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WINTER WEATHER AND YOUR SERVICE DEPARTMENT The winter weather that is wreaking havoc over your February travel plans and daily commute is also making a big impact on your local service departments and body shops.  With all of the drivers in fender-benders and ditches due to inclement weather the local service departments are filling up fast with motorist that need to get back on the road as quickly as possible. At Toyota of Wausau we have had an influx of vehicles needing repair and customers needing service work done.  We attempt to accommodate everyone we can because we always want to put our customers first, but these conditions can lead to increased wait times because of the abundance of people needing assistance.  We simply ask for understanding and cooperation during these busy times.  Check out what waow.com had to say about this situation. https://waow.com/news/2019/02/20/car-repair-shop-sees-increase-in-business-following-winter-storms/. Scheduling your appointment online at https://www.toyotaofwausau.com may help reduce the wait time for your next service.  When the time comes to have your Toyota serviced, look no further than Toyota of Wausau. For your convenience, we have made scheduling appointments even easier by allowing you to schedule online or by phone. Because all of our technicians are factory-trained, you know your Toyota vehicle is in great hands when you bring your vehicle to our dealership. NEED COLLISION WORK? We hope you never have an accident, but if you do we’re ready to help you through the entire insurance and repair process. Whether it’s a a minor scratch or major automotive reconstruction, our Collision Center has the professional staff to get your vehicle back on the road and back into original condition. Our Collision Center was built in 2004. We have the largest Body Shop in Central and Northern Wisconsin. You will see why people drive from all around WI to use our professional Services. We specialize in all makes and models! And now – with our computerized paint matching system and state-of-the-art paint booth – we’ll make it look like new. Call to set up an estimate today! (715) 675-5090

2019 Camry The 2019 Camry brings back everything you loved about the 2018 model and a handful of new features and technology. With Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa as a standard feature across all models, hands-free capability has never been easier. Maintaining its sleek and sporty look, the 2019 Toyota Camry offers an eye-catching exterior with outstanding performance. 2019 RAV4 The 2019 Toyota RAV4 embraces its SUV roots with a wider stance, larger grille, and more aggressive exterior. Compared to the 2018 RAV4, the 2019 RAV4 has an impressive amount of technological advancements and changes. Armed with the next generation of the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS), the 2019 RAV4 increases driving safety and enhances your experience. 2019 Corolla The 2018 Toyota Corolla was an IIHS Top Safety Pick, and the 2019 model will pick up right where its predecessor left off. With Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control all as standard features on the 2019 Corolla, you can drive with confidence. If that isn’t enough to sell you on the 2019 Corolla, maybe we could interest you in its astounding fuel efficiency (40 highway mpg) or its stylish and sporty interior. 2019 Highlander With the Toyota Safety Sense™ package standard on all trims, the 2019 Toyota Highlander means business when it comes to safety. It can seat up to eight people and has rear-seat Blu-ray Disc™ entertainment available. Put simply, the 2019 Toyota Highlander takes everything you loved about the 2018 model and dials it up a few notches. 2019 Sienna The 2019 Toyota Sienna introduces Apple CarPlay as a standard across all models, unlike its previous model. Complete with Toyota Safety Sense™, you can drive anywhere in confidence. The 2019 Toyota Sienna has an available dual-view Blu-ray Disc™ display to keep backseat passengers entertained and multi-zone climate control. With eight airbags as a standard across all trims and a stylish interior, there’s not much not to love about the 2019 Sienna. 2019 Tundra Performance-wise, the 2019 Toyota Tundra isn’t bringing anything too new to the table, but that’s not a bad thing! The 2019 Tundra has accessories available to pull over 10,000 pounds. The Tundra also has an available 38 gallon tank, so you won’t have to worry during those long jobs. Pair that with its functional and comfortable interior, dual zone automatic climate control, and fold-up rear seats, you’ll find that the 2019 Tundra has tons to offer!

The season of giving is here, and Toyota of Wausau is no exception when it comes to spreading the spirit of the season. The dealership has adopted two local families through the Giving Tree and has collected donations of non-perishable food items and specific gifts for children in the families. Toyota of Wausau is thrilled that we are able to make a difference in our local community, and it is always a joy to see our employees come together to provide relief to those in need. Donations ranging from various books to clothes, toys to art supplies have piled up under our giving tree, and we are anxiously awaiting the day we can deliver these gifts to our adopted families. With another holiday season under our belts, we’re excited to see what other amazing community outreach opportunities 2019 will bring the dealership!

