Tanabe Medalion unboxing and comparo vs. TRD vs. stock

[auxmike]

Just in from Garm at Micro Image. Shipped to NY from Cali, arrived in 5 days via FedEx ground. FREE shipping! It was on back order at the time I wanted it, so I preorderd/prepaid and patience has paid off! I think he has them in stock now.
I paid the regular price + Garm doesn't even know I'm doing this post, so it's 100% honest.
The exhaust is REALLY high quality and built with much attention to detail.
after install I can say it's real QUIET inside the car compared to the TRD which isn't so quiet.:)
It's quite refined and gives a nice sound without sounding like rice or a cheap fart can. It fits perefectly. The toughest part of the install is getting the old muffler off the rubber hangers. What a PITA!
Below are random pics....

[auxmike]

Balance of the pics...

[EPyarisdriver]

Do you think you gained anything because of this? Im stuck between this one and the HKS and the Greddy

[auxmike]

I can't really comment on that because I haven't taken it for a ride on the open road where I can really let it out. Also, the roads are REAL slick right now and stopping from high speeds with no ABS is not fun in this car. I just installed it about 2 hours before posting the pics here. I'll post back after my 40mi. round trip to/from work on Mon.
I will add the stock exhaust on the Yaris really does choke the car's performance.

[rayy]

Anyone know if this will fit the yaris ts/sr 1.8's bumper ?

[jpmck03]

Balance of the pics...

Digging the license plate there, is that one of the new custom plates for NY? :laugh:

Seriously though, nice pics!

[auxmike]

Yeah, custom Christmas use only!:laugh:

[enviri]

Anyone know if this will fit the yaris ts/sr 1.8's bumper ?

if you mess around with the rubber hanger a bit, you can make it match up with the bumper slot...or you can have the hangers re-welded...or buy one made for a TS/SR/RS.

[jpmck03]

Yeah, custom Christmas use only!:laugh:

{Threadjack!}Well, it's better than those ugly yellow and blue ones that they started requiring everyone to get while I was up there. Talk about a real money-making scheme they had going on there...

"Hey we're running low on cash, what should we do?"
"I know, let's make new license plates, and force everyone to buy them for $25!"
"Brilliant!"
{Threadjack over!}

Thanks for the upcoming review!

[auxmike]

I just helped my mom renew her reg on her corolla online. It appears they DON'T force you to buy the orange plates after all! She had the option to keep the old white ones, and did...

[EPyarisdriver]

Ooh ok I get ya. Be safe out there then!

[cali yaris]

I paid the regular price + Garm doesn't even know I'm doing this post, so it's 100% honest.

haha, nice. Glad you like it. I had that exhaust on my car too.

YouTube vids:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROeri4U66ic

in-car:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-kKwwjjmC8

[Captain Slow]

after reading that this one is quieter than the TRD I'm seriously considering it. I want an exhaust....but don't want anything that will get annoying for daily driving. I especially don't want any highway drone.

[Yaristeve]

after reading that this one is quieter than the TRD I'm seriously considering it. I want an exhaust....but don't want anything that will get annoying for daily driving. I especially don't want any highway drone.

I've had mine for about 6 months and I noticed that it doesn't really drone too badly until you pass 3k RPM so I just keep my cruise control set at about 67MPH.

[cali yaris]

Make no mistake, you will HEAR this exhaust, that's kind of the point of having it. Whether it is loud or annoying or not is a matter of personal taste.

I did have ONE customer return one, but he admitted that he wanted it to sound as quiet as stock.

[Captain Slow]

i see the Tanabe is rated as "93db", does anyone have a comparison number for the stock unit? I was thinking that one of these coupled with a layer of dynamat or something similar in the spare tire area of the hatch would probably keep the cabin noise barely above stock.

[cali yaris]

Get the new cheap stuff that's just as good as dynamat.

[Captain Slow]

yeah yeah, I didn't mean actual dynamat, hell I'd probably just use a carpet remnant, lol.

