Here’s What Car Shoppers Need To Know Before Visiting Toyota Dealers In NJ

Shopping for a new or pre-owned vehicle typically comes down to due diligence on behalf of the buyer. While a dealership will be happy to fill you in on the details of the vehicle you’ve got your eyes on, peace of mind often stems from the knowledge you gained on your own. Toyota dealers in NJ can attest to the reliability cars, trucks and SUVs from this manufacturer. Some shoppers, however, will want a third party opinion – not because they don’t trust the dealership but because it’s best to be knowledgeable before adding a new vehicle to the family fleet. Fortunately for those who expect to visit NJ Toyota dealers soon, there are plenty of indicators that prove reliability.

According to a late 2017 assessment from Consumer Reports, Toyota vehicles have once again topped the list of most reliable vehicles on the road today. The ranking was based, in part, on data from some 400,000 Consumer Reports subscribers who offered up data on approximately 640,000 vehicles. Per Consumer Reports, Toyota is lauded for its “solid, efficient, and reliable vehicles. Most of their models do well in our testing thanks to their refined powertrains, good fuel economy, comfortable rides, quiet cabins, and intuitive controls.” To further boost confidence, AutoTrader.com has previously commended used Toyota models for their reputation as a trusted brand as well as “a good choice for a used car, since these models usually have a lot of life left in them, even if they've already covered 100,000 miles or more.”

When looking for full-service NJ Toyota dealers, it’s best to work with outlets that provide financing options as well as service and parts. This type of full-service dealership is staffed by automotive experts who can recommend ways to both pay for the vehicle as well as schedule regular maintenance and installation of parts that can improve performance and even gas mileage. The latter consideration isn’t one to take lightly, as AAA points out that the average price of a gallon of gasoline was $2.85 in the U.S. as of Aug. 17, 2018. In California, it’s a whopping $3.59 and there’s still at least a month of summer left – which is when prices typically spike.

When we say “research” prior to visiting Toyota dealers in NJ, this is what we mean. You don’t need to pop quiz fellow Toyota owners in the parking lot of the grocery store; just look around online for reviews, test drives and other annual studies. The payoff of all this work will be peace of mind when you go to purchase a new car or truck designed and built by Toyota.

These Financial Tips Can Put New Wheels From Best Car Dealerships In NJ Within Reach

An automobile is a major investment. It’s an item that will be with you for years to come, allow you the freedom of travel and offer dependability when you need it most. Naturally, a purchase that’s this important is going to cost some hard-earned cash. More often than not, that cash amount exceeds what most people have on hand. Not to worry! Some of the best car dealerships in NJ are able to offer affordable – and reliable – used vehicles and work with you in financing so that crucial purchase is put within reach.

According to an April 2018 news release from Kelley Blue Book (KBB), which is the authority when it comes to auto values, the average price of a new “light” vehicle this past spring was $35,285. This is an increase of roughly $700 compared to this time last year and for many Americans, it’s a lump-sum amount that’s out of reach. “Average transaction price growth was headlined by SUVs, particularly in the mid-size and full-size segments,” KBB analyst Tim Flemming said. “Although fuel prices were up last month, SUV sales remain strong and new models like the Chevrolet Traverse and Lincoln Navigator helped elevate their respective segments."

If you aren’t looking to take the brand-new route, the best car dealerships in NJ will be happy to work with you when it comes to pre-owned vehicle purchases or financing. Whether you want to work with a bank for a loan or the dealership for financing payments is up to you; both parties are going to be happy to lend you the amount you need for the purchase. Of course, this comes with repayment terms, duration of the monthly payments, interest rates and more. According to DigitalTrends.com, stretching out the repayment process can actually decrease the cost of the vehicle because you will have paid less in interest for your loan. This is just one consideration when it comes to taking the plunge and getting behind the wheel of a new (to you) motor vehicle, but it’s an important one.

