3 door vs 5 door hatch [Archive] - Toyota Yaris Forums

bronsin

03-09-2014, 10:34 AM

If you have kids I guess the 5 door is prefered.

Is the interior of the 5 door larger than the 3 door? That might count for something.

But otherwise a three door has it all over a 5 door. The doors are bigger which allows easier access. Also you can get larger things in the car through the doors should that be necessary.

But the icing on the cake is, as you say, only the three door comes with manual transmission. If you can drive one a manual lasts longer (as long as you dont fry the clutch!) gives better control of the vehicle (it slows down when you take your foot off the gas and is far safer in slippery conditions like snow or ice) and of course gets better mpg.

Its likely an auto trans is easier to sell when (if) the time comes to sell it. :cry:

All in all my vote is for the three door! :thumbsup:

(although if I had a five door I wouldnt worry about it!) :headbang:

NEexpat

03-09-2014, 10:48 AM

I'm one of those guys who will do weeks of "research" on an item and then only moments actually purchasing said item. I'd have done all the leg work by that point.

I knew I wanted the 5 door from the start and I've shared this story here about a 5 door MT in Carmine Red I wanted and spent 2 hours at the dealership until I got up and walked away when we couldn't come to terms. I bought my 5 door AT the next day.

I'm 6'2" and have no problem getting in and out of it. My gf has a fit that I drive, fine little car, I'll keep my Yaris tyvm.

My only complaints about this car are these:

1. Used to it now, but I wish the seat rails were 1.5" longer. I installed the CC so not an issue on long drives.
2. I wish the signal/directional clicking noise was louder.
3. Not a fan of DRL's have left the house more than once at dusk thinking ALL my lights were on.

cheers

I even gotten used to the "cool" light and restricting the up shift................................got used to it, didn't say I liked it.

Edit: Sorry got off the road a little there, I have sat in the back of my car very comfortable, and easy to get in an out of. I think the reason I wanted the 5 door from the start was that I wanted the back doors for passengers.

I really never even noticed the the size of the doors on the 3 door till I read about it here.

bronsin

03-09-2014, 11:30 AM

3. Not a fan of DRL's have left the house more than once at dusk thinking ALL my lights were on.

.

Yes! I have noticed the same thing with other people driving around with just their headlites on at nite! Not good. Not safe!:eek:

dj92

03-09-2014, 11:43 AM

I learned to hate 3drs ;)
It's a big hassle to get to the rear seats and cleaning the front ones' backside
I am happy with my 5dr, the doors are big enough for me (ok, I weigh just about 150lbs).
The biggest thing I've transported up to now was a bed, and in fact the smaller front doors weren't a problem at all.

I even gotten used to the "cool" light and restricting the up shift................................got used to it, didn't say I liked it.

One of the reasons why I prefer MT.
No affordable electronics can predict how and when to shift as good as a driver with at least basic experience.
When at ~20MPH and with no need to accelerate, I shift straight into the 5th.
Even when the engine is cold, this works pretty well.

MadMax

03-09-2014, 12:05 PM

The 5-door may be more practical if you carry a lot of human cargo, but the 3-door looks a lot sexier!

As for the "cool" light on the autos, it's to reduce wear and tear on the cold engine. While some dislike it, it's a smart feature.

momaterials

03-09-2014, 12:07 PM

3 door look like sport car , do you like sport yaris?

bronsin

03-09-2014, 12:45 PM

I learned to hate 3drs ;)
It's a big hassle to get to the rear seats and cleaning the front ones' backside
I am happy with my 5dr, the doors are big enough for me (ok, I weigh just about 150lbs).
The biggest thing I've transported up to now was a bed, and in fact the smaller front doors weren't a problem at all.

One of the reasons why I prefer MT.
No affordable electronics can predict how and when to shift as good as a driver with at least basic experience.
When at ~20MPH and with no need to accelerate, I shift straight into the 5th.
Even when the engine is cold, this works pretty well.

CT did a mod to the coolant sensor which allows you to shift into fourth on the at AT ANY SPEED! I have done it to mine.

