Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers

If you have been thinking about taking advantage of the “cash for clunkers” program, you would get the most bang for your buck by investing in one of the eligible Toyota cars. The Japanese automaker has decided to offer an additional incentive on top of the voucher that the federal government is offering.

Toyota has released a national ad campaign to bring the new idea to the consumers. The new TV spots show a clunker getting crushed and then the ad tells viewers that there are 25 Toyota cars and truck models that qualify for the vouchers which are worth between $3,500 and $4,500. In addition to the ads, Toyota has added a smaller website accessible from Toyota.com that allows consumers to calculate how much they would receive for any given vehicle.

The only way to find out how much incentive you can get for your particular trade-in and vehicle you choose is to visit your local Toyota dealer and speak with an expert sales representative. They can guide you in the right direction so you can find the best Toyota cars or trucks for your money and for your voucher. Check one out today!

If you have not taken advantage of the federal government’s “cash for clunkers” program to get your new Toyota cars with a voucher, now is your chance.

The new program just went into effect on Friday and already some dealerships are saying they are running low on inventory. Some of that is due to the fact that automakers have not been producing as many cars as they were, but the main reason for the fast sales is the vouchers the government is offering that are worth up to $4,500.

In a nutshell, the cash-for-clunkers program offers car buyers an incentive to turn in their old gas guzzlers for newer, more efficient vehicles. The incentive typically ranges between $3,500 and $4,500 depending on what type of vehicle you are buying and the type you are turning in.

The newest Toyota cars on the market are ideal if you want to participate in the program. The new Prius, for example, gets about 40 miles to the gallon or more if conditions are right. The Corolla, Avalon and Scion are also more efficient vehicles than what you may have in your driveway right now.

Consider the cash-for-clunkers program. If you have been thinking about getting a better car, there has never been a better time than right now. Do it before the inventory is gone!

In an effort to bring attention to the newest generation of the Prius, one of the most popular Toyota cars ever, the automaker is placing plastic flowers all over Flatiron Plaza in Manhattan. These are not just any flowers, though. The flowers measure 18 feet high and they have solar cells built into their petals and their base to provide power to passersby who need to charge a cell phone or laptop computer. They also provide a Wi-Fi network so people can use their laptops to get online for free.

The theme for the project designed to promote these hybrid Toyota cars is “Harmony Between Man, Nature and Machine.” The flowers relate to the 2010 Prius in that these new Toyota cars have a solar-powered ventilation system that helps keep the car cool and ventilated even when parked in the sun.

The base of these plastic flowers can seat up to 10 people and they will be around Manhattan until August 2. From there, the project moves to Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It’s a great way to bring attention to a brand of Toyota cars that continues to lead the industry in hybrid sales and innovation.

For the first time in Toyota’s history, Europe is going to be the place to manufacture hybrid Toyota cars beginning around the middle of next year.

As the world’s largest hybrid automaker, Toyota wants to gain momentum by expanding its market for hybrid cars in Britain and the surrounding areas. Currently, Toyota cars only make up about a five percent share of the entire auto market in that region.

When the $32 million switch occurs, the UK will be the fifth nation outside Japan to manufacture hybrid Toyota cars. China and the United States are currently manufacturing the fuel-efficient Toyota cars while the automaker has plans to do the same in Thailand next month and in Australia next year.

The initiative to make hybrid Toyota cars in Europe took precedence last month when the automaker’s new president – Akio Toyoda – announced that he wanted to promote fuel efficiency in Europe where customers typically purchase diesel-powered cars when they are searching for fuel economy. The hybrid cars will present another viable option for these consumers.

Toyota also plans to have a hybrid version of every vehicle in its lineup within the next ten years. For now, batteries and motors will still be manufactured in Japan and shipped to the UK for installation in the new cars.

With financial uncertainties and thousands of workers losing their jobs or getting their paychecks cut, many families are finding themselves in a tough dilemma. Some households have to choose between putting food on their tables or making their car payments. Unfortunately, many people making payments on their Toyota cars make bad decisions that negatively affect their credit for years to come. Here are some tips and suggestions to heed if you find yourself making this difficult decision now or in the near future.

• Call the finance company. With so many people out of work and a backload of inventory, most finance companies will work with you through the difficult times before taking the car back. They may offer lower payments for several months or some other option.

• Do not ignore the problem. Simply ignoring your car payments for several months will get your Toyota cars repossessed before long. That looks horrible on your credit and it leaves you without a vehicle. You are still responsible for much of the payments afterwards, too.

• Sell the car yourself. If there is no way you can afford the payments, the ideal thing to do is sell the car for as close to what you owe on it as possible. You are more likely to get a higher price doing a private sale, too.

Nobody wants to give up their Toyota cars. But with today’s financial situation, it’s an option that many people have to consider. Just be sure to do your homework before digging yourself deeper into a hole.

On Friday, we offered five suggestions for taking care of your Toyota cars in a frugal way so you can get many years of smooth driving out of them. Here are five more cheap things you can do to keep your Toyota cars running efficiently and keeping them that way for a long time.

