Toyota Yaris

mwqa

This is a link to a Canadian forum. Someone was able to negotiate a big discount on his Yaris purchase ... and someone else was less successful...

http://www.cartalkcanada.com/forum/index.php/topic,43311.0.html

mark63

Is that new engine available with sedan 2.......

reddroverr

Interesting, thanks.

gsolman6

I just read a review in a D.C. newspaper that the sedan has more cargo capacity than the hatchback? Is this true? How is that possible? My VW Golf definitely has more capacity than its sedan counterpart.

bamacar

The sedan has a decent sized trunk. The hatchback rear seats are almost to the rear window. Sounds like anything more than a couple of grocery bags will mean dropping the rear seat.

tundradude

The sedan is 19 inches longer.

ibudic1

The 1.4l diesel in Europe has 90hp engine and gets 52.3 city and 70.6 highway, these, of course are british galons, so this converts to 44 city and 59 highway. Since this is a turbocharged engine a simple modifications like a free flow intake will quite possibly lift that to about 100hp, even more power can be expected from just changing the downpipe from the small turbo. So for a combined $400 you could expect to get about the same power (quite possibly more) than 1.5l and much more torque wihile beating hybrids in fuel economy. We need to start asking toyota to bring the diesel here!

beantown

No thank you. As long as diesel gas stays 60 to 70 cents more expensive per gallon than regular gas (in the US at least), I say the rest of the world can keep the diesel cars....any advantage in mpg is lost when you're paying that much per gallon to fill it up.

dudleyr

The premium for diesel is a recent occurence in most of the country, and may not always be the case. A couple of years ago diesel was $.15-20 cheaper per gallon in my area.

nippononly

of diesel-powered cars aren't even allowed in my state, so it doesn't make a lot of difference to me, but given the choice between the diesel and a lower-powered gas, I would take the gas, provided it could make 50 mpg.

ibudic1

70 C more than regular? Where? I am in Chicago. Here gas the difference is about 45C. If I went to the suburbs diesel is smack in between premium and mid-grade.

I just came from Europe where I used a buy-back program PSA has for their cars. I took Peugeot 407 for 1 month (6 speed diesel) much faster and quieter at speed than peugeots own petrol engines even when they have more power, why? Torque. I loved that car. People who prefear automatics would love the diesel much more than gas engine form Toyota.

ibudic1

Why?

Did you drive the 1.4l diesel and 1.3 gas and didn't like the diesel better, unlike I who drove both and thought that the 1.3 was a joke compared to the diesel? I wonder why you had such a bad experience with the 1.4l diesel in yaris, and why you liked the 1.3l gas engine? Could you share your experience please?

Here's mine.

The 1.3 is quieter at idle than the diesel. At any speed above, say 10 MPH (about 15KPH) diesel pulls with so much more force on would think that he was driving a different car. At speed the 1.3 strains to keep up with traffic, and to pass anyone requires a 2 gear downshift. Diesel on the other hand, has so much torque and is so quiet, in comparison to the gas engine, that downshifting is pointless, you just press and go. The torque just pushes you in the back. It feels like a big wave was pushing you in the back. Fuel economy for the 1.3 l is actually worse than it is for 1.3l gas. I saw no advantage of 1.3 except price, but than again you get what you pay for...

tifighter

Here in Seattle on Sunday, I came upon a commercial that was being filmed for the Yaris sedan. No hatches. Both in red; they had the crane things mounted on the bumpers so the camera could film it while driving. Not many people seemed to take a lot of notice of what I presume they thought was another Camry...

reddroverr

But does it or will it have to stay higher than gas? It used to be cheaper.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=482582

goltgo

Just curious...where in Seattle? I'm a resident too and want to know if I should be looking out for the dilapidated Alaskan Way Viaduct (road sucks, but the view southbound is great) in an upcoming commercial.

tifighter

Actually, it was in Fremont. Maybe they are going for 'funky'

nippononly

Have not driven the diesel, and I'm sure it's great, it's just that diesel costs a lot more than 87-octane gas around here and is only available at a small percentage of the stations. Harder to find, more expensive to buy. Stinkier in use, and less user-friendly (both in pumping, and in operating the engine, think cold starts in the morning).