Silly really!

Kar98

03-09-2014, 02:43 PM

Why do some people prefer the 3 door hb over the 5 door hb?

Larger doors and less potential for rattle and things to break.

yarisugi

03-09-2014, 03:01 PM

USA and Canada are one of the few countries that offer 3dr. Most other countries only offer the 5dr.
Funny how it's made in Japan but not for sale there. I wanted something Japan didn't have. lol.

nookandcrannycar

03-09-2014, 03:05 PM

I would prefer the 5 door, but unfortunately it is impossible to get the manual tranny and a 5 door.

^^^^^This. I don't like the 2nd Gen 5-door, but I like the 3rd Gen 5-door better than the 3rd Gen 3-door (I like the side profile better, the ability to put an odd shaped item in the back and have it stick out a back window, and (:biggrin:) my garage likes the narrower doors better). If the 3rd Gen LE 5-door was available with a manual transmission and hand crank windows, that would be my next car. The only way to get a manual 5-door is to get an SE.....and as you recently pointed out, there are fewer than 20 of them in the entire country (BTW, how did you uncover that wonderful nugget of information? :biggrin:). Of course, even that very limited availability requires you to give up the smaller turning circle of the L and LE.

nookandcrannycar

03-09-2014, 03:08 PM

USA and Canada are one of the few countries that offer 3dr. Most other countries only offer the 5dr.
Funny how it's made in Japan but not for sale there. I wanted something Japan didn't have. lol.

Very interesting.

kimona

03-09-2014, 04:10 PM

The 3-door looks sportier, but the 5-door is certainly more practical for passengers.
I like the look of both the 3 and 5-door 2nd generation. But, I really dislike the profile of the 5-door 3rd generation with that ugly A-shaped C-pillar.

Astroman

03-09-2014, 04:34 PM

CT did a mod to the coolant sensor which allows you to shift into fourth on the at AT ANY SPEED! I have done it to mine.

Silly really!

Not silly at all. Part of the cool light feature is it lets the engine and cat get up to temperature quickly to reduce emissions.

Smart.

roxy1

03-09-2014, 05:13 PM

.....a manual 5-door is to get an SE.....and as you recently pointed out, there are fewer than 20 of them in the entire country (BTW, how did you uncover that wonderful nugget of information? :biggrin:).

I was going by cars.com using a nationwide search. it is usually pretty accurate give or take a few cars.

bronsin

03-09-2014, 05:38 PM

Not silly at all. Part of the cool light feature is it lets the engine and cat get up to temperature quickly to reduce emissions.

Smart.

I meant the mod was silly. Although urgently requested by me!

I would love to test an mt and at side by side to see how fast they actually warm up. I bet it isnt much different.

I would also like to hear from the people who did the 3rd gear until warm thing WHY they did it.

Of course on a mt theres no preventing high gear when cold.

I wonder what the dammage is? (if any)

why?

03-09-2014, 07:04 PM

enviri

03-09-2014, 07:10 PM

i owned both, i traded my 3dr for a 5door, because its JDM MAAADD...among other reasons lol.

mirapatec

03-09-2014, 08:56 PM

Being somewhat tall in stature, the three-door hatch model was my choice. The larger doors allow me to look to the side and see out through the glass instead of looking in to a door pillar.

I like the more sporty appearance of the three-door hatch.

dj92

03-09-2014, 09:39 PM

I would also like to hear from the people who did the 3rd gear until warm thing WHY they did it.
E.g. to get along fast enough while keeping the RPM low while the engine warms up.
However, it takes me of course several kilometers until I get near 60°C due to the downhill track where I live.

MadMax

03-10-2014, 11:58 AM

There really isn't much of a difference, I've had 5 people in my 3 door a few times before I took out the rear seats, there was plenty of room in the back.

I can't really see any way the 5 door is better than the 3. It is all personal preference I guess.

Size-wise there is no difference between the 3- and 5-door, the latter just has shorter doors added to it but otherwise the interior is the same size...

