Toyota Yaris

tygger

I'm in the DC area also and my post above reflects the price of a sedan. Personally, I think it should be ok to wait since the Honda Fit will be coming out shortly. That should be some strong competition for the Yaris liftback.

If you order one, I think that takes away from your bagaining power. Shoot emails to the local dealers to notify you when they get one in... don't sound desparate.

iluvmysephia1

I'm over just to the east of you in eastern Idaho, Pocatello to be exact. We get lots of snow here from about November to March. Its just now starting to warm up a tad and our grass is turning green. We just moved here from South Dakota in late October, so I'm still learning about the town and this area. I do want to head out into Idaho this spring and summer to enjoy it's many parks and sites all over the place. Truly a "wide-open" land here in Idaho. It is very cool that I have a Toyota dealer one mile from my house so if I buy a Yaris sedan I'm close for service. I could walk home easily while the work is getting done and just walk back.

Yep, I would definitely ask why the $500 for the "NW Protection Package" and just what do you guys do to earn that? The sticker does not tell what they do to earn it!

I'd lobby to delete that $500 on the Barcelona Red one. My holdup is my wife, she loves our Sportage and it is running great at 110,895 miles. It handles the eastern Idaho snow with ease. The Yaris would do well, too, I think with it's FWD. I know it would.

What's a little weird is the Nautical Blue Yaris sedan, selling for $14,080 in 5-speed form and without the "NW Protection Package" is not listed for sale on their website. They just snuck that one in on the sales lot!

It doesn't have the "NW Protection Package" sticker on the window. I'm just gonna have to investigate this, to be continued.

reddroverr

Idaho is a different world from portland. You wife may have a point with keeping the sportage. The NW package probably includes additional weatherproofing in the undercarriage which is supposed to lessen the harm of salted roads...if it was done. I would search the net on that topic. Seems I remember some scam behavior going on. Not that it has to be in this case.

I don't think a Yaris has fwd.

iluvmysephia1

to the Phil Meador Jeep-Subaru-Toyota website to see. They now list the 2007 Toyota Yaris Nautical Blue base sedan in 5-speed form, loaded to the gills with airbags and the Power Package(basically everything I'd want or need in the Yaris sedan minus some sweet rims)for $14,589, just like the one in Barcelona Red.

Whew! Glad to see the sensibility in their pricing of small Toyota sedans. I was starting to wonder there.

I will ask, whenever that time comes for me, what they do to earn that $500 in their "NW Protection Package", though. I am of the impression that modern rigs today don't need any extra undercoating or anything of that nature. It sounds like a money-making gimmick, this "NW Protection Package." I would ask to have that one thrown out I think.

Yeah, it's probably extra undercoating protection to protect from ice-melting additives, it gets horrible snowy/icy here. I'd probably have to pay the $500 and I don't think much haggling would be accepted on these small rigs. I think they're fairly priced so I doubt I would haggle at all. Yep, my wife does have a very, very solid argument in wanting to keep the Sportage 4x4.

backy

"fwd" = front wheel drive, which the Yaris has.

AWD = all wheel drive

4WD = four-wheel drive

micweb

There are several easy ways to "haggle without haggling" (or "haggle without heartburn"):

1. Send out emails to internet sales department and ask for out the door pricing, with a breakdown of the items comprising the pricing. If you are thinking about an extended Toyota warranty, get the internet sales department pricing at the same time, since the finance & insurance department has a healthy mark-up on these items.

2. Check with your credit union. Even if you don't intend to use them for other services instead of your bank, you can open a small savings account and then benefit from their lower loan rates. They have dealers they work with to get you good prices.

3. Check with Costco and similar warehouse clubs to find out their pricing.

4. Check the pricing for AAA members.

5. Watch for advertised specials - but this probably won't be a good option on the Yaris until summer.

Honda Fit buyers have it easier, since there aren't so many equipment variations to confuse things.

If you have a trade-in, some haggling is inevitable even if you just take the dealer's offer on the new car; you can try finding a Carmax and see how much they will buy your trade-in for, outright, before seeing the dealer.

iluvmysephia1

micweb. And checking out credit union deals(I belong to the Boeing Employee's Credit Union, for instance)that would probably spring me a better rate than Phil Meador Jeep-Subaru-Toyota would, huh?

