2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid

We have a 2009 Toyota Camry hybrid. With gas prices sky high hybrid cars are in high demand. This Camry is rated to get 33 miles per gallon in the city and 34 miles per gallon on the highway. That is outstanding fuel economy that will limit the hurt of high prices at the pump.

The Camry is powered by the 2.4L I4. This is one of the most reliable engines out there. You can drive this Camry with the peace of mind knowing that you won’t have constant problems and high repairs.

For 13 of the last 14 years the Toyota Camry has been the best selling car in America. That is due to the quality and reliability of the Camry. You can buy this knowing you are getting a quality car.

We are one of the premier car dealerships in the Fort Wayne area. We are just a half hour south of Fort Wayne on US 27 and have another showroom just around the corner on US 224. Stop on in and take this Camry out on a test drive! 

 

Car Seats Contain Toxic Chemicals?

Healthystuff,org recently conducted a study on child car seats. They found that over half of all child car seats contain toxic chemicals. The chemicals include lead and chlorine among others.

The good thing is that car seats have improved an average of 64% since 2008. To see a list of best and worst car seats click here.

Meet Mike Rose

We are excited to introduce Mike Rose to our sales staff! Mike started back here this past April. He has worked here before and it’s great having him back!

Mike has been in the automotive industry nearly his whole life. He has worked for several different dealerships and held just about every position within a dealership. He has worked as a service writer, finance manager, and sales consultant.  

Mike stays very busy working so many hours but he always makes time for his family. He has a daughter in college and another daughter recently got married. 

Is this the future? Walgreens will install electric car charging stations at over 800 locations

Walgreens has announced they will have electric car charging stations installed in over 800 locations throughout the US. They have already begun to install these stations in Chicago and Texas. They will also install them in large metropolitan cities like Boston, LA, New York, and Washington D.C. among others.

The price to use the charging stations will depend on the location’s cost of electricity.

Is this a glimpse into the future? Will other retailers, such as Wal Mart, install electric car chargers too? Time will tell.

New government regulations means automakers must improve their fleet fuel economy average to about 34 MPG by 2016 and nearly 55 MPG by 2025. Electric motors will be a big part of automakers achieving such high MPG numbers.

Electric cars are starting to be introduced by automakers. Nissan introduced the all electric Leaf for 2011 and GM introduced the Chevrolet Volt, a plug in hybrid. Ford will soon release a electric version of the re-designed Ford Focus and the Ford C-Max, a hybrid/plug in hybrid hatchback. Toyota announced more versions of the Prius hybrid car that will include a plug in version of it.

Who knows how long before they come to Decatur or the Fort Wayne area in general? Before you know it we will have some electric cars on our lot at Custom Car Care and lots of retail stores like Walgreens will have charging stations. 

How to Keep Your Car Cool in Hot Weather

With the temperature reaching well over 90 degrees people want to know how to keep their vehicle cool. We put together a short list of ideas.

Try and keep your car in the shade. This sounds like a no brainer but a lot of people forget about it.

Cover your windows. Some people use windshield shades. You can find these at any local auto parts store. They go directly over the windshield and if you use one you should be parked facing the sun. It is really a good idea to cover all of your windows though. You can’t have to use an actual windshield shade. A white towel would work too.

Crack your windows a little. Letting a little air in the car would allow for some heat to get out. If you have remote start you can even start your car (with the A/C on) before you get in. A lot of people only think to use their remote start in the winter but it is nice to use in the summer too.

If you want to spend a little money you can tint your windows too. This will help cool the temperature of your vehicle too. 

Customer Service Complaints from Car Buyers

Customer service is important to your organization’s success; it doesn’t what where you work. CarGurus released a study regarding consumer’s top 5 complaints when it comes to car dealers.

#1 No response. Customers call or emails regarding a vehicle or issue but never hear back from the dealer.

#2 Bait and switch. This has been used by a lot of car dealers for years. The dealer advertises what seems like the perfect car and the right price only when you inquire about the car it has “just been sold”. It’s important to remember that sometimes if a dealer says that a car you are looking at has “just been sold” it might be true.

#3 Inconsistent communication. This happen consumers work with multiple employees at a dealership especially from different departments.

#4 Employee’s attitudes. No one wants to buy a car from someone who is rude or arrogant. It makes it even worse when they try and pressure customers into buying on the spot. People just want to be treated with respect and honesty.

#5 Wasted time. The worst is when someone drives to the dealership from a distance but the car they come to see is not available. Customers don’t like to wait in general. It doesn’t matter if you are in the checkout line at Wal Mart, having dinner at Pizza Hut, or buying a vehicle. No one likes the feeling of their time being wasted.

No More Spare Tire

For years a spare tire has been standard for all vehicles. A lot of people wont buy a vehicle unless it has a good spare tire. That will have to change.

Automakers are scrambling to improve fuel economy in order to meet new government regulations. One way they are doing this is getting rid of the spare tire and replacing it with a flat-fixing kit. This reduces the weight of the vehicle which improves fuel economy.

The no spare tire is a negative for many consumers. There are some bright spots besides better fuel economy though. The improvement in technology has decreased the chance of getting a flat tire in the first place. Another positive is roadside assistance. A lot of people have roadside assistance in some form which decreases the need for them to have a spare tire.

If having a spare tire is important for you to have you don't want to assume the next vehicle you buy will have one. If it is not important to you to have a spare tire you might want to consider taking the spare tire out of your vehicle and buying a flat-fixing kit.