Winter brings with it added hazards and risks to your vehicle’s overall condition. Winter preparation should be done in the fall and maintained throughout the winter months. Here are some tips and tricks to protecting your vehicle and yourself this winter season! Check your battery. Check for corrosion, make sure it isn’t past its warranty, and pay attention to anythings that might signify that its in need of replacement. The harsh cold can be hard on a vehicle’s battery, and you don’t want to get caught with a dead battery in a blizzard. You can always get your battery checked at Toyota of Wausau’s service department and get a replacement if needed! Replace wiper blades. Are your blades dragging, streaking or under-performing? It may be time to swap them out for a newer pair, which our service department would be pleased to do. Replacing wiper blades is a quick and easy process, and you don’t want to be caught on a salty road or blizzard without a good pair of wiper blades. In addition to new wiper blades, you should also top off your windshield wiper fluid with winterized fluid. Non-winterized wiper fluid can freeze up inside your vehicle and not work as effectively. Check oil and fluid levels. Top off the fluids in your vehicle if they’re running low. Keeping them below full runs the risk of water evaporating and freezing inside your vehicle. Don’t delay getting your oil changed on a regular basis and make sure your vehicle has enough coolant or antifreeze. Don’t allow your gas levels to run below half, and don’t be afraid to put some antifreeze in your vehicle every other time you top off your tank. Check & replace tires if needed. With the change in temperature, it’s not uncommon for your vehicle’s tire pressure to go down. Make sure your tires are fully inflated to improve its gas mileage, handling, and tire life. Winter is also a good time to check your tires to see if they need replacing. Also remember to check on your spare tire! Emergency kit. Whether your make your own or purchase one, an emergency kit is a winter driving necessity. Your kit should include things like jumper cables, blankets, a knife, de-icer, a first aid kit, flashlight, phone charger, a small shovel, kitty litter or sand, an ice scraper, and snacks. In the unlikely event that you are left stranded, being prepared will come in handy. In addition to these tips, you should also check your filters and replace any that are dirty and inspect all lights and bulbs on your vehicle. If your check engine light is on, bring it in for a diagnostic. As always, check out our service offers to see if you can save on your service!

With the unpredictability of Wisconsin fall, you don’t want to get caught off-guard by the winter weather unprepared. Here are some tips to ensure your vehicle is ready for the changing seasons: Check fluid levels. Be sure to check the levels of your windshield wiper fluids, power steering fluids, transmission fluids, coolants, and brake fluids. Over time, the quality of various fluids can deteriorate for a number of reasons—evaporation, extreme heat and cold, or just simply from use. Take a look at your fluids and schedule a routine check-up to ensure your vehicle will run smoothly this fall and winter. Check belts and hoses. Over time, belts and hoses can become worn out, frayed, or cracked. The harsh cold weather of winter can make things even worse for your vehicle. Schedule a routine maintenance appointment to ensure everything is in tip-top shape for the next season. Check tires. Tires are one of the most crucial components of your vehicle, and it can be very risky and even dangerous to enter into the winter season with sub-par tire quality. Be sure to routinely check the tire pressure of all tires – even your spare! Toyota of Wausau offers a number of tire service specials and makes it easy to order new tires. Order four tires before October 31st and get the fourth for only $1! Check brakes. Brake quality is a bit trickier than other aspects of vehicle maintenance – there’s no fixed time that brakes need to be replaced. This makes it extremely important to get them checked on a regular basis and changed as soon as issues arise. If you hear any squealing or grinding or feel any vibrations when you brake, it may be time to schedule service on your brakes. Check the battery. Cold weather is exceptionally hard on your vehicle’s battery. Before you get stranded in your driveway before work or at the mall after close, be sure to check your battery. Is your battery older than three years old? Is there corrosion around your battery’s posts or cables? Does your vehicle stutter when it starts or are any warning lights turned on? If you are observing any of these issues, it may be time to schedule battery service with us. Invest in all-weather mats. Your vehicle is an investment and you should protect it – the harsh chemicals found in road salt can be damaging to the original carpet of your vehicle. All-weather mats will prevent damage to your vehicle. Check out our accessories page to find all-weather mats for your Toyota! Check wiper blades. The last thing you want to get caught in is a snowstorm with barely-functioning windshield wipers. Windshield wipers should be replaced every six months to a year, but can still vary. If your windshield wipers are streaking, dragging, or falling apart, you should replace them immediately. Toyota of Wausau offers specials on windshield wipers if it’s time for you to replace yours. Touch up any scratches. Like said before, road salt can be very harsh on your vehicle. Touch up any scratches or damage to your exterior to avoid rust or further damage to your vehicle. You can do this at home or contact our service department to see what options are available to you. Put together an emergency kit. You can put one together yourself or buy an emergency kit from our accessories. Some items emergency kits should include jumper cables, warm clothes and blankets, and a flashlight.

