The well known “King of the Economy Run” Willie Nel, who has cleared a hectic 4×4 training schedule that includes Gabon, Ethiopia, Zambia and Ghana to attend the event, will champion TSAM’s cause. Nel, who will be driving a standard Toyota Prius 1.8 litre Advanced, is one of the only competitors to have competed in every Total Economy Run since its inception in 1977. He will be accompanied by his son Willem.

It should come as no surprise that other competitors in the 1.6 to 1.8 litre class are carefully watching the Prius. Designed to offer the smallest possible environmental footprint, the Prius brilliantly reduces its fuel consumption and emission levels through the combined electric and petrol drive, known as its Hybrid Synergy Drive.

An unmatched drag co-efficient level of 0.26 thanks to unique aerodynamic wheel caps, a smooth undercarriage and shaped roof, standard low rolling resistance tyres and on-demand management of auxiliaries such as the power steering pump, offers environmental performance that far exceeds that of similar sized family vehicles. The Prius’ unmatched consumption figures are further enhanced by the use of an Atkinson cycle engine with exhaust gas recirculation.

“The vehicle has impressed me no end, especially in town driving. To be exact it has delivered its best consumption figures in town,” says Nel. Nel, who was the first driver to ever achieve a combined consumption figure of less than 5 litres/100 km in a Total Economy Run, is convinced that the Prius can rewrite the record books.

“We believe that the Prius is capable of an average consumption figure of far less than 5 litres/100 km. The car has shown itself to be a very capable ‘combination’ vehicle, meaning that it delivered exceptional consumption figures in both open road and stop start traffic.”

Nel is one of the best known competitors in the Total Economy Run and has won 10 overall and more than 20 class victories in this event. He has piloted several iterations of Toyota Cressida, Camry and Corolla models and he is the current holder of the lowest overall consumption figures in a Toyota powered Citroën C1.

McCarthy Toyota in Kenilworth Cape Town are leaders in the field of Toyota
Dealerships and Car dealerships. McCarthy Toyota Kenilworth specialise in
motor vehicles, motoring, new car sales, used car sales  and second hand
cars including Toyota Hilux, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Avanza, Toyota Yaris, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Quantum, Toyota Prius and Toyota RAV4 vehicles.

Press release from Topix.com

So, what is the perfect car for your teenager? Whatever the heck gets them safely from point A to point B! My niece suggested I share that; as a teenager she felt her peers are more likely to be responsible if they are driving something they like, and are proud to drive. Are you kidding me? You and your peers can WALK! I drove a 1979 beater with vinyl seats, no A.C. and no radio, but managed to honk proudly at the car-less wonder sitting on the bus stop bench, sweating and hoping no one they knew drove by. Especially the school football star with what should have been your girlfriend sitting next to him. Soft, blond hair blowing in the wind. Sun glistening off her perfectly tanned face… sorry had a flash back. Wonder if they really enjoy driving their thumb, or cruising down Beach Boulevard in their Nike’s, or dumping change in the bucket as the bus driver speeds off in an effort to see if you can keep your balance, then stopping suddenly if you managed to stay on your feet rather than landing on your jean covered seat? So, what does your teenager expect in this age of entitlement?

Allow my experience to be your guide.  My wife and I recently made a purchase of a new 2010 Toyota Corolla for our daughter. A safe, sporty, fuel- efficient, worry- free vehicle with an exceptionally low lease payment. We more recently, however, took the vehicle away when little or none of our expectations seemed to coincide with our daughters. We rarely saw her, she rarely if ever helped with errands, or delivered on her promise of assistance or helped with P.I.S.S.  “Parental Involuntary Shuttle Service”. Yellow Dad back in business and working harder than ever with one less kid to taxi around. She rarely if ever seemed to make it home on time, and with this new found freedom always had somewhere else to be. Below are the things we considered, yet failed to put in place. I share these so you may avoid three car payments and only; two drivers.

Rules of Engagement

1) Parents should monitor teen driving especially during critical hours such as, morning while there is a larger portion of drivers on their work commutes activities.

2) Driving is a privilege, and a responsibility.  It is a good idea to sit with your teen and write an agreement of the expectations, so both you and your teen are clear and you know what is expected.  Most misunderstandings are simply a lack of understanding. Write it down in a formal document and have your teen sign on the dotted line.

3) Clearly define the rules when it comes to texting or talking on a cell phone. No means No! Not maybe or sometimes. Nine out of  every ten teenage driver engages in destructive driving behaviors. Although, it is nice to have your friend around and get someone else to contribute to the gas bill; having more people in the car equals more distractions, which can increase the risk of accidents. Statistics show that 16 and 17 year old driver death rates increase with each additional passenger. So limit the amount of teenagers you allow them to stuff into their vehicle.