I've done carpet scraps before and even that is very noticeable.

[Captain Slow]

any idea if this Tanabe (or ANY of these axelback exhausts for that matter) do anything at all performance wise? are there any dyno results from the Tanabe or the TRD?

I'd think 2-3whp at most but I could be wrong, don't know how much of a bottleneck the stock muffler is.

[Black_griffin6]

I have this exhaust and I have no other exhaust and/or intake mods.

I can say, it is a little more louder then stock but it has a nice purr to it, it doesn't sound raspy or cheap, then once you step on it the purr turns to a growl and snarl. :burnrubber:

I travel on the highway at about 60 MPH and I don't even hear the exhaust at that speed.
I highly recommend it, I'm very happy with it. :thumbsup:

[Mead]

Medalion is sweet sounding admit a little heavy. IMO for non-tach 5 speeds, any exhaust is helpful for launches, the stock muffler is too quiet. Also the Yaris lacking sound deadening aka light weight makes this best of both worlds: not annoying outside but definitely enjoyable inside.

[cali yaris]

I dyno'd 108 whp with CAI, pulley, header and axle-back exhaust. That was 13 whp over stock. I'll give the exhaust credit for at least 3 of that.

Remember, performance mods can interact to amplify results.

[Captain Slow]

Remember, performance mods can interact to amplify results.

absolutely, and engine is basically a giant air pump. more air in and out means more fuel means more power.

[auxmike]

After almost 100mi of driving with the new exhaust, I can say it's NOT annoying at all inside the cabin. It might have to do with the way the muffler can is set up vertical so as to disburse the sounds to the sides instead of up towards the cabin floor.
The TRD unit definitly lets it's presence know.
As a footnote, I do have Fatmat in my spare tire/hatch area to help isolate the road noise from outside the car.
Very happy with it's fit, look , and very acceptable sound level!
Get it from Garm, don't buy it from some huge nonpersonal Ebay shop. Deal with someone reliable and trusty. Plus Free shipping from Ca to NY sealed the deal for me:)

[cali yaris]

thanks man :bow:

[Captain Slow]

someone said it's heavy...how heavy?

[cali yaris]

It's not heavier than any other axle-back exhaust. And you've already asked this question in one or two other threads.

[auxmike]

Weighs 17lbs boxed.

[jpmck03]

It's not heavier than any other axle-back exhaust. And you've already asked this question in one or two other threads.

Maybe Captain Slow is a little slow... :wink:

[Captain Slow]

ugh...

Going back and reading those "one or two other threads" will show that it was a different exhaust, there is every possibility that this one could weigh more...especially when one poster says "Medalion is sweet sounding admit a little heavy."

:facepalm:

[jpmck03]

ugh...

Going back and reading those "one or two other threads" will show that it was a different exhaust, there is every possibility that this one could weigh more...especially when one poster says "Medalion is sweet sounding admit a little heavy."

:facepalm:

Hey, I was just yanking your chain. :tongue: I just remember you asking the same thing earlier... but you're right, it was about the TRD exhaust.

:respekt:

From the looks of the pics earlier in this thread, I'd venture a guess that they all weigh the same within a pound or so.

[Captain Slow]

they likely are, still it's worth asking. :thumbsup:

I'd really hate to order an exhaust system only to find out it adds 6-7lbs to the rear of the car.

with that sorted I think I've found my exhaust system :) something not too loud and doesn't weigh a ton is exactly what I was looking for. thanks guys.

[WeeYari]

Me on the scale ??? lbs.

Me on the scale holding my Medallion ??? + ~12lbs.

End of story.

