Pennsylvania Auto Dealers

In an effort to stay on top of the hybrid auto industry, the Toyota Motor Company is currently working on a “dedicated sporty hybrid model that aims to compete with the upcoming CR-Z hybrid from Honda.” This announcement came from Japan’s Best Car magazine late last month.

In order to achieve the sporty design on the upcoming coupe, Toyota is likely going to use one of the famous Italian designing companies like Guigiaro Italdesign or Pininfarina. However, the entire idea of producing a sportier version of the Prius is simply speculation right now and the Best Car magazine did not reveal its source of information. Toyota has not confirmed the story, either. You can view an artist’s rendering of what the new Prius coupe would look like here.

Another Prius, however, has been officially announced for the European market. The Auris hatchback should be available in 2010. Analysts are speculating on prices and thinking the new Auris is going to be less expensive than the current Prius hybrid.

These and other plans just go to show that Toyota is trying to do everything it can to make full hybrids more available to more people. Visit your Conshohocken area Toyota dealer for more exciting information on upcoming models!

According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, officials at Volkswagen are making plans and strategies that could easily help them surpass Toyota and become the world’s largest and most profitable automaker.

Volkswagen has a goal of selling at least 800,000 units in the United States within the next ten years. That’s triple the sales figures from this year, but officials also plan to add several new and exciting models that Americans will enjoy. An SUV that seats seven, an updated Beetle and other plans are in the works to appeal to a larger demographic of American buyers. Volkswagen also plans to build more vehicles in the United States and Mexico to save money on currency fluctuations and shipping. The automaker is already building a $1 billion facility in Tennessee for producing a new sedan beginning in 2011.

“We need to keep everything that is good about our products, and we need to make them a little more mainstream to American tastes and desires,” explained Toscan Bennett, the VP of product and strategy for VW.

There are some exciting things in store at your Trenton area VW dealer right now and in the near future. Visit one today and feel the anticipation!

The roads may have seemed a little bit safer this past Labor Day Weekend in the Lehigh Valley. At least that’s what the police reports showed.

The Pennsylvania Police Troop M, which covers the Lehigh Valley area and extends farther south almost to Philadelphia, reported only 31 arrests related to drunken drivers and 760 citations during the four-day weekend. Troop M also investigated 35 auto accidents in the area. Unfortunately, there was one fatality attributed to a driver driving under the influence. However, that is lower than some previous years.

The PA State Police beefed up their enforcement tactics over the weekend as part of a national effort to curb impaired driving. The effort started on Friday and ended on Labor Day.

Across the state, there were 654 traffic accidents and more than 50 of those were attributed to alcohol. Nine people died as a result of those accidents, but that number is down from 16 last year.

Whether it’s a holiday, work day, weekend or any other day, there is never an excuse to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Your Trenton area VW dealer wants you to stay safe so be sure to make safe traveling arrangements if you plan on drinking. It’s just the right thing to do.

Some of the biggest winners in the “Cash for Clunkers” program are your Toyota dealers. The program, which ended toward the end of August, seemed to help stimulate the American economy and give some much-needed new cars to some buyers who had some real clunkers.

Sales at Toyota dealers across the country accounted for nearly 20 percent of the total sales in the program. Toyota also had two of the three top selling brands, which were the Toyota Corolla and the Toyota Camry.

Analysts feel the main reason that Toyota and other Asian automakers were so successful during the month-long program is because drivers are looking for smaller, more efficient cars. More than 80 percent of the “clunkers” that people brought in were large trucks. Nearly 60 percent of the automobiles purchased were cars.

“Consumers gravitated to cars known for reliability and fuel-efficiency,” explained Rebecca Lindland, an analyst working for IHS Global Insight.

Another piece of good news is that the average car turned in during the program only received about 16 miles to the gallon. The average vehicle purchased during the program receives about 25 mpg. That’s going to be a great difference on overall carbon emissions.

