Summer holidays will never be the same again in a Landcruiser Prado

The Prado has been on the Australian market for over 20 years and has become an icon in the large SUV segment, earning its reputation as one of Australia’s toughest and most reliable 4WDs. The Prado is more than just a vehicle that will get you from A to B, it’s a vehicle designed for families or couples who want to set off on adventures and create long-lasting memories. Whether it’s caravanning across the Nullarbor or roughing it up at Double Island Beach. The Prado will take you anywhere without compromising comfort and safety. Let us tell you why we think the Prado is the ultimate companion for your next Aussie summer adventure.

Look forward to family adventures in a Prado

With summer holidays just around the corner, it is time to start planning your family’s next school holiday adventure. As a parent, there are many things you need to consider when planning a 4WD adventure with your family like making sure you’re kids are comfortable on those long trips. The Prado offers convenience, comfort, style, and power making those adventures not just about the destination but about the journey as well!

Pack up and tour around Australia in a Prado

Are you and your other half dreaming of a touring trip around Australia?  Stop dreaming and start doing! For those big days of driving, it makes sense to want a vehicle that is comfortable, safe and powerful. The Prado is an extremely capable and reliable off-road vehicle straight from the factory making it the perfect 4WD for the job! The Prado is purpose-built to give you plenty of 4WD muscle to handle the tough stuff and tow heavy loads like a caravan or camper trailer with ease. So, what are you waiting for?

Why you should consider a Prado on the Sunshine Coast

The Prado has an abundance of intelligent features and outstanding creature comforts to help make sure you arrive safe, refreshed and relaxed, whatever the destination.

The Prado GXL comes with:

• 2.8L turbo diesel engine with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission
• 17" alloy wheels
• 150L fuel tank (87L main tank + 63L sub-tank)
• 3,000kg braked towing capacity (automatic only)
• Smart entry and start system
• 3-zone climate control Air conditioning
•  Toyota Safety Sense with Pre-Collision Safety System with Pedestrian Detection, High-Speed Active Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert and Auto High Beam (auto only)
•  Reversing Camera
•  4.2" Coloured Multi-Information Display (automatic only) + 8" colour touchscreen display with Toyota Link
• 9 speaker audio system with CD player, AM/FM tuner, AUX input and USB input with iPod® and Bluetooth® connectivity
• Satellite navigation with SUNA™ traffic channel
• 7 seats with Privacy glass
• 7 SRS airbags
•  5-star 2011 ANCAP safety rating

Landcruiser Prado at Sunshine Toyota

We love helping our guests find the right car for them.  If you would like to chat to one of our team about becoming a Landcruiser Prado owner simply follow this link to test-drive today. If you would like to check out Sunshine Toyota’s current Landcruiser Prado deals click here.

The All-New Corolla is smarter and safer than ever before

The All-New Corolla is smarter and safer than ever before.

When buying a new car, safety is definitely one of the most important factors for choosing between different makes and models. Whether you use your car to commute from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane for work everyday or only to drive to the local shops and back, you still want to feel safe every time you’re behind the wheel.

The problem is with all of the new technology that has emerged in recent years, it is confusing to know what each feature is and the purpose of it all. Unless you have had a car with all the bells and whistles before, you most likely don’t have a clue. Now, the all-new Corolla hatch is set to make its mark as one of the safest small cars in its class with many of its standard advanced safety technologies usually only found on luxury or higher grade vehicles… But what exactly are they?

The idea of the new and improved Toyota Safety Systems (TSS-P) is if you get distracted, the car will likely intervene to help prevent an accident if necessary. All variants of the new Corolla Hatch come standard with the latest Toyota Safety Systems for a perfectly intuitive driving experience. So let us explain…

What is Toyota Safety Sense?

Toyota Safety Sense is a range of active safety technologies that were designed to prevent or mitigate collisions at a wide range of speeds and different traffic situations. These include a Pre-collision system with Cyclist Detection, Road Sign Assist, Lane-Departure Alert with Lane Assist, Dynamic Cruise Control and Automatic High Beam. Toyota Safety Sense is designed to help protect drivers, passengers, people in other vehicles on the road and pedestrians from harm. These features come standard across the Corolla range at no additional cost.