To buy a new car or to lease—it’s a question that leaves many people in the market for new vehicles stumped. Of course, both come with their own benefits, but today we’ll be focusing on the benefits that come with leasing a car. Whether leasing a vehicle is the best fit for you depends on your own unique situation—but in most cases, leasing is a great way to bring a new vehicle into your life! Shorter term. In most cases, a leasing term is 36 months, or three years. This is a significantly shorter period of time compared to financing, which can have terms as long as six to seven years! Because of this shorter period, you won’t be tied to the same vehicle for nearly as long. Covered under factory warranty. Thanks to the shortened terms, in most cases, a leased vehicle will be covered under factory warranty the entire time it’s in your possession! Flexible contract lengths & mileage limits. Essentially, the fine details of leasing are negotiable. If you need more wiggle room in your mileage limits or aren’t happy with a 36 month period, you can always speak with your consultant to find a plan that’s perfect for you! Lower monthly payments. Unless you put down a huge down payment when financing, leasing will almost always result in lower monthly payments. This is exceptionally helpful if you don’t have the cash to pay for a new vehicle upfront! Credit builder. In addition to lower monthly payments, leasing a vehicle is a credit-builder! Newer vehicles more often. Again, thanks to a shorter term, you have the ability to have newer vehicles more frequently! You can keep up with the latest technology, models and styles without the hassle of trading in your previous vehicle. You can simply drop your vehicle off at the end of your lease and start a new one with an updated model! No negative equity. What you pay directly goes toward offsetting the depreciation of the vehicle—you’ll never pay more than what the vehicle is worth, which is something you’re likely to run into when you finance a vehicle. More end-of-term options. When your term is up, you can decide what to do with the car: buy it, sell it, trade it, extend the lease, or turn it in and walk away. No trade-in hassle. One of the major headaches of buying a car is configuring and negotiating the value of your trade-in, as well as transferring over the title of the vehicle, and more. When you lease a car, you avoid that mess all together! Lower maintenance costs. When you lease, you’ll be driving the vehicle during its most trouble-free years, since it’s a new vehicle. You likely won’t have to bring it in for repairs often, if at all, during your term. Sounds pretty great, right? Check out our new car specials and schedule an appointment with one of our consultants today!

The National Clearance Event is here! Qualified customers will have the opportunity to take advantage of various clearance incentives on a wide array of models—but you better hurry! The National Clearance Event only runs until September 4. What are some of these offers? Well, for starters, you can receive $1000 customer cash when you buy a 2018 Camry, or lease one for only $299/month! Looking for something with a bit more space? You could qualify for 0.9% APR for 60 months on a brand-new 2018 Rav4, or receive $1,500 customer cash on a new Highlander! Or maybe you’re in the market for a truck? Lease a 2018 Tacoma for $309/month, a 2018 Tundra Double Cab for $359/month, or a 2018 Tundra Crew Max for $379/month! Of course, that’s only scratching the surface of the amazing deals we have to wrap up the 2018 model year. Check out our new car specials here and schedule a test drive today!

On July 19, 2018, our family at Toyota of Wausau, alongside the Wausau community, was shocked and saddened by the news of a hit-and-run involving 22-year-old Molly Viehweg while she was out for a jog. The driver was located and arrested only a few days later, but it was soon discovered that she was an uninsured motorist. The accident left Molly in critical condition: she immediately went in for brain surgery to treat clotting in her brain, her skull was fractured, and she was put into an induced coma. Any brain damage she may have suffered cannot be determined until she wakes up, and doctors still aren’t sure when that will be. In order to help alleviate the financial strain this will put on Molly, Toyota of Wausau has pledged to donate $25 for every car sold from July 1-August 31. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to Molly and her family during this time. You can help, too! A GoFundMe has been created on behalf of Molly, which we encourage you to donate to, or at the very least, share on Facebook. Rib Mountain Taphouse is holding a fundraiser on her behalf, and they are still looking for donations and volunteers. Tragedies such as this can shake our communities to the core, but together we can persevere through supporting one another. Toyota of Wausau is proud to be involved with our community.