While there’s no “typical” car or truck, there is the Toyota Camry. According to Car and Driver magazine, the Camry was the third most-sold car for 2017 – with more than 387,000 rolling off the production line that year and into driveways across the globe. A certified pre-owned 2015 Toyota Camry from one of the best car dealerships in NJ is currently on the market for an affordable $17,000 with just 61,000 miles. Given the recent production year and relatively low mileage, this price is a great example of what those looking for new wheels will have to consider financially.

The car that offers more speed and traction for your summer road trip

When most think about a summer road trip, they usually visualize driving with the top down on a sunny day with clear skies. And while this is the ideal situation for a nice long summer drive, summer is also a time when we experience some of the most intense thunderstorms of the year, which can lead to flash flooding and slick road conditions.

This is why it’s important to have a well-rounded car in the summer that can handle anything Mother Nature throws at you. We’re here to talk about a vehicle that fits this mold—the 2018 Dodge Charger GT AWD.

The 2018 Dodge Charger GT AWD offers plenty of engine and traction and is available at your nearest Dodge dealership. It is a great choice for summer driving, whether it’s a nice sunny day or a torrential downpour.

There are various models of the 2018 Dodge Charger GT and at their base price they range from $30,000 to $70,000. The horsepower of these vehicles range from 292 to 707. For the sake of this blog, we’re going to focus on some of the features of a moderate-level Dodge Charger GT, one that cost about $42,000.

A car of this caliber will have a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 motor that gives it 292 horsepower at 6,350 rotations per minute (rpm) and 260 pound per foot of torque at 4,800 rpm.

Most people think of the Dodge Charger as an American muscle car, but its all-wheel drive capabilities open it up to a whole other market of customers that are looking for a more practical ride.

The Charger’s AWD system primarily operates in rear-wheel drive, but when the car senses wheel slippage, torque is automatically channeled to the front wheels because of the vehicle’s active transfer case.

The Dodge Charger GT has four doors and seats five people. The Uconnect infotainment system is a favorite of Dodge Charger owners. The system includes navigation and Sirius traffic tools in its capabilities, which can be controlled by the driver through an 8.4-inch touchscreen display.

The menu makes it easy to call up the radio, navigation, apps, phone, and other forms of media. The response time is crisp and the screen’s resolution is even more incredible. The system is Apple-, CarPlay-, and Android-friendly.

The Dodge Charger GT’s cabin is comfortable and functional. Its inside has the look of a muscle car, but the cushioning of its seats was designed with comfort in mind and is perfect for long drives. Rear passengers in the Dodge Charger GT can enjoy some of the best legroom they’ll find in any sedan.

Have a bunch of luggage for your road trip? No problem. The Dodge Charger GT has a spacious trunk that can hold plenty of suitcases. It can even be extended by folding the rear seats.

Despite its overall, classic look of a tire-shredding muscle car, the 2018 Dodge Charger GT AWD happens to also be the perfect family sedan for summer road trips. Travel in style this summer by getting yourself in a Dodge Charger GT AWD!

Ways NJ Residents Can Spend Their Tax Refund Locally

Tax season recently concluded and many of us received chunks of change back from our federal and state governments. While the amount of an individual’s tax refund varies based on numerous factors, it’s always nice to get something back that you can either add to your savings or spend on something fun. For those living in New Jersey and looking to do the latter, there’s no better way to spend your tax refund than locally so that you can recycle that money back into your state’s economy.

Here are some of the best ways those living in The Garden State can spend their tax refund locally:

Jersey Shore

Between the boardwalks, vacation home rentals, outlets, and casinos, there are plenty of places to spend some money at the various Jersey Shore points. Every summer people flock from all over to go to the Jersey Shore because of its charm, tradition, amusements, and entertainment. Ocean City, Wildwood, Sea Isle, Cape May, and more make for excellent places to spend a tax refund.

New Car

If you’ve received a significant amount of money in your tax refund and are in need of a new vehicle, head on over to a New Jersey car dealership such as Springfield Toyota. A tax refund can be a good amount to put as a down payment on a new vehicle or toward a lease. Right after tax season and right before summer is a great time to buy a car, especially when you take advantage of Easter and Memorial Day sales.

