SpiritToyota | St. Louis Missouri Toyota Dealer Blog » used Toyota

Sub-Prime Borrowing

spirit_blogger — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:04:17 +0000

Discovering you are considered a “sub-prime” borrower is probably not the highlight of your car buying experience, but it doesn’t necessarily mark the end of it either. The term sub-prime borrower simply means you are one with poor credit. It doesn’t necessarily mean you cannot obtain a decent car loan on a used Toyota, just that you may have higher interest rates on the loan. Typically one with a credit score less than 620 will be considered a sub-prime borrower.

Finding a lender will to work with you may be a bit difficult. However, those who are eager to lend to sub-prime borrowers may be out to simply make money. All lenders make money off of their loans. However there is a distinct market that is out to take advantage of such borrowers. In order to obtain the best possible rate on your auto loan in is imperative that you take control of the process. Simply knowing your credit score before applying will put you in a different playing field than others.

Take the time to check your personal credit report and determine if everything on it is accurate. Do your best to improve your credit score as much as possible prior to applying for an auto loan. It used to be that credit scores could only be viewed by lenders. Now there is no excuse for anyone to be unaware of their credit score.

Once you have applied for and accepted a loan, continue to make improvements to your credit score. Not only will this help you in other loan experiences, it will allow you to refinance your current auto loan for a more affordable loan at a lower interest rate.

Remote Starter System

spirit_blogger — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:53:45 +0000

Purchasing and installing a remote starter kit is an excellent way to add value to your used Toyota. The remote starter was an instant hit the moment it came onto the automotive scene. The system allows a driver to, well, remote start the vehicle. It allows the driver to start and warm the vehicle, from an alternate location, during the winter months. At the same time, a driver can start and cool the car during the summer months.

There are several types of remote starter kits on the market today. Shopping for the correct kit can get a little confusing. It is important to purchase a starter kit that is completely compatible with your vehicle. Never buy a kit that is closely compatible and then modify it to become more compatible with your vehicle. Doing this could result in damage done to the starter or even the transmission of your vehicle.

If you plan on installing the system on your own, be sure to follow the directions completely and carefully. Always use the proper tools and parts needed. Failing to complete the instructions, set forth by the manufacturer could result in the system malfunctioning and not performing as it should. At the same time, a properly installed system should work without fail upon first use.

If you are a bit wary about installing your own remote starter system, speak with your dealership service department. You may be able to order the feature from them and then bring your vehicle in to have the system installed by a technician. Another option would be to purchase the system independently and then schedule an appointment with a certified technician to have it properly installed.

Protecting Your Investment

spirit_blogger — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:48:06 +0000

The summer months bring warm weather, cook outs, and family road trips. However, the heat during this time can really affect your new or used Toyota. The heat affects all cars, new or used, on some level. Having your vehicle properly prepared for the heat of summer is the only way to combat the affects. The newer cars are developed for better fuel efficiency; which means they are usually built using more aluminum than the previous cast iron material. The problem with this is that aluminum has a much lower melting point than cast iron, leaving it especially vulnerable during the summer months.

If you happen to be driving one of the newer, more fuel efficient models; be sure to keep current on all required and recommended maintenance for your vehicle. The transmission of your vehicle may need a little extra TLC during the summer months simply due to the fact that it has to work harder than normal to keep all systems working correctly. If the vehicle does not have adequate cooling ability it forces more the transmission to work harder than normal. Also, if the transmission has not been maintained properly and is forced to work with a poor flow of fluid or a dirty filter, it could easily result in overworking the transmission.

Transmission maintenance should be the cornerstone of your maintenance routine. If the transmission is not serviced as recommended by the manufacturer, it will over time malfunction and could end up costing you much more than you would’ve spent on the maintenance in the first place. You probably paid a good amount of money for your vehicle. Having it regularly serviced is the only way to protect your financial investment.

Customize Your Toyota Tundra Truck

spirit_blogger — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:03:01 +0000

There are many great products available to customize your new or used Toyota Tundra purchased from your local Jim Lynch Spirit Toyota Dealer in St. Louis Mo.