No matter how long or short, road trips are best in the summertime! They create great memories and can be a cost-effective way to satisfy the craving for an adventure. However, like any vacation, they can be a source of stress and headaches—but we at Toyota of Wausau have compiled a how-to for a stress-free trip! 1. Set a Budget Like any trip, you’ll want to set a budget for your road trip, and do your best to stick to it. In addition to gas expenses, don’t forget to account for food, lodging, and any sightseeing you plan on doing along the way.  You should also consider that gas prices may fluctuate from place to place, and account for that in your budget. 2. Plan the Route Pretty basic and straightforward, right? Plan where you’d like to go, and make sure you account for how long it will take you to get there and back. Make sure you figure out spots to stop and rest along the way, that way you don’t find yourself struggling for a place to rest while already out on the road. And, keep in mind, you’ll need to have some wiggle room with your plans! You won’t always know if there will be a detour, bad traffic, or unfavorable weather conditions. 3. Service Your Vehicle Before heading out on your trip, it is very important to bring your vehicle in for a routine checkup! There’s nothing worse than having car trouble in an unfamiliar place or out in the middle of nowhere. Save yourself the headache and get your vehicle checked over a few weeks prior to your trip. Schedule a service appointment with us and we'd be happy to make sure you're all set for your trip! 4. Pack Only the Necessities Do your best to pack light! Not only will the lighter load help your fuel efficiency, but it will also save you the headache of digging through piles and piles of clothes for one specific item. Don’t stress the small stuff, either—if you forget something, there will be plenty of gas stations and convenience stores where you can buy sunglasses, chargers, and snacks. That said, you won’t want to forget: First-aid kit. Accidents happen! Either purchase a pre-packaged kit, or build your own. You should always have an emergency medical kit—just in case. Pillows and blankets. You may have to settle for some roadside sleeping, depending on where you’re headed. Sanitary goods. Wet wipes, hand sanitizer, napkins, and so on. You don’t want to deal with a mess without any means to clean it up! Downloaded music. Radio signals may become unreliable, or you might not be able to find anything you’re in the mood to listen to. Come prepared with some of your favorite albums, podcasts, and audiobooks downloaded to a device. Medicine. Aside from your first-aid kit, you may want to consider grabbing some ibuprofen, motion sickness tablets, and anti-nausea pills. There are fewer things that are worse than feeling sick while stuck in a car. 5. Be Aware of Traffic Laws Laws can vary from state to state, so make sure you do the proper research beforehand to avoid getting a ticket three states over. These can range from minimum speed limits to restricting what lanes you can drive in—so prepare yourself! 6. Plan Things to do in the Car Let’s face it—you’re going to be spending a lot of time in the car. Plan out some games to play or podcasts to listen to to keep busy. This will help the drive go much quicker and prevent people from getting too antsy. 7. Rest Often Above all else, rest often. Don’t be afraid to pull over and stretch if you’re feeling drowsy. Driving while tired isn’t safe, and arriving a little late to your destination safely is much better than putting yourself and passengers in danger. Other tips: Traveling with kids. Traveling with younger children can be an entirely different challenge. Make sure you bring plenty of things for them to keep busy, such as coloring books, handheld video games, and toys. Plan for stopping more frequently to help them get their energy out. Traveling with pets. Much like traveling with children, you will have to account for more stops if you’re taking your pets along, too. They’ll have to get their energy out as well as use the bathroom. Also be sure to bring things to keep them busy, and look into buying motion sickness medicine for your furry friend. You don’t want your pet throwing up in your back seat! Keep a journal on the trip. Driving can seem pretty boring and mundane, but fun and memorable things still happen between point A and point B! Keep a journal to jot down some of your favorite memories as they happen—that way you don’t forget them later on! That’s all we’ve got for tips and tricks in surviving your next road trip! Now that you’re armed with everything you need, let’s go places! What’s your best summer road trip memory? Do you have any other suggestions for keeping a road trip stress-free? Let us know in the comments!

Toyota of Wausau is excited to finally welcome you to our brand-new blog! Starting today, we will provide you with relevant and engaging content to ensure your experience with us is the best it can possibly be. We will be providing a range of quality content, including: How-tos, tips and tricks, and other life hacks when it comes to caring for your vehicle Information about our dealership staff, philosophy, and experience Community news and events to keep you connected in the central Wisconsin area News from various manufacturers to keep you updated on any and all relevant information regarding your vehicle Other small tidbits we think you will find interesting and relevant If you aren’t already, we strongly encourage you to follow us on all forms of social media ( Facebook, Instagram) to ensure you don’t miss a post! Again, we are extremely excited to be launching this blog and are eager to share our content with you. Feedback is very much appreciated, which you can leave in the comments of our blog posts, our Facebook page, or by emailing ballwegdigmktg@gmail.com. See you all again soon!