Toyota Leads the Pack for Best Residual Value
Toyota is known for producing reliable cars that hold their value very well over time. The results are in from the ALG Residual Value Awards and once again, Toyota models mop the floor with the competition. Out of the 24 best-in-class residual value cars listed, 8 of them were Toyota models, more than any other manufacturer. Here are the highlights:
Alternative-fuel vehicle: Prius c
The Prius c has been a very popular model since being introduced in 2012. The Prius c is built on the Yaris platform, and is designed for city driving. Compact and nimble, the Prius c is perfect for curb-side parking, and navigating busy city streets. Thanks to its hybrid engine and reginerative braking system, the Prius c is able to get 53 mpg in city driving. Its vibrant body design and affordable price point make the Prius c perfect for young, sophisticated city-dwellers.
Full-size car: Avalon
The Toyota Avalon is a luxurious full-size sedan that has a whisper-quiet interior, smooth ride, and tons of amenities. The Avalon absolutely glides down the road, and has been a strong seller since its introduction in 1994 for the1995 model year. The Avalon is built on the same platform as the Lexus ES and comes with a host of amenities such as heated and cooled leather seats, navigation, touch screen, sunroof, and more for the driver who wants the best of everything in a sedan.
Full-size pickup: Tundra
The Toyota Tundra is one of the most popular full-size pickups on the market. It was introduced in 1999 for the 2000 model year, and has earned a loyal following of devoted fans over the years. Kelly Blue Book called the Tundra, “a genuine workhorse with impressive towing capabilities, rugged construction and first-class interior accommodations…”
Full-size SUV: Sequoia
Built on the Tundra platform, the Sequoia is the SUV for you if you want to transport 8 passengers in flagship level comfort. The reliable performance and great amenities of the Sequoia make it a natural choice for large families.
Mid-size pickup: Tacoma
Kelly Blue Book says it best: “The Toyota Tacoma is America’s best-selling compact pickup… It’s a modern, capable, high-value vehicle with few real competitors.” If you are looking for a compact pickup with an unbeatable reputation for reliability, then the Toyota Tacoma is the perfect truck for you! No matter what you’re looking for in a compact pickup, there is a Tacoma configuration that fits the bill perfectly!
Mid-size SUV, 3-row seating: Highlander
The Toyota Highlander is one of the best-selling SUV’s in America because of its reliability, smooth ride, and excellent visibility. The comfortable seats, large interior, and strong safety ratings make the Highlander a great choice for families; the reliable performance and high resale value make it a natural choice for savvy shoppers. Kelly Blue Book says the Highlander, “… continues to impress with its abilities, features and resale value.”
Off-road utility vehicle: FJ Cruiser
If you want an SUV that has tons of personality, and a fun look, the FJ Cruiser fits the bill nicely. As Kelly Blue Book says, “If you’re looking for a daily driver that can double as an off-road weekend warrior, the 2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser is sure to please.”
Premium full-size SUV: Land Cruiser
The Toyota Land Cruiser is a living legend. It has been in production continuously since 1951, making it the longest-running series in Toyota history. The Land Cruiser’s reputation for reliability has made it incredibly popular in in Australia, where it is the best-selling body-on-frame, four-wheel drive vehicle in the country. In addition to unrivaled performance and capability in challenging road coniditions, the Land Cruiser has all the amenities of a high-end, luxury SUV.
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Car Loans Can Help Your Credit
It is important to maintain a good credit score. A high credit score gets you access to the lowest financing rates, meaning that you will pay less in interes when you borrow money to finance the purchase of something like a car or home. Additionally, many employers (and even some landlords) pull credit checks on applicants to determine if a prospective employee or renter pays his or her bills on time. So we know that a high credit score can not only save you money in financing charges, but it can also help determine your eligibility for a job or an apartment lease, but how do we make sure that this score is as high as possible? To figure out how to improve your credit score, we first have to study what a credit score is, and how it is determined.