Pre-collision Safety System (PCS) with Cyclist Detection

Even when you’re paying close attention, sometimes you don’t see a cyclist or pedestrian til the last minute. The All-New Corolla Hatch has been designed with to help you avoid pedestrians (day and night) and cyclists (night only) by alerting you to their presence on the road. If you do not respond to the alerts, the system will automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision or reduce the force of impact. This autonomous emergency braking technology can reduce vehicle speed and potentially bring the car to a complete stop. This is especially good for both new and older drivers as reaction times can be slower. 

Road sign assist

If you miss a road sign, the front-mounted camera will recognise the speed sign for you and alert you when it's time to change your speed. Road Sign Assist is designed to help recognise road speed signs and provide information to you. It displays the most recently recognised speed limit on the Multi Information Display (MID).

Active Cruise Control

The risk of a nose to tail accident is lower with the active cruise control system.  Much like a standard cruise control, the active cruise control system helps the vehicle travel at a consistent speed set by the driver. But also has a vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode, which assists the driver by adjusting vehicle speed (within a set range) to help maintain a pre-set distance to a preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle is traveling at a lower speed. This way you won’t accidentally sneak up into someone else space!

Lane-departure alert and Lane Trace Assist

We’ve all experienced the shock of seeing a near miss from a vehicle suddenly veer into the next lane while another car is right there. The lane-departure alert system can detect the lines on the road and will alert you if your car unintentionally deviates from your lane. This can help prevent accidents and head-on collisions.

When driving busy roads like the Bruce Highway, Lane Trace Assist (on top end model ZR), uses a camera to detect lane markings. It is designed to alert you and provide steering assistance to help avoid drifting and keep you centered in your lane. Used in combination with Active Cruise Control, Lane Trace Assist is designed to provide visual alerts and steering assistance to help you stay centered in your lane.

Automatic High Beam

Say goodbye to having to switch off your high beams when you see a car approaching the other way. Automatic high beam switches between high and low beams to avoid blinding other drivers as you come around corners. As high beam is used more frequently, the system will detect obstacles quicker.

These active safety technologies across the Corolla Hatch range have reduced nose-to-tail accidents by 50% compared with vehicles not equipped with these features.

Toyota Corolla at Sunshine Toyota

The All-New Corolla is one of the safest small cars on the market. Making it a no-brainer in which car to choose for safety! If you would like to chat to one of our team about becoming a Corolla Hatch owner simply book a test drive today. If you would like to check out Sunshine Toyota’s current Corolla deals click here.

Five common signs that your suspension is wearing

You check your oil filters, brakes and tyres regularly, but how often do you think about your suspension? Most of take our suspension system (shocks) for granted. However, after supporting several tons of metal year after year, eventually the shocks will wear out and suspension repair will be necessary. They aren’t just there to ensure a smooth ride but to perform a vital role in keeping you safe on the road. A worn or damaged suspension system will impact your ability to control your car’s brakes and steering, so neglect could prove costly.

Luckily you don’t have to be a mechanic to know when it might be time to book in to have your suspension checked. Here are the common signs that you need a suspension service:

1. Rough ride

When driving, do you feel every little bump on the road or your car seems to bounce over bumps? If the answer is yes, then it’s time to book your vehicle in to check it’s suspension. 

2. Pulling or drifting when turning

With a failing suspension system, you'll often feel the vehicle "drift" or "pull" when you're turning. This basically means the shocks are no longer keeping the vehicle body stable against the centrifugal force of a turn, increasing your risk of a rollover.

3. Nose-diving when braking

If it feels like your vehicle is doing a nose-dive when you brake hard, it’s a huge red flag. This means your shocks are worn, which can make your brakes up to 20% less effective.

4. Oily Shocks

Check your shocks to make sure there is no oil or grease leaking from them. If they are leaking they will no work properly and you should replace them ASAP.

5. Uneven Tyre treads

If you notice the tread is wearing down unevenly on your tires, or if you notice balding spots, this is often a symptom that the suspension isn't holding the car evenly and therefore putting uneven amounts of pressure on the tires.

The Bounce Test

If you suspect your suspension is wearing out, try this simple test. With the car in "park," press down on the front of the vehicle with all your weight, "bounce" it a few times then, release. Do it again on the rear of the vehicle. If the car continues to rock or bounce more than 2-3 times after you release it, the suspension is wearing out.

Booking your vehicle in for a suspension check at Sunshine Toyota

Sunshine Toyota has made booking in your vehicle as simple and convenient as possible. To inquire, you can call us on 5493 3900 between our office hours or you can use our online enquirysystem whenever you have a spare moment, it should only take three minutes if you have your vehicle information handy.