I think I could find the deal-of-the-century and my wife still wouldn't want to trade in, though.

As I drove by there tonight on the way home from dinner out I mentioned that I still see my Yaris sedan in there and she either didn't hear me or chose not to comment. I have a ways to go on this one, huh?

Still want a Yaris sedan, though.

reddroverr

hehe I should have remembered that.

thanks

rxb

I just had a long e-chat with a Toyota "Yaris expert". At first she told me Toyota wasn't making any 5-speed manual liftback Yaris' for the US market. When I offered evidence to the contrary she looked it up and corrected herself. But apparently they aren't being distributed to most regions as the moment. When you go to the Toyota site to "configure your Yaris", most of the zip codes I punched in didn't give me the option of starting with a 5-speed liftback. Florida did for some reason. I guess I'll have to wait a few months and see what happens.

kneisl1

Do a google search for Cherry Hill Toyota and get their number. They had a red three door base just a couple of weeks ago.

tundradude

I drive a Scion but the government still says its a Toyota on all of your official papers.

mltomek

Hi folks!! Still deciding if the Yaris is what I am going to buy. But I am wondering if i should hold out a tad bit longer.

Anybody think Toyota might start bringing the 4 door hatch to the U.S. to compete w/ the Honda Fit?

Anybody think "IF" Honda brings a hybrid Fit to the U.S. that Toyota will follow at the very same time?

I really prefer a 4 door hatch back to 4 doors and a sedan is out of the question(just a hatch kinda guy).

I talked to my local Toyota dealer here in Rapid City, SD (what part u live in iluvmysephia??) and they said they could order me a loaded(everything) w/ security system for 16,000 and change. Sounded kind of high to me???

One last question, the extra airbags that can be added on, exactly what body parts are the designed to protect. Are side curtain airbags the same as head airbags?

reddroverr

that would be speculation on our part. I think the scion xa is already a direct competitor with the Fit. The Scion is very close to the Yaris, they will have a new model soon, so it might even look more like a Yaris...or? Maybe that will appeal to you more.

nippononly

so far have focused on three things, all of which I think are basically "DUH!"s:

1. the back seat is small - well OK, this is a car primarily for two people, as are most subcompacts. It will certainly carry four adults comfortably for trips of an hour or less - I have sat back there.

2. center-mount IP - it is what it is. If you hate the very idea of it, shop elsewhere, but reviewers! Get over yourselves with the anti-center-IP crusade! And everbody else: try them before you decide to hate them. This is really such an insignificant detail - three mintes after you start to drive, you will have forgotten about it.

3. this model does not have the reflexes of a fine sports car - well no kidding. It is a $13K commuter car, people! I call this the Car-and-Driver syndrome. For them, anything less than F1 responses from every car, van, and truck they drive is simply unacceptable. It's ridiculous. Now, if sporty is your thing, then certainly it will be worth your while to check out the Fit, but I suspect that in addition to its sporty handling, you will discover a hard jittery ride, especially over bad pavement, and a lot of noise at highway speeds. Some of the reviews have already hinted at that, even as they said they liked the Fit overall.

Also, unless you are really attached to the ABS and/or side airbags, you will be able to get a nicely equipped Yaris for less money than the comparable Fit.

But I wish the reviewers would get past the three "DUH!"s above, and begin to evaluate this and the other cars in this segment on the merits that buyers will consider - cost of purchase and ownership, fuel economy, reliability, interior storage and versatility, safety (5-star rating for the Yaris from NCAP - yay!), etc.

I would say the most glaring defect of the Yaris is none of the things the reviewers have mentioned, but rather the totally asinine placement and design of the cupholders, which are at nose level, block the vents, and aren't deep enough to properly secure anything. At least the 3-door still has all the interior storage of the old Echo - lots of compartments and storage nooks mean lots of space for stuff, including CDs.

backy

Actually Edmunds hit on the cupholders pretty hard in their review. I mentioned them in my comparo vs. the Accent also.

