We take out car insurance to avoid heavy costs in an accident. Hopefully the accident won’t have consequences that outweigh economic misery. Toyota are developing future safety technology to minimise the effects of an accident and in some cases attempt to prevent them altogether. The implications of future safe technology are manifold. On the one had the developments will reduce fatalities and on the other they could vastly reduce car insurance.

Toyota is developing a variety of technologies that can do things from monitoring your health to collision avoidance. Where the human response system may struggle to react or adapt, the computerised response system can. Toyota has made the logical step of utilising the speed of technological processing and adapting it for the use of safety technology.
Some pre crash technology is already fitted to some Toyotas. This works in terms of scanning the road for potential obstacles and if a potential collision is detected, seat belts tighten and air bags ready themselves to deploy.

Some cars already have automatic breaking when an imminent collision is detected. Toyota has added a feature that evaluates other obstacles in the road and duly makes the car steer around any potential collision. This can only serve to reduce serious collisions and in turn may have a positive effect on car insurance prices due to lower incidences of injury claims.

An ageing population has the inevitable side effect of ageing road users. Although older drivers are generally more experienced they can suffer from ailments such as blackouts or weak hearts. Toyota are developing technology to monitor the drivers health, heart beat, tiredness which could make the roads safer infirm motorists and further reduce premiums on the car insurance of older drivers.

Future safe technology includes an adoptive light beam that adjusts the angle of your headlights with other road users in mind. Most impressively is the pop up bonnet which automatically raises the bonnet clear of hard engine components in the event of a collision. This could revolutionise pedestrian safety and again decrease car insurance prices.

With the launch of the current model in 2005 the Toyota Hilux is now in its sixth generation. The latest model has moved a little up-market and now includes a number of features as standard included air-conditioning, alarm and central double locking. The higher spec models also offer darkened glass in the rear along with 16 inch alloy wheels and a CD with an auto-changer.

There are three engine choices. These include the original 2.5 diesel unit which develops 101 bhp, the same engine upgrades to 120 bhp, and a 171 bhp 3.0 litre diesel.

Despite the upgrade the Hilux remains a utility vehicle rather than the car to which it aspires. It is sturdily built and the cabin is fairly spacious and it has easier access than did the previous models. There is also plenty of internal storage capacity.

The basic Hilux is not a particularly vehicle, which is a little disappointing for a modern pick-up truck, though the 3 litre engine has improved its performance somewhat.

As a practical pickup the Hilux does what it was designed to do. It can carry over 1,000 kg and the actual cargo area is bigger than on previous models. There are a number of alternative load covers which are either the same height as the cab or are a flat cover.

Safety features have also been upgraded for the new model. There is ABS, additional crumple zones, retractable pedals and a collapsible steering column. There are also twin airbags and self tensioning seat belts. Brakes and headlights have also been improved.

The reason why many people choose the Hilux is for its excellent reputation for reliability and there is no reason to suspect that the new model will be any less reliable than its predecessors. The vehicle has also been designed for easy servicing and Toyota claims that that the vehicle will require less than 25% of the service time required by a Ford Ranger over a distance of 60,000 miles. This is a significant cost saving too. Fuel consumption is typically around 34 mpg.

Are you 15 years old or less? Do you like cars? Are you imaginative? Can you draw or paint? If the answer to all of these questions is ‘yes’ then why not consider entering the Toyota annual dream car art contest?

The Toyota annual dream car art contest is now in its sixth year and it has some fantastic prizes including all-expenses paid trip to Japan for the winner and two of his or her family members.
You will need to imagine and draw your ultimate car of the future, and that car can be anything you like. It could be a supersonic car, a flying car, a racing car, a super-luxury car, a car that runs off grass, whatever you might be able to dream up.

You can use what ever form of drawing or painting you wish, crayons, pencils, water colours, poster-paints, whatever you like. All entries need to have been submitted by the deadline which is 31 January 2012 so there is lots of time left for you to create your masterpiece.

Don’t worry about having to compete with older children. The competition entries will be judged in three categories: under 10 years old; 10-12 years old; and 13-15 years old.
Winners will be selected from every country that is represented in the competition (there are 80 of them) and then the judging panel will pick the overall winner from those. The National winners will be revealed in February 2012 and the global winner will be announced in June 2012.

The award ceremony will be held in Japan in August 2012. There awards are: gold award; silver award; bronze award; finalist award (for every national finalist); and a special award. The winner of the special award will be chosen personally by Akio Toyoda who is the president of Toyota.
Last year there were 120,000 entries from 50 countries.