I remain convinced Toyota could extract 50 mpg from a small gas engine, and I don't need a racer, I need a reliable commute car that gets great gas mileage. So, it's a 1.3L, is it? I wish they would bring that one to the States as a base model.

beantown

To answer the questions about price, everywhere I've seen in Mass (mostly from Boston to suburbs of north and west of city) has the following:

avg price of regular gas: $2.05-$2.10 (if you stay away from the "highway stations")
avg price of diesel: $2.60-$2.70

reddroverr: your own link points to the fact that experts believe that demand has forced the price of diesel to go way up. What do you think will happen if more cars in the US were equipped to run on diesel? That's right. The price would go up even more and the separation between it and regular gas would be even more significant.

I would never consider a diesel just for "savings at the pump" unless the price came down to the same level as regular or midgrade gas and was more or less certain to stay there for the long haul.....and I just don't see this ever happening.

fdanna

Aside from the hit you will take at the pump, the option will add from $1000 to $1500 to cost of the car (as it does in VW models).

reddroverr

beantown:

Without going into economics and market forces....
Take a look at this chart and tell me if you know whether the red line or the blue line will be on top in a couple years.

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/twip/twiparch/041103/textgasdiesel$.gif

beantown

So you want me to extrapolate something based off a "four year" chart that is a year and a half old (and obviously doesn't include the last 18 months, which would further support my stance)?

Your other link claims that experts who have studied this believe that diesel price goes up with demand. If more diesel cars are put on the road, diesel demand goes up. True? Therefore, it is impossible to conclude anything other than the price would go up if more diesel cars came to the US. It's a pretty simple formula.

reddroverr

""So you want me to extrapolate something based off a "four year" chart that is a year and a half old (and obviously doesn't include the last 18 months, which would further support my stance)? ""

No, I am showing you that you that the prices over time have fluctuated in favor of one or the other, and that you cannot predict the future.

""Your other link claims that experts who have studied this believe that diesel price goes up with demand. If more diesel cars are put on the road, diesel demand goes up. True? Therefore, it is impossible to conclude anything other than the price would go up if more diesel cars came to the US. It's a pretty simple formula. ""

The other side of the equation that determines price is supply. Markets tend to self correct to bring the two into balance...often times overshooting until there is a glut of supply. Remember a few years back when the "world was awash with oil" and the price was ten or twelve bucks a barrel? So if diesel cars are brought into the mix, it changes the equation doesn't it..making it more like gas with a more elastic demand side. It is pretty simple..but none-the-less elusive.

gwsch

According to my local dealer, his first showroom version of the 4 dr sedan should arrive early next week with a liftback a few days later. The liftback may even have the options and color I want.

nippononly

I can't wait to see the hatch in person. The first '07 Camrys are just arriving though - seems close timing to have the Yaris coming next week...still, a dealer should know, if he's not just blowing smoke.

ghulet

...at the Chicago Auto Show, about a month ago. Nice looking enough, but tiny, tiny in general and the back seat was seriously a waste/joke (kinda what I expected, but even worse than hatches from waaaayyy back). Still, base is $10950 (repeat ten times). Strangely, the hatch at the Show had a stick and the power package (windows/locks), while the sedan next to it had an automatic and crank windows. Try to find either at your local dealer. I'm sure not coincidentally, they were as far from the Corollas as possible on the Show floor. Again I argue that if you want the Echo drivetrain and not the Toyota options BS, just buy an xB/xA. If you want a loaded Yaris, consider a Corolla. I like the Yaris, but I'm more than skeptical that it will suffer a fate similar to the Echo, mostly because of U.S. dealer/manufacturer games/attitude problems and eventual overpricing.

