Some car buyers think that certified used cars aren’t any different than regular used cars. As such, they tend to think they’re saving some of their money by either buying brand new or a regular used (as opposed to certified used) vehicles. Unfortunately, they may not be saving money. Buying certified used cars is a great way to save money and following are some of the reasons why that is true.

Certified used cars lack the huge depreciation of new cars. You’ve probably heard that once you drive a new car off the lot, it loses 20 percent of its value. While it’s usually not that extreme, they do lose a large amount of their value after those tire hit the pavement. With certified used cars, though, the previous owner has already paid for that depreciation. Although it still depreciates, the rate is much, much slower.

Certified used cars have a better warranty than used cars. A CPO auto often comes with a bumper-to-bumper warranty that covers everything except wear and tear. Some companies even offer roadside assistance in case of an unexpected breakdown.

Certified used cars often require less insurance for coverage. This might not always be true, but it’s very common. Besides, you can pay off a certified vehicle quicker and drop some of the coverage if you’d like.

With advantages like these, why not visit your Toyota certified dealer today and get one of these great investments? You’ll be glad you did!

Buying pre-certified cars is one of the best ways to get the comfort and warranty that’s typical of a new car without the high prices. Pre-certified cars are also the way to go if you don’t want to take the risk of buying a normal used car without a warranty.

Whichever type of car you choose, a vehicle history report is an ideal way to get some peace of mind. One of these reports from a company like CarFax will tell you if the car you’re considering buying has been in any major accidents or had any other damage to it. For instance, many cars were soaking in the floods from Hurricane Katrina and then they were shipped to other states and sold without the buyers having any idea about their history. With a CarFax report, you’ll find out where the car came from so you can make an informed decision about your purchase.

Some mechanics use the vehicle’s history to make a profit. Jumaane Cook knowingly buys wrecked cars and then rebuilds them for a profit. He usually buys them from dealers because they must sell “salvaged cars” at a discount. But even with as much experience as he has with damaged cars, he still needs a vehicle history report to be sure if he’s buying a damaged car or not.

Of course, you can visit your Toyota certified dealer and get a great deal on pre-certified cars. With these, you know you’re getting a quality car that has no history of damage. Visit one today and have peace of mind in the pre-certified cars of your choice.

Your Toyota certified pre-owned cars might be the best financial decision you’ll ever make. Unfortunately, many people own certified pre-owned cars and they don’t take care of them properly. “Most people are very busy and they just want to get into their cars and go,” said Kevin Chinn, an engine oil adviser for ExxonMobil Lubricants and Petroleum Specialties. “They often do not have the time to spend hours about their car’s maintenance needs.”

But it’s not always about time. Many car owners are confused about car care products and the right ones for their car. Motor oil is one of those products. Most people think the least expensive oil is fine, but that’s not always true. Some cars run better when given the premium synthetic motor oils because they are designed to increase engine performance in the long run.

Synthetic motor oils are better under extreme conditions because they have more stable molecules than non-synthetic oils. As such, they don’t break down as quickly or easily and they don’t create harmful deposits.

Most car experts and mechanics agree that synthetic motor oils are better for your engine. Unfortunately, most car owners still choose the cheapest brands and types each time they add oil to their car. And then they wonder why their engines aren’t operating as well as they could be.

Used cars can be a great investment if you know how to fix something if it goes wrong. If you’re not mechanically-inclined, though, certified used cars are probably better for you. Following are some fun facts about regular used cars that may give you an idea about why they often cause problems.

• The average used car has three or more owners throughout its lifetime.
• Texas has more used cars than any other state.
• 75 percent of automobile transactions involve a used car.
• Airbags have surpassed radios as the most commonly stolen thing from used cars.
• About 25 percent of the airbags in used cars that have been deployed were not re-installed correctly.
• There were about 200,000 flood-damaged vehicles from Hurricane Katrina that were resold to consumers without their knowledge.
• The average odometer fraud incidence involves a rollback of about 15,000 miles. Consumers lose more than $4 billion each year as a result of this crime.
• Nearly half of the listed used vehicles on the market at any given time are cars from the model years 2007 and 2008.
• About half of the used cars on the current market have A/C.

With some of these scary facts, is it any wonder why so many people turn to their local Toyota certified car dealer so they don’t have to deal with these problems?

If you decide to get a used car instead of one of buying pre-certified cars, there’s a chance that you could be getting a bad car, or a “lemon.” Lemon laws usually apply to new cars, but used cars can also be lemons in a way. Here are some basic facts you should know about the lemon laws in the state of Pennsylvania.

• Vehicles leased after February 11, 2002 are subject to the state’s lemon laws.
• There are several problems not covered under the state’s lemon laws, including problems that “do not significantly impair the vehicle’s use, value or safety. The lemon laws also do not apply to problems caused by the owner’s negligence or acts of God, violence or vandalism.
• If you have your car repaired by anyone other than the manufacturer’s authorized mechanics, your car is no longer covered under the PA lemon laws.
• If your car is off the road for 30 or more days due to a particular defect or if the manufacturer cannot fix the problem after three attempts, the car may be considered a lemon.
• You must report the defect within the first year or 12,000 miles. Your claim is usually still valid if you bring it back for the same defect after those 12,000 miles.

