The 10% ethanol and stop & go driving is probably costing you about 3 MPG. I would say that you are doing pretty good under the circumstances. Let us know how much you are getting when you start using the AC.
I have the airbags on my sedan and I get consistently 35 in a mostly city driving situation. I took a trip to CA and got consistently 40 with the A/C running and my friend who is a lead foot doing some of the driving. She was doing 80 to 90. The window sticker said 34/39 so I am happy.
I had a Honda VX and put 295000 miles on it and sold it which I really regret, that model would get 44 mpg on the highway all the time. I put it in neutral the life of the car to get better mpg and put it back in gear while rolling and never had any problem with the transmission. I have a new Civic now and do the same thing.I do not expect any problems with it either.
I have had my Yaris 9 months, not a problem. Less than 5% highway driving. Excellent car for mileage if driven right. Lifetime Fuel Economy: 43.95 MPG(US) 90 Day Running Average: 47.41 MPG(US)
If you send me an email, I will send you to a few webpages that will help you to get better mileage. I am not allow on this forum to reference any webpages. You can do better!
I would certainly like to know, and I am also certain that lots of others following this thread would also like to know too. As for you not being allowed to reference other webpages, I have seen many posts with links to sites off this web site, but I cannot recall ever seeing anyone giving someone else their e-mail address on this site. I think we need a ruling by the moderator. I have recently purchased and started using a Scangauge II, and that probably has helped me in getting a couple more miles per gallon, but I am still on my first fillup with it.
Links to other sites are generally OK, but each instance is a judgement call. It's one thing to be sharing info from another site, but what's not allowed is crossing that line to "promoting" a site that also has automotive forums. It's a fuzzy gray line and I know that's as clear as mud, but that's how it works. As far as email addresses in posts, we do discourage that. It's really an online safety thing. There are always those unscrupulous types looking for active email addys to spam. The best way to share your email address with someone is to mark your email as "public" in your profile and then direct forums users to click on your username to find it. That way only registered, logged in Edmunds users can access it and not any anonymous bots or nasty things like that!
The best way to share your email address with someone is to mark your email as "public" in your profile and then direct forums users to click on your username to find it. I appreciate the info. I changed my email to public.
So why not just post the web links now that the moderator has given the okay? The mpg numbers you sight are quite fantastic.... almost too fantastic to be believed! If it's just a question of driving technique as your email alludes to, it should be a most welcomed bit of knowledge by all the readers of this forum. I know I'd sure like to know how to drive MY Yaris to get 47 mpg (with less than 5% highway driving!!). Come'on now.... share with us.
"It's one thing to be sharing info from another site, but what's not allowed is crossing that line to "promoting" a site that also has automotive forums" I would be promoting 2 other sites that have forums, so I cannot show them. Send me an email and I will send them to you. I do suggest getting a scangauge II, that has been a big help in getting great mileage. I also cannot list everything, and I do not have the time. I suggest you read on the 2 webpages, and over time you will do better!
I am looking to purchase a yaris within the next few days and am wondering if there is any drawbacks to going the sedan route versus the liftback route? Will i get the same mpg? I know that I will lose cargo space and that really isnt that big of a deal to me as this is a commuter car for me.
If there isnt a big difference, would the liftback be the better buy as it will be about 1k less than the sedan? Are there any "must haves" for the sedan or liftback that i should be aware of? Thank you for your time and effort.
The MPG ratings are identical. The liftback has more distintive styling than the 4 door and more storage space in the dash (an extra glove box behind the steering wheel). Are the two extra doors worth the extra money to you).
Are there any "must haves" for the sedan or liftback that i should be aware of? I would suggest you get a 5 speed manual if you are looking for the highest miles per gallon. I drive a manual 2007 Yaris liftback/hatchback. Also, I would likely wait for the 2008 models. It is late in the 2007 model year, so your new car will soon be a year old. Just my opinion. You might want to consider getting side airbags, many consider them a must have. I did not get them, and I have never had them in any of my cars in the past.
You might want to consider ABS also. Test reports show the non-ABS Yaris has long stopping distances for this class, wet and dry. Much shorter with ABS. I'd also spring for the 60/40 rear seat. I've found that very useful in other cars, when I've been able to carry 3 people and still haul some long cargo.