The Toyota land Cruiser was launched in 2003 and it is quite a beast of a car that can carry 8 occupants. It really is a proper off-roader too and has lots of equipment.

The first engine was a 3 litre 161 bhp diesel unit which was somewhat underpowered for a car of this size though a few years later the power output was increased considerably. As an alternative there was also a 4 litre petrol unit which developed 254 bhp.

From a comfort point of view it is difficult to enjoy the best of both worlds. The Land Cruiser was optimised for off road performance which means that there were some compromised had to be made regarding how it handles on the road where the ride can be quite bouncy.

The 5 door version is the most practical and it has a row of seats in the rear which fold down flat. When erect these seats can carry 3 children which makes this an ideal 8 seater car for the school run.

An updated model was introduced in 2009 with somewhat sleeker lines. Although the new model remained faithful to Toyota’s philosophy of producing a genuine off-roader, the new model had improved on road performance. There is only one engine available for the new model. This is a 3 litre 171 bhp diesel unit which has masses of torque right through the rev range and with a fuel consumption of 35 mpg it is quite economical.

The levels of refinement are also much improved. Riding in the cabin is reasonably comfortable and occupants are well protected from the external environment. Noise levels are reasonably quiet and the air conditioning is very efficient.

Available in three trim levels including the rather luxurious and feature packed LC5 which has multi-terrain select, crawl control and a rear differential lock, if you are looking for a great Toyota Land Cruiser deal then just visit www.motors.co.uk.

Since its release in the mid 1990s, the Toyota Rav4 has come to define the compact Sports Utility Vehicle for many people and has been a massive success without really having to change that much. Now though, the guys at Toyota have decided to play around with the concept of the compact SUV though and the 2011 version of the Rav4 features plenty of changes from its previous incarnations as the Japanese firm hope to capture the imagination of a new generation of drivers. The first thing that you notice when sitting in the new “Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive” (Rav4) is the great new interior. With the seats now made of Alcantara leather, the 2011 version of the car seems more sophisticated than it has been in the past. This has been translated to the outside of the car as well as a wider stance and the reserved but noticeable use of chrome give it an eye catching look that previous Rav4s have lacked.

Available in three different guises, all with different prices and different specs. The cheapest of these, and probably the best value one, is the XT-R 2WD with a starting price of £22,995.00. In a year or so the price will drop though, especially if you browse the web for the thousands of used cars for sale. The car comes with a 2.2D-4D CAT engine and a 6–speed automatic or manual transmission that will allow you to cruise around to your hearts content, with your family in the back as well. It is an SUV after all.

The car also comes with some great features as standard, including rain and dusk sensors, climate control air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, 6-CD stereo, sports leather steering, and 17” alloy wheels and plenty of optional extras as well. It seems as if Toyota have pulled out all the stops to keep the Rav4 name going.

The new 2010 Toyota Avalon is a large, powerful, and surprisingly stable luxury sedan that was specifically designed for enjoyable driving. The power-train of the new Avalon is a six-speed automatic transmission that utilizes front-wheel drive as well. The 3.5 liter V6 under its hood is capable of producing about 250 pound-feet of torque and about 270 horsepower.

The 2010 Toyota Avalon comes in three trim levels – XL, XLS and Limited. The XL is the standard edition, with all that you would expect from a luxury sedan, while the XLS and Limited editions are packed with impressive attributes and extras. For example, the luxury XLS is equipped with a power moon roof and a 6 CD six CD disc changer, while the Limited edition is covered in leather upholstery throughout.

Unlike it predecessors, the new 2010 Avalon has done way with the bench seating arrangement in the front, and instead provides more legroom and space than other models. The interior is sleekly designed, with high quality materials used throughout. The Avalon comes with several safety features, such as side curtain airbags and antilock brakes.

The handing has also been drastically improved by new stability control and Tracticon control. These features and attributes have pushed the 2010 Toyota Avalon tot he top of the road testing charts as a luxury sedan. The car remains powerful, yet improves upon gas mileage, handling and overall appearance. With high fuel economy, superior handling and a luxurious interior, it is easy to see why this car has become one of the most popular luxury sedans in the world.

Toyota has continued its legacy as a provider of quality economic cars by introducing the new highly compact Toyota iQ. The Toyota iQ is a product of Toyota’s European division in France. The mechanical parts of the car are highly compressed to leave enough room for passengers in this incredibly dynamic and compact car. Indeed, this approach make it more unique than any other smart car before.

The Toyota iQ seats 4, unlike many other compact cars which only seat 2. Shockingly, the car is designed in such a way that it provides ample leg room to all of its passengers, despite its tiny size. The car is very uniquely designed, with the structure of the motor being unlike that found in any other car.

