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"Oh What a Feeling!"

Rising costs getting you down?

New comprehensive car insurer Bingle have recently done some interesting research into the cost of running a motor vehicle. Their research found that 92% of Australians believe that having a car is a necessity and almost 70% declare they would never give up their car, no matter how much it costs to run.

Amongst other things, they summarised:

* 55% have cut back on other spending to afford to run a car

* 75 % say the costs of running a car are too expensive

* 88% feel it is more expensive to run a car this year than it
was last year

Is this your experience? Then you need the reduced “whole of life” costs associated with Toyota vehicles. With Toyotathon Gold Fleet deals, demonstrably superior resale values, Toyota Service Advantage Capped price servicing to 60,000km or three years (from just $130!) and competitive finance through Toyota Financial Services, it is no wonder Toyota remains Australia’s favourite car brand.
Tom Gilbert
Adelaide Hills Toyota,
Adelaide Road, Mt Barker
Phone: 83982226
www.adhillstoyota.com.au
Of Mice and Men

Something strange is going on. They say it could be due to the climate and wet weather bringing about favourable conditions but I wasn’t aware, until very recently that they had arrived. I am talking about mice.

In the past eight to ten weeks we have had an unprecedented influx of motor vehicles exhibiting strange and uncharacteristic electrical malfunctions. I say uncharacteristic because in the case of new Toyota’s, they just don’t experience electrical malfunctions. European stuff yes but not Toyota’s. But the phenomenon I am going to tell you about is not brand specific. Mice, it would seem, are not too choosy.

People, mice are doing thousands of dollars of damage every week to your pride and joy. On farms, in towns, in carports and in garages around our state mice are constructing homes in the warmth of your engine bay and making a meal of your cars electrical wiring. Sure, we have seen it before, just not on this scale.

Why should this interest you? Because the mice are hungry and no-one is immune. Use mouse traps, bait or get a cat but do something because it will happen when you least need it to and without early and proper detection could cost you a fortune.

And if your car does experience an electrical gremlin we have the latest diagnostic equipment for most makes and models ensuring we don’t “chase out tail” at your expense. So call us first!
Tom Gilbert
Adelaide Hills Toyota,
Adelaide Road, Mt Barker
Phone: 83982226
www.adhillstoyota.com.au
What Brand is that?

Toyota has regained its title as the world's most valuable automotive brand, despite some of the challenges with recalls it faced in 2010.

Toyota's brand value has jumped 11 percent in the BrandZ Top 100 annual ranking of the world's most valuable brands. Toyota has taken the top spot from BMW which held the spot last year. Mercedes-Benz holds the number three spot and Honda is now at number four spot.

According to Peter Walshe, Millward Brown global brand director, Toyota's recalls did not have a significant effect on consumer's confidence in Toyota. He told Automotive News Europe, "It was a highly trusted brand before the recall and the company was always going to bounce back if it acted responsibly, which it did. It shows the resilience of the brand." Toyota was the most valuable automotive brand from 2006-2009.

So what does this mean to you? Call in today and find out..

Tom Gilbert
Adelaide Hills Toyota,
Adelaide Road, Mt Barker
Phone: 83982226
www.adhillstoyota.com.au
(Source: Paul McVeigh, Automotive News Europe)
Boys Trip

I just had the pleasure of a quick trip to the Flinders for a couple of days. There were six in our party, three fathers each with a young son, which meant either two cars or one with a trailer. Two cars would have been annoying and meant splitting up the group so I was lucky to be able to grab a 2007 Turbo Diesel Prado before it hit the yard. With three rows of seats it meant two in each row and boys were playing “paper, rock, scissors” to work out who got the very back.

I know we sell these cars for a living but there is nothing like actually putting one through its’ paces to realise how good they really are. With a full load, full fuel and 500kg trailer this car went like a rocket. It was economical, comfortable and gutsy enough to pass the slower vehicles on country roads...and it did it easily.

When we hit the dirt the constant all-wheel drive inspired confidence and rode out the bumps despite the load and when we ascended a hill in the ranges up a washed out track, it didn’t even require us to lock the centre diff for extra traction. BBQ in the creek? No worries, just head on down and find a great spot. And the massive centre console is ideal when your son becomes obsessed with collecting quartz. There is gold in it if you didn’t know!

So if it has been a while since you have driven any of the class leading four wheel drives in our range, perhaps it is time you did. We are only too happy to show you.

Tom Gilbert
Adelaide Hills Toyota,
Adelaide Road, Mt Barker
Phone: 83982226
www.adhillstoyota.com.au
In the future

I read last weeks article about motoring technologies by Lisa Pahl with great interest. Not only because Toyota is well represented with cutting edge technology but also because it is interesting to hear what our peers think about the future of personal transport. Perhaps the most comforting thing is the general acknowledgement that our reliance on fossil fuels cannot continue unabated.

Options suggested such as hydrogen powered vehicles have merit however there are several challenges facing the use of hydrogen in vehicles which include production, storage, transport and distribution. As such the well-to-wheel efficiency for hydrogen is less than 25%.1

The current shortcomings of all electric vehicles are also well noted and include a lack of range, “usability” and high weight. These will improve over time but current base load power is still supplied by coal fired power stations and that is hardly the epitome of clean and renewable energy.

My personal transport utopia? Electric powered light rail linking Adelaide with major regional centre’s supplemented by plug-in personal electric vehicles all powered by clean nuclear fusion reactors producing little or no atmospheric pollution with short lived waste and little or no overlap with nuclear weapons technology.

In the interim however and in my opinion, the most advanced, usable and economical stepping stone still remain hybrids vehicles which utilise regenerative braking and require no change to your personal driving habits. Call in today and see why.

Tom Gilbert
Adelaide Hills Toyota,
Adelaide Road, Mt Barker
Phone: 83982226
www.adhillstoyota.com.au

1: Heetebrij, Jan. "A vision on a sustainable electric society supported by Electric Vehicles", Olino Renewable Energy, June 5, 2009

Contact Info

Adelaide Hills Toyota
Adelaide Road
Mt Barker, SA 5251
Telephone: 08 8398 2226
Mobile: 0419 846 319
Fax: 08 8398 2927

Toyota Quality

Quality isn't just a result. It's part of everything we do at Toyota. Starting with hand-selecting the right people to undertake the sketching of a car, right through to materials, the build and the delivery. And it never stops. Because the only way to ensure that you experience quality every time you sit in a Toyota is to ask ourselves, "how can we make this even better?"

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