Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers

With all the fuss over the cash incentives and rebates through the “cash for clunkers” program, few people have mentioned the option of leasing. Maybe that’s because most dealers and automakers do not want to offer the leases for the five years required by the program. But you can get these five-year leases on Toyota cars as the world’s largest automaker is ready to offer this deal in compliance with the CARS program.

Toyota has announced several models under the 60-month leasing program. Those models include the Yaris, Camry, Corolla, RAV4 and the Toyota Tacoma. If you wanted to lease a Yaris, for example, you could have monthly payments of about $80 if you put a $5,229 down payment at purchase. The good news is if you qualify for the $4,500 voucher from the federal government, you would only need a down payment of $729.

The lease offers are different depending on individual dealers and regions. The best thing to do is visit your local Toyota dealer to see what is available where you live. With prices like these on Toyota cars, get there as soon as possible because they simply won’t last!

Do you have a GPS device in your Toyota cars? If so, you may not be able to use it while driving through New Jersey. While many states are proposing a ban on cell phones and texting while behind the wheel, New Jersey has turned its focus to GPS devices.

Democrat L. Harvey Smith introduced a bill earlier this summer that would penalize drivers who were caught operating a GPS device while driving. The only exception to this regulation would be the voice-activated units. Offenders would be given $100 fine.

To me, the legislation falls short. I do not agree with this type of far-reaching law, but many proponents of the cell phone ban say the problem is not with the actual phone, but the fact that a conversation with another person is a major distraction. As such, hands-free phones are not really any safer than handheld phones. It seems the same would hold true with voice-activated GPS devices. The actual distraction would be trying to get the device to do what you need it to do even if your hands are nowhere near it.

What’s next? Are drivers going to be fined if they are caught changing the radio station while driving down the road? Will they get penalized if they look out their window and to look for an address or appreciate a beautiful sunset? I hate to say that the cell phone ban was a “slippery slope,” but I’m afraid it is going to lead to many, many more laws that take away a driver’s judgment.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is considering two new safety requirements for new cars being put on the roadways. The first safety feature warns drivers when they are leaving their lane. This may come in handy when a driver is fatigued or distracted when they are behind the wheel. The other feature enables the car to brake before a crash occurs.

According to safety experts with the organization, the two systems could save about 40,000 lives each year and reduce the number of traffic-related injuries by more than 2.5 million.

The “forward-collision warning system,” which enables the car to stop before hitting another car in the rear, alerts drivers that they are approaching a vehicle or object in front of them. If the driver ignores the warning and does not push the brakes, the car automatically does it for the driver.

If the new regulations are approved, the new safety features may be required for any Toyota cars and other vehicles from model years 2011 and beyond.

How do you feel about this type of regulation? Is it the NHTSA sticking its nose in where it does not belong or is anything that saves lives worth it? Let us know your thoughts below.

At first glance, Toyota cars that run on Mountain Dew might seem pretty cool. That’s exactly what inventor Paul Patone thought when he created the Global Environmental Energy Technology Fuel Processor. The contraption is a device that allows a normal internal combustion engine to run on liquids that are at least 80 percent water.

Patone has spend two and a half decades working on this particular invention. Unfortunately in 2006, he was “framed for securities fraud and railroaded to a mental ward at the Utah State Hospital in March.” But that does not change the fact that he created this technology and even has a YouTube video that shows it in action.

When Patone was released from the mental hospital, he moved to New Mexico where he could continue working on his invention. According to him, the device can “reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution produced by a car by 90 percent.”

That would be pretty neat if you could get your Toyota cars to run on Mountain Dew, Coke, or any of your other favorite soft drinks. We do not recommend trying it, though, as Patone’s invention has never been tested by outside sources. Besides, buying a gallon of soda is probably more expensive than a gallon of gas so it would not be financially viable.