A simple K&N air filter doesn’t add as much power as a cold air intake kit, but it doesn’t cost near as much either. If you want your truck’s engine to have a deeper sound, while also adding a little power and boosting fuel economy-the cost is only around $40 a 1mpg fuel economy gain has been obtained by Tundra owners who purchased this aftermarket product.

The Carriage Works billet grille is easier than you would think to install and it gives your truck more of a “custom” look. Choose between a polished, brushed, or black finish, as well as if you want the Toyota logo to show or not. They cost about $140.

The Volant air intake kit for the Tundra has been found to be a kit with good quality and the people at Volant to be very responsive. Volant’s kit added about 5-10hp to test vehicles, depending upon the RPM range being measured. One other benefit to the Volant kit is that it sounds excellent. If you’re looking at adding a cold air intake to your truck, and you’re interested in saving some money, the Volant Cold Air Intake for the Toyota Tundra deserves consideration.

There are many other great products available for your Toyota truck such as a good quality Tonneau, they offer security, good looks, and excellent durability. Available on Tundras with either the 5 1/2′ or 6 1/2′ foot bed, the Undercover Tonneau Cover is made of black ABS, includes two lock cylinders that are pretty secure, it seems indestructible, and it goes on and off really easily. It even comes with a “wall mount kit” so you can hang it up on the wall of your garage out of the way. Pricing starts at around $600.

Customize Your Toyota TundraThere are many great products available to customize your new or used Toyota Tundra purchased from your local Jim Lynch Spirit Toyota Dealer in St. Louis Mo.A simple K&N air filter doesn’t add as much power as a cold air intake kit, but it doesn’t cost near as much either. If you want your truck’s engine to have a deeper sound, while also adding a little power and boosting fuel economy-the cost is only around $40 a 1mpg fuel economy gain has been obtained by Tundra owners who purchased this aftermarket product.The Carriage Works billet grille is easier than you would think to install and it gives your truck more of a “custom” look. Choose between a polished, brushed, or black finish, as well as if you want the Toyota logo to show or not. They cost about $140.The Volant air intake kit for the Tundra has been found to be a kit with good quality and the people at Volant to be very responsive. Volant’s kit added about 5-10hp to test vehicles, depending upon the RPM range being measured. One other benefit to the Volant kit is that it sounds excellent. If you’re looking at adding a cold air intake to your truck, and you’re interested in saving some money, the Volant Cold Air Intake for the Toyota Tundra deserves consideration.There are many other great products available for your Toyota truck such as a good quality Tonneau, they offer security, good looks, and excellent durability. Available on Tundras with either the 5 1/2′ or 6 1/2′ foot bed, the Undercover Tonneau Cover is made of black ABS, includes two lock cylinders that are pretty secure, it seems indestructible, and it goes on and off really easily. It even comes with a “wall mount kit” so you can hang it up on the wall of your garage out of the way. Pricing starts at around $600.

Aftermarket Products for your Toyota Highlander

spirit_blogger — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 23:35:09 +0000

Like the commercial says; you love your Toyota right? Even so, you may be thinking of upgrading your new or used Toyota Highlander with some custom accessories. Once you learn about all of the great products that are available, you may start updating your Highlander SUV even sooner than you had initially planned.

Toyota Highlander parts are available online and at many auto dealers. It is not hard to find the Toyota accessories you want to customize your SUV. However, you may not have known about what all is on the market today for Toyota Highlander aftermarket parts that can be used to upgrade your vehicle.

Adding Toyota accessories to your Highlander will not only make it more functional, customized to your personal needs, but it will also separate your Toyota purchase from Jim Lynch Spirit Toyota in Hazelwood, from others, making it truly your own.

Toyota Highlander parts can improve the interior, exterior, and/or performance of your vehicle, and you can select Toyota accessories that suit your needs best.

For the exterior, if you are looking to increase storage capacity, you can look into a bike or ski attachment, cargo cross bars, or a tow hitch.

There is also a body side molding and paint protection film that will protect your Highlander from scratches, a hood protector which can decrease damage from frequent use, mudguards that will prevent mud and dirt from ruining your paint job, and wheel locks that help to prevent tire theft.

