Things to Know About Buying a Hybrid Car in Tampa Bay

The Hype Over Hybrid Vehicles

If you’re a Tampa Bay driver excited at the prospect of buying a hybrid Toyota or other new vehicle, good for you. After all, the decision wouldn’t only provide Mother Nature a much-needed breath of fresh air, but it can also save you money, complete with tax credits.

If you’re at the point of considering the pros and cons of hybrid cars, you will benefit from knowing what to consider when buying a hybrid car. That’s where Toyota of Tampa Bay can help.

In these next few sections, we’ll not only highlight many of the positives of hybrid car ownership, but provide a little insight into things you’ll want to better understand before signing on the dotted line.

We then hope you will consider Toyota of Tampa Bay for all your automotive needs. From the sale of new and pre-owned Toyotas and other used cars to help with finance and service, Toyota of Tampa Bay truly is a one-stop shop for all your automotive needs.

Braking and Acceleration Differences with Hybrid Vehicles

With a mixture of fuel and an electric motor powering your semi-electric vehicle, there are a few things worth noting about braking and accelerating. Nothing bad, just worth knowing.

Hybrid vehicles utilize regenerative braking, meaning the drive motor actually doubles as a generator that sends the vehicle’s inertia from braking to in the battery pack for reuse. This is what helps hybrids be more efficient than conventional cars.

That said, depressing the brakes may feel, well, odd.; almost like they’re not working as well as those on a conventional, non-hybrid vehicle. But, take heart, this takes nothing more than a little getting used to.

As for acceleration features worth knowing about, there are a few. When giving your hybrid the proverbial gas, it may feel as though it’s lagging or not gaining momentum. Again, nothing to sweat, just another feature to get accustomed to.

Because hybrids don’t rely on conventional transmissions, you may also notice less of - or none at all - of a change at gear shifts. File that back, too.

In recent years, Toyota has fine-tuned its hybrid system to improve and enhance smoothness and responsiveness.

The Money You Can Save with a Hybrid Toyota from Toyota of Tampa Bay

What largely drives people to hybrid vehicles is an effort to help minimize a carbon footprint. But, in addition to that is money that stays in your pocket.

Potential hybrid buyers may experience higher upfront costs over non-hybrid equivalents, but they virtually pay for themselves by way of savings on fuel.

On top of the money you’ll save at the gas pump, it’s interesting to know that hybrid vehicles were economically-designed to have longer lifespans than conventional vehicles. That can translate to longer-lasting parts.

There is also a good chance you could experience lower maintenance costs on brakes. Because hybrid vehicles’ regenerative braking uses the electric motor to reduce speed without friction. That means there is less contact with the discs. That can very well reduce the amount of services needed for brakes.

Toyota of Tampa Bay Has - and, Does - It All

At Toyota of Tampa Bay, our approach to every interaction with customers is based on what lies at the dealership’s core, respect and honesty. For added measure, we throw in competitively priced new Toyotas; gas-powered cars, as well as electric cars and the happy medium of hybrid electric vehicles.

Whichever direction in which you head, we are also proud of the welcoming team in our Finance Center. Here, we couple our expert knowledge with your financial wants and needs to make things work in a way you’re comfortable with.

For all your maintenance and service needs, the Toyota of Tampa Bay Service Center is made up of Toyota-certified technicians who treat every job, regardless of size, with precision and professionalism.

For all your automotive wants and needs, visit Toyota of Tampa Bay, also proud to serve drivers in all surrounding areas, including Lutz and Ybor City, Florida.