NRMA Motoring Blog

After months of watching it go up, the price of petrol has finally fallen.

But how long will it last? By all accounts the price of petrol will go back up and keep rising, as demand outweighs supply and oil reserves grow smaller.

Months of very high prices have given motorists more than a taste of what’s to come and a lot of people are acting, some by choice and some by necessity. We want to know what you’re doing.

The number of commuters using public transport has reportedly risen to its highest level since 1999. Have you found public transport to be a cheaper option?

Are you trying to be more frugal with your petrol or have you altered your driving technique so you use less?

Have you been getting your car serviced regularly, checking your tyre pressure weekly, going easy on the air-conditioner and carrying as little weight as possible?

Maybe you’ve signed up for a new credit card that offers discounts at certain petrol stations.

Perhaps the cost of petrol has prompted you to sell the V8 for a more economical four cylinder car.

Have you decided a vehicle that runs on alternative fuel is the answer and bought a hybrid, converted to LPG or bought a new turbo diesel?

Or are you going about your business as normal and waiting to see what happens?

What are you doing to cope with high petrol prices?

The first half of 2008 has been a good one for Toyota. It not only became the first car company to sell over 25,000 vehicles in Australia in a single month, but it was also named the world’s most respected company and Australia’s most trusted automotive brand.

Survey results

Toyota was ranked first on the list of the world’s 1,000 most respected companies in a new global survey of consumer attitudes. 60,000 people in 27 countries completed the survey, which ranked companies by perceptions of trust, esteem, admiration and good feeling. It was the only automotive company to score in the top tier. Toyota was followed by Google, IKEA and Ferrero.

Locally, Toyota also topped the annual Australian Reader’s Digest poll as the most trusted automotive brand in the land. According to respondents, Toyota earned top spot because it consistently produced high quality models, delivered safe, reliable and economic cars and backed its product.

25,624 Toyotas sold in June

Toyota became the first car company in Australia to sell over 25,000 cars in a single month. Despite high interest rates and the rising cost of petrol, it sold 25,624 cars in June alone – the highest monthly tally ever achieved by a car company in Australia.

June’s sales took Toyota’s tally to 127,400 vehicles sold in 2008 – 60,000 more than the second-placed manufacturer. Its market share for the first half of 2008 sits at an impressive 23.5 per cent, with the Corolla being Australia’s best selling car so far this year.

Is Toyota the benchmark for car companies?