[Captain Slow]

awesome

[enviri]

if you wanna spend a couple hundred more you can get a fujitsubo wagolis muffler! I hear the engine more than this muffler in the highway until i push it lol. Its as light if not lighter than the medallion, Its rated at 73dB@3000rpm :P Keep in mind this is for the 1.5L engine RS for japan, and it touches the USDM rear bumper. There's also one for the non-RS yaris/vitz, (1.3L) which doesnt touch the bumper at all!

http://www.japanparts.com/images/ImageFromDB.php?base=1&no=1667

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f332/xienji/wagolis/IMG_0416.jpg
^le bumper touch

[Captain Slow]

not necessary, lol, but thanks.

wish I had a db rating on the stock unit

[auxmike]

That design look like the same thing the stock muffler has. Isn't it quite restrictive? I liked the TRDs and my current Tanabe's traditional straight through design since I would guess it's pushing out the exhaust gasses out faster?

[enviri]

lol it sounds good, and fits my RS rear bumper, and the power is a bonus. I'm a huge fan of fujitsubo and zigen mufflers.

[cali yaris]

anyone got a link to that in stock? I can't find one.

Lowest listed price I found was $550, which is ridiculous. You can have a shop make a high-end exhaust to your exact specs and any tip you want for way less than that.

I like the name, though. "fujitsubo...." it just rolls off the tongue.. :smile:

[Captain Slow]

back on an old Accord I had a custom 2.25" exhaust made from the headers back. had a cherry bomb resonator inline and a cherry bomb turbo II muffler on the back....sounded really aggressive note but wasn't raspy or super loud.

[enviri]

heh fujitsubo has been around for a very very long time :D They are just quality stuff. I don't think they keep much stock at all, I basically had mine ordered and made lol.
Seems they are in chino, ca, garm. stop by :P

[cali yaris]

^ I know who they are (duh). Many companies that have been around for a "very very long time" stop making parts for a particular car because there are no sales. We've seen this over and over with the Yaris.

I'll check on it. My point was only that I couldn't find one for sale online.

[auxmike]

Save money AND time, just get the Tanabe, LOL!

[cali yaris]

Fujitsubo are no longer distributed in USA, used to be brought in by the parent company of Tein but they are no longer bringing it in so only way to get one is grey market from Japan. At current pricing and exchange you're looking at around $550 USD.

We have the following exhaust in stock for Yaris Liftback:

$229 Nitto
$239 Megan Racing
$299 DC sports
$339 Tanabe Concept G
$339 Tanabe Touring Medalion

Megan and Concept G make the most power, Megan is quieter and deeper, Concept G can run a silencer.

Nitto and Touring Medalion are quietest.

DC is pretty loud, can also purchase silencer if wanted.

[Black_griffin6]

Fujitsubo are no longer distributed in USA, used to be brought in by the parent company of Tein but they are no longer bringing it in so only way to get one is grey market from Japan. At current pricing and exchange you're looking at around $550 USD.

We have the following exhaust in stock for Yaris Liftback:

$229 Nitto
$239 Megan Racing
$299 DC sports
$339 Tanabe Concept G
$339 Tanabe Touring Medalion

Megan and Concept G make the most power, Megan is quieter and deeper, Concept G can run a silencer.

Nitto and Touring Medalion are quietest.

DC is pretty loud, can also purchase silencer if wanted.
I've been trying to find a video of the concept G on the Yaris, I was trying to decide between the concept G and the touring.
I ended up going with the touring, and i'm pretty happy with it, but i still wonder about the G.

[auxmike]

The touring is fantastic if you want a real well made axelback that's quiet and looks very sharp on your car. Thanks Garm!

[Captain Slow]

interested in the Megan, you said it's the quieter of the two you presented, but how quiet is that? lol

i'd imagine it's loud.

[cali yaris]

It's louder than the others, but not quite as loud as the Concept G. It's also a GREAT price point.

[Captain Slow]

so probably way too loud for me.

[cali yaris]

^ Definitely. You should get a Nitto.

[Captain Slow]

how is the nitto compared to the Tanabe Medallion? (since the medallion is what I'm currently leaning toward)

[cali yaris]

Nitto: lower quality (and price), won't last as long, just a little bit quieter than the Medalion.

If it's in your budget, get the Tanabe product; you will not be sorry.

[Captain Slow]

that's what I thought looking at the pictures