I bought a Scangage also and find it useful in showing where I was not getting the best mileage. I was getting about 44 mpg last summer when my Yaris manual lift-back was new. After about 7K miles of break-in and with the help of the Scangage I have been getting a little over 47 mpg. This is for my typical driving which is around 45 mph max on flat, mostly country roads with some stop and go. I took a trip recently on the Interstate and drove about 100 miles at 55 mph and got about 48.1 mpg for the trip on the Scangage. Coming back I drove 65 mph and saw the milage at about 43.8 mpg for that part of the trip. No AC either way, 10% ethanol, 85 deg, flat, no wind, just me in the car. All in all, I’m still very pleased. This kind of mileage might be Toyota’s best kept secret.
can't complain though. I've been hitting 33-36 on mainly city. recently took a trip, though, and the last tank was 10/90 city/highway, AC on 90% of the time, got a high of 41.3 mpg !
Traded my Suzuki XL-7 with over a 110,000 miles on it for a loaded Yaris Sedan. Was getting about 18 to 19 mpg with the ac, both front and rear, going on the Zuki. My yaris sedan with the ac on and highway speeds of 70+ is getting 39.7 mpg. Simply adore the car and it doesn't cost me an arm and leg to fill it up. I can now take road trips again and not break the bank on fuel usage.
I'm very surprised I'm not seeing more reports of people getting over 40 MPG with the Yaris. My '99 non-VVTI engined and heavier Corolla averages 38 MPG, and sometimes gets as high as 41 MPG, and all this while running the A/C. I would've thought the smaller and lighter Yaris with it's VVTI engine would easily be getting in the mid 40's.
"I'm very surprised I'm not seeing more reports of people getting over 40 MPG with the Yaris".
there are plenty. the sampling size on this site for any one car isnt that big. my research done over at yarisworld.com led me to buy a yaris because there were so many owners gettting well over 40 mpg. i traded in a 5 speed corolla for my yaris hatch (i love small hatchbacks). my first tank off the dealer lot was 42.4 mpg with little effort. my second tank is shaping up to be even higher with even less highway miles (70/30, highway/city). i could only get numbers like that in the corolla with 100% highway driving.
the corolla is a great mileage car, particularly the 5 speed. if i liked sedans, the corolla would have stayed in the garage for many years. a yaris sedan would have had ZERO appeal over a corolla. im enjoying the yaris hatchback, and i believe i will average 3-4 mpg higher over the same routes as i did with my corolla. its not a huge gain by any means, but i dont think auto manufacturers will be able to squeeze much more mpg's out of gas-only engine cars at 2300+ pounds.
I went 381 miles on the gas the dealer put in, I assume it was "full". Started at 30 miles already on the odometer. I was about 20 miles after going from 3-2 bars on the gas guage.
It took 9.543gals-----> 39.92mpg
That's with a HB, stick, abs, pwr, 35psi all tires, 90deg temp and about 85% hwy, 5% A/C usage. I failed to look, but I suspect that there was some amount of ethanol in the gas. I tended to run about 65-68 on the hwy (but did hit 80mph if traffic was flying and I was not paying attention), low-rolling hills.
I plan to disable the DRLs when everything stabilizes post break-in, run the tire pressure up, and put in a jug of Mobil 1 that I bought on sale.
Yes, I know, if I am that meticulous...I should have bought a friggin' hy-bird. But it is something to do while filling up. The truck gets 18mpg.
I try to go to the same gas station and use the same pump. I let it click itself off, then shove the nozzle in deep (to prevent spills) and turn the pump back on. I save the gas receipt, write down the mileage, and use a calculator to figure it out later. I live in California which I believe is a 10% ethanol state. Here are my figures for each tank, since my first fill up on 6-7-7:
38.53 36.15 36.37 35.92 36.82 37.51 37.40
Liftback, 5 speed manual. Mostly freeway commute. Includes one high speed run between LA and San Francisco. Note the consistency of the mileage.
On most of my prior cars, I see my mileage drop after a while or at best hold steady. The improvement from reduced friction following break-is is offset, I believe, by me getting used to the car and revving higher later on.
This is the best mileage I've had, although a '97 Dodge Neon was awfully good on the highway.
In terms of "quality of life" I am getting a consistent 32 mpg on a Dodge Caliber, 5 speed stick with 1.8 engine, which is a SUV in relative size to the Yaris. On the other hand the tiny, nimble Yaris is like a sports car compared to the Caliber and to most economy cars. Fit and finish are excellent. It has a LOT more room inside than you'd think, given its laughable exterior dimensions.
I love the liftback styling. It's really way out there. The Fit from Honda is very boring in comparison.