Atlantic City

Why not potentially turn your tax return into a fortune by testing your luck at the Atlantic City casinos? Even if gambling is not for you, Atlantic City also offers a variety of entertainment, shopping, dining, and nightlife.

Six Flags Great Adventure

One of the staples of Central Jersey is Six Flags Great Adventure, an amusement park that seemingly gets better year after year. The spring and early summer are great times to visit Six Flags, before the weather gets hot and everyone is out of school. Even a small tax refund can pay the way for a couple of admission tickets to Six Flags.

Delaware River Tubing

After a long winter of having to stay indoors much of the time, why not spend your tax refund doing something active and outdoors like tubing, rafting, kayaking, or canoeing down the Delaware River. Delaware River Tubing in Milford has been providing family oriented river adventures in New Jersey for more than 30 years and has become a favorite attraction in The Garden State. This is another great way to spend your tax refund before the weather gets too hot.

Camden Aquarium

The Adventure Aquarium on Camden’s Waterfront is another great way to spend tax refunds that are either small or moderate. Daily tickets for adults cost $30 and child tickets cost $22. Admission to the aquarium can even be paired up with a Riverlink Ferry ride across the Delaware River for an extra $5 per ticket.

Improve Your Road Trip Experience with These Vehicles

The seasons are changing, the weather is warming up, and road trips are beginning to be planned by many across the country. What better time to hit the open road with some friends and family than after a long, cold winter.

Road trips can be excellent ways to see the country and make memories that will last a lifetime. Not only do the people you travel with play a big role in how a road trip plays out, the vehicle you decide to drive can also make or break your experience.

There are certain vehicles out there that seem like they were designed for the ultimate road trip experience, and two of them can be found at your nearest Jeep or Chrysler dealership.

Chrysler Pacifica

One of Chrysler’s newer vehicles, the Pacifica is amazing for road trips and family vacations. The Chrysler Pacifica is one of Chrysler’s highest-rated vehicles in terms of safety and has an interior that is well-designed for long periods of driving. Perhaps its best feature is the optional rear-seat entertainment system that will keep kids entertained throughout long car rides and prevent them from asking, “Are we there yet?”

This rear-seat system has twin touch screens that can play DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, and video games from devices that can be connected through an HDMI cord. It even has preloaded games, including "Are We There Yet," which uses the Pacifica’s navigation system to track the vehicle’s during the trip and presents it in a kid-friendly way.

The Chrysler Pacifica is easy to park because of its smooth handling, making it the perfect vehicle for driving in cities during a road trip. Its strong acceleration and good fuel economy also make it the ideal vehicle for highway driving.

This Chrysler minivan offers tons of storage space for any family, and it’s Stow ‘n Go seating system is a lifesaver for road trips that require more luggage or equipment than people. The second row seats in the Pacifica can be stored in the flood when they’re not needed to provide some extra storage space.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

For a more adventurous road trip, hop into a Jeep Grand Cherokee and have your choice between on-road or off-road experiences. The Jeep Grand Cherokee can be upgraded to a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel VG engine, which gets up to 22 miles per gallon in the city and 30 when driving on the highway.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee provides a smooth ride for you and your friends and family, and its spacious cabin has plenty of room and is well insulated from sounds outside the vehicle.

With the diesel engine, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has towing power for up to 7,400 pounds. This is a 1,000-pound increase from the vehicle’s base engine capabilities. Upgrading to the diesel engine makes this vehicle the perfect road trip vehicle for hauling boats, jet skis, trailers, etc. without losing much performance. This versatile vehicle is available with full-time or part-time four-wheel drive systems.

Snow leave you stuck at home this winter? Get back out on the road with a new 4x4 or all-wheel drive Toyota

New Jersey certainly saw its fair share of snow this winter, particularly late in the season. Do you feel like you missed out on some things this winter because you didn’t have the right type of vehicle to get you through the snow?