Interior accessories include carpet floor and cargo mats, cargo totes and nets, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, first aid or emergency assistance kits, XM satellite radio, and more. Some of these accessories will improve the comfort and look of your vehicle while others can increase overall functionality.

The Toyota Camry

spirit_blogger — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 23:14:51 +0000

The first Camry was introduced to us as the four-door Toyota Cilica Camry sedan in 1980 this vehicle got into the lime light in no time and thus, in 1983, Toyota decided to release it into the market as a stand-alone product, a model independent from the Celica.

The Toyota Camry models available are; the Camry LE, Toyota Camry SE and the Toyota Camry XLE.

Since its introduction, the Toyota Camry has been competing for the top spot in the midsize sedan market as well as the passenger car category.

The Toyota Camry was built in U.S in 1988 and since then the Camry virtually remained unchanged in substance. It wasn’t until 2003 that Toyota released a completely redesigned Camry. It got the first new platform in ten years in addition to a sporty trim; the Toyota Camry SE was added to the line-up.

Toyota Camry’s sporty look is one of its most desirable features. The sleek body lines speak of its refinement inside and out. Your first impression is further validated when you enter the cabin and feel how comfortable Camry’s interior really is. Then when you start the 210 hp V6 or the standard four-cylinder with 157 ponies, you realize that this is not only a car with great looks, it lives up to its reputation in great performance as well.

The exterior appearance of the Camry is enhanced by a set of handsome steel Toyota wheels with all-season tires, the Toyota spoiler, and the aerodynamic and uniquely designed multi-reflector halogen headlights, and the unique blackout sport grille with chrome trim.

To test drive a new or used Toyota Camry, see your local St. Louis Toyota Dealer, Jim Lynch Spirit Toyota today.

Motorists Get More Tickets In Ohio

spirit_blogger — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:27:54 +0000

The Ohio Supreme Court has recently ruled that police officers in the Buckeye state do not necessarily need to have evidence from radar to prove that a vehicle is speeding, they can, however ticket a motorist who is driving in the state of Ohio, simply because it looks like he may be speeding. Officers merely need to estimate that you might be speeding and that is enough to start writing tickets, sounds corrupt doesn’t it?

Most police officers have little or no formal training that would help them to gauge how fast a vehicle is going by eyeballing it,

According to police training officials, “visual assessment is only a portion of the five-hour course on traffic enforcement. Instructors bring recruits to various traffic situations and have them guess speeds. The instructor then checks the guesses against what the radar gun says and calculates the difference.” No comments were made about how far off the average officer in training really was.

The number of traffic citations received in a year can reach up to 35 million across the country, so it is big business for local governments in the U.S. In some small rural towns the revenue generated as a result of traffic tickets is virtually the only source of capitol that funds their yearly operating budgets.

Many people take the path of least resistance and just pay their fines, it’s easier than taking the time and added expense of going to court to fight them. If you live in Ohio, you may well save your energy and time-looks like it’s going to be your word against theirs from this point forward.

If you are looking for an inconspicuous vehicle, see your local Spirit Toyota Dealer in St. Louis and test drive a new or used Toyota today.

The Toyota Innova

spirit_blogger — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:56:05 +0000

The Toyota Innova is an 8 passenger SUV that is available in a diesel or a petrol engine. It dominates the market for best in its class in safety, styling and dependability.
If you want a first class vehicle for any driving purpose then Toyota Innova is definitely the perfect choice. Innova can be the automobile of owners pride for its design, comfort, safety and its new innovative features. It has accommodation capacity for eight passengers, with plenty of storage space for all of their gear.
The Innova’s sporty design includes cutting edge aerodynamics, 3 dimensional front, panoramic windows, semi concealed wiper system, and more. Inside the cabin the car is well equipped with; shift6 and rear console, door bottle holder, mobile charger, glove box, roomy cargo space, two tone color interior, adjustable passenger’s and driver’s seats, saddle type headrests, and chrome plated door handles.
The stylish exterior of this car includes; fog lamps, rear lamps, 3 dimensional grille, superior multi-reflector headlamps, towering height and more.
Safety features include; SRS air bags (driver and passenger side), large Disc Brakes, and Theft Deterrent System.
Innova is equipped with VVT-I engine or D4Ddiesel. Both engines offer unrivaled performance capacity. The diesel engine has the power of common-rail technology which has superior performance and is extremely energy efficiency.
But perhaps one of the most unique features of the Toyota Innova may be the flexible nature of the seating system which include; spacious room in the cabin, and the high comfort and luxury level one cannot find in any other vehicle in its class.
To test drive a new or certified used Toyota Innova, be sure to stop in at Spirit Toyota in St. Louis today.