As an aside, I thought the new Camrys were hideous, the interiors super cheap, but they may grow on me. I'm liking the Avalon more and more, does that mean I'm old (despite zero kids and no need for a full-sized sedan)?

Kirstie_H

If you want to continue the diesel conversation, PLEASE use the search feature at the left to find discussions that are already covering this topic. Thanks!

nippononly

"Strangely, the hatch at the Show had a stick and the power package (windows/locks), while the sedan next to it had an automatic and crank windows. Try to find either at your local dealer"

I disagree - this is Toyota's philosophy - advertise a low low base price, but never build any at that low price, instead make the REAL base price around 20% higher. The automatic sedan with crank windows and the hatch with the stick but power package (which means it also had the convenience package) were both $13K cars, which is what I expect to see, ESPECIALLY given the base price of the Fit: lots and lots of $13K Yarii, which is $2K cheaper than the cheapest Corolla (by sticker, anyway), and exactly comparable to the base Fit.

Try to find an $11K Yaris - THAT will be the big challenge, I say. I think the best I can hope for in the Bay Area is to find a hatch (stick shift of COURSE!) with just the convenience package, and even there my chances are low, I think. :-(

reddroverr

I'm done.

reddroverr

It has been a long time since I've bought a new car, but can't you order a base model and wait? Does Toyota not do this?

nippononly

doesn't like to do that, no. It doesn't fit in that well with their "just in time" production system.

However, I have heard that some of the very largest dealers, like Longo in SoCal, WILL take your order and get you the car you want, as long as you're prepared to wait a while. Neither of the dealers closest to me accepts orders that way.

reddroverr

That bites. you might want to try again after they have hit the showrooms awhile..if you are still interested. Maybe at the end of the month. I'll pose that question here (portland oregon) when they are out at the dealers.

bottgers

If the auto mans had their way, everyone would drive the same model, in the same color, optioned out exactly the same way. They've been working on offering the consumer fewer and fewer option choices over the last couple of decades.

reddroverr

The model T ford came in your choice of colors...as long as it was black. ; )

backy

I was greatly disappointed when I went to the Greater Twin Cities Auto Show today to get a closer look at the Yaris. I figured that since the cars were now on their way to dealers, they would actually have some cars open to sit in. Wrong. They had two Yarii, a red 4-door SE 5-speed (that was mislabeled a base automatic on the little floor sign), and a 3-door. While I stood there, perplexed why these cars were not open when I had just sat in a Fit nearby, a woman next to me asked a sales rep, "Why don't you have the Yaris open when your competitors like Honda do?" He mumbled something about the cars being special auto show cars etc. Well, so was the Fit and most of the other cars in the show!

I thought the SE looked pretty sharp, but I really wanted to try out the driver's seat. At least they had a Camry to sit in. :P

ms_curmudgeon

My local dealer said they'd have three in by the end of next week. They're all sedans, sadly for me, but two are pretty much fully loaded. I'm excited to test drive them - hopefully someone around here (I'm in Minneapolis, MN) will have a hatch sometime soon.

backy

Disappointing maybe, but it is consistent with what a Twin Cities dealer told me a couple of months ago--the sedans would arrive first, and they would be mostly fully loaded.

reddroverr

I give. If these new minis are going to be in short supply with waiting lists, inlfated prices, and the inability to get one with the features you want...the heck with it.

There are going to be more new inovative cars in the near future, so I will bide my time.

