Pennsylvania Auto Dealers

In order to test quality, engineers are building a track around the perimeter of the new plant in Chattanooga for taking VW cars on a test drive right off the line. In fact, there will be two tracks around the plant. One will include various surfaces to make sure the VW cars are running correctly. The other will have fewer turns so testers can drive higher speeds.

Tracks at factories for testing VW cars, however, are not a new idea. According to Guenther Scherelis, the general manager of communication for VW’s Chattanooga plant, it’s “quite normal” at newer VW factories. These are not called “test tracks” because that term implies research. The tracks are solely for the purpose of testing quality immediately from the production line.

The vice president of marketing of Chattanooga’s Area Chamber of Commerce said quality assurance is a VW commitment that is obvious through the automaker’s operations. “This bodes very well for the success of Volkswagen operations here in Chattanooga,” he said about the tracks at the plant.

Currently, officials have not decided if they will let individual buyers test their purchase at the plant before the cars get to your Allentown area VW dealer. But that would be pretty sweet if they did allow it.

Do you think it is an infringement on your personal rights if you are prevented from driving while you are drunk? If so, there is a small segment of the population that agrees with you. Obviously, their loved ones have never been needlessly killed by a drunk driver.

But for the ones who think drunk drivers should be taken off the road, the Toyota Motor Company is working on a device that will help prevent people from driving if they have had too much to drink. The device is not a breakthrough gadget as courts have ordered similar devices installed in cars of people who have been convicted of drinking and driving in the past. The difference is that Toyota is going to pre-install them when manufacturing the vehicle, making them a permanent part of the car.

The device includes a hand-held breathalyzer to test the amount of alcohol in your breath, a digital camera that is designed to look for signs of intoxication in your face and other features that indicate you have had too much to drink. If the gadget determines you should not be driving, the ignition locks and you will not be able to start the car.

Parents will probably appreciate this type of device more than other drivers. Either way, however, we will let you know when these handy devices are available at your Doylestown area Toyota dealers. Until then, just be safe and call a cab or a friend if you have had too much to drink. It’s not worth it to take a chance.

Did you know that adjusting your car can improve your driving? Police in Austin, Texas and AAA are teaming up to show older drivers how to do just that so they can stay safer behind the wheel.

“Knowing your vehicle is the first step in knowing how to safely operate on the road,” said Art Acevedo, Austin’s Police Chief. Unfortunately, many senior drivers do not take the time to make adjustments to their car as their vision, reflexes and judgment changes with their age.

“As we age, changes in our vision, flexibility, strength, range of motion and even size and height may make us less comfortable behind the wheel,” explained a spokesperson for AAA. That’s where the CarFit program comes in. This program gives senior adults the tools they need to adjust their cars for safety with a 12-point checklist which includes the driver’s seat position, reaching the pedals easily and more.

Your Philadelphia area VW dealers encourage you to do everything possible to stay comfortable when you are driving. Comfort is essential to being safe and safety is vital when you are on the roadways with other drivers regardless of your age.

If you are tired of getting into your hot car during the summer and burning your hands on the steering wheel or having your breath taken away by the heat, the new Toyota Prius is for you.

The new Prius has a feature that has been a long time coming in the auto industry – a solar-powered roof. The innovative feature includes solar-mounted panels on the roof of the Prius. These panels absorb the sun’s energy and use it to power the fan that cools the car while it is sitting in the heat. This means getting into a cooler car after coming out of the supermarket, school or from your job. The electric fan is also part of the Solar Powered Ventilation System on the 2010 Prius.

In addition to powering the cooling fan, Toyota is also trying to harness solar power to run other accessories in the Prius. One day you may be able to power your radio, windows, interior lights and more from the sun’s energy!

Check out the newest generation of the Prius at your Glenside area Toyota dealers today. After experiencing the various innovations and features, you will not want to try any other vehicle.

At one time, Volkswagen had the image of being an automobile that appealed to the “hippy” generation. Between the camper van and the VW Bug, the 1960s generation brought Volkswagen into an iconic stage that few automakers have achieved. But over the years, the reputation has stuck and officials want to change that in hopes of appealing to a larger audience.

“You have California, the hippies, Woodstock and all the great memories Americans have for VW,” said Stefan Jacoby, the chief executive of the Volkswagen Group of America. “But when it comes to the conversion – ‘Will I actually buy this car?’ – we lose our customers.”

One of the ways Volkswagen is trying to change its image is by putting a plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. By doing this, the automaker plans to “sell Americans a solid, midsize, made-in-Tennessee sedan – probably under the Jetta name – that will compete with the Japanese and American cars that millions of families use to shuttle children to soccer practice, go shopping or hit the road on recession-era vacations.”

Volkswagen models are not just for your parents or grandparents anymore. The automaker has many new models and styles that are much different from the 1960s models. Visit your Allentown area VW dealers and see how far they have come!

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.