The problem with the car mags and Web sites is that they are all looking for attributes like on-rails handling and/or blistering 0-60 times, which as you say are not the reason cars like the Yaris exist.

nippononly

one other thing I will say: Edmunds hated the Echo, mostly for the very same reasons - they didn't understand the mission of the car apparently, and of course they hated the center IP.

They were so outspoken in their reviews that I guess they had to do a second review due to popular outcry, and not much changed in their second review. But apparently a few of the editors here were still miffed at the recollection of being forced to reconsider their review back then, so they have panned the Yaris by way of compensation. Edmunds usually hits its target when it reviews cars, but there is a sense of something else in their Yaris review. The same does not apply to what you said in your test drive, and I think your comments were mostly spot on.

In 2000, the Echo was kind of weird, but had a lot going for it compared to its peers, I feel. Fast forward six years, and I believe the Yaris has a lot going for it too. But now there is a lot of very good competition (unlike back then IMHO), the Fit and the Accent/Rio being the best, I think.

foober

I'm guessing edmunds doesn't understand whats coming. Gas going way up over 3.00 dollars a gallon. A world wide economy recession or depression. Edmunds like all the other media propaganda is pushing to sell the most tricked out expensive thing. Spend , spend , spend. Money is no problem. They're either niaeve to whats coming or they are just the mouthpiece to the big car companys to try and suuck as much out of the consumer as possible.

backy

Umm... guess who pays the bills for Town Hall?

thompson7

I have a Yaris sedan (auto, power package) and so far I LOVE it. The cupholders are not shallow, I drove around all day with a 20oz. drink in there with no problems. There is a gadget inside that adjusts and holds it in place. There is also an area for a bottled beverage in the 2 front door pockets. If someone likes to drink the 72 ounce drinks from 7-11 - well, than the cupholders won't work. But for average use, they are fine and secure. It is actually a great position to reach over & grab your drink vs. having to look down.

As far as the center console--it takes zero time to get used to. The human brain has bigger challenges in life, this isn't one of them!

For a small car it is more spacious than I expected (especially inside) and doesn't feel cramped. I traded in a 4Runner with 65,000 miles on it and actually made money getting the Yaris. God bless Toyota

mackabee

We have one on our lot and I took it out for a mini test drive today. My observations: It it what it is. No caranddriver review here. I took it for what it's meant to be. An affordable, inexpensive (redundant I know) fun to drive car. Yes, it was fun to drive. I took it around corners and at one point even did donuts on an empty cul de sac to show one of my colleagues (who just came to us from a Lincoln_Mercury dealer :P ) how to demonstrate turning radius. He was not amused. I guess it's hard to do when your customers are in their seventies and eighties. I'm teaching him though. I came away with a smile on my face. I'm am also not too crazy about the placement of the cupholders. Specially for the driver unless you are left handed which I am not. My passenger seemed to like it.
Mackabee :shades:

nippononly

(BTW) that Edmunds claims that despite the body roll and whatnot, the Yaris is faster through the slalom than the Solstice. Seeing how heavy the Solstice is, that may be more of a comment on the Solstice's handling deficiencies than on the superb handling of the Yaris! :-P

But it wasn't far off the Fit's mark.

bottgers

...the Corolla is rated at 41 MPG highway while the smaller, lighter, smaller engined Yaris is only rated for 40 MPG highway? Makes no sense.

realelite

Yaris is taller, so it gets more drag on the highway. Also, Yaris is geared for more torque, reducing highway mileage. Yaris is primarily a city car. In the city you will get 2 mpg better than Corolla, so Yaris will have the same or better overall fuel economy, unless you drive only on highways.

iluvmysephia1

you're saying that the Yaris sedan's cupholders might not be a problem for me?

I gotta tell ya that as I read reviews of the Yaris sedan I'm not getting an irritated "hate the Yaris sedan" feeling going on inside at all! It only makes me need to go test drive one. I am not one to expect too much out of a car, either. The Yarii base sedans in 5-speeds and Nautical Blue and Barcelona Red, stuffed to the gills w/airbags and ABS, Power package, larger washer fluid tanks and batteries, AM/FM/CD players w/MP3 playing capabilities, etc. selling for $14,589 are not selling yet at my local dealer. I go by there early in the AM before they open to check on them. They're like little puppies waiting in the pet store window, looking out at me with wide eyes and smiles on their faces. The silver automatic one is still there with it's "Flipper" dolphin smile, too.

