Test Drove a 2009 Today...

[johnstevens]

Overall I loved the car itself, much better than the Fit I drove a couple days before. The lease deal that Toyota is running right now is a huge plus for the car as well.

The one HUGE complaint is the funky placement of the speedometer, gauges, etc. in the middle of the dash.

How long did it take you guys to get over it? Are there any aftermarket solutions for the problem?

[WeeYari]

The one HUGE complaint is the funky placement of the speedometer, gauges, etc. in the middle of the dash.

How long did it take you guys to get over it? Are there any aftermarket solutions for the problem?

Took a couple of days to fully adjust to central cluster. Now it feels completely natural to have them placed there.

Are there any solutions to what problem? Are you inferring the cluster location is a problem?

[PreciousPups4U]

Took less than one day. No problem at all.

I liked mine so much, we bought a second one for my husband 4 months later.

[Thirty-Nine]

I got used to the center cluster very quickly. It quite literally becomes second nature.

[Forrest]

:smile::smile::smile:You will get used to the center placement after only driving a couple of days. It takes 'no time' to get over it !

[WeeYari]

You'll also love the added glove box in front of the steering wheel. Passengers see me rest my morning Breakfast sandwich and hash brown in there, and are just amazed by some of the ingenious features of this car.

[YAR1S]

I drove a "normal" car today and forgot to look straight down.... I much prefer it in the middle.

[ZING]

haha not only does it become second nature, it becomes preferable. Can't drive my BMW anymore, I keep looking to the middle.

[twowheels]

I go back and forth between the Yaris and my "normal" car without even thinking about it. The first few days there were a few moments of confusion when I'd look in the wrong place (on both cars as I started to adjust), especially at night when I'd look down to see darkness, but now I don't even think about it. I love the glovebox that is there instead, very handy!

I also testdrove the Fit (though less than an hour apart) and preferred the Yaris as well.


Edit: One drawback of the center speedometer. It's slightly angled toward the driver, but the passenger can see it just fine. Problem is, if you're a conservative driver and your passenger wants you to drive faster they're seeing it from an oblique perspective and think that you're going slower than you really are -- then again, this could work to your advantage as well. :-)

[marcus]

mid console is the greatest..once you get use to it .youll find that the standard dash will be awkward unless ur steering wheel is see thru or made of glass then it may be ok..

[WeeYari]

Edit: One drawback of the center speedometer. It's slightly angled toward the driver, but the passenger can see it just fine. Problem is, if you're a conservative driver and your passenger wants you to drive faster they're seeing it from an oblique perspective and think that you're going slower than you really are -- then again, this could work to your advantage as well. :-)

Are you sure it's angled? Something slightly different in the '09s? '06-'08 is dead flat. Prior years (Echo) had it turned toward the driver.

[NJBob]

Yeah the center cluster is no problem. I don't remember it even being an effort...got used to it in minutes. :smile:

[IllusionX]

haha who cares where it's really angled to :)

anyways.. it's not like the problem is because the cluster is in the middle. It is just better that you don't have to look down. Even the civic has started making the speedometer higher than usual.


I never had to get used to the new placement of the yaris' cluster. I don't look at where the cluster usually is, but i look for where the cluster is actually is. The cluster is always in the view. so you can't really miss it.

[tuckevalastin]

I much prefer the traditional gauge layout but it doesn't really take long to get used to using the center mounted gauges.

[MUSKOKA800]

The only time the centre cluster got my attention was the first time I put on my left turn signal and saw a flash to my right (instead of left).
After no time I prefer the clean view straight ahead. I do wish the sedan had the left side dash storage of the LB.

[nemelek]

My wife likes it as a passenger. She doesn't have to rubber neck to see how fast I am going.

[specialeducator]

Overall I loved the car itself, much better than the Fit I drove a couple days before. The lease deal that Toyota is running right now is a huge plus for the car as well.

The one HUGE complaint is the funky placement of the speedometer, gauges, etc. in the middle of the dash.

