Fuel Efficient Autos

A new national manager of multicultural marketing for the Hyundai Motor Company has recently helped create a new advertising campaign directed at Hispanic car buyers.

Hyundai, the Korea-based automaker and fifth largest car manufacturer in the world, currently sells about 2.7 percent of its inventory to Hispanic car buyers. The new campaign hopes to increase those numbers by addressing concerns and appealing to more Hispanic buyers. So far, the new campaign includes a TV ad that includes Hispanic buyers and a “Spanish-language Web site that plays up the words safety, reliability and design,” all things that Hispanic consumers would be concerned about.

But campaigns that focus on Hispanic consumers are nothing new to Hyundai. In 2006, the automaker released Spanish-language commercials that began airing just before the FIFA World Cup Games. A couple years before that, Hyundai played a major role in a safety campaign for young children in the Los Angeles area. The car company continues to appeal to a large number of consumers to bring more people to the dealer lots to buy Hyundai cars.

Do advertising campaigns work on you? Are you more likely to visit a car dealer that has commercials that appeal to your demographic or are you loyal to a brand regardless of the advertising? We’d love to hear your thoughts below!

If you’re in the market for a new Toyota hybrid, your local Toyota automotive dealer wants you to have an easy time of it. They also encourage you to shop smart, so you can get the most for your money:

Here are some things you can do in order to shop smart at your Toyota automotive dealers:

Buy with cash

If you can get pre-approved for a loan, or if you can buy with cash, this gives you an advantage in that it keeps you in the price range you can afford. In addition, there’s no pressure at the dealer to finance. Still, if the dealer or manufacturer is offering attractive financing, don’t rule it out altogether.

Shop alone

Bringing your family or your friends with you when you go shopping for a new car can be distracting. In addition, you could find yourself in a situation where someone with you is trying to talk you into a particular car you don’t really need or want. Bring someone with you if you wish to help negotiate or to help you determine the quality of the vehicle, but don’t be pressured.

Remember you can leave

If you don’t like a vehicle, feel like a salesperson is too pushy, or can’t find the right car, you can leave. Don’t feel as though you must buy a car right then and there. If the problem is with an employee, report the problem to the sales manager at another time or on the telephone.

If you’re shopping smart, come down to our local Toyota dealer and see what we’ve got to offer you today.

I’ve become quite the fan of Hyundai cars recently. So far, I’ve only had the pleasure of driving a 2008 Sonata that I rented for my cross-country trip a couple months ago. But that was enough to convince me. The Hyundai Accent is another popular model. Here are some of the great safety features you can expect to find if you invest in a Hyundai Accent.

Anti-Lock Braking System – This is ideal for helping you steer out of trouble when emergencies arise. By pulsing the brakes before they lock up, the driver maintains complete control at all times, even if they need to brake hard.

Airbags – The GLS model got a 5-star frontal crash rating for safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s due to the front airbags that determine how much force and pressure to exert based on the seat occupant’s weight and height and the speed of the car. There are also side airbags, roof-mounted side-curtain airbags. According to some studies, all of these airbags can reduce fatalities by as much as 45 percent.

Seatbelt Pretensioners – This feature tightens the front seat belts during a front impact. Other seat belts have some slack, making the driver and passenger more susceptible to injury when the airbag is deployed. The seatbelt tensions keep the seat occupants in optimal position for all-around safety.

These and many, many other features make the Hyundai Accent one of the best cars on the lot. Check one out today!

The next generation of the flagship Toyota hybrid, the Prius, hasn’t yet been unveiled. However, there is quite a bit of speculation about what that new vehicle will look like, as well as what kinds of design changes may be coming.

The new Prius hybrid is expected to have a significant amount of redesign. The new Toyota hybrid will have a more modern look on the inside, for example. The center upright console is expected to be replaced with a bridge-like design, that will flow from the dashboard toward the center storage bin, located between the front seats. In addition, it is thought there will be a new storage compartment under the center console.

The gearshifter will also move to the center console, and will resemble a manual gearshifter.

It is expected that the large screen on the dash, which shows a diagram of the hybrid motor and lets drivers know when they’re getting better fuel economy, is expected to stay. The screen will move from the dash to the center console.

The new Prius should arrive some time in the United States in 2009.

Beyond this new vehicle, however, more changes are coming. For example, it is expected that a plugin hybrid version of the Prius may be released within the next few years, taking Toyota fuel economy to a whole new level.

Hyundai, the fifth-largest automaker in the world, is getting ready to make a splash in the hybrid segment in 2010. That’s when the company plans to introduce its new, cutting edge vehicle that runs on lithium-ion battery technology.

According to the vice-president of product development at Hyundai, John Krafcik, the automaker plans to release a hybrid Sonata for the North American market in less than two years. But, he said, Hyundai also has plans to unveil this new concept to the American market in November of this year at the ever-popular Los Angeles Auto Show.

If Hyundai follows through with these exciting plans, the automaker will have “one of the first mass-market vehicles on U.S. roads featuring lithium-ion batteries.” These are the same batteries you find in your cell phones and laptop computers, but on a much larger scale.

Other companies are working on similar vehicles, but the Hyundai Sonata hybrid is going to be different in that it is not a “plug-in” vehicle. It is going to recharge itself as it goes down the road like today’s hybrids.