Tentatively, with the A/C running, it looks like it's gona cost me somewhere around 2 mpg (maybe, slightly less). I say tentatively, because I've only run two tank fulls through and I'd really like to reserve judgment until four or five tanks have been used during heavy A/C usage. Plus, here in Dallas, we haven't had our usual typical summer heat wave yet (mostly, we've been "boating" to work!). If I can remember and if we ever get any real summer heat, I'll try to post again at the end of the summer to check it's [A/C] impact.
I'd have to say overall I'm still pretty satisfied with the mileage I'm getting considering the primary type of driving I'm doing. And for the difference in cost of the hybrids (at least so far), it looks like I'll be able to drive for many years before even coming close to breakeven.
It all depends on how many people will be traveling in the car most of the time. If that number is one or two, the liftback would probably be a better choice as you'd be able to fold the rear seats flat and have a ton more room than the sedan offers. OTOH, if you'd be traveling most of the time with more than two people and would need the use of the rear seats, then the sedan has more cargo space.
What year was your Corolla, and does the lower powered Yaris leave you disappointed in any way? I will have to replace my Corolla next year as my youngest daughter is turning 16 and she wants my Corolla. Right now, the Yaris is my #1 choice for its replacement, but I'm having some concerns that the lower powered Yaris will leave me disappointed. I realize my '99 Corolla is no race car, but it has ample power for an economy car and is no slouch by any means. I have had the opportunity to test drive a 5 speed Yaris, but I didn't really get on it hard to see how it actually compares in terms of acceleration with the Corolla. It seemed peppy enough to me, but I just don't want to end up buying one only to regret that decision a month or two later because of a lack of power.
as always, id say go drive a 5 speed yaris and push it enough to satisfy your curiosity. (preferably with no salesman riding along). its the only way you can be sure, as opinions on this are somewhat subjective.
my corolla was an 05, so its the current generation model.i drive the yaris as i did the corolla, with fuel efficiency in mind. therefore, i rarely push the yaris. i feel with just me in the car (i weigh around 240 lbs) i have plenty of go when i need it. i cant speak about the yaris w/auto transmission. i can notice the difference from the corolla mostly starting from a dead stop. the corolla had more low end torque. the diference is not dramatic, as the manual yaris only weighs 2290 lbs.
the bottom line is im not at all disappointed in the yaris. i love the way is looks, and to my surprise the yaris takes bumps and such as smoothly as the corolla and isnt too much noisier on the highway. i never thought this would be the case because all my test drives with the scion xa involved bumpier rides and more highway noise (due mostly to the high rpms in the 5 speed xa). of course, hatchbacks are by nature noisier than their sedan counterparts.
in fact, i drove an 04 matrix 5 speed for almost a year, and i noticed road/engine noise and sluggish acceleration more on that car than the yaris.
if i had to find fault, id say the interior content of the yaris is not as nice as the corolla (mainly, id like a tachometer), but that doesnt bother me a great deal since the exterior looks to me are so much better than the corolla.
5spd HB, ~65mph, 90%hwy, hardly any A/C use, 10%ethanol 35psi in tires.
I too, like most everyone on the site, am pleased with the purchase.
As to the corolla question...I had kicked-around between the two of them myself. Not really a well-defined reason for the Yaris I guess. The Corolla, for the same outfitting, would have cost $1500-2500 more. But...one could certainly make a "great deal" on a Corolla, as they are steeply discounted, especially now I assume, tha the 2008 models are on the lots.
I guess it came down to the Yaris being better-looking (to me) and not occupying 15% of all the spaces in every lot I stopped in (like the Corolla). They haven't changed it at all for 2008, and that means a few billion of them in your state alone. I also think the actual MPG on the Yaris must me better, despite the (then 2007) billing of 41 highway MPG for the Corolla. The 1.8L must be a pretty darn efficient engine to be able to match a motor 0.3L (126HP vs. 106HP, 122 vs. 109Ft*Lbs TQ) smaller, in a car 240 lbs heavier (2530lbs Corolla, 2290lbs Yaris HB (20.1lbs/HP vs 21.6lbs/HP Yaris, the Yaris has ~84% HP of the Corolla, and 89% TQ). The fueleconomy.gov website has actual user reported mileage for all cars. The avg Yaris 37.3MPG vs. 36.2MPG Corolla (5-spd).