To provide full safety in such a compact car, Toyota has implemented the use of 9 airbags in the Toyota iQ, two of which deploy from the rear of the card in the event of an accident. The handling of the car has been refined and is a drastic improvement over other smart cars, providing a surprisingly smooth ride.

The 100 HP engine of the Toyota iQ allows for an impressive gas mileage of about 40 miles per gallon. On top of all of the aforementioned features and attributes, the car is also highly affordable, costing around $20,000 brand new.

The Toyota Prius has been the face of economy vehicles for several years now, offering incredible gas mileage in upwards of 50 mpg! The 2010 edition improves upon this aspect by hiring over 200 engineers to mkae the car even more fuel efficient than ever. The car’s appearance has also be revamped somewhat, with a much sleeker design than any seen in previous Prius. Th enew Prius os more powerful, more fuel efficient, and funner to drive than ever, all the while looking better than any other economic car on the road.

The new Prius boasts 134 HP, a nice improvement from the 2009 edition which was capable of producing only 110 HP. The new engine management system offers the different settings for driving – eco, battery, and power. Consumers can even choose a 17-inch tire option hat will make the handling even more superior than it already is.

The Toyota Prius battery mode lets the driver travel for up to a mile exclusively with electric energy, however the car will automatically pull from the gas tank if the push on the accelerator is too strong. Nonetheless, this feature can contribute to even higher gas mileage for those who use it wisely. Power mode on the other hand pushes the Toyota Prius to its limits, allowing for a 0-60 time of only 9.8 seconds.

The 2010 Toyota Prius rides smoother than ever due to its revamped suspension components and extra sound installations. The ride in a new Prius is smooth, affordable, and a powerful at the same time.

A concept that is quite beneficial to remember when deciding whether to purchase a brand-new car or a second-hand car is this: a used car was previously a new car before it was driven out of the showroom. It may well seem like stating the obvious, but it’s true, and nowadays, during times of economic uncertainty, cars depreciate far quicker, and the price drops rapidly, pretty much as soon as it leaves the car-lot. After around two years, a new car is said to have lost 60% of its original value. So, by meticulously searching around on websites such as www.motors.co.uk, and doing real research, it’s not uncommon to find a near new vehicle for almost half it’s original price. One of the main reasons that put people off heading down to their nearest showroom and buying a new car is all the headaches that come attached. Firstly, the pushy car-dealers that put pressure on individuals to actually buy a vehicle, and secondly, all the paperwork and contracts.

However, when checking out local used cars for sale, these headaches are suddenly removed. After deciding on a specific car online, individuals can then contact the seller, and then arrange for a viewing. Once at the viewing, the potential buyer can then ask any questions about the vehicles history, and perhaps take it for a test drive. The headache of the price is also less of an issue when buying a used vehicle. Because showroom dealers are less likely to come down on a price, bartering is essentially out of the question, however, when buying used motors, the price is quite negotiable, and can often drop quite drastically from the original sum. Often, the seller is in need of a quick sale, perhaps to fund a newer car, therefore getting a few hundred pounds off the asking price is not uncommon.

You would really like to buy that new Toyota but you really can’t quite afford it. You have looked at taking out a car loan, but the repayments are just too expensive. And there is the depreciation to consider; it might be worth its twenty thousand pounds at the moment, but you know in your heart that the moment you drive it out of the showroom it will have lost at least twenty percent of that. After a considerable amount of deliberation you have decided to forego your joy at driving that Toyota and are about to purchase something much less expensive even if it will be a huge disappointment.

Wait! It is almost certain that you can have that Toyota for around half the cost you were considering. Why not go in for Toyota car leasing? So, you would not own the vehicle, but you would have effective ownership of it, and nobody else but you and the car dealer would know any different.

Car leasing is a way of getting your hands on your dream car without having to fork out a huge amount of money. With car leasing you are only paying for the amount of money that the car looses in value during the periods of the lease rather than having to finance its full price. When is more, after the lease has ended you can simply return the Toyota and drive away in a new model.

The outgoings for car lease deals can be half of those for buying one, which means you can get twice the car for the same amount of money. If you are the type of person who is able to take good car of your car and you only drive a typical number of miles, say between 12,000 and 15,000, then leasing is a great option to consider.

If you are not the sort of person who would take care of their brand new Toyota and if you drive 20,000 miles or so a year, then leasing might be contra-indicated, but for most people it is the ideal way of getting hold of that car they thought that they could not afford.