Make plans now to get to your local dealer to get behind the wheel of one of these Hyundai cars.

For a long time, Toyota hybrid vehicles, available from your local Pennsylvania automotive dealer, have been at the top of the pack when it comes to fuel efficiency and economy. Since Toyota launched it’s Prius, the first gas-electric hybrid back in 2000, Toyota has been well ahead of the game.

In the coming years, however, Toyota hybrids will face all sorts of new competition. There will be at least 16 new vehicles coming out over the next few years, that will be either electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles. It is expected that hybrid sales are going to dramatically increase as gas becomes even more expensive. Sales are expected to quadruple over the next six years.

Soon, every automaker will have at least one vehicle that’s a hybrid on the market. From General Motors to Ford to Hyundai, everyone is getting into the hybrid game.

Of course, Toyota isn’t especially worried. Toyota has sold more than a million and a half hybrids since it started selling them. Toyota has a long track record of reliability and quality when it comes to hybrids. The new competition will help to strenghten Toyota’s position, as the market expands more and more. With all these years of experience and a huge wealth of research and development, Toyota is set to stay at the top of the trend.

Hyundai cars are quickly becoming recognized throughout the nation and the world. The new i10 from the Korean automaker is no exception. Here are some things to expect from the Hyundai i10.

• Green LED lighted displays on the dashboard to ease the strain on the driver’s eyes.

• A fully-integrated audio system with speakers strategically placed throughout the vehicle so everybody can hear it. You can also hook up your MP3 player and play your favorite songs at the push of a button.

• Convenient storage places (trays under the seat, pockets in the doors, etc.) keep everything at your fingertips without getting in your way.

• Recessed fog lights mounted in the front bumper gives extra lighting in bad weather conditions.

• An electric sunroof lets you enjoy the weather outdoors at the touch of a button. Let some extra rays in without letting all the cool air out.

• A state-of-the-art windshield keeps more noise out and it is aerodynamically designed for better fuel economy.

• A plethora of safety features that help ensure you and your family can stay as safe as possible in the event of a collision. These features include driver and passenger side airbags, ABS and several others.

Your Toyota automotive dealer knows that maintenance on your Toyota hybrid is one of your main concerns.

No matter what kind of vehicle you drive, from time to time you’re going to have a headlight burn out. You can have your Toyota automotive mechanic replace your headlight, or you can save a few dollars and replace the headlight yourself. Here’s how to replace your own headlight:

1. Get Your new bulb. Ask the clerk at your local auto parts store, or look in the big guide usually located in the headlight aisle. Make sure to get the right bulb for your headlight, as they’re not universal.
2. Open your hood, and locate the wires behind the headlight.
3. On the back of the headlight is a screw cap. Turn this to release the bulb. In some cases, there may be a plastic lever that you’ll need to push down at the same time. Other vehicles have a metal clip, and you’ll give that a tug.
4. Take out the bulb entirely. You may have to turn the bulb slightly.
5. Open the new light bulb. Take care not to touch the glass of the bulb, as the oils on your skin can sometimes cause the bulb to burn out prematurely.
6. Stick the bulb into the back of the headlight, until you can’t see the rubber bulb gasket any monger.
7. Put it all back together and turn on your headlights, to make sure it works.

The all-new Hyundai Genesis is quickly making a name for itself in the luxury car segment. But it’s not all flash and style.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently gave the 2009 Hyundai model its highest test ratings according to government standards. It received a five-star crash test rating for frontal and side-impact crashes.

The Hyundai Genesis includes a “lightweight but strong body shell” with “laser welding, and advanced adhesive bonding,” according to an official within the company. “Add eight airbags and electronic active head restraints and you can see the focus we placed on designing Genesis for occupant safety.”

In addition to the airbags, though, the 2009 Hyundai Genesis delivers other safety features that you’d find only on today’s latest vehicles. The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is a life-saving technology that “compares the driver’s intended course with the vehicle’s actual response.” It helps prevent accidents by reducing engine power to help drivers so they don’t “understeer or oversteer.”

The Hyundai Genesis is also the first of its kind to offer electronic active front head restraints. It’s a standard feature on the Genesis. These head restraints have shown to reduce the instance of whiplash in the event of an accident.

With all of these great features, why not check out one of these Hyundai cars out at your local Hyundai dealer?

If you’re wondering how good Toyota fuel economy can be, there’s no better place to look than car magazines. Whether you are considering a Toyota hybrid like the Prius or whether you’re thinking about getting into a larger vehicle, car magazines have plenty for you.

Here are some of the most interesting and informative car magazines in publication today:

Car and Driver

This is probably the most popular car magazine in the world. Car and driver features test drive results, buying guides, reviews, and even automotive news.

Motor Trend

Motor trend focuses on the automotive industry itself. It includes things like information about concept cars, coverage of auto shows, industry news, as well as car reviews.

American Driver

This magazine is geared toward the lifestyle of the car enthusiast. The articles are entertaining, and feature everything from human interest stories to articles about the best scenic drives.

AutoWeek

AutoWeek is a somewhat ecclectic read, including reviews, information about auto shows, racing, and even information about environmental issues. You’re especially likely to find information about Toyota fuel economy in AutoWeek.

Super Street

Racing, customizing, and personalizing compact cars is the theme of this one. It includes lots of technical information, as well as information about aftermarket modifications and equipment for performance compact cars.