The jump from 2nd to 3rd gear seems steeper than the rest of the intervals. The Corolla 5-spd IS easier to drive smoothly I have to admit. The throttle and clutch in th eYaris take some getting used to. I haven't stalled it lately...but I NEVER stalled the Corolla.
Having said all that, I scratch my head and ask (especially after the first time loading the baby seat in to the 2-dr...) why I didn't get the Corolla? But I still smile most everytime I see the Yaris, it's fun to drive, cost a little less and gets slightly better mileage. Plus I won't likely confuse it for all the other Yari in the lot, like the Corolla. The Corolla is the more practical of the two, rides a little more smoothly I suppose, but for a bit more money, all things being equal.
I tried to consider a Fit, but they were hard to come by (I did drive it), cost a fair bit more, gets (mostly) slightly disappointing mileage to its owners and I too thought it looked suspiciously similar to an Aveo. The sport was a blast to drive hard, like a shifter cart. But I had to ask myself how often was I going to drive it like that? And were I to drive it that way, I would kiss my MPG goodbye anyway (if not a few points on my license). I am trying to be a calmer driver as it is. It also had the best interior of the lot I felt. Were they available, and be able to bought for something less than MSRP or above, I might well have bought one (especially after thinking about the baby-seat, rarely). We also have another Honda, and didn't want all eggs in one basket. The Honda was a bit buzz-y at HWY speeds....
I didn't think to much of either the Kia or the Hyundai. That's just me, not claiming either of them isn't good...so please don't start that whole diatribe again, anyone. Please.
The Nissan Versa was a little portly-feeling. It has the most powerful motor, but it didn't seem to matter what gear you were in, it always did the same thing. It is roomy, and rode well and seemed to be priced pretty well. But the mileage was not too good (30.1MPG user avg), and there were some reliability issues if I recall.
I drove the Sentra, it was bland, pogo-ed on the highway, and seemed a little expensive for what you were getting.
If the soon to be sold new Jetta TDI was on its second or third model-yr here, I likely would have bought it (if it lives up to its booking).
It's the mileage page, I droned-on. I liked the Yaris, those of you who don't feel free to yell at me. But as I wanted a very efficient means of 50 miles/day commuting, expected great reliability, and wasn't trying to impress...I was biased to toward the Yaris (or Corolla).
Also, the Yaris has great outward visibility, with the exception of the driver's C-piller. I'm 6,2. I can see the traffic lights without being a contortionist. Cars like the Miata and Civic are pretty painful in that fashion. You sit pretty high-up, I don't see ANY of the exterior of the car as I sit in it.
For the record, I thought the Civic rode pretty harshly, and had a bit more noise (wind/road) than I expected. The exterior styling is rather nice however.
My husband and I picked up his new Yaris on July 12. He just had his second fill up. Stats as follows: 2007 Yaris S Sedan, Manual trans Picked it up with 9 miles on the Odo.
First tank: 37.9 MPG. This is even with break-in and crazy driving (Husband had to squeal tires, burn rubber and other "guy" stuff). Husband did his research and was excited to try a hard break in. We methodically ran it through the gears and revved the engine to high RPMs to pressurize and seat the rings. Even if it doesn't work as advertised, we had a blast testing the power of the engine and learning the range of the car's acceleration. :P
Second tank: 41.5 MPG. :shades: Used as a commuter car for 15-20 miles through country back roads 5/7ths of the time, and short town trips on the weekends (2/7ths). No ethanol, 50% a/c, coasting, and shifting at 2000 rpms.
We hope to increase this even further by installing a K&N air filter. So far, we are saving about $20/month just in gas purchases over his previous car (97 Dodge Avenger). Look for our updated mileage after a few more tanks.
I purchased my Yaris last September. Luv my Yaris....... Lifetime Fuel Economy: 44.98 MPG(US) 90 Day Running Average: 49.28 MPG(US) 2% to 3% highway driving. Hypermiler for life.
I have had my 08 liftback auto transmission for three weeks and have 700 miles on it and get 35mpg. I drive half city and half highway on my daily 50 mile per day round trip commute.I'm not a fast driver, but I think the mileage is better if you drive it a little aggressive rather than being pokey with it.
The most important thing to remember is that the EPA fuel economy numbers are nearly impossible to match when driving in real world conditions. That said, in my automatic equipped Yaris I get around 35mpg in town and 42 freeway. It's a fun car, very comfortable with great build quality. After owning over 8 new Toyota models (Avalon, Highlander, Camry, Rav4, Corolla) over the last five years, I bought this as a city car and find that it's so comfortable, I use it for freeway trips as well. As a hard core auto enthusiast with many other high end (MBZ, BMW, etc) cars, it's very nice to have a small, nible hatchback to enjoy driving.