If you didn’t get a chance to take advantage of the government program, you can still visit your Doylestown area Toyota dealer for a great price on a smaller, more efficient vehicle. Stop in today!

Are you known for driving in the left lane when you are driving down the freeway? If so, your PA car dealers would like to draw your attention to some points made in this article. While driving in the left lane does have its advantages, it also has a number of disadvantages.

The main danger of driving in the far left lane of the highway is that drivers who end up on the wrong side of the road are going to be in your lane. Most drivers that end up like this are drunk or under the influence of drugs. This can pose a serious danger if you are not expecting to see a car headed straight towards you while driving 75 mph! Unless you have a preplanned “escape route,” you could end up in a fatal collision that leaves both of your dead on the road. It has happened several times before.

Your Glenside area Toyota dealers urge you to reconsider your habit of driving only in the left lane. We know it is usually smoother, faster and less congested, but it can also be dangerous if you are not careful.

Texting and driving has become a hot issue among legislators, insurance companies and individual drivers. There is a growing support for banning texting while driving across the country even as many states have already passed laws against the dangerous habit. Some drivers still do not get the message, though.

Because of many drivers ignoring the dangers of texting and driving, one police department in Wales produced a video that shows drivers what can happen when they are not paying attention to the road. It’s a graphic depiction that shows what can happen when you take your eyes off the road for even a few seconds. It shows “a girl’s head slamming against a car window and the blank stare of a baby in one of the cars.” Some say the video goes too far while others say it doesn’t go far enough in scaring drivers “textless.”

“Young people were telling us, ‘It needs to be more shocking, it needs to be more violent, it needs to be more truthful,” explained the director of the film Peter Watkins-Hughes. Other experts in the field say scare tactics are not the way to address or even solve the problem.

How about you? Your Allentown area VW dealers want to know what it would take to get you to stop texting when you are behind the wheel of your car. Would a graphic video make you think twice before picking up that cell phone when it beeps? Or will a ban work? If not, what would work for you? Let us know your thoughts and ideas below.

If you are one of the thousands of car buyers that visited your Toyota dealer to cash in on the “Cash for Clunkers” program, you are enjoying your new car by now. But since the program has ended, it’s time to evaluate its success and problems.

The current tallies show that about 700,000 new cars were sold during the program that lasted about one-third of the time that it was originally planned. Now dealers across the country are waiting for the federal government to approve requests for reimbursements for the vouchers valued up to $4,500 for the clunker trade-ins.

California dealers are waiting for the largest chunk of money at more than $320 million of the $3 billion that the government had set aside for the program. In addition to those worries, some buyers are rethinking their decision as they are realizing they are overextended with the higher payments that the new car brings. “People rushed into purchases that many would otherwise have made later this year. The result will be lower sales in the weeks to come,” explained Jeremy Anwyl, the Chief Executive of Edmunds.com.

If you were one of the buyers that decided to wait until you could afford a new car purchase, you can always visit your Conshohocken area Toyota dealer for a great price on a new or certified used vehicle.

One of the growing trends in auto dealerships is building a restaurant or eatery within the facility to create a type of ambience for potential buyers and customers. Your Philadelphia area VW dealers may one day join in the trend where you can discuss your rustproofing and undercoating options with a sales representative over some fried zucchini sticks.

At California’s Bistro33, buyers are treated to the experience of having a delicious meal while shopping for a new VW car or while finalizing the deal. There are no cars inside the facility so you can have your lunch, dinner or pre-dinner meal in a clean and luxurious restaurant.

So far, the “dinner and a car” trend has only taken a hold of a few smaller niche markets in the car industry. As such, most of the in-facility restaurants are on the upscale end. But as prices get back to normal and buyers start getting jobs in this market, a restaurant within a car dealership is a great way to bring potential customers to the facility.

It would be pretty nice to sign the bottom line at your VW dealer on a full stomach. Before long, car dealerships may start adding other features like auto museums, boutiques and more!