When the Yaris, Fit, Versa, new Scion all hit, hopefully their will be enough supply. If not no big. They are just small low end cars.

hb1

You should consider yourself lucky that you at least got to see the Yaris. I just got back from the Fort Lauderdale International Auto and Motorcycle Show that opened today, and Toyota in their infinite wisdom decided not to have a Yaris there to even look at. Honda had two Fits on the floor that you could sit in, and Nissan had one Versa up on a platform that you could at least look at, but no new small car from Toyota. They sure had enough space to cram three 2007 Camry's in there, so needless to say, I left disappointed. Hopefully some dealer here in Broward county will have one in the next couple of weeks. I'm hoping to see a liftback because I really want to replace my 2002 Suzuki Aerio SX soon.

kdhspyder

yhtry

polkadot1

I used to live in Minnesota and drive Honda Civic
but now I live in Poland. 18 months ago my Honda
Civic was 13 years old. It had lots of rust but
its engine was pretty good. I had to buy a new car
because Honda parts became too expensive. I first
thought of buying Honda Jazz, which is similar
to Honda Fit. Honda Jazz has a very well designed,
flat folding rear seats, but it was available in
5-door version only, so I bought less expensive
3-door Toyota Yaris instead. I choose small
(998 cc, 4 cylinders, 65 HP) engine because test
drive proved that it has plenty of power for such
a small car.

I have been driving Toyota Yaris for 18 months.
Some of my friends were driving the same model
longer and harder that I did. My friends were
very pleased with Yaris, but I have a few
complaints:

Yaris does not have any bumpers; if you hit
anything, even at very low speed, the car is
damaged. Its rear seats do not fold completely,
and they are held in place in the folded
position by a ridiculous rubber band that is
more commonly used to hold cargo on a bicycle.
Its manual gearbox was initially so stiff that
it took Arnold Schwarzenegger muscle power to
shift it into the 5-th gear. Its summer tires
are completely useless on ice and snow.

Despite these drawbacks, I feel that Yaris was
worth its price (about $12,000 including tax).
Yaris does have a few advantages:

It does not break down and does not require much
maintenance. Engine oil is changed once a year.
Its dashboard is more advanced than dashboard of
much more expensive cars. It has higher
suspension than Honda Civic so it is less
vulnerable to potholes and snow banks. It does
not burn much fuel. According to Toyota the average
fuel consumption is 42 miles per gallon (4.6 liters
per 100 km). I burn 33 miles per gallon (7 liters
per 100 km) in city driving.

According to some reports European model of Toyota
Yaris is superior to Toyota Echo. Echo Hatchback
sold in Canada has both front and rear bumpers.
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Echo

kdhspyder

Our first Yaris, a 3 door hatch, arrived. I was surprised actually to like the first look of it. It has 'character'. This one is equipped exactly like the base xA with three exception, 2 small one and one large one. Both are 5 Spds and are essentially the same price @ ~$13300

It's a 3 Door vs a 4 Door hatch.. Big difference
Keyless with the Yaris but not on the xA
Toyota sound unit vs Pioneer

It feels a lot tighter and more capable than the prior Echo.

a_l_hubcaps

I noticed that the Yaris is now listed on buyatoyota.com, but there is an error in the options list for my region (ZIP 19149). The Power Package equipment list shows alloy wheels, but the option code and price are for the package with steel wheels. I wonder if the window stickers are misprinted too?

Just a heads up -- make sure you are getting what you think you are getting.

-Andrew L

mwqa

The 4 door Yaris hatch is available at car rental companies up here. It's pothole season in Montreal, so guess what I'm going to do this weekend? :P

gwsch

It has been too long since I test drove the Xa, so my comparisons are more because an Xa was in the showroom while I waited for the next step in the purchase process. The dealer had barely unloaded it from the truck when I arrived, so the inspections, etc. also took a while. So the saleman and I talked a fair bit about comparisons. According to what I have found thus far - The Yaris is about 3 inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter. Think 3-dr Scion. The basic engine and drivetrain are very similar. But Toyota has made some changes along the way too. General handling etc. should be very similar. The Xa was the fallback model if the Yaris intro became hopeless, but I greatly dislike power windows and doors. And I should beat the Scion mpg by a bit as well.

Other people seeing the Yaris for the first time think they are looking at a Prius, not the Scion. And from the front especially they are very similar.

Paying close attention today, the throttle response seems rapid, but it still takes me a few miles to adjust to the throttle sensitivity compared to a carburetted Tercel. As best I can tell so far, the difference is mainly the much lighter resistance on the Yaris. My foot is still trained to expect higher and increasing resistance as the throttle opens. I have the same problem when I drive my father's Prius.