4) More than 3,000 teens a year die due to drunk driving related crashes. Drinking and driving is never alright. It is reported that 31% of drivers ages 15-20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking some amount of alcohol. 25% were alcohol impaired, meaning they had a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or more. So, share with your teen if they are out and end up in a situation which results in them drinking even one beer; they need to call you, not drive. And never get into the car with another teenager who has been drinking to avoid driving their own car. Set your boundaries here and let them know before hand you would rather they call, but the best way to avoid drinking and driving… just do not drink.

5) If your teens school does not offer a driving education safety course seek one out. There may be a little impact to the wallet, but will save you money in the long run. Most insurance companies offer discounts and the longer your teen can go without an accident or moving violation or infraction; the cheaper your insurance will be. But the real benefit is the more time spent learning how to be a better, safer driver; the safer we all are.

Keep in mind that vehicles are coming out with better safety features every year, and the safety ratings improve more and more. The good news is you can make a difference by simple taking the time to lay down the rules, and be ready to inspect what you expect.

What’s in a word? When it comes to the word “recall,” the answer can be a lot, given the media scrutiny that has surrounded Toyota in recent months. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that recalls are an integral part of our commitment to standing by our products and being responsive to our customers. Put another way, “recall” is not a four-letter word.

As Toyota’s Chief Quality Officer for North America, my job is to make sure we act quickly and decisively whenever we identify a quality issue, and I have a direct line on quality to our global president, Akio Toyoda.

Over the long-term, Toyota has built a record of safety, reliability and quality that’s unquestionably strong – and we’ve made significant changes at Toyota in the past several months to make sure we are an even more responsive, safety-focused organization. We’re listening closely to our customers and taking quick, decisive actions to ensure their vehicles are safe. Our strengthened quality assurance team is leaving no stone unturned as it thoroughly examines our entire fleet, including millions of cars and trucks that have performed reliably for more than a decade.

We’ve put more resources into the field – such as rapid response SMART teams to make on-site inspections – so we can better gather, analyze and respond to customer feedback. And, throughout our operations, we’re re-emphasizing the basics of the Toyota Production System, which involve pulling what’s known as an andon cord to stop the production line whenever you see a problem. We aren’t perfect – everyone makes mistakes – but the important thing is to stop the line and fix it.

That’s what we’re doing with our recalls. If we determine that there’s even the slightest safety concern with our cars on the road, we’re not hesitating to address it – sometimes on the basis of just a handful of complaints.

Other automakers are also moving more quickly. While there were 492 recalls across the industry in the U.S. during 2009, more than 300 recall campaigns were announced in the first six months of this year. According to a Detroit News report, our industry is on track this year to recall more than 20 million vehicles, the most since 2004.

We’re also proud of the way our dealers have gone above and beyond in servicing vehicles covered by the three major recalls we announced in late 2009 and early 2010. To date, they’ve completed more than four million remedies, including almost 80 percent of the fixes for possible sticking pedals. That’s a remarkable achievement in a relatively short period.

Obviously, recalls should never be considered business as usual. But there’s another, more common meaning of the word “recall”: and that’s “to remember.” At Toyota, we never want to forget that our goal is to make sure that Toyota drivers are completely confident in the safety and reliability of their vehicles.

Press Release from pressroom.toyota.com

The purchase price of the new vehicle, or pre-owned vehicle can be effected by several factors. Make, model, equipment, color, style, availability and, of course, popularity of certain limited production vehicles can make the pricing game a challenging one.

The value of your used vehicle can be a mystery, and can be affected by even more factors. Make, model, trim level, region, mileage, vehicle condition, equipment, and even the rebates offered on new models can impact your trade in value.

Here is a simple solution, which will save you countless hours negotiating on your new vehicle, hundreds or even thousands of dollars; and most importantly will help you perhaps even enjoy the experience. Yes, enjoy it!
A dealer may show a higher value for your trade when not offering a discount on a new or pre-owned vehicle. The value of your trade, however, will often be less or closer to the (ACV) actual cash value when the dealer is discounting the price on the new or pre-owned vehicle. But the one number that really makes a difference, is the difference.

So what is the difference anyway? The difference is the number arrived at by simply subtracting the sale price of the vehicle you are considering, from the value you are offered for your trade. Below is an example:

PURCHASE PRICE    A: $20,000.00   B: $18,000.00

TRADE IN VALUE      A: $12,000.00   B: $10,000.00

THE DIFFERENCE    A: $8,000.00     B: $8,000.00

The number for the new car can go higher, or lower. The same can happen in the case of your trade in vehicle. But the difference will remain the same as shown above. If you were, for example, to offer the dealer $6,000.00 after receiving the offer in our example above; the dealer would have to sharpen his or her pencil and reduce the sale price, increase the trade in value, or even do both in an effort to “make a difference”.

So, save yourself time, energy and money. Get a quote on the vehicle you are considering, get a guaranteed trade in value; then simply subtract the trade-in value from the price you received. Work the difference, and save time, money and, most importantly, enjoy. Buying a new car can, and should be fun!