The standard unit of determining credit worthiness is called a FICO score, which is named after Fair Isaacs and Company, the firm that pioneered this scoring process. Your credit score changes over time, and moves up and down based on factors such as opening up new lines of credit, paying off older accounts, and so forth. According to Fair Isaacs and Company’s website, a FICO score is based on 5 factors with different weighting: payment history (35%), amounts owed (30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit (10%), and types of credit used (10%). From looking at the criteria that make up a score and their relative weighting, we can infer that a good score will be earned primarily through a good history of making payments on time, on accounts that have been open for a long period of time, and with outstanding balance on “good” credit such as car loans and mortgages rather than on “bad” credit such as credit cards. This shows that taking out a loan to buy a car, and making payments on time will make a good score even better. But a car loan can also be a good step towards repairing a credit score that is not as high as you would like. Because payment history is the most heavily weighted category at 35% of the total score, and is also one of the “good” types of credit used, taking out a car loan and making timely payments can begin to repair a credit score quickly.
According to Craig Watts, consumer affairs manager for Fair Isaac Corp. “The mantra for getting a great score is pay your bills on time, keep account balances low, and take out new credit only when you need it.” He adds, “People who do that faithfully have very high scores. It usually means you’re being conservative and cautious about credit. It’s not a toy and it shouldn’t be a hobby.” The longer you pay your bills on time after being late, the more your FICO score should increase. Older credit problems count for less, so poor credit performance won’t haunt you forever. The impact of past credit problems on your FICO score fades as time passes and as recent good payment patterns show up on your credit report. And good FICO scores weigh any credit problems against the positive information that says you’re managing your credit well. A strong credit score is a necessity, and an excellent way to obtain and maintain one is with a car loan.
You Can’t Beat a Toyota for Dependability
We just took in a 2001 Toyota Highlander with 341,250 miles on it and it still runs great and is in absolutely pristine condition. So how does this Highlander still look so good and run so well after 13 years of New England driving? For starters, it’s a Toyota. Toyota is known for producing some of the longest-lasting, most reliable cars on the road. But even a top-notch product with proven longevity like a Toyota needs to be well cared-for to get the most out of it. Routine maintenance is a critical aspect of owning a car for the long haul. Changing your oil and filters regularly helps keep your engine free of dirt and build-up that can literally destroy your engine. An added bonus of regular inspections and tune-ups is that keeping your car running in tip-top shape means that it allows you to get the best fuel economy possible. It is also important to keep all of your fluids topped off. Coolant (also called “antifreeze”) actually serves a double-duty. In the winter, it prevents your vehicle from freezing, and in the summer, it prevents your vehicle from overheating. Keeping your tires properly inflated and the car fully aligned improves your fuel economy and prolongs the life of your tires by preventing uneven wear. Washing your car regularly (especially in winter) helps to prevent corrosion by removing road salt which can eat at paint and metal. And sometimes, when you start with a superior product, and take really good care of it, you can end up with a 13-year old SUV with 341,250 miles on it that still looks and runs great. Here are some pictures so you can so for yourself.
Drive into Spring Sales Event
March Madness is in full force here at the Irwin Automotive Group, and we don’t mean that basketball kind. Once again, it is time for our Drive into Spring Sales Event on new and used cars and trucks! Our new cars are priced below MSRP, come with a $750 gift card, and many of them have 0% APR financing for 60 months, and 0 payments for 90 days. As always, we use live market pricing for our used cars to get you some of the best deals in New England. If you have been waiting for the right time to buy a new or used car, this is it! Don’t miss your opportunity to get the car you have been waiting for! With tax refund checks coming back and our low, low prices, these cars won’t be here for long.
Another reason to come to Irwin Toyota this March is the 2014 Highlander. This popular SUV has been redesigned for the 2014 model year, and is ready for you to take for a spin. The reliable Camry is available in both the 2014 and the 2014.5 model years (and the 2014 has excellent incentives to make room for the 2014.5 model!)
It may not feel like it yet, but we are coming out of winter. We’ll be tapping the maple trees in a couple weeks, and it’s smooth sailing after that. So it’s time to start thinking about summer camping trips, towing boats, trips to the beach, cookouts, and all the best that a New England summer has to offer! With all that in mind, be sure to check out our extensive assortment of hatchbacks, wagons, SUV’s, and trucks!
Buying vs. Leasing
Leasing is a great option for someone who tends to get a new car every couple years and who drives 18,000 miles per year or less. Leasing offers several advantages over purchasing a car. First, monthly lease payments are lower than monthly car loan payments. The reason for this is that under a lease agreement, you are paying to use a car rather than paying to own a car. So rather than paying for all of the car, you pay for the depreciation of the vehicle over the life of the lease, essentially, the portion of the car that you use.