We have two handy service locations in Currimundi and Sippy Downs. We service vehicles from Alex Heads, Mooloolaba, Buderim, Kawana, Palmview and all the way to Caloundra South. With our kind of passion, you can be sure that you and your vehicle is being taken care of by an experienced team at Sunshine Toyota on the Sunshine Coast.

Have you kept up with new Queensland road rules?

When you have been driving a car for a long time, you probably think you know all of the common road rules. However, some road rules may have changed since you went for your license. It would be unfortunate to be booked for a road rule you didn't know had changed or even worse, teach your teenager the wrong rules. Luckily, our friends from Right Turn Driving School gave us the low down on the new Queensland road rule changes.

Left turns on a single lane road ie. Two lanes - each travelling in opposite direction.

This rule has changed so that you no longer need to wait until the broken line to turn left. As per Queensland road rules:

You can cross a continuous white edge line and travel for up to 100m when you are:

• entering or leaving a single lane road
• turning at an intersection from a single lane road
• stopping at the side of a road—unless signs or markings say not to.
• If you are on a multi-lane road you should not cross any edge line before turning.

Stop signs                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Previously, a vehicle had to stop and wait for 3 seconds before progressing at a Stop sign. The road rule for Stop signs is now:

• At a stop sign, you must come to a complete stop and obey the give way rules.

Yellow light                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Most drivers assume the Yellow light rule is to slow down and prepare to stop. The rule is:

• At a yellow light, you must stop unless it is unsafe to do so.

If you have a teenager who about to start learning how to drive, it is definitely worth booking them in for driving lessons to ensure they are taught up to date Qld road rules. Ray and his instructors from Right Turn Driving School are passionate about helping adolescents become lifelong safe drivers. Visit the website for more information and bookings. 

Road rules are developed and enforced to ensure yours as well as other road users safety. If you're ever unsure of the rules, visit the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads website.

Why the Yaris is the ultimate downsizer on the Sunshine Coast

If you are reading this it must mean that the time has come to give up that big bulky car sitting in the driveway and downsize to a smaller more practical car. That car has served you well and it probably has a lot of great memories attached it but for your current needs, it’s just silly to be driving around something that big. Just imagine how much money you’d save on fuel, rego, insurance, servicing, tyres, and repairs. You would be able to go on that cruise to Fiji you’ve always wanted to go on and maybe even afford to take the whole family too.

So, if you’re looking for a smaller car, that’s affordable and cheap to run, the Yaris is the car for you.

The Yaris is built for convenience

If you no longer need to commute long distances to work every day, then owning a large car becomes more of an inconvenience than anything. Trying to drive around and park a large car at Sunshine Plaza or Kawana Shopping world is an absolute nightmare. The Yaris is the perfect size for zipping around the Sunshine Coast with ease. It is fitted with a reverse camera so you’ll be able to get into tight parking spots and avoid any hard to see objects behind you.  

The Yaris might be small, but it’s big on features

Just because you’re downsizing doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the latest features that will make you forget it’s a small car. It’s spacious enough inside to take your grandkids on day trips on the school holidays and comes with Satellite Navigation so you won’t get lost. While you have the grandkids in there, you can get them to pair your phone to the Bluetooth system so you can take calls hands-free and listen to your favourite music while driving.

Bang for your buck with the Toyota Yaris

The Toyota Yaris is one of the best value small cars on the market. It might be small but it’s packed with features that will have you zipping all around the Sunshine Coast with a smile on your face. Especially when you realise how cheap it is on fuel!

Toyota Yaris at Sunshine Toyota

Sunshine Toyota currently has great deals on Yaris. So if you’re looking great car to downsize to then you can’t go past the Toyota Yaris.  Come in to chat with one of our team about becoming a Yaris owner or simply book a test-drive today. If you would like to check out Sunshine Toyota’s current Yaris deals click here.

A guide to buying your teenagers first car on the Sunshine Coast

When you first got your license, your parents probably handed you they keys $500 piece of scrap metal and said, “If you break it, you won’t get another one”. Back then the Sunshine Coast roads were far less crowded and drivers were far less distracted meaning the roads were a lot safer. Your parents also probably knew Caloundra’s local mechanic quite well and repairs wouldn’t have cost too much either.