Don’t make the same mistake next year and get to your Springfield Toyota dealership so that you can get yourself in a new four-wheel (4x4) or all-wheel drive vehicle that will make winter driving much more manageable.

For starters, it’s important to understand the difference between 4x4 and all-wheel drive vehicles. While it may seem like these terms can be used interchangeably, they’re actually two completely different things that use different components to perform the necessary functions.

Edmunds.com, a leading automotive website, defines these terms perhaps as simply as possible:

AWD: A drivetrain that employs a front, rear and center differential to provide power to all four wheels of a vehicle.

4x4: A drivetrain that employs two differentials and transfer case to provide power to all four wheels of a vehicle.

All-wheel drive is typically found on lighter vehicles like crossover SUVs and helps them gain better traction on asphalt and concrete road surfaces. Four-wheel drive is used by vehicles such as trucks that often face off-road conditions like mud or off-road trails.

There are several Toyota models that fit the description of being either all-wheel or four-wheel drive.

Four-wheel drive models include the Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Tundra, Toyota Tacoma, and Toyota 4Runner. These vehicles’ towing performance and terrain management systems are second-to-none and will help get you through the snow.

All-wheel drive models include the Toyota Highlander, Toyota Sienna, and the Toyota RAV4. These crossovers and minivan are loved by Toyota customers because of their lighter-duty utility. They are typically spacious and great for gripping the road during winter driving.

Regardless of which model you choose, you’ll notice an amazing improvement from driving front-wheel or rear-wheel drive vehicles in the winter.

But don’t wait all the way until next winter to make the move. Take advantage of the great deals and savings there are at Springfield Toyota right now!

Taking the New Jersey Driving Test Soon? Here’s What You Need to Know

If you want to be able to shop at the best car dealerships in NJ, first you must pass obtain your driver’s license. Doing so in New Jersey requires acing a road test and written exam, but knowing what to expect can drastically help.

Perhaps you’re a prospective new driver hoping to hit the road soon. If so, let us give you some tips and advice on how to pass your New Jersey driver’s license test.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The old saying, “practice makes perfect” couldn’t be truer. Practicing your driving skills plenty before you take the test is a great way to calm your nerves and leave you feeling fully prepared and confident heading into the road test portion of your exam. Start out in empty parking lots or residential streets and work your way up to low-traffic areas and then highways.

As tough as criticism from “backseat drivers” can be at times, use anything your parents or driving instructor is telling you as constructive feedback and learn from it. Speaking of driving instructors, hiring one or taking a driver’s training course is never a bad idea. Although they’re not free, they are effective at simulating test conditions and educating new drivers on what they need to know before getting behind the wheel by themselves.

Know the Rules of the Road          

Memorizing New Jersey’s state laws and regulations for its drivers may be enough to pass the written exam portion of the driver’s license test, but it is a better idea to really understand each rule and make it a habit of following them as you practice driving.

Whether it’s passing laws, road signs, traffic signals, speed limits, safe following distance, signaling, etc., it’s all fair game on the New Jersey written driver’s license exam. Be sure to read your driver’s manual from cover to cover and study it intently. You can even take online written tests to practice.

Simulate Road Test

Studying is what will mostly help you pass the written portion of the driver’s license exam, but practicing and simulating will prepare you the most for the road test. If you can closely simulate the actual road test you’ll be taking, that is ideal.

A few things that are typically included in the road test that you’ll want to keep in mind are parallel parking, checking for oncoming traffic when pulling out of a parking space or parking lot, making complete stops, knowing how to use the emergency break, yielding at intersections lane changes, signaling, use of mirrors, maintaining speed limit, safe following distances, and more.

Test Day Tips

On the day of the test, don’t be nervous. If you’ve done all of the above, you should be fully prepared. But while you’re taking your driver’s license test, focus on the road not your instructor, don’t get hung up on mistakes, and make sure you’re using a vehicle you feel fully comfortable with.