Under the lease agreement, you know the sale price of the vehicle, and you know the value of the vehicle at the end of the lease, and you know the lease rate factor, which is a similar concept to an interest rate on a conventional loan. Your monthly lease payment is determined based on these numbers. At the end of the lease, you have the opportunity (but not the obligation) to purchase the vehicle at the pre-determined lease end value.
In addition to the lower monthly cost, another advantage of leasing is that the vehicle is under factory warranty the whole time you own it, meaning that yo don’t have to worry about costly repairs.
Some people say that they do not like leasing because they want to own the car, and that is a perfectly valid opinion. However, if you take out a 5-year car loan to purchase a car, and after 3 or 4 years you go to trade the car in, you technically don’t own the car yet because the bank still has the title. In this scenario, you do have a trade in, but it is just barely starting to gain equity. It might make more sense to lease a car for 2 or 3 years, and put the money you save into the bank, and use it as a down payment on your next lease. Not that you need a down payment, which is another bonus to leasing. Many leases only require the first month’s payment due at signing, meaning less money out of pocket than the 10-20% down payment than many lending institutions prefer to get you the best rates on car loans.
Leasing is not for everyone. Some people commute too many miles per year for a lease to make sense. Others prefer to pay off their car and just deal with repairs such as tires, brakes, emissions system, etc. as needed. For many people, though, the combination of lower monthly cost and the peace of mind of always having a warranty makes leasing an excellent choice.
Presidents Month Sales Event at Irwin Toyota
Irwin Toyota is running a Presidents Month sales event for all of February! In addition to our already low prices on new and pre-owned Toyota cars, trucks, and SUV’s, we are offering a $1,000 savings voucher on new cars, and many new models have available 0% APR financing.
The Toyota Corolla is the best-selling car of all time and it is easy to see why! The Corolla has been redesigned for the 2014 model year, and with a starting MSRP of $16,800 it is an excellent value. The Corolla’s interior has reached new levels of elegance with the available SofTex seats. SofTex is an environmentally-friendly leather-like fabric, which is both stain and water resistant. The available piano black accents really make the center console pop and draws attention to the stylish interior. For an even more upscale interior experience, try the available power moonroof.
For the tech-savvy drivers out there, be sure to check out the available Entune premium audio with Navigation and App Suite. The 6.1-inch touchscreen display works very well for the back-up camera, navigation, and song information. Bluetooth wireless connectivity comes standard, so syncing your phone to your Corolla is a breeze! And if you really want to live it up on the technology side of things, you will be impressed with the voice recognition feature. Check out our new car specials page to see what kinds of deals we are offering on the 2014 Corolla!
Another completely redesigned favorite is the 2014 Highlander. It has a larger grille, sleek front end, and aerodynamic roof rails to give it an athletic, powerful look. With seating for up to 8 passengers, the Highlander is designed with the active family in mind. All 8 passengers can sit comfortably, and enjoy features such as a reclining third-row seat. Entune Audio with a 6.1-inch Intelligent Touch screen comes standard on every Highlander, and it can be upgraded with Navigation, SiriusXM Radio, HD Radio, the Entune App Suite, and an optional 8-inch touch screen.
The Highlander, Corolla, Camry, RAV4, Tundra, Tacoma, and Sienna will all be available with incredible deals during the entire month of February! So some on down to Irwin Toyota and check them out!
2014 Toyota Highlander Has Arrived!
The redesigned 2014 Toyota Highlander has arrived at Irwin Toyota and is available for sale or lease!
6 Million Toyota Hybrids Have Been Sold
Toyota just crossed a major milestone: the sale of its 6 millionth hybrid vehicle. A hybrid vehicle is one that combines an electric car with a gasoline-powered car and delivers the best attributes of both. Hybrid vehicles have substantially better fuel economy than gasoline vehicles thanks to being powered by a battery for a portion of the drive. Hybrid vehicles use what is referred to as a regenerative braking system; when the brakes are applied to slow down a vehicle, some of the energy is captured and stored in a battery. This battery, in turn, can be used to power the vehicle. Hybrid vehicles perform best in stop-and-go traffic because the batteries are recharged frequently and the car can drive in battery mode instead of gasoline mode. This advantage in stop-and-go traffic makes hybrid vehicles the ideal choice for driving in the city and in suburbrs with lots of stop signs and traffic lights. The best-known hybird vehicle in the world is the Toyota Prius, which is rated at 51 mpg in city driving (and 48 mpg on the highway). Compare the Prius’ city driving performance to that of the Toyota Corolla, the world’s best-selling car of all time and prized for its fuel economy and reliability. The Corolla achieves a very respectable 38 mpg on the highway, but only 29 mpg in city driving. Both vehicles have an engine with a 1.8L displacement, but the crucial difference is that the Prius has a hybrid 1.8L engine, whereas the Corolla has a traditional, gasoline-powered 1.8L engine. The Prius’ hybrid engine is 76% more efficient than the gasoline engine in the Corolla, which can add up to substanial savings on fuel.
