A friend asks for people's thoughts on Toyota Yaris. Any here?

[elleng]

[wickerwoman]

1. I drove one for a few days as a rental car and loved it.

It was very user friendly, clear panels and displays, plenty of trunk room for runs to the grocery store. I drove it up some pretty steep, winding cliff roads at a decent speed with no complaints from the engine.

Seemed like a great value for the money (but it was the first car I'd driven in like six years). When I have money again and get a job where I need a car, the Yaris will be one of the first cars I look at.

[struggle4progress]

2. I'm disappointed in the mpg estimates. The list price for the standard package looks OK

I've had a Toyota with the centrally placed instrument panel for about a decade, and although I was slightly concerned I might have trouble adjusting to it (after years of staring through the wheel at the speedometer) I had no trouble adjusting and consider it a good placement

[Inspired]

4. I know what you mean about the panel.

I thought I wouldn't like it but it seems so natural to me now. I think it is a better placement that behind the steering wheel.

[Inspired]

3. I have a Yaris. I call it my little black jelly bean.

cuz that's what it looks like!

It gets great mileage. I only drive in the city and I fill my tank every 2 weeks or more.

It gets around great in the snow and ice. I've never had a problem and we've had some crazy bad weather this winter.

It is tiny but on the inside it doesn't feel tiny. I wouldn't put a family of four in it for a long drive though.

I love the middle placement of the instrument panel.

The only problem that I've had with my Yaris is door dings. I've had more problems with door dings on my Yaris than any other car. It's weird. I try to always park my car very carefully yet I've managed to get several. It is depressing seeing these on a new car.

[david13]

5. I have had experience with Toyotas but not Yaris specifically.

And I think you probably cannot go wrong with Toyota. Dependability, long lasting, difficult to find better gas mileage.
So, why not.
dc

[elleng]

6. I've got one! My folks gave me their '92 Corolla wagon last year,

and its still going strong! (about 114,000 miles.)

[Mopar151]

18. Well maintained and carefully driven, it'll got to at least 250K

If you live in salt country, maintain the undercoating and fix paint scratches and chips. Wax will seal up chips and spots for a while. And keep the carpets dry - a lot of cars these days rust the floor from the inside out.
If someone in your area offers oil undercoating, it REALLY works. Some mechanics hate it,'cuz the underside of the car will blacken anyone who touches it - but adjustments and hardware will not rust, and will remain "unfrozen".

[elleng]

22. HOPE to keep, it Mopar.

In DC exurb, and have avoided salt so far. Car spent most of its time in FL, I drove it north last year. Not my dream as to 'esthetics,' but don't want to think of an auto investment. Thanks

[Mopar151]

24. Like those "one payment" cars myself

$10 K/year in depreciation is a pretty expensive ego stroke - especailly to be just like the other guy. And the little station wagons are a favorite of mine - Couple bags of topsoil, a Costco run, a V-8 engine block, or 4 used race tires - no fuss, no muss.

[elleng]

26. Dad used it to transport cow manure from VT > NY for garden!

[NNadir]

8. Some years back though, to increase gas mileage on their minivan,

they increased the compression ratio in a few available engines.

The problem - as pressure and temperature are functions of one another - was that the engines regularly exceeded the breakdown temperature of engine oil, causing the engine to seize.

Toyota did everything they could to avoid paying people for the engine work for this design flaw under warranty. For instance they tried to claim that all of the cars were improperly maintained.

My cousin was one victim of this deal: I encountered it elsewhere while studying certain kinds of engineering problems and when my cousin told me about the problem, I was able to explain it.

I owned one Toyota myself, an SR5 wagon that was under powered but got very good mileage for its time. I drove it 144,000 miles, and a rock hit the oil pan, puncturing it and creating a small leak. The repair was estimated to cost about a grand, so I put it on the market, explaining the problem in the ad. No matter. The phone never stopped ringing. I sold it to the first guy who showed up for about 1/3 of what I paid for it new.

Also the service was very good in those days. There was a design flaw in the rotor that caused it to fail at 80,000 miles, long after the engine was out of warranty. Nevertheless, Toyota agreed to do the repair for free, no complaints.

Thus I was surprised by my cousin's experience, and the experience of many other people. Obviously Toyota has gotten cocky and will probably end up going the way of GM which historically made the best cars in the world and then changed its business practices.