A lot has changed since then and you would probably think twice on buying your teenager the cheapest running car you could find on Carsales or Gumtree as it might break down and cost you more than what it’s worth. Not to mention the safety of your young driver could be jeopardised, as most cheap and older cars aren’t fittest with the best safety technology. We've put together a couple of rules we think are important when buying your teenager their first car.

Rule #1 Don’t listen to your kids

As a parent, you want to choose a safe and reliable car for your teenager that will get them from A to B and that won’t blow your budget either. As a p-plater, most of the driving they would do is locally and occasionally on the highway. Despite what they think, they probably don’t need a big four-wheel drive or a sports car.

Rule #2 Consider a car with the best safety features

Like I mentioned before, older cars don’t always have the best safety features if any at all. This can be quite concerning as we know how inexperienced our teenagers are in driving. The Yaris is packed with safety features to keep those new drivers safe on the road and help prevent any bingles. Here are some of the safety features that come with the Yaris Ascent:

Reversing camera – Helps to navigate into tight parking spots and avoid hard to see objects

7 SRS airbags  - To your teenager and their friends safe in the case of a collision

Advanced braking - Every Yaris features Anti-lock Braking, Electronic Brake force Distribution, Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability and Traction Control for an ever safer drive

Rule #3 Look for best value for money

The Toyota Yaris is one of the best value small cars on the market. It might be small but it’s packed with features that will have your teenager zipping all around the Sunshine Coast with a smile on their face like Bluetooth connectivity so they can take calls hands-free and stream their favourite music. Not to mention when they realise how cheap it is on fuel!

Toyota Yaris at Sunshine Toyota

Sunshine Toyota currently has great deals on Yaris. So if you’re looking for a safe, reliable and affordable first car for your teenager then come in to chat to one of our team about becoming a Yaris owner simply or follow this link to test-drive today. If you would like to check out Sunshine Toyota’s current Yaris deals click here.

Why the Toyota Rav4 is one of the safest compact SUV’s on the market

When you have a family, you want nothing more but to keep them safe when you’re behind the wheel. We all know how busy Sunshine Coast roads are these days and how easily distracted other drivers can be especially around peak hour. So, when it comes to buying a new family car, looking into what safety features the vehicle has, becomes a high priority. The Toyota Rav4 GX is the perfect family SUV as it is spacious, stylish and is fitted with latest Toyota’s Safety Sense features making it one of the safest cars on the road today.

What is Toyota Safety Sense?

Toyota Safety Sense is a range of active safety technologies that were designed to prevent or mitigate collisions at a wide range of speeds and different traffic situations. These include a pre-collision system, autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure alert, active cruise control and automatic high beam. Toyota Safety Sense is designed to help protect drivers, passengers, people in other vehicles on the road and pedestrians from harm. These features come standard across the Rav4 range at no additional cost.

Pre-Collision System

The pre-collision used a camera to detect the risk of a collision. It uses audible and visual warnings to prompt you to brake. If you do not respond to the alerts, the system will automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision or reduce the force of impact. This autonomous emergency braking technology can reduce vehicle speed and potentially bring the car to a complete stop.

Active Cruise Control

The risk of a nose to tail accident is lower with the active cruise control system.  Much like a standard cruise control, the active cruise control system helps the vehicle travel at a consistent speed set by the driver. But also has a vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode which assists the driver by adjusting vehicle speed (within a set range) to help maintain a pre-set distance to a preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle is traveling at a lower speed.

Lane-departure alert

We’ve all experienced the shock of seeing a near miss from a vehicle travelling at 100km on the highway and suddenly veer into the next lane while another car is right there. The lane-departure alert system can detect the lines on the road and will alert you if your car unintentionally deviates from your lane. This can help prevent accidents and head-on collisions.

Automatic High Beam

Automatic high beam switches between high and low beams to avoid blinding other drivers as you come around those corners. As high beam is used more frequently, the system will detect obstacles quicker.

These active safety technologies across the RAV4 range have reduced nose-to-tail accidents by 50 percent compared with vehicles not equipped with these features.

Toyota Rav4 at Sunshine Toyota

The Toyota Rav4 GX is a safe and great value compact SUV. Making it a no-brainer in which car to choose for safety! If you would like to chat to one of our team about becoming a RAV4 owner simply book a test-drive today. If you would like to check out Sunshine Toyota’s current RAV4 deals click here.