Of course, you can avoid dealing with the lemon laws by purchasing quality pre-certified cars from your Toyota certified dealer. With extensive warranties and other great features, these are great stress-free investments.

Did you know that you only have a 30 percent chance of getting your car fixed right the first time you take it to a mechanic? According to this article, there’s a reason why you can leave your local repair facility only to return a week or two later for the same problem.

The new technologies used in many cars makes it more difficult for today’s mechanic to study everything there is to know to fix them. About 80 percent of today’s cars are controlled by electronics and high-tech capabilities. As a result, some studies show that nearly 70 percent of today’s mechanics are unqualified to work on some cars. That’s why some dealerships and large repair shops offer a huge sign-on bonus for highly-qualified mechanics.

There are ways you can get around this problem, though. One of the best ways to avoid any problems with a mechanic is to invest in Toyota certified pre-owned cars. With one of these used vehicles, your repairs are covered with a comprehensive warranty. If for some reason it isn’t fixed right the first time, you don’t have to worry about any out-of-pocket expenses when you take it back to the dealer to get it fixed. If you haven’t tried certified pre-owned cars yet, try one today!

So you bought a Toyota certified used car from your local dealer and now you need to get insurance. With the Internet, it’s easy to get auto insurance for new or certified used cars without leaving the comfort of your own home. It is important, however, to be savvy when searching for insurance online. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

Compare apples to apples. When you’re getting quotes from several auto insurance companies, it’s important to remember the coverage you’re looking for. This will help you compare the prices for identical policies. If you want $100,000 for medical coverage, for instance, make sure you check each quote to ensure it includes $100,000 for medical coverage.

Use common sense. If one company’s online quote is much lower than all the others, you may have made a mistake or the system may have made a mistake. Before signing up, make sure it includes all the coverage you want and follow up with a phone call to the agent to make sure the price is correct.

Research at least 10 companies. This will give you a good idea about how much the insurance policy is going to cost. It also gives you a negotiating tool if you have a company you prefer to use. If that company has unusually high rates, you can tell them the other companies charge less and see what happens.

Searching for insurance for your certified used cars is easy, but it takes patience. Set aside at least a few hours if you want to find the best deal so you can compare and make some phone calls before making your final decision.

If you already drive a Toyota hybrid, it’s obvious that you’re concerned about fuel economy. The fact of the matter is, however, that even just driving a hybrid won’t necessarily get you the best possible gas mileage. There are certain things you can do when you’re driving your Toyota to improve your gas mileage, above and beyond the fact that you’re driving a hybrid car.

One of the best things you can do to improve mileage on your Toyota is to drive a constant speed. The largest amount of horsepower is spent when you’re accelerating, so keeping a steady pace makes it so your engine doesn’t have to work nearly as hard.

Braking slowly is another way that you can squeeze a few more hundred feet out of every gallon of gas. On a hybrid like the Prius, the brakes are actually used to recharge the batteries that power the electric motor. By braking slowly, you help your battery to charge and give that electric motor more power than it already has.

Keeping your speed under 60 miles per hour is another way to save gas mileage. As you increase speed, your aerodynamics reduce significantly. The amount of resistance on your vehicle is nearly twice at 70 miles per hour what it is at 50.

By doing just these few little things when you’re driving, you may find you’re getting an extra mile or so per gallon when you drive your hybrid.

You’ve probably read many, many blogs over the past few months about how to save gas when driving your new or pre-certified cars. Many of the tips are probably tricky or even impractical. The one about only parking in such a way that you can pull out by going forward? How practical is that? But there is one gas-saving tip are beneficial for your fuel economy, your pre-certified cars and your pocketbook – regular maintenance.

Did you know something as small as a fouled spark plug can decrease your gas mileage? That’s why it’s so important to get regular checkups on your pre-certified cars. Simple things like that can end up costing much more than they need to if left unchecked. Here are some other things that could reduce your gas mileage and cause more problems if you’re not “on the ball” with them:

• Tire pressure
• The condition and weight of your motor oil
• Fuel octane
• Oxygen sensors
• Air filters

Make sure you’re abiding by the owner’s manual with all of these things. Your local Toyota certified dealer can help you go through a list to make sure you’re using the right products for optimum fuel efficiency. Visit one today and see if you could get more bang for your buck at the gas pumps.

Did you know that you can help the environment simply by choosing to buy the Toyota certified pre-owned cars at a local dealer instead of the new ones? It’s true!

Certified pre-owned cars are ideal for helping the environment for one main reason: The amount of energy needed to create a new car. Sure, a brand new Toyota Prius can get nearly 50 mpg. But did you know that it takes nearly 113 million BTUs of energy to manufacture a Prius? That takes nearly 1,000 gallons of fuel before it even rolls off the production line!

The good news is that a new Toyota Prius makes up for this fuel usage right around the time it hits the 50,000 mile mark. And since they can go for 150,000 or more miles, it really makes up for the initial energy usage after the first 50,000 miles.

But certified pre-owned cars are ideal in that they have already made up for the energy deficit. As such, it doesn’t take any new energy to create them. Your local Toyota certified pre-owned cars dealer has many of these available for you today. They are fuel-efficient and they have many other eco-friendly advantages that some of the newer brands have. Visit one today and see for yourself!