No, unfortunately not a dud. I average 27.5 mpg most tanks in town. On the one hand, thats still over twice what I got in my F150, but I DO feel lied to by the sticker, which indicates 29 in town. They really need to get better, more accurate sticker ratings!! Most of the folks claiming the rediculously high MPG readings are doing more highway miles, miscalculating their fillups, and/or over-inflating their tires (which is dangerous). I think we would be happier if the sticker just said 27 mpg!!! :surprise:
I agree - there is MUCH exaggeration :shades: of MPG claims on this site!! Some of these folks must be running 100 psi in their tires and gasing up at pumps with bad Gauges !!
10 days ago, the odometer on my 2008 Yaris Liftback turned 1,000 miles. Usually by this mileage I find that I can count on the mileage I'm getting to be fairly consistent, as the car engine is broken in, the rings are seated and it's time to get some accurate readings. I decided to install a ScanGauge II to provide real time mileage. The installation was a snap which only took about 15 minutes. In addition, it offers many other functions as you will see in the enclosed link. (source) http://www.scangauge.com/
The other area I've continued to experiment with is tire inflation pressure. Typically the auto manufacturers list a number that is arrived at from a number of considerations. One of the more influential consideration is tire noise, and ride quality. Therefore the number listed on the door sticker is usually at least 5 to 15 psi lower than the pressure that will return the best mileage.
Another fact to be aware of is you can use the number printed on the side of the tire. Many people think this is unsafe, but to the contrary it's perfectly safe and it's the reason that the tire manufacturer lists it on the sidewall. Without that number there would be no way to know the upper limit of both inflation pressure and the tires load carrying capacity (the number that follows the inflation number) .
That said, there is one drawback if one chooses to use the max inflation pressure and that it that it will wear the center tread faster that the tread near the shoulder of the tire. Just like under inflation wears the outside shoulders and leaves the center of the tire with lots of tread remaining.
What I have found through recording the data supplied by the Scangauge II and trying a wide range of tire pressures, is that I get the best mileage with the tires on the Yaris at 12 psi over the door sticker. I will continue to monitor the wear, but expect it to be even across the entire tread, as I have used 10 psi over in the past with no problem whatsoever. However that was with other models of cars and each has it's own unique response to tire pressures. For more tire info, here is a link (source) http://www.michelinman.com/glossary/#u
Since the installation of the ScanGauge II and choosing to run 12 psi over sticker, I have ran through three tanks of gas, and I'm now on my fourth. (I drive a lot). The first tank was very close to 50/50 city/freeway and returned 36mpg. The second tank was nearly 95% freeway @ 68 mph and returned 44mpg. The third tank was very, very mixed, therefore hard to estimate how much city vs freeway driving, that tank returned 37mpg.
At this point, I'm very satisfied with the results and the more I drive it, the better I like this car. I especially enjoy the ScanGauge as it's a great reminder which helps me drive in a much more consistent way with an eye on mileage.
Finally there is nothing like measurable results. Facts, not seat of the pants estimates.
Since the door pillar says 32psi and you added 12psi, you are at the 44psi sidewall max. So that makes sense it would produce best gas mileage. I would be curious to see what you get freeway at a more modest 55 mph. My guess is it would be higher! :shades:
One drawback to tire overinflation is increased tire wear. Although at 12psi over recommended inflation pressure levels, you are still within the parameters of maximum inflation pressure, I think you will find over time that your tire wear will primarily occur in the center area of the tread, instead of consistent wear across the entire tread patch. In other words, you are maximizing your fuel efficiency, but you will wear out your tires prematurely. The money you save on fuel may be spent on new tires sooner than normally expected.
Comments
Lifetime Fuel Economy: 43.95 MPG(US)
90 Day Running Average: 47.41 MPG(US)
As far as email addresses in posts, we do discourage that. It's really an online safety thing. There are always those unscrupulous types looking for active email addys to spam. The best way to share your email address with someone is to mark your email as "public" in your profile and then direct forums users to click on your username to find it. That way only registered, logged in Edmunds users can access it and not any anonymous bots or nasty things like that!
I appreciate the info. I changed my email to public.
