Toyota Camry: The Fortes' Story

Vroom Girls name Toyota Yaris as a Top Inexpensive Ride

The Vroom Girls named the 2012 Yaris as a top inexpensive vehicle! Here's what they had to say about this Toyota model:

"There are a lot of things we like about the 2012 Toyota Yaris, chief among them its easy-to-handle size, cute styling, and unbeatable build quality. Standard equipment includes air conditioning and an iPod compatible stereo, though there are a few signs of cost-cutting, like the old-tech 4-speed automatic transmission  and a few interior pieces here and there. The Yaris is expensive compared to other cars on this list, but strong resale values and epic reliability improve the its value equation."

The Yaris offers great value. Test drive it at Toyota World of Newton today!

Monday Maintenance Tip: Keep Your Paint Looking Good As New

Here's a Monday Maintenance Tip: If you find a bird has pooped on your car, wash it off as quick as you can. There are compounds in bird waste that can damage most car paint jobs. If you leave it in the sun and it bakes on, you could end up with a dull spot in the paint.

-Courtesy of CarBibles.com

2008 Toyota A-BAT Concept: A Concept Car that Should've Made it

Trucks keep getting bigger. Fuel prices remain high. What truck lovers the world over need is a capable, small pickup—something akin to the mini trucks of the 1970s and '80s.

Toyota created just such a concept with the 2008 Toyota A-BAT concept truck. It's difficult to judge the size of the A-BAT from a photo, but with an overall length of just 181.3 inches, it measured a foot shorter than a typical midsize sedan. The lightweight, compact truck used the gas–electric hybrid drive system from the Toyota Prius.

To give such a small vehicle good hauling capacity (and let it carry items longer than 90 inches), the A-BAT had a deep pickup-style box and a midgate that opened a clear passageway between the cab's interior and the exterior bed (a la the Chevrolet Avalanche).

This is one of those "What are you waiting for" ideas.

-Courtesy of Popular Mechanics

No Longer the FR-S, but my FR-S

My decision to buy the FR-S was made the second I drove it, and thanks to Scion’s simple ordering process, it didn’t get much harder than that.

Sold as a ‘mono-spec’, there is only one trim for the FR-S, plus a few additional options. In many ways this is Scion’s way of saying it’s perfect just the way it is. And I agreed, choosing not to add anything.

The next major option was the transmission, though again, there was nothing to consider. The automatic was out of the question. Having lived with an automatic all my life I now want to experience what a manual transmission is like, day-in, day out.

About the only thing I did have to debate was the choice of color, and I ticked off the classy Ultramarine Blue.

 

After signing the papers, I had to wait an agonizing two weeks to get my new ride. In the larger scope of new car buying that isn’t bad, but I’m not talking about a new Chevy Cruze or Honda CR-V here. This is my new sports car. The days couldn’t go by any slower.

On delivery day, I arrived at the dealer 30 minutes earlier out of pure anticipation. Like a kid hunting for that last present hidden behind the Christmas tree, I looked all around to see if I could catch a glimpse of the FR-S… my FR-S.

My sales associate explained the break-in procedure, which sounded like a mean joke. Not taking the car over 4000 rpm for 1,000 miles? The 7400 rpm redline suddenly became a cruel tease.

Finally she brought me into the service bay and I saw it immediately, my gorgeous dark blue (Ultramarine)  FR-S. My hands started to shake, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Those words might sound cliché, but you’ll have to trust me, they’re genuine. The FR-S was absolutely stunning, and it was going to be mine.

The rest of my time in the service bay was a blur. I think my sales associate showed me the spare rubber mats in the back, and put some security stickers on the car. My mind was elsewhere, not registering anything other than the low, blue car in front of me.

A Toyota mechanic broke my trance. “That’s a beautiful color,” he said. “We don’t see very many of those here, only black, white and silver. All boring colors. That blue is really classy.” I nodded. “You’re going to love it,” he said as he patted me on the shoulder.

And then I took the keys to my car.

Driving out of service bay, I could hear the distinct noise of the Subaru sourced flat-four engine, something far more aggressive than what I was used to.