How long did it take you guys to get over it? Are there any aftermarket solutions for the problem?

Two minutes

[Yaris]

All vehicles should be built this way.

[CrazedEpidemic]

Since it was my first car I got used to it on my first drive. I didnt even really care or was stunned when I test drove it.

[twowheels]

Are you sure it's angled? Something slightly different in the '09s? '06-'08 is dead flat. Prior years (Echo) had it turned toward the driver.

I just went and looked... perhaps you're right, maybe it's just that the passenger is looking at it from the other side & at freeway speeds it's nearly straight up, amplifying the effect.

[MadMax]

I actually prefer the center-mounted console. I hate the fact that in every other car I own I can only partially see the speedometer and tach because of the steering wheel. The console should be either moved up and closer to the windshield, or in the middle like the Yaris.

Cheers! M2

[Yar Is Word]

You can adjust your seating position any way you like and not worry about having the steering wheel block the view to your gauges.

[SilverBack]

Only took me about a minute to get used to it in the daytime, but 3 whole days to get used to it at night. Something about having a dark empty space behind the steering wheel just seemed kinda weird at first. Now I wouldn't have it any other way.

[id3379]

You'll also love the added glove box in front of the steering wheel. Passengers see me rest my morning Breakfast sandwich and hash brown in there, and are just amazed by some of the ingenious features of this car.

i wish my sedan had that glove box in front of the steering wheel :(

i don't know why they didn't add it :cry:

[mastaofdisasta]

i actually hate driving a car with normal gauge setup, my gf's dodge neon trips me out harcore, and the crv's in the family, all seem so impractical now because oif the gauge setup

[andruboz]

if you like a speedo in front of you, try mounting your gps on the left or get a scangauge and leave one of the 4 parameters set on speedometer.

i find there is a few mph of 'parallax error' due to the speedo placement , but like motorcycles the error is to the minus so its trying to save you a speeding ticket.

[jambo101]

Welcome to the forum Johnstevensthat center mounted dash wont bother you for long if at all.i've been looking through steering wheels for 45yrs and it took no time at all to adjust to the central positioning.

[Pars]

I didn't have any learning curve. I had my portable NAV mounted to the centre of the windshield and was already used to focusing on mid-dash well before I got the Yaris. I no longer have my Yaris, traded it in for a Rav4 about a year ago, but given a choice, I'd still prefer centre for the console.

[Vinsanity]

it bothered me for a day or two. it better that way so we can see everything in front.

[johnstevens]

Okay, then. I've leased a 2009 Yaris. It's the base automatic. The value over the Honda Fit was just better and it came down to numbers. Toyota won my money by having the better deal in a recession. Plain and simple.

After about a week of driving I've got some good AND bad:

I can fit this guy F@#@ing ANYWHERE. ANYWHERE! It's that small and maneuverable. Simply Amazing!

The stock lights leave something to be desired. The headlights, I think, need to be swapped out for something brighter. I'm really not wild about the interior lights not turning on when you open the door. Double that for no automatic overhead lights. It gets dark at night!

I absolutely hate the fact that the lights don't turn off automatically. My ten year old truck had this feature and I've got to re-learn to make sure my lights are off. That just boggles my mind, and should be a standard feature.

The gas mileage is simply incredible. Coming from a small pick-up 10 year old truck? AMAZING!

The center dash is driving me nuts. I understand why it was designed that way, but that doesn't change the way I feel. Time will tell. I wish the whole thing was just digital, speed and all. That might make the change a tad more palatable. Any aftermarket solutions available?

The handling is excellent in the rain. I haven't tested it yet in Ohio snow but I'm full of confidence.

The view is INCREDIBLE when driving. Seriously? It's almost like a video game I can see out the front and sides so well. That said?

The small back window, with washer leaves something to be desired.

More as I drive...

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/9508/photou.th.jpg (http://img527.imageshack.us/my.php?image=photou.jpg)

[WeeYari]

I'm really not wild about the interior lights not turning on when you open the door. Double that for no automatic overhead lights. It gets dark at night!