MadMax

03-10-2014, 12:00 PM

I suspect the 5-door is more popular in Asia and Europe as smaller cars are more popular and often used for transporting families. I am still amazed that Toyota didn't offer the 3-door overseas as I would have thought they still would have been popular with the younger generation. I don't think the Yaris was marketed the same there as it was in the States (what little marketing we got for the Yaris)...

DebbyM46227

03-10-2014, 02:40 PM

I chose the 3 door because, in my way of thinking, 5 doors are for people with kids. I'm single with no kids and don't want anyone to think I have any kids. No maternal instincts whatsoever.

NEexpat

03-10-2014, 03:08 PM

^lol

Well I don't have kids, but I do have a gf, and my gf has a dog, not just any dog, a Shepard. and not just any Shepard but an Aussie Shepard. Who is actually a lot more clever than most people I meet.

I did take that into consideration when I bought my car. Of course when I saw what a PITA it was to vacuum these Yaris seats (they just don't want to give up that stuff that seems to weave itself into the fabric) and how much Miss Smartypants sheds, I always suggest, rather insist, we always take the FIT with the doggie.

Look, I end up vacuuming out the FIT anyway, why make a mess of both cars.

nookandcrannycar

03-10-2014, 04:16 PM

^^ lol

I don't have either, but my cousin has both. My cousin and her daughter are among the very small number of people I love more than their dog. That dog. Even other dog owners who spend time with him think he is the most human like dog they have ever encountered. He's a Black Lab and Flat Coat Retriever mix. My cousin has to constantly vacuum her Ford Escape and her house to keep up with his shedding (I helped when I rented from them :smile:), but he's worth it. He's hilarious. He loves me 2nd best ( and he recognizes the sound of her Escape and also my Yaris...both blocks away (but not any other cars)), but I'm light years behind my cousin. He is SO attached to her. I dog sat him while they went on a cruise to Mexico....and by the 4th day he was so depressed...he missed her so much. He's got to be one of the most fortunate dogs on the planet. My cousin is a commercial property manager. She manages a large building that one family built and owns. Two of the daughters now own the building, along with other family members. The smaller top floor houses my cousin's office and an office for each of these two ladies (they like spending time there...the view is great). My cousin brings her dog to work almost every day. The ladies each have a dog and do the same. These 3 dogs have a ball playing on the expansive roof (very safe....they sometimes rent it out for movie and tv shoots).

Kids......sometimes the stength of feeling of wanting to protect them, etc (that paternal/maternal instinct) comes when you don't expect that intensity. I didn't hold a baby until I was 36 (my friend's first child...a daughter). Seventeen months later, her brother was born...and I was later named the godfather. Those feelings somewhat prepared me for how I would feel about the baby my cousin adopted in China, but not really. She is the most precious person on the planet (to me), and there isn't anything she could ever do that would diminish how I feel. She's 11. When I think about what will happen to the world after my life, her welfare is light years more important to me than anything else (no matter how old she is...hopefully middle aged :smile:....when that happens).

matti

03-10-2014, 08:27 PM

I bought the 2012 L (5sp) with 3 doors. I actually liked the 5-door model better as I think it looks cooler, but I'm a cheap SOB and I didn't want to spend the extra few hundred dollars. I'm married with no kids....really no need for 5 doors, technically.

yougojay

03-10-2014, 08:47 PM

The 2 door hatch is MUCH sportier - I'll take a coupe over a sedan anytime. I guess it's a matter of personal preference, utility. Just 2 of us here, I'm the only one who has been in the back seat (to clean the rear windows) Love the looks of a coupe way better then a sedan. You made the right choice, it is the better looking of the 2 models by far :thumbsup:

Plus, the 3 Door Coupe is faster :bellyroll:

http://i57.tinypic.com/28uiw5j.jpg

and my 2013 3rd gen :drool::drool::drool::drool::drool:

http://i59.tinypic.com/foka5d.jpg

Idahotom

03-11-2014, 11:01 AM

I love my '08 3 dr just as it is, BUT my dog really wishes the rear windows cranked down. I have given serious thought to a mod that would allow the rear windows to open. But....it probably ain't going to happen. I have considered the 5 dr just for the opening rear windows. The dog much prefers going places in the '99 RAV 4 as it's rear windows open, it's funny to see his excitement grow when it's clear we are taking the RAV as opposed to the Yaris. Sure I could let him ride in front, but I got the front pass seat full of crap usually plus he sheds, and with the rear seat out it's not a problem back there. I have a platform built that gets him up to optimum height.