My body was still in shock. My foot shaking on the clutch, my right hand sliding through the gates slowly. I felt disconnected from the car, something that wasn’t an issue when I test drove it.

Driving through the city, the reflection of the car in building windows caught my eye, as did my own reflection, and the goofy smile I couldn’t shake.

Paused at a light I overheard a couple of bar patrons having a brew on the patio.

“Whoa! It’s that car!” said the one.

“Wow, that’s nice looking. What is it?” said the other.

“It’s a Scion, and has to be one of the nicest looking cars around. I can’t believe I’m seeing one so soon,” came the reply.

They were excited just to see the car. But I was driving it. It was both a humbling and flattering experience and it didn’t take long for me to realize this was something I was going to have to get used to.

Courtesy of AutoGuide.com

We Proudly Support Newton High School Football

It's football season, and Toyota World of Newton is proud to support Newton High School Football!

Right now we are offering some great incentives, including 10% off service and parts and $250 off the purchase of ANY new or pre-owned vehicle in stock.

Download the coupons below and visit us online at newtontoyota.com, and cheer on the Newton High School Pride this season!

ToyotaNewton.pdf Download this file

Start Your Career with World Auto Group

Are you a hardworking, motivated professional who is seeking a rewarding career?

Are you passionate about automobiles and the automotive industry?

World Auto Group is the place for you!

We are currently seeking Business Development representatives and Sales representatives to join our organization as we build our internet, digital marketing, and ecommerce strategy.​ 

As a Business Development representative for our BDC Department you will utilize your selling ability, computer skills, phone skills, and positive attitude to attract customers to our businesses.​ ​ Your role will be to engage the customer and successfully schedule an appointment for the sales and service departments, as well as following up with previous customers and fostering long term relationships. 

As a Sales representative for our stores you will utilize your selling ability, communication skills, and positive attitude to attract customers.​ ​ Your role will be to engage the customer, as well as follow up with previous customers and foster long term relationships. 

Applicants must have excellent communications skills and customer service skills.​ You must also be able to utilize all modern web technologies considered commonplace in today's competitive landscape such as: social media applications, office applications, etc.​ Experience is a plus, but we are willing to train the right people.

Benefits include:

• Salary, commission and bonus
• 401k retirement benefits
• Flexible schedule
• Great work environment
• Ongoing training and development

 For inquiries and to apply, send your resume to Jeremiah Hupka at jhupka@wagauto.com or apply on online at http://www.newtontoyota.com/employment-application.aspx

Camry sales rise as model draws younger buyers

A revamped Camry sedan is selling briskly, and attracting a far younger buyer than Toyota ever expected, a top executive said Tuesday.

The top-selling car in the U.S. was reworked for the 2012 model year to make it more stylish, luxurious, and fun to drive, Bob Carter, Toyota's senior vice president of automotive operations in the U.S., told analysts and investors at the J.P. Morgan Auto Conference in New York. Sales are up almost 40 percent this year to nearly 244,000 cars. That's 60,000 more than the Camry's two closest competitors, the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima.

Before its remake, the Camry was reliable but boring. Handling was average and its looks were bland. As a result, it attracted mainly baby-boomers in their mid-50s who were looking for reliable transportation.

But the new version has pulled in younger buyers, knocking 10 years off the age of the average buyer, Carter said.

"We didn't anticipate that much movement in the demographics," he said.

One reason younger buyers are going for Camrys is a sportier version called the "SE," which has a firmer suspension, aluminum wheels and low-profile tires. It now makes up about 40 percent of Camry sales, Carter said.

The company also changed its marketing to focus more on the car's style and handling, Carter said.

Worldwide, Toyota overcame the recalls and natural disasters to retake the crown of top-selling automaker from General Motors during the first half of the year. Toyota sold 4.97 million vehicles globally, about 300,000 more than GM.

Courtesy of MercuryNews.com

Toyota Considering Raising U.S. Production

Did you know that Toyota currently manufactures around 70% of its models sold in North America in North America?