Although the Prius is the best-known hybrid vehicle that Toyota produces, it is by no means the only hybrid that Toyota produces. Toyota’s legendary Camry model, a benchmark for safety and reliability in the mid-size sedan class, is also available with a hybrid engine. In fact, Toyota sells 24 hybrid passenger car models in approximately 80 countries around the world!
Toyota calculates that as of December 31, 2013, the Toyota hybrid vehicles on the road have resulted in approximately 41 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions, and have saved 3.9 billion gallons of gasoline. To learn more about hybrid vehicles, call 603-524-4922 and ask to speak with a product specialist today!
2014 Toyota Highlander Now Available
The newly redesigned 2014 Toyota Highlander is availble for sale at Irwin Toyota. Our first 2014 Highlander just came off the transporter, and it is a beauty! The Highlander has received an all new interior and exterior. It has a larger grille, sleek front end, and aerodynamic roof rails to give it an athletic, powerful look. With seating for up to 8 passengers, the Highlander is designed with the active family in mind. All 8 passengers can sit comfortably, and enjoy features such as a reclining third-row seat. If you opt for a 7-passenger model, you might want to consider the available heated second-row captain’s chairs for added comfort and enjoyment. Speaking of comfort, the driver’s seat has an available 8-way power seat with power lumbar and thigh support. The Highlander Limited trim comes with perforated heated and ventilated leather trim for both front seats, to allow for a pleasant driving experience in any season.
The 2014 Highlander has tons of available technology available that will impress even the most devoted technophile. The Entune App Suite lets you use the 8-inch touch screen to make restaurant reservations, buy movie tickets, listen to music, and find out all the latest info on stocks, sports, traffic, and weather. Entune Audio with a 6.1-inch Intelligent Touch screen comes standard on every Highlander, and it can be upgraded with Navigation, SiriusXM Radio, HD Radio, the Entune App Suite, and an optional 8-inch touch screen. Bluetooth allows you to control music and make and receive phone calls with just the sound of your voice. The standard back-up camera makes it easier than ever to navigate parking spaces.
If you love boating, camping, and other outdoor adventures, then the 5,000 pound towing capacity and dynamic torque-controlled All Wheel Drive make the Highlander the perfect vehicle for your next epic trip!
Because safety is paramount, the Highlander comes equipped with the Star Safety System, a suite of six active safety features: Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Anti-Lock Brake System, Smart Stop Technology, Brake Assist, and Electronic Brake-Force Distribution. Added safety features like a child safety seat restraint system, ventilated disc brakes, tire pressure monitoring, and 8 advanced airbags provide additional peace of mind.
The Highlander has been one of the best-loved, most-trusted SUV’s on the road for years, and the 2014 redesign makes it better than ever! Please call one of our product specialists to learn more or to arrange a test drive.
Drive Through Winter Sales Event
If you are looking to buy or lease a new Toyota, then don’t miss the Drive Through Winter Sales Event at Irwin Toyota! Drive off in a new Toyota, and have no payments until spring! Not only do you 90 days of no payments, but you also get Irwin’s $1,000 savings voucher and 0% APR financing for up to 72 months on select models! Plus, when you buy from Irwin Toyota, you can rest assured knowing that you are dealing with one of the highest-rated dealers in the county according to third-party review sites like Cars.com, Google Reviews, Edmunds.com, and DealerRater.com. We have been family owned and operated since 1951 and we are committed to earning your business by offering amazing prices and best-in-class customer service. Don’t miss your opportunity to have even bigger savings, and to have no payments until spring with our Drive Through Winter Sales Event!
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