It's still in the running, yeppa it is.

bamacar

Actually the Yaris sedan is an inch shorter than the Corolla.

tygger

That's a great price. Around my area, similar options will run around $15,250. Where are you located???

iluvmysephia1

I'm in Pocatello, Idaho, 160 miles north of Salt Lake City.

People here have that Midwest mentality(even though this is the Mountain West area) and love their huge pick-em-up trucks and SUV's and bland GM cars of all types. Makes for dull car gawking, yes.

One thing I stumbled upon today while pondering over the two Yarii sedans is that they appear to have the "Convenience Package" and not the "Power Package." So, what I'm saying is that they don't have power windows, doors and mirrors. I studied both of their window stickers today and neither mention power W's/DL's/M's. They do have the larger washer tanks, air conditioning, heavy duty batteries, rear window defrosters, AM/FM/CD w/MP3 playing capability, 15" steel wheels w/covers, protection plates on the top of the bumpers, floor mats, and they both have the full compliment of airbags front and back, too.

So, they're loaded even without being loaded. I am pretty sure I'm right on the lack of power windows, locks and mirors, though. It's a Toyota money-saving thing, I'm supposing. I would find this out early in the test drive. I'd also get new rims at my soonest opportunity for the little smiley-faced sedan, too. Hope nobody buys the red one before I decide. The Nautical Blue Yaris sedan is a "midnight blue" type of blue, very dark and kind of nice for a 2nd choice color.

mackabee

sephia1, are you EVER going to buy a new car??? Let's see, you been gushing about the Kia Sportage, the Scion xA, xB, and the tC, the RAV4, and now the YARIS? Which cars did I leave out?

Mackabee

moparbad

People here have that Midwest mentality(even though this is the Mountain West area) and love their huge pick-em-up trucks and SUV's and bland GM cars of all types. Makes for dull car gawking, yes. :sick: :confuse:

Take your stereotypical stereotype's somewhere else.

tsgeisel

I checked in last week with a dealer in San Jose, hoping to check out a 3-door (or even 5-door if it existed) Yaris. Was told by one of the folks behind the desk that they didn't have any in, and that Northern California (and possibly all of CA, but that seems a bit large) was only slated to get *23* of them.

I'm never buying a car with a trunk again, so that pretty much wipes out the Yaris from my shopping list...mostly because I'll never see one...

vermonter16

I have seen a couple on websites of dealers here in the DC area - 3 to be exact. However, I spoke with a dealer on Friday and he said that the liftback really wouldn't hit the streets at least in our area until May.

They have got to have more though!!! I need to have one!!! I'll be very sad too....because I don't know what I'll do if I can't get it.

reddroverr

haha

You could buy a lot of beer with your $13-16k instead.

iluvmysephia1

yeah, one day. I just love to research and talk about new cars coming to market so much and I find the ones most appealing to me and chat about them. The thing is is my '01 Kia Sportage 4x4 is still not really needing trading in and it handles the snowy, icy eastern Idaho winters (that last about 6 months long, we're at 4,477 feet elevation here)so well that I can't see trading it in.

I just love to consider the possibilites out there, that's all.

mackabee, my current list includes the 2006 Kia Rio LX sedan and the 2006 Kia Rio5 hatchwagon and the 2007 Toyota Yaris sedan in 5-speed base form with the Convenience Package.

foober

Someone mentioned that the yaris rode like a go cart. I told my girlfriend that and she looked at me like. "how much are you spending on this car".

bruyere

A review of my new 2007 Toyota Yaris Base Sedan 4 door.

I purchased this car three days ago. It is white, tan interior, base model, automatic, power package (power accessories, cruise control, 15" alloy wheels), floor mats and keyless entry. Total price was about $15,565 including destination charge.

I love driving this car. My previous car was a '98 Corolla. The 1.5 liter engine is smooth, quiet and fast. It has a timing chain for low maintenance. It shifts with a sporty feel. In fact, the entire car has a sporty feel to it. The ride is firm, at times bouncy, but not at all objectionable. The RPMs overall are very low during city driving (my car has a tachometer). On the highway the RPMs are a bit higher, usually 2,900-3,200 RPMs, but again, it is not objectionable and it is still quiet at 75-80 mph. The car tracks the road beautifully with very little wander.