Personally I confess that I believe that humanity should phase out car CULTures rather than spread them, since they are inherently toxic and cannot be made safe, sustainalbe or acceptable.

But in this regard I feel I am a voice in the wilderness, although my contention is that all cars suck and therefore all car companies suck.

[madrchsod]

7. from car survey.......

http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/toyota/yaris/

[mopinko]

9. get a honda fit.

so sayeth my genius son the car nut.
so, we did. great, great little car.

[LeftyMom]

10. Unless the price difference was huge I'd go for the Honda Fit instead.

A friend has a Yaris as his work vehicle and doesn't complain about it but doesn't rave about it either. Everybody I know who has a Fit loves it.

[Mopar151]

11. It's a small car thing, maybe

I'm from a "VW's since '56" family, FWIW. Small cars, particularly front wheel drive, need high quality tires to perform at their best. Not just on the racetrack - but hydroplaning, accident avoidance, emergency braking, and that f*&^%#@ slush. And the OE tires, especially on base models, tend to be kinda crappy. Best place to find out what a good tire is, and what OE ones to avoid, is likely a message board devoted to Yarrises (Yarri?)

A master of the "wee ones", Irish rally driver Paddy Hopkirk demonstrates a 1st gen. Mini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AQCFoWSXEU
Team O'Neil driving school teaches these techniques today - his instructors range from racer kids through the retired State cop who used to chase Tim in his "wild days".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqGmoRjQsdE

[quakerboy]

12. Does your friend want a very small car?

does your friend have any moderate to large friends he or she might ever want to provide a ride too?

If the answer is yes, then the answer is no. I was interested in one, but I literally could not get inside to take a test drive. Others mentioned the honda fit. That I test drove. Way underpowered, but other than that, very nice.

[elleng]

21. I think he's decided he does not want such a small car,

as he'd like to take some 'trips,' other than around town. Toyo something probably has it.

[Jade Fox]

13. I like mine but....

if I had to do it over I might go for a Honda Fit or Hyundai Accent.

I bought my Yaris because it was a 2 1/2 year old car with less than 3000 miles on it. I love having a hatchback, even though the Yaris has no room in the hatch if you have the back seat up. Fortunately for me I have no need for a back seat and just have it folded down all the time.

My Yaris does not get the mileage I was expecting, only about 29 miles/gal city driving.

[LeftyMom]

14. Only 29?!?

I get that in my Subie, and I think you could park a Yaris inside it.

[Jade Fox]

15. Yup, it's pretty disappointing.....

Before I bought a Yaris I heard repeatedly that they get 35/gal. Not mine.

[Bertha Venation]

16. We have one and we love it.

Took it on a road trip from Maryland to East Tennessee. That was a little rough; it is a little car, after all. But it really is terrific.

[NightWatcher]

17. my 06 Corolla got 33+ mpg before I sold it

but I assume it still gets that mileage

[old mark]

19. Repair and parts are ridiculously expensive on Toyotas, but they

are pretty good driving/handling cars, at least the older ones I am experienced with.
The worst Japanese car is infinitely better than any German car.
mark

[grace0418]

20. My friend absolutely loved his. Had to sell it when he and his wife had a baby, and

was very sad about it. Personally, I'd rather have a Honda Fit, but the Yaris seems pretty cool.

[MilesColtrane]

23. Warning flags went up for me at the name.

Yaaaariss!

The sound you make heaving your guts out after a 16 hour tequila binge.

[Mopar151]

25. I thought it was "Buick!"

It's hard to tell - the porcelain echoes.

[JVS]

27. I considered it, but did not like the fact that the instrument panel is in the center of the dash...

instead of in front of the driver.

[MrsBrady]

28. Get a Honda Fit instead

I went with the Fit over the Yaris.

Best decision ever. Love my Honda.

[GoCubsGo]

29. Well, living in a state where full-size pick up trucks and SUVs dominate the roads...

The Yaris screams "Death Trap," as does the Honda Fit. I'm a bit claustrophobic, and the smallest I'd go would be a Ford Focus, which is a bit larger and gets comparable gas mileage. And, from what I understand, the reliability is comparable, too. I read somewhere a while back that there were some quality control issues with the Yaris. Wish I could remember the source...

[dembotoz]

30. my very best friend has one an likes it pretty much

enough to name it.
Had a Buick so reduction in size took some getting used to.
But the improvement in gas savings did not.
She had wanted a prius but her wallet said yaris and she seems to be
happy with the wallets decision