With the incentive of $4,500 cash going towards the purchase of the Toyota cars of your dreams, many drivers are going to local dealers and trading in their used cars for a more efficient one. As a result, many dealer lots are emptying their inventory like never before!

This is a blessing in disguise for many car dealers. The inventories have not reached “critical levels yet,” according to an article in USA Today, but the short supply is raising concerns for some dealers who specialize in smaller, more efficient vehicles like Toyota cars.

Adam Lee, a Toyota dealer in Topsham, Maine, is down to 14 cars on his lot. He normally has 150 new Toyota cars for sale, but the CARS program has caused a rush of sales in the last two weeks.

As of this writing, Congress is in the process of approving another $2 billion for the CARS program. The first billion was wiped out within the first week of the program and the lawmakers had to rush around and think of something to do to keep it going since it was such a success.

Check out the latest and most efficient Toyota cars and trucks on the market today. Bring your clunker to your Toyota dealer and take advantage of the CARS program before it’s too late!

The Toyota Corporation is planning to expand its Scion lineup to make it more attractive to car buyers. The brand is only about six years old, but Toyota officials already feel it is “losing its freshness,” according to this article in The Detroit News. The Scion brand has experienced a 60 percent drop in sales this year and officials know they need to do something to bring sales back up.

“For the Scion business model, product freshness is key,” explained Yoshimi Inaba, the chairman and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA. “One of my jobs is to revive the Scion spirit in the United States.”

One addition officials are thinking of adding to the Scion lineup is the iQ. This is a minicar the automaker currently sells in Japan and Europe, but Toyota displayed it under the Scion badge in New York earlier this year.

Toyota has also tossed around the idea of adding a gas-electric hybrid car under the Scion badge.

The base price for Scion Toyota cars begins at just under $15,000 and rangers up to $17,000 and beyond depending on the features you choose. Check these Toyota cars out today if you’re looking for a great deal on a fuel-efficient vehicle.

If you have been wondering what the prices are going to be for the new models of Toyota cars and trucks, wonder no more. The largest automaker in the world recently announced the prices for several of its 2010 models.

The RAV4, for instance, is going to have a base price of $21,500 for the 2WD version with four cylinders. The 4WD Limited V6 version has a price tag of just above $27,800. The 2010 model has a few enhancements, though, including chrome-accented features on the inside and other improvements over previous models.

The new Avalon, which is one of the most popular Toyota cars on the market, has added auto up/down windows for rear passengers and a new color for the exterior – Sandy Beach Metallic. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? The price for the 2010 model starts out at $27,945 for the XL version and it goes up to $35,285 for the Limited model. That’s an increase of merely 0.4 percent.

The Tacoma is one of the Toyota trucks that bring buyers to dealer lots. That’s why it is the best-selling compact pickup in the United States. About the only enhancement for this top-seller is a “front cup-holder functionality.” The price for the 2010 Tacoma stays the same this year starting at $15,170 for the most basic version and topping out at above $27,000.

With prices like these, how can you say no to buying one of the 2010 Toyota cars or trucks? Visit your local dealership today!

If you have not taken advantage of the federal government’s “cash for clunkers” program and you got worried because they ran out of money for vouchers, you still have time to get one of those Toyota cars or trucks that are eligible for the program.

In an emergency effort, Congress approved an additional $2 billion for the program so car buyers can still turn in their older car for a newer and more efficient one through this past weekend. There are no guarantees as of yet about what will happen this week and beyond, but with the success of the program, I’m sure the government and dealers will find a way to keep it going for awhile. Some dealerships report staying open even until the wee hours of the night to accommodate all the customers wanting to take advantage of the $4,500 vouchers.

“We just have all this new traffic. It’s really good,” said one sales manager at a Toyota dealer. “There’s energy, excitement.”

We’ll see what happens with the cash-for-clunkers program and its vouchers. You can always head to your Pennsylvania Toyota dealer and check out the inventory of Toyota cars and trucks if you are looking for a newer and more efficient vehicle at a great price!