I would be promoting 2 other sites that have forums, so I cannot show them. Send me an email and I will send them to you. I do suggest getting a scangauge II, that has been a big help in getting great mileage.
I also cannot list everything, and I do not have the time. I suggest you read on the 2 webpages, and over time you will do better!
If there isnt a big difference, would the liftback be the better buy as it will be about 1k less than the sedan?
Are there any "must haves" for the sedan or liftback that i should be aware of?
Thank you for your time and effort.
I would suggest you get a 5 speed manual if you are looking for the highest miles per gallon. I drive a manual 2007 Yaris liftback/hatchback.
Also, I would likely wait for the 2008 models. It is late in the 2007 model year, so your new car will soon be a year old. Just my opinion.
You might want to consider getting side airbags, many consider them a must have. I did not get them, and I have never had them in any of my cars in the past.
I took a trip recently on the Interstate and drove about 100 miles at 55 mph and got about 48.1 mpg for the trip on the Scangage. Coming back I drove 65 mph and saw the milage at about 43.8 mpg for that part of the trip. No AC either way, 10% ethanol, 85 deg, flat, no wind, just me in the car.
All in all, I’m still very pleased. This kind of mileage might be Toyota’s best kept secret.
can't complain though. I've been hitting 33-36 on mainly city. recently took a trip, though, and the last tank was 10/90 city/highway, AC on 90% of the time, got a high of 41.3 mpg !
sedan auto tranny.
there are plenty. the sampling size on this site for any one car isnt that big. my research done over at yarisworld.com led me to buy a yaris because there were so many owners gettting well over 40 mpg. i traded in a 5 speed corolla for my yaris hatch (i love small hatchbacks). my first tank off the dealer lot was 42.4 mpg with little effort. my second tank is shaping up to be even higher with even less highway miles (70/30, highway/city). i could only get numbers like that in the corolla with 100% highway driving.
the corolla is a great mileage car, particularly the 5 speed. if i liked sedans, the corolla would have stayed in the garage for many years. a yaris sedan would have had ZERO appeal over a corolla. im enjoying the yaris hatchback, and i believe i will average 3-4 mpg higher over the same routes as i did with my corolla. its not a huge gain by any means, but i dont think auto manufacturers will be able to squeeze much more mpg's out of gas-only engine cars at 2300+ pounds.
I went 381 miles on the gas the dealer put in, I assume it was "full". Started at 30 miles already on the odometer.
I was about 20 miles after going from 3-2 bars on the gas guage.
It took 9.543gals-----> 39.92mpg
That's with a HB, stick, abs, pwr, 35psi all tires, 90deg temp and about 85% hwy, 5% A/C usage. I failed to look, but I suspect that there was some amount of ethanol in the gas. I tended to run about 65-68 on the hwy (but did hit 80mph if traffic was flying and I was not paying attention), low-rolling hills.
I plan to disable the DRLs when everything stabilizes post break-in, run the tire pressure up, and put in a jug of Mobil 1 that I bought on sale.
Yes, I know, if I am that meticulous...I should have bought a friggin' hy-bird. But it is something to do while filling up. The truck gets 18mpg.
38.53
36.15
36.37
35.92
36.82
37.51
37.40
Liftback, 5 speed manual. Mostly freeway commute. Includes one high speed run between LA and San Francisco. Note the consistency of the mileage.
On most of my prior cars, I see my mileage drop after a while or at best hold steady. The improvement from reduced friction following break-is is offset, I believe, by me getting used to the car and revving higher later on.
This is the best mileage I've had, although a '97 Dodge Neon was awfully good on the highway.
In terms of "quality of life" I am getting a consistent 32 mpg on a Dodge Caliber, 5 speed stick with 1.8 engine, which is a SUV in relative size to the Yaris. On the other hand the tiny, nimble Yaris is like a sports car compared to the Caliber and to most economy cars. Fit and finish are excellent. It has a LOT more room inside than you'd think, given its laughable exterior dimensions.
I love the liftback styling. It's really way out there. The Fit from Honda is very boring in comparison.
Please record your mileage at
www.FuelEconomy.gov
-
Tentatively, with the A/C running, it looks like it's gona cost me somewhere around 2 mpg (maybe, slightly less). I say tentatively, because I've only run two tank fulls through and I'd really like to reserve judgment until four or five tanks have been used during heavy A/C usage. Plus, here in Dallas, we haven't had our usual typical summer heat wave yet (mostly, we've been "boating" to work!). If I can remember and if we ever get any real summer heat, I'll try to post again at the end of the summer to check it's [A/C] impact.