On mileage, the gas gauge went down by one eighth at about 60 miles. All city driving so far.

nippononly

they are beginning to come in, and mostly are not all loaded up. I checked on-line inventory at Longo Toyota just because it is such a big dealership - they already have 14, 13 sedans and one hatch not surprisingly. The hatch is a manual and stickers at $12,3 with the convenience package and floor mats. Just about the way I would like it. Very good. Most of Longo's Yarii are under $14K sticker, which is also a good sign, I think. Hopefully this model will stick around on dealer lots longer than the Echo did.

I am very curious to see if any hatches arrive at dealers out there with no options, which should sticker about $11,5 I guess, with the destination charges.

And now that it is actually spec'ed out on Toyota.com, I see that you can get cruise as part of a package on both models of the sedan, but NOT on the hatch, with the exact same powertrain? Thanks a lot, Toyota. :confuse:

nukepooch1

"I see that you can get cruise as part of a package on both models of the sedan, but NOT on the hatch, with the exact same powertrain?"

Interesting you bring that up...I know that the F150 I had had cruise "built-in" to the computer/electronic throttle. The only difference between trucks with cruise and those without was the steering wheel with cruise controls...everything underhood was exactly the same...the steering column was even pre-wired to accept the new wheel, simply swap wheels and you now have cruise.

I wonder if the Yaris is the same? Swap to a "cruise wheel" and all is well?

nippononly

I assumed it would be cruise-on-a-stalk like all the other Toyotas, which is just installed by poking out the rubber cap on the side of the steering wheel. In fact, I guess it's possible dealers could install the exact same cruise the sedan uses as an accessory in the 3-door. I dunno. It's just dumb though.

jaimeyrx

heya guys, this is jaime from australia. i just brought my new yaris, (they changed the name here from echo to yaris aswell) and let me tell you, it is the best car i have ever brought. the only negative thing i have found is the extremely annoying digital dash

nippononly

me too - I like the looks of the Yaris hatch much more than the xA, and plus I would just as soon do without power windows and locks in a car with only two passenger doors anyway. The dealer I visited said they were getting one hatch next Tuesday, an automatic, and that they weren't expecting to get very many hatches at all - most of their stock will be sedans (they had 3 last night when I was there). He said it would be a long wait for a manual - salesman-speak for "please buy from me today"? Perhaps.

Honestly, I think I will either wait for a Yaris hatch with nothing but the convenience package and a manual shift ($12,3 sticker), or just commit to spending about $3500 more and either get a Corolla LE with alloys and cruise or a Fit Sport. The real question I have to settle before I go ahead is if I can resign myself to buying a SECOND car that has no tach. If not, then Yaris is probably out. Hmmmmmmm.........

iluvmysephia1

the xA has the tach, right? I can't remember if I saw one in the 2006 Scion xA Polar White 5-speeder I test-drove the other day. I think the xA does have a tach in that silly center-mounted guage stack there. Actually I would get used to it pretty quickly I think.

I still like the Scion xA and it remains on my futures list. I like the Yaris but Toyota's not bringing over the 5-door hatchback to the States. :mad:

Which takes my mind right back to the Scion xA 5-speed model (the one I drove even had a armrest factory installed along with the i-Pod and stereo upgrade package and foglights as well that drove the price of that one up to $14,195). It sounded like they were going to be fair on the Sportage 4x4 trade-in value, I brought my Kelley Blue Book print-out which clearly showed what I should get for trade-in value. He mentioned that you do know that we are talking "trade-in value" here and not "private party trade-in value" price and I assured him that I did. He said some people don't understand that and get mad at the dealer trade-in value they're quoted.

Oh, the great value of the Internet if we use it to research, my friends! It is so helpful. Let us know what you do, nippononly. I am gonna hold on to the Sportage for a while yet.