night of giveaways, contests, and great local entertainment — including a standout performance of the National Anthem by our very own Sales Consultant, Nick Kattato.
One of our favorite parts of the evening? We offered free tickets to any child wearing a baseball jersey, along with a free ticket for one accompanying adult — our way of giving back and supporting youth sports in the Mohawk Valley.
We couldn’t have pulled it off without the behind-the-scenes efforts of our Social Media Coordinator, Dan DeLuke, and Intern, Joey Sekula, who helped organize and energize the evening.
Supporting local teams like the Utica Blue Sox is just one of the many ways Steet Ponte Nissan stays connected to our community. We believe in creating meaningful experiences for families and helping grow the great local programs that benefit our entire region.
Thank you to everyone who came out and made it such a special night — we’re already looking forward to next year! ⚾🇺🇸
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news — Steet Ponte Auto Group has been voted 1st Place for Best New Car Dealership in the 2025 Utica Observer-Dispatch Community Choice Awards!
But that’s not all — one of our very own, took home 1st Place for Best Salesperson!
This annual contest is a true reflection of community support, and we’re honored to have placed 1st and 2nd in various categories for the past 10 years. Your votes mean the world to us, and we can’t thank you enough for continuing to recognize our team and the work we do.
At Steet Ponte Auto Group, we believe that buying a vehicle should be simple, straightforward, and stress-free. Whether you’re shopping for a new or pre-owned vehicle, scheduling a service appointment, or just stopping in with questions — our priority has always been exceptional customer service and treating every visitor like family.
This award is a testament to the dedication of our entire team across all of our locations and the incredible customers who make it all possible.
From all of us at Steet Ponte Auto Group — THANK YOU for your continued support, for voting for us, and for being part of our story year after year. We couldn’t do it without you!
Here’s to another year of serving the Mohawk Valley with pride! 🚗🏆
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