Jim Lentz, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA, states, "With the Yen where it is today, I think it's only a matter of time.", reffering to increasing North American production at an auto industry conference this past week.

The strength of the Yen has hit Toyota hard, upping the pressure for Toyota to stay lean and become innovative. 

Toyota is currently in the process of hiring 3,500 workers in North America while investing over 1.5 billion dollars in its factories in North America. A hedge bet againts the value of the Yen.

The company doesn't have firm plans to shift production of more models from Japan to North America, he said. But one model Toyota would consider building here is the Lexus ES series.

Toyota, like other manufacturers, would make changes to squeeze more production out of existing plants rather than building new buildings, he said. A new plant costs about $1 billion, Lentz said.

Toyota still thinks automakers can sell 14.3 million vehicles in U.S. this year, he said, even though sales have slowed the past two months, and some analysts have cut their forecasts. But Lentz said pent-up demand should prop up sales. The average vehicle in the U.S. is nearly 11 years old, and people have to replace their aging rides.

Toyota, he said, has fully recovered from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hobbled its Japanese factories and caused model shortages worldwide. In the U.S., the company's dealer inventory dropped to around 120,000 vehicles last summer. Now it's back to 299,000, which is near the 300,000 that Toyota considers optimal.

Lentz also said discounts are starting to surface in the luxury market, which has dropped to around 10 percent of total U.S. sales this year. Normally it's around 12 percent, he said. But although discounts may rise, Lentz doesn't think an all-out price war will break out.

For current deals on Toyota, be sure to visit Toyota World of Newton, or find us online at http://www.newtontoyota.com/ 

Visit Us During Our "Swap Your Ride" Event!

Now at Toyota World of Newton, there's never been a better time to lease. Get out of your old vehicle and into a new one for less during the Swap Your Ride Event! 

We're offering great incentives such as:

• 0% APR financing for elligible customers
• $0 down payments
• $2000 cash back for college grads

We also have some great deals on service! Download the file below to find out more information as well as exclusive coupons. See you soon!

Toyota_World_Newton.pdf Download this file

Toyota to sell fuel cell vehicle in 2015

Toyota plans to sell a fuel cell vehicle in 2015, which would make it a leader in a technology that most other automakers regard as about 10 years from being marketable.

Toyota is sticking to its timetable of selling a fuel cell sedan in three years, said Justin Ward, advanced powertrain program manager at the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor.

Initially, it likely will be sold in California, which plans to have 68 hydrogen fueling stations by the end of 2015, Ward said at the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars.

Ward said the fuel cell car will be available for both retail and commercial sale.

Honda has sold a few hundred of its FCX Clarity fuel cell-electric cars since 2008, mostly in California.

Executives from Ford, General Motors, Chrysler and Volkswagen see fuel cell vehicles as being further out and most have not said when they will have vehicles on the market.

"We don't see it as early as Toyota does," said Oliver Schmidt, general manager of engineering with the VW Group. "We see it in the 2020 timeframe."

Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of powertrain engineering, said, "The question is when fuel cell vehicles become affordable to customers," specifically when the fuel cell stack competes with the battery pack on cost.

"Within 10 years I think they will be as affordable as full battery vehicles and the fuel cell will have a big advantage in range," Bakaj said. "We think it will happen in the next 10 years."

Gary Smyth, GM executive director working on global research and development, said he sees little commitment in the U.S. to the necessary infrastructure by 2015.

 

-Courtesy of Detroit Free Press

There's still time left in the College Grad Rebate Program!

Hey graduates, you can still take advantage of Toyota's College Grad Rebate program! If you've earned a degree within the past two years, you can be eligible for a $1000 rebate toward the purchase or lease of select new Toyotas. Find our more by visiting us online! http://bit.ly/OUdiEY

Toyota Nationwide Clearance Event

The Toyota Nationwide Clearance Event is in full swing, and now buyers have the chance to earn up to $250 if they answer enough clues.

Go to: http://bit.ly/MVfi5y and answer the clues to earn up to $250 with the purchase or lease of a new Toyota. But hurry, as this is a limited time offer.

The Search is On!

Toyota Care: Caring for You and Your Car