Yaristeve

03-11-2014, 12:19 PM

and my 2013 3rd gen :drool::drool::drool::drool::drool:

http://i59.tinypic.com/foka5d.jpg

Hmmm... wow.... Toyota really cleaned up the front end with the 3rd gen. Almost (but not quite) enough to trade in my 2011... However, when the time comes for a replacement commuter car, if the 3rd gen is still around (I only have 95k miles on mine), that is what I'll get.

Back to the original question, I grew up in the 70s when four doors were for old folks or family cars. Two doors still just look so much cooler to me. Strangely, as someone else mentioned, most of the rest of the world seemed to prefer four doors, even back then. I guess the US is just catching up now...

DebbyM46227

03-11-2014, 12:41 PM

^^ lol
Kids......sometimes the stength of feeling of wanting to protect them, etc (that paternal/maternal instinct) comes when you don't expect that intensity. I didn't hold a baby until I was 36 (my friend's first child...a daughter). Seventeen months later, her brother was born...and I was later named the godfather. Those feelings somewhat prepared me for how I would feel about the baby my cousin adopted in China, but not really. She is the most precious person on the planet (to me), and there isn't anything she could ever do that would diminish how I feel. She's 11. When I think about what will happen to the world after my life, her welfare is light years more important to me than anything else (no matter how old she is...hopefully middle aged :smile:....when that happens).

That's awesome you feel like that! I never have, not even with my 2 young nephews. I have 3 cats and I feel more love towards them. They don't like to ride in my Yaris anywhere, they are homebodies. :laugh:

nookandcrannycar

03-11-2014, 12:55 PM

That's awesome you feel like that! I never have, not even with my 2 young nephews. I have 3 cats and I feel more love towards them. They don't like to ride in my Yaris anywhere, they are homebodies. :laugh:

:laugh: I had two cats (given to me by that same cousin) for 12 years before I had my Yaris, and they DID NOT LIKE riding in any car. Perhaps they realized the destination was always the same :biggrin:...the vet.

MiSFiTx87

03-11-2014, 02:37 PM

I suspect the 5-door is more popular in Asia and Europe as smaller cars are more popular and often used for transporting families. I am still amazed that Toyota didn't offer the 3-door overseas

so that explains why I see more pictures of 5dr's overseas

I chose the 3dr cause It's usually just me or 1 other person, that it is also weighs lighter than the 5dr?

toyota was the only ones with a 3dr version that I was looking for

nookandcrannycar

03-11-2014, 02:49 PM

so that explains why I see more pictures of 5dr's overseas

I chose the 3dr cause It's usually just me or 1 other person, that it is also weighs lighter than the 5dr?

toyota was the only ones with a 3dr version that I was looking for

:thumbsup: I think 'S' hatches are pretty rare. I've been to 46 states since the Yaris was introduced and I've only seen two --- one in my zip code here in Texas, and one in San Rafael, CA.

bairjo

03-11-2014, 03:14 PM

Being a DIY guy around the home, I have been spotted many times with a 10' length of pipe, lumber, or whatever sticking out my side window on the way home from Home Depot. I have it down to an art with my 3 door. However, I'm not sure how well it would work out with a 5 door having a center post in a shorter spot than a 3 door. You would be amazed what I have brought home in that thing.

Yaristeve

03-11-2014, 04:07 PM

"... cleaned up the front end..." ? You've got to be joking! That ugly snout is precisely the reason I won't buy the 3rd generation. .