Do you ever find yourself driving around, either to work or to run errands or whatever else, and noticing the horrible cars that other people are often driving? These are automobiles that were known for being horrible makes and/or models when they were brand new; why would anyone invest their money in a piece of junk when it already had 60,000 miles on it?

Same thing when you drive by some of those really skeezy-looking used car dealerships with loads of pre-owned potpourri sitting on the lot, gigantic stickers with prices that you know for a fact are way too much for heaps of trash like what you see displayed. If you’re like me, you can’t help but wonder why anybody in their right mind would blow their hard-earned cash on a car that’s not going to be any good.

And really, all you have to do is a little research. Buy a Consumer Reports, hit up the internet to read reviews, talk to your friends and family about makes and models that have been reliable for them. Do that, and you’ll probably start seeing some trends in which cars are going to do you right in the new-to-you market. One of the names that probably will keep popping up is the Toyota Prius, for more than a few good reasons.

Every Champaign Toyota dealer has had overwhelming success with the Prius over the last six years as people have become more and more concerned with their fuel economy. This hybrid was really the first to go mainstream and has received nothing but rave reviews since it first hit the market in 2004. At first, waiting lists for the Prius made it seem almost impossible that there would ever be new ones available, let alone used ones, but we’re finally starting to see some pre-owned Priuses trickle down to certified lots, and that’s a really good thing for customers looking to save money on a used car purchase.

If you’re looking for the new 2010 Prius, Champaign Toyota dealerships can certainly hook you up and give you the latest, most fuel-efficient, technologically advanced model. But honestly, the upgrades aren’t necessarily worth all the extra cost of buying new. The new and old models look and drive essentially the same, and either way you won’t be the person people look at out on the roads and say, “Ew, what is that guy driving?”