I'd have to say overall I'm still pretty satisfied with the mileage I'm getting considering the primary type of driving I'm doing. And for the difference in cost of the hybrids (at least so far), it looks like I'll be able to drive for many years before even coming close to breakeven.
my corolla was an 05, so its the current generation model.i drive the yaris as i did the corolla, with fuel efficiency in mind. therefore, i rarely push the yaris. i feel with just me in the car (i weigh around 240 lbs) i have plenty of go when i need it. i cant speak about the yaris w/auto transmission. i can notice the difference from the corolla mostly starting from a dead stop. the corolla had more low end torque. the diference is not dramatic, as the manual yaris only weighs 2290 lbs.
the bottom line is im not at all disappointed in the yaris. i love the way is looks, and to my surprise the yaris takes bumps and such as smoothly as the corolla and isnt too much noisier on the highway. i never thought this would be the case because all my test drives with the scion xa involved bumpier rides and more highway noise (due mostly to the high rpms in the 5 speed xa). of course, hatchbacks are by nature noisier than their sedan counterparts.
in fact, i drove an 04 matrix 5 speed for almost a year, and i noticed road/engine noise and sluggish acceleration more on that car than the yaris.
if i had to find fault, id say the interior content of the yaris is not as nice as the corolla (mainly, id like a tachometer), but that doesnt bother me a great deal since the exterior looks to me are so much better than the corolla.
42.3mpg
5spd HB, ~65mph, 90%hwy, hardly any A/C use, 10%ethanol
35psi in tires.
I too, like most everyone on the site, am pleased with the purchase.
As to the corolla question...I had kicked-around between the two of them myself. Not really a well-defined reason for the Yaris I guess. The Corolla, for the same outfitting, would have cost $1500-2500 more. But...one could certainly make a "great deal" on a Corolla, as they are steeply discounted, especially now I assume, tha the 2008 models are on the lots.
I guess it came down to the Yaris being better-looking (to me) and not occupying 15% of all the spaces in every lot I stopped in (like the Corolla). They haven't changed it at all for 2008, and that means a few billion of them in your state alone. I also think the actual MPG on the Yaris must me better, despite the (then 2007) billing of 41 highway MPG for the Corolla. The 1.8L must be a pretty darn efficient engine to be able to match a motor 0.3L (126HP vs. 106HP, 122 vs. 109Ft*Lbs TQ) smaller, in a car 240 lbs heavier (2530lbs Corolla, 2290lbs Yaris HB (20.1lbs/HP vs 21.6lbs/HP Yaris, the Yaris has ~84% HP of the Corolla, and 89% TQ). The fueleconomy.gov website has actual user reported mileage for all cars. The avg Yaris 37.3MPG vs. 36.2MPG Corolla (5-spd).
The jump from 2nd to 3rd gear seems steeper than the rest of the intervals. The Corolla 5-spd IS easier to drive smoothly I have to admit. The throttle and clutch in th eYaris take some getting used to. I haven't stalled it lately...but I NEVER stalled the Corolla.
Having said all that, I scratch my head and ask (especially after the first time loading the baby seat in to the 2-dr...) why I didn't get the Corolla? But I still smile most everytime I see the Yaris, it's fun to drive, cost a little less and gets slightly better mileage. Plus I won't likely confuse it for all the other Yari in the lot, like the Corolla. The Corolla is the more practical of the two, rides a little more smoothly I suppose, but for a bit more money, all things being equal.
I tried to consider a Fit, but they were hard to come by (I did drive it), cost a fair bit more, gets (mostly) slightly disappointing mileage to its owners and I too thought it looked suspiciously similar to an Aveo. The sport was a blast to drive hard, like a shifter cart. But I had to ask myself how often was I going to drive it like that? And were I to drive it that way, I would kiss my MPG goodbye anyway (if not a few points on my license). I am trying to be a calmer driver as it is. It also had the best interior of the lot I felt. Were they available, and be able to bought for something less than MSRP or above, I might well have bought one (especially after thinking about the baby-seat, rarely). We also have another Honda, and didn't want all eggs in one basket. The Honda was a bit buzz-y at HWY speeds....
I didn't think to much of either the Kia or the Hyundai. That's just me, not claiming either of them isn't good...so please don't start that whole diatribe again, anyone. Please.