1. Change the lights. When a light goes out, simply change it. Changing the headlights and taillights on your Toyota cars is typically so simple you can do it within minutes.

2. Keep the engine coolant topped off. Your antifreeze/coolant is essential for a healthy engine. Remember to let your engine cool off before checking the level, though.

3. Repair scratches. Even minor scratches in your car’s paint job can lead to rust. You can touch up the spot for as little as $10 if you catch it before it gets too big.

4. Get the cracks fixed. Letting a little chip in your windshield go for too long will cause it to grow. This is dangerous as it leaves your windshield more vulnerable. You can get small cracks and chips fixed for as little as $40.

5. Change the oil. This is probably the most important thing you can do to keep your Toyota cars in great shape. Check your owner’s manual for the recommended intervals.

With the flailing economy and everybody watching their pennies these days, people are keeping their Toyota cars much longer than they used to. But with keeping your car longer comes the responsibility of maintenance. Luckily, there are many things you can do to keep your Toyota cars in tip-top shape without breaking your budget. Following are a few of those hints and suggestions.

1. Use the recommended grade of fuel. Most Toyota cars will run fine with regular unleaded fuel, but some may require a higher grade for optimum performance. Check your owner’s manual and be sure to use the grade it suggests for many years of enjoyment.

2. Brake smoothly. Braking aggressively can wreak havoc on your brakes and on your engine. Be smooth about braking and you will be easier on your car.

3. Maintain your tire pressure. Allowing your tire pressure to get too low means more work for your engine. Tires with low pressure are also less efficient than ones with the proper inflation.

4. Replace your wipers when necessary. This does not affect your engine, but bad wipers could limit your visibility and cause you to hit something in front of you.

5. Replace your air filter regularly. Clogged air filters cause your engine to run less efficiently than it can and this can cause it to work harder.

Come back on Monday for five more cost-efficient things you can do to keep your Toyota cars running smoothly for many years to come!

Are you a safe driver? If you answered yes, are you being honest with yourself? There are many deadly mistakes that drivers make without even realizing it. Unfortunately, those mistakes often lead to injuries and even fatalities in a collision.

A report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that many fatal accidents could have been completely avoided had the driver done the responsible thing. “Talking on the phone. That would be one [mistake],” said Gerardo Urquiza, a Texas driver.

But the NHTSA report showed that there is one fatal mistake that occurs much more than it should: swerving. In 2007, nearly 16,000 people in the United States were killed because a driver swerved out of their lane for whatever reason.

Another major problem was drowsy driving. Most traffic fatalities occur between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. because drivers do not pull over when they feel too tired to drive.

Speeding also causes a number of fatal accidents each year. In fact, speeding is the second highest cause of fatalities in traffic accidents every year.

These are just a few of the things causing fatal accidents on today’s roadways. Are you committing any of these deadly mistakes behind the wheel of your Toyota cars? If so, reevaluate your driving skills and responsibilities. Allow yourself extra time to get where you need to be so you do not need to hurry or drive when you are too tired. It could just save your life.

If you’ve been waiting for a hybrid Lexus to be released by the Toyota Motor Company, your wait may soon be over. The upper-scale brand from Toyota cars is launching the HS250h sedan which will mark “the latest push by the world’s biggest automaker to drive fuel-sipping hybrids into the mainstream.” The announcement also comes at a time when governments all over the world are trying to create more stringent emissions regulations while still making fuel-efficient vehicles attractive to consumers.

Currently, the new hybrid Lexus is only going to be available in Japan. The automaker hopes to sell about 500 units each month for right now. Those numbers seem low but that’s because these Toyota cars does not have the same recognizable design as the Prius and eco-conscious drivers may not immediately see it as a gas-sipper. Toyota does plan, however, to bring the Lexus hybrid to the North American market in September.

“Thanks to the green-car tax and a hybrid boom fanned by the Prius in Japan, we’ve already gotten 3,000 orders,” explained Senior Managing Director Toshio Furutani.

Prices for these Toyota cars will start at around $42,000 with a likely $2,800 tax credit. Visit your Toyota dealer today to place your order or for more details.

Just when you thought the 2010 Toyota Prius could not get any better, engineers find something to dispel that notion.

These new Toyota cars are going to get a new and improved fuel vapor-recovery system, which means a bigger tank to hold more fuel. Until now, Toyota was planning to use a more eco-friendly bladder system for the fuel tank. Unfortunately, the bladder held less than the 11.9 gallons promised in the owner’s manual. It also made the fuel gauge show less fuel than what was actually in the tank, making it difficult to evaluate when it was time to get more fuel.

The bladder also had problems when it came to the weather. Its capacity could change by as much as 1.3 gallons when the temperature outside is 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because of these problems, Toyota has introduced a new vapor-recovery system on the 2010 Prius. The new system is better for the environment and it cuts down on a lot of problems the previous system was having.

It’s just another reason why these hybrid Toyota cars are proving to be the most popular and fuel-efficient vehicles on the market. Check one out today!