Are your switch settings on the lights themselves in the correct position.

[wiirenet]

I absolutely hate the fact that the lights don't turn off automatically. My ten year old truck had this feature and I've got to re-learn to make sure my lights are off. That just boggles my mind, and should be a standard feature.

Don't want to hijack your thread but this would be useful to you too if someone answered-
Is it possible to mod a car somehow to turn off the headlights automatically?
I can't even count the times I've left my lights on in my current car and had to get jumped.. twice in the past month... I was really hoping getting a new car I could get one that automatically turns off.. but my heart is really set on the yaris.

[HTM Yaris]

In the Yaris , when you leave the lights on and remove the key from ignition ,an alarm sounds :wink:

[wiirenet]

Ohhh that is wonderful news for me!! Haha. Ty.

[westgl]

Damn it! I have too many new cars, But once I test drove it and had to have it, more money than brains I suppose, This car is fun to drive. As soon as I get into a new car I look at how easy it is to see out of the car,(blind spots) This car is easy to see out of. It makes a great city car, It has supprisingly good pick up for such a small car, It handles pretty good for a small car as well. I like the fact that it sits high and has good ground clearance. It is comfortable inside, the seats, seat you high and provide comfort and support as well as leg room, the center console/emergency brake does not intrude into the drivers zone like some of my other cars. The 3door has a interior light that comes on when the either the door is opened or you can manually turn it on, it also has two map lights.

G

[Astroman]

12 minutes for me. Much prefer it now, as I can make a quicker glance and get my eyes back on the road.

[tomato]

The one HUGE complaint is the funky placement of the speedometer, gauges, etc. in the middle of the dash.

How long did it take you guys to get over it? Are there any aftermarket solutions for the problem?


Not long actually. I hated it for about 10 -15 minutes in the beginning, now I don't really care. Probably will took a couple of days to get used to cosmetic stuff like that.

[firebob]

I think I got it after I hit 80 on the interstate and didn’t know why I was passing everyone going 70. I had only had it for about 5 miles when I did that.

It’s very easy to keep an eye on it when your scanning the road. No more looking down to see something when your eyes should be looking up for that guy that’s slamming on the brakes for no reason.

As far as for back seat drivers I think they need to make a cover that only lets the driver see it clearly. Way to easy for a back seat driver to tell you what to do.

[j_granlund]

Okay, then. I've leased a 2009 Yaris. It's the base automatic. The value over the Honda Fit was just better and it came down to numbers. Toyota won my money by having the better deal in a recession. Plain and simple.

After about a week of driving I've got some good AND bad:

I can fit this guy F@#@ing ANYWHERE. ANYWHERE! It's that small and maneuverable. Simply Amazing!

The stock lights leave something to be desired. The headlights, I think, need to be swapped out for something brighter. I'm really not wild about the interior lights not turning on when you open the door. Double that for no automatic overhead lights. It gets dark at night!

I absolutely hate the fact that the lights don't turn off automatically. My ten year old truck had this feature and I've got to re-learn to make sure my lights are off. That just boggles my mind, and should be a standard feature.

The gas mileage is simply incredible. Coming from a small pick-up 10 year old truck? AMAZING!

The center dash is driving me nuts. I understand why it was designed that way, but that doesn't change the way I feel. Time will tell. I wish the whole thing was just digital, speed and all. That might make the change a tad more palatable. Any aftermarket solutions available?

The handling is excellent in the rain. I haven't tested it yet in Ohio snow but I'm full of confidence.

The view is INCREDIBLE when driving. Seriously? It's almost like a video game I can see out the front and sides so well. That said?

The small back window, with washer leaves something to be desired.

More as I drive...

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/9508/photou.th.jpg (http://img527.imageshack.us/my.php?image=photou.jpg)


Looks nice. Can't say i like the place you got it from, but it's your money not mine. Congrats on the Yaris.