Inside, the seating is high and I have an excellent view out. The gated shifter is fantastic, as you soon learn that you can shift into gear without having to look down. The backseat has lots of leg room and the rear floor is flat. The only things missing are an engine temperature gauge and an outside temperature gauge. Also, the turn signals are too quiet.

I filled up recently and am receiving 36 mpg in mixed driving...better than expected, as I have a heavy foot.

Overall, this is a great car and I am very happy with my purchase.

brucepadgett

I gotta ask--is the Yaris' ride bumpier than the '98 Corolla's? Thanks.

bruyere

Yes, the Yaris' ride is not as smooth as the '98 Corolla's. However, my Corolla had 98k miles on it and the shocks were shot.

Before buying the Yaris I test drove a 2006 Corolla LE for comparison purposes. The Corolla rode softer, but the handling was sloppier. I immediately liked driving the Yaris better; it had a much tighter feel than the Corolla. The feel of every car is subjective and I simply liked the Yaris better.

kato1

On the highway the RPMs are a bit higher, usually 2,900-3,200 RPMs, but again, it is not objectionable and it is still quiet at 75-80 mph.

so as not to confuse anyone, the yaris at 75-80 mph WILL NOT be at 2900-3200 rpms, instead considerably higher. if you thought it was quiet at that speed, perhaps in your old age youve lost some hearing :P

bruyere

"...perhaps in your old age youve lost some hearing."

Please, there is no need to be derogatory.

kato1

"...perhaps in your old age youve lost some hearing."

Please, there is no need to be derogatory.

um....i hope you didnt take that comment seriously. anyway, i do think for what it is, an entry level subcompact designed (originally in japan as a city runabout) it is a good value. if i had to take it on a highway trip for very long, thoough, it would get tiresome. ive said before, if people can find them packaged where they are $12-$13k they are a good value, but not at $15k.

nippononly

I'm curious - do you know how much your purchase price was below the sticker price of your car?

The Corolla is definitely long on the comfy and short on the handling - I'm not surprised the Yaris is more limber by comparison. And 36 mpg from the auto in mixed driving bodes well, especially on such a new car.

ronald711

This is how I have mine ordered, I wanted the base model with the power package, cause in KY you have to get a sedan sport to get the power, ABS, etc. and it comes out more, so they have to order it from Japan, and it is due in late May or early June they said. I ordered mine in the flint Mica. Mine will be about $15,300 with security and keyless added at the port. I agree it seems like a lot an entry vehicle, but I just can't get comfortable in a corolla, and the interior is blah. I much rather have a Scion xB, but the gas mileage just is not there, but features was, so if Im going to live with this reliable Yaris for several years I want not to skimp on features, it is coming out around what my 1995 Saturn cost me and I had that with power, ABS, etc. So I don't think I will regret the purchase I had done several overnights and in my 180 miles I averaged 35.5 mph and this was mixed driving, and under 200 miles on the vehicle. I thought the interior noise was low, yes you get on certain road surfaces and the noise comes in but I was on freshly laid road surface, and I was at 70-75 and it was really quiet. So it doesn't isolate the noise frm the tires very well, but maybe future tire purchase will help more. I had no complaints. I just have my fingers cross that I get the black toyota looking stereo and not that LCD in dash one tha I didn't like, I believe they told me that was only in the sports. Im getting the base with power package.

brucepadgett

Sticker was $14,500. The dealer matched their sale prices for a couple other identical Corollas which had been advertised as "only these at this exact price".

tygger

Is that 15,300 price before tax/tags and processing fee?

ronald711

Okay I'm looking at my papework, its a base sedan with factory installed FE CP and PQ, then the port was going to install car mats Im having that taken out and having the security with keyless added ($499), so the pricing with destination is 15135 - 150 for floor mats plus security is $15,484 plus tax/license of 1090.14 (KY) so its $16574.14 plus I have a trade in with lcoked in equity of $3300 positive equity and down payment, Im financing exactly $10K for 36 months at 5.59% (plus if I have the option to sell my Subaru outright and have posted it with Autotrader, etc, and I may be able to put more down if I sell it outright, but then I will have no car and may have to jump on something else quicker, maybe a corolla and break my contract ($200) on the Yaris, but Ive never been sucessful in selling my cars outright.

nippononly

I just took my second test drive, finally got to drive a hatchback, and this is the one for me. Everything I am just OK with on the Echo has been improved, starting with the most glaring one: the steering. Quick to self-center, and with some road feel instead of being totally overboosted. Very good.

