Sunday, July 5, 2009

How Buying a Used Toyota Vehicle Can Help Young Drivers Save Money

The United States is currently facing somewhat of an economic crisis, and saving any little bit of money can significantly help your financial future. As the nation faces serious threats of a recession, money-conscious citizens should take every action that they can to spend less, earn more and save as much as possible. Careless and irresponsible spending habits can quickly and easily place a person in a metaphorical economic ditch, and it can take months, or even years, to dig oneself out.

Surviving the country's current economic situation has been difficult for everyone, but the nation's financial crisis is probably most problematic for recent Pittsburgh college graduates or entry-level job-seekers who are living with low salaries, little or no benefits and a plethora of expenses. How can a recent college graduate or person in his or her 20s in the Pittsburgh area possibly survive this monetary predicament? Between the regular costs of rent, mortgages, car payments, insurance premiums, student loans and other miscellaneous expenses, it can be nearly impossible for young people to stay afloat.

Buying a reliable used Pittsburgh Toyota car, like the Toyota Camry or Toyota Avalon, is one of the many ways that recent college graduates or twenty-somethings can save money and spend less. Pittsburgh Toyota cars are considerably less expensive than new cars, do not depreciate as quickly in value as new vehicles and can still provide a young buyer with several years of dependable driving.

Before purchasing a used Toyota car, like the Toyota Camry or Toyota Corolla, young drivers should explore the many different options that lay before them. It is no secret that certain brands of automobiles have more solid reputations than others. Foreign models like the Toyota Camry or Toyota Corolla, have over an 80% reliability rating. Certain used and new car dealerships, like Greensburg Toyota, help car purchasers find the best car deals on models like the Toyota Avalon, Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Echo, Toyota Matrix, Toyota Prius or Toyota Yaris.

Young car buyers will save more money over a long period of time if they purchase an automobile that is dependable, reliable and possesses a solid reputation. You can read consumer reports on Toyota car models like the Toyota Echo or Toyota Corolla, on a number of Web sites, like www.edmunds.com. While you may be tempted to buy a swanky, new car model with a variety of extra capabilities, many new vehicles come equipped with a variety of unnecessary additional features that simply add more money to the model's overall price.

Many car dealerships, like Greensburg Toyota, are fully aware of the difficulties that young people face when first graduating from college or working in entry-level positions. These dealerships will gladly work with twenty-somethings who are attempting to find the best deal possible on a reliable Pittsburgh used Toyota car or truck.

If possible, it is smart to pay for your new Toyota car, truck or SUV in cash. Avoiding taking out a loan from a local bank will help you save significant money on interest charges.

A Look at How Vehicle Size Affects Safety on the Road

The mantra that 'bigger is better' is certainly leaving our vocabulary when it comes to cars. No longer is oversized, gas guzzling SUVs in vogue. Instead, smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles are all the rage. However, these fuel efficient, easy-to-maneuver offerings aren't necessarily the safest on the road.

Whether you're buying a truck, an SUV, or a subcompact, all cars must adhere to strict safety regulations. While this helps provide drivers with a certain level of safety and peace of mind regardless of what vehicle one may purchase, a Honda dealer Los Angeles say it doesn't necessarily guarantee the level of safety you'll receive in real world driving. This is why it's important to do your research before heading to the dealership to truly gauge how safe a car may be. Luckily, there are plenty of resources to do exactly that.

Perhaps the best resource for safety information is the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS). This nonprofit is supported by the insurance industry, and does extensive safety testing on just about every vehicle on the road. In addition to gauging the safety of a car's design and how well its safety features work, one Westminster Toyota dealer says the IIHS also does a number of studies to find trends when it comes to vehicle safety. For example, the data below indicates Highest Rates of Driver Death rates between the years of 2001 and 2004.

One factor that this study found is that size and weight plays a large role when it comes to safety. Although today's advanced safety features help minimize fatality rates in any size vehicle, real world driving has plenty to do with plain physics, which Auto Body Pittsburgh can certainly agree with. This is why many of the vehicles with the highest fatality rates were small cars, while the vehicles with the lowest fatality rates were larger cars.

Recent years has seen auto safety change dramatically. In fact, Kia dealers Denver have seen dramatic changes in Kia vehicles alone. First the advanced safety features are very much mainstream. Even seat belts are used more than just a decade ago. But speeds have also increased over the years, as the national speed limit used to be only 55 mpg. With greater speeds, but safer cars, physics is playing a larger role in car accidents and in fatalities.

Even more recent research conducted by the IIHS shows that the highest personal injuries occurred among smaller 2005 to 2007 model year vehicles. While the data is a bit daunting, and is often a concern among Toyota dealers Anaheim, the question then becomes, should you buy a larger car to protect your safety?

Overall, the rate of fatalities has not gone up as more consumers have abandoned larger vehicles in favor of smaller cars. This is an important consideration according to Hyundai Albany when wondering whether a larger car will guarantee your safety. All indicators show that smaller cars are getting safer, despite the higher rates of fatalities.

Regardless, when considering a new vehicle, one Pittsburgh Kia dealer always reminds customers that it's important to consult the IIHS or NHTSA websites in order to find how the vehicles held up in crash test reports. The most popular vehicles will certainly have crash information, while low volume vehicles will not have any data if there is low sales volume. However, most of the new models rank well, and usually receive four or five star ratings.

Ultimately, in the coming years, Saturn Denver believes that technology will play an increasingly larger role in new vehicle safety. It's new technology that allows new subcompacts such as the Honda Fit to have a top crash test rating. Electronic stability control, front and side airbags, and a slew of other now common safety features are relatively new, and were not even available on the Chevrolet Blazer in the study referenced above.

As more technology becomes infused into the vehicles we drive, regardless of size, it's likely that we'll be able to minimize or reduce the severity of crashes. However, that being said, good driver behavior will never be substituted by the most advanced safety features.

Pittsburgh Auto Insurance - Find The Lowest Rates

Pittsburgh auto insurance ads are omnipresent in virtually all media forms imaginable. The ads promise an out-of-the-ordinary shopping experience by avoiding the fixed-price norm of everyday items, and selling insurance at a customized price which caters to your personal taste and needs. Since rates vary by insurance company, you can actually save money if you do a bit of scouting first.

To help them decide on the right insurance price, insurance companies often use statistical data to compare you against the typical person. From this initial finding, they then proceed to examining key factors such as the kind of driving record you hold. For every violation you incur, expect a corresponding increase on your premium.

There are ways for you to save money by balancing your savings with asset protection. If your assets are substantial, increase your liability limit. Liability coverage worth several hundred thousand dollars should amply protect your assets. If your assets are limited, try reducing your coverage limits for bodily injury and physical damage. If your car is already paid off, consider eliminating physical damage coverage from your plan. Of course, the risk with this move is that you may lose your car in the event of an accident.

A lot of insurance companies may offer dicounts which you can easily convert to savings: anti-theft usage, mileage and towing services at low fees which your yearly AAA dues cannot match. You can save even more money by simply insuring your home with the same company as your auto insurance.

Many factors need to be considered in order to come up with a specific amount for your auto premium. Information about these factors and their priority status among insurance plans can aid you in selecting the right insurance company.