Prius Ranked Number One Fuel Efficient Vehicle

spirit_blogger — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:50:22 +0000

Prius was considered number one on a list of 10 greenest cars according to the Kelly Blue Book this year. Toyota Prius is considered the most fuel efficient car in its class getting 51 mpg fuel economy.

The Prius has a state of the art hybrid powertain technology that was honored as well as the solar powered ventilation system, voice-activated navigation and radar cruise control with lane keep assist.

According to Kelly Blue Book;”To be considered for the green Top Ten, each vehicle was required to offer fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions superior to the bulk of vehicles in its class and at the same time provide all the safety, creature comforts and driving enjoyment that would make it pleasant to own,”

Among the other top 10 greenest cars on the Kelly Blue Book list were; the Volkswagen Golf TDI diesel, and the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, with features of an SUV along with a hybrid powertrain.

Among the top five are Honda Insight Hybrid (41 mpg), Ford Fusion Hybrid (39 mpg), Volkswagen Golf TDI (34 mpg) and MINI Cooper (32 mpg). In sixth to tenth place is the Ford Escape Hybrid (32 mpg), Honda Fit (31 mpg), BMW 335d (27 mpg), Toyota Highlander Hybrid (22 mpg) and Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid (22 mpg).

Toyota introduced a third-generation Prius in May to support Toyota’s goal to sell a million hybrid cars in the next few years, from about 250,000 hybrids in 2008.

If you are looking for the top fuel efficient award winning car in the country, see your local St. Louis Toyota Dealer, Spirit Toyota and test drive a new or used Toyota Prius today.

Which Type Of Truck Bed Liner is Best For Your Toyota Truck?

spirit_blogger — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:58:48 +0000

Protecting the bed of your new or used Toyota truck important if you want to be able to keep your truck in great condition and at the same time haul your equipment or cargo. Hauling anything could scratch the truck all the way down to the metal, which would result in rust and corrosion and could very quickly destroy your truck’s bed.
A great solution is to purchase an aftermarket truck bed liner, but there are many different options available, so here is some information that may help you select the best liner for your truck.
The most common liner you will see is the standard, plastic bed liners which are one piece contraptions designed to slide into the bed and then mount on the truck in order to stabilize them. Although this may be the least expensive type, there are disadvantages such as; water can become trapped under the liner which can cause damage, and they are slick inside making it difficult to haul certain items.

A spray-on bed liner may be a better solution; this type of liner actually adheres to your truck bed offering more protection to the truck bed than the plastic type. They are more expensive and need to be installed by a professional. Another disadvantage to this type of liner is that the bottom of the truck bed needs to be scuffed up in order for the liner to stick which could affect your truck’s mint condition.

The newest and most popular type of bed lining that protects the truck bed very well, and can be removed without damage is called bed carpeting. It is made of marine grade polypropylene which does not absorb water; this avoids the risk of moisture collecting under the truck bed liner. Like the spray on option, this option is more expensive as well, but you won’t need professional instillation, to drill any holes, or do anything else that would alter your truck, however you should have the carpet die-cut to match your bed. This is the fastest growing most popular product for protecting truck beds.

Be sure to have any of the above mentioned options custom made to your specific Toyota model to ensure proper fit.
If you are planning to purchase a Toyota truck, see your local St. Louis Toyota dealer, Spirit Toyota today, we have a great selection of used, new, and certified pre-owned trucks.