This car was an automatic, and I was not overly impressed with it - it tended to hold gears at odd times, then NOT down-shift just when I was trying to pass. But no matter, as I wouldn't buy the auto anyway.

The stock stereo is decent but not great - there's a little more road noise in the hatch, which is to be expected in any model that has a sedan and a hatch. The stereo has enough power, but without window-level tweeters like all the other Toyotas get, road rumble on bad pavement tends to drown it out a bit unless you turn it up.

The engine power is good with the A/C running. It's very agile (32-foot turning radius, woo-hoo! I tested that out a couple of times), and feels much more solid than the Echo. And the back seat - wow! Tons of space for two real adults - no encroachment from the roofline, and actual space for knees and feet.

Now, I have mentioned the cupholders in the past, and I was mindful of that tonight - going in there with a supersize Coke from McDonalds. The cupholder actually held it very securely. And while it is in front of the side vent, what I had not noticed until I actually had a drink to put in it was that the vent is recessed from the cupholder, so that even with a big cup in it, the air from it still reaches the driver.

Where my car has hard plastic panels along the bottom of the window-sill, the Yaris hatch has soft cloth-lined panels. The seats are better, the shifter is better, and the headliner is nicer, while the roofline still allows lots of headroom. The clock and dual maplights are standard now.

What I hadn't noticed before is the hatch does NOT have the little remote control handles for the outside mirrors - if you don't get the power package you still have to reach out the window to adjust them, old-school style. The sedan gets the manual remote control handles without the power package. Another weird thing - in the Echo the center-mount IP is canted towards the driver, whereas in the Yaris it seems to be actually canted AWAY from the driver. That was probably just my weird perspective from having just stepped out of my Echo, but what I suspect is that it now faces straight back instead of being pointed slightly towards the driver. I like that one the Echo way, don't like that aspect of the Yaris as much.

The one I drove was white, convenience package and floor mats as the only options (just the way I would like it) and stickered at $13,210 with the automatic. With a stick, it would have been $12,4, which seems like a heck of a bargain.

OTOH, I have been checking out some of the competition, and I think if you want the ABS and/or side airbags, or you want the power package, you would be better off looking at Fit or Accent, both of which provide a better value, but which start at a higher base level of standard equipment than Yaris. Accent at $12,555 includes almost everything except (in usual obtuse carmaker fashion) the A/C, which costs $800 more and which I think almost everyone wants, and except the power W/L/M, which not everybody wants. The stick is terrible in that car, but everything else is pretty nice (I checked one of those out tonight too).

Last thing - the guy showed me the dealerships sales page for the Yaris, and according to that only 4% of all Yarii will be stick shift hatchbacks with the convenience package, while 4% more will be base stick shift hatchbacks with no options at all except floor mats. I want the convenience package (CQ in Toyota-speak), so I will have to wait and see what colors come down the line equipped that way.

foober

And to put it mildly. Its great. Runs smooth over rough roads. Has alot of pickup and go. Not that much road noise. Drives smoothly at 75 and 80 miles an hour. Actually seemed to hit a comfortable place at 80 miles an hour. Very maneuverable and easy to drive.

Basically its a great little car.

realelite

The percentages of Yarii models is very valuable info indeed!
Any idea what are the percentages of other types of manual hatchbacks?
I am wondering what is the chance of getting a manual hatchback with ABS and side air bags as the only added options... :confuse:

Sylvia

Super! If you don't have your page setup on CarSpace yet (just click My CarSpace on the left under Account Tools) - do! I'd love to see some photos in your photo album there.

Congrats!

nippononly

Sorry, there weren't any other manual hatchbacks on the list, only automatics. I imagine if you just want a car configured that way, you will probably have to order it.