The Nissan Versa was a little portly-feeling. It has the most powerful motor, but it didn't seem to matter what gear you were in, it always did the same thing. It is roomy, and rode well and seemed to be priced pretty well. But the mileage was not too good (30.1MPG user avg), and there were some reliability issues if I recall.
I drove the Sentra, it was bland, pogo-ed on the highway, and seemed a little expensive for what you were getting.
If the soon to be sold new Jetta TDI was on its second or third model-yr here, I likely would have bought it (if it lives up to its booking).
It's the mileage page, I droned-on. I liked the Yaris, those of you who don't feel free to yell at me. But as I wanted a very efficient means of 50 miles/day commuting, expected great reliability, and wasn't trying to impress...I was biased to toward the Yaris (or Corolla).
Have a nice day.
For the record, I thought the Civic rode pretty harshly, and had a bit more noise (wind/road) than I expected. The exterior styling is rather
2007 Yaris S Sedan, Manual trans
Picked it up with 9 miles on the Odo.
First tank: 37.9 MPG. This is even with break-in and crazy driving (Husband had to squeal tires, burn rubber and other "guy" stuff). Husband did his research and was excited to try a hard break in. We methodically ran it through the gears and revved the engine to high RPMs to pressurize and seat the rings. Even if it doesn't work as advertised, we had a blast testing the power of the engine and learning the range of the car's acceleration. :P
Second tank: 41.5 MPG. :shades: Used as a commuter car for 15-20 miles through country back roads 5/7ths of the time, and short town trips on the weekends (2/7ths). No ethanol, 50% a/c, coasting, and shifting at 2000 rpms.
We hope to increase this even further by installing a K&N air filter. So far, we are saving about $20/month just in gas purchases over his previous car (97 Dodge Avenger).
O-ya. 80 to 90 MPH with the A/C on. I can't complain.
Lifetime Fuel Economy: 44.98 MPG(US)
90 Day Running Average: 49.28 MPG(US)
2% to 3% highway driving.
Hypermiler for life.
That said, in my automatic equipped Yaris I get around 35mpg in town and 42 freeway. It's a fun car, very comfortable with great build quality. After owning over 8 new Toyota models (Avalon, Highlander, Camry, Rav4, Corolla) over the last five years, I bought this as a city car and find that it's so comfortable, I use it for freeway trips as well.
As a hard core auto enthusiast with many other high end (MBZ, BMW, etc) cars, it's very nice to have a small, nible hatchback to enjoy driving.
http://www.scangauge.com/
The other area I've continued to experiment with is tire inflation pressure.
Typically the auto manufacturers list a number that is arrived at from a number of considerations. One of the more influential consideration is tire noise, and ride quality. Therefore the number listed on the door sticker is usually at least 5 to 15 psi lower than the pressure that will return the best mileage.
Another fact to be aware of is you can use the number printed on the side of the tire. Many people think this is unsafe, but to the contrary it's perfectly safe and it's the reason that the tire manufacturer lists it on the sidewall. Without that number there would be no way to know the upper limit of both inflation pressure and the tires load carrying capacity (the number that follows the inflation number) .
That said, there is one drawback if one chooses to use the max inflation pressure and that it that it will wear the center tread faster that the tread near the shoulder of the tire. Just like under inflation wears the outside shoulders and leaves the center of the tire with lots of tread remaining.
What I have found through recording the data supplied by the Scangauge II and trying a wide range of tire pressures, is that I get the best mileage with the tires on the Yaris at 12 psi over the door sticker. I will continue to monitor the wear, but expect it to be even across the entire tread, as I have used 10 psi over in the past with no problem whatsoever. However that was with other models of cars and each has it's own unique response to tire pressures. For more tire info, here is a link (source)
http://www.michelinman.com/glossary/#u
Since the installation of the ScanGauge II and choosing to run 12 psi over sticker, I have ran through three tanks of gas, and I'm now on my fourth. (I drive a lot).
The first tank was very close to 50/50 city/freeway and returned 36mpg.
The second tank was nearly 95% freeway @ 68 mph and returned 44mpg.
The third tank was very, very mixed, therefore hard to estimate how much city vs freeway driving, that tank returned 37mpg.
At this point, I'm very satisfied with the results and the more I drive it, the better I like this car. I especially enjoy the ScanGauge as it's a great reminder which helps me drive in a much more consistent way with an eye on mileage.
Finally there is nothing like measurable results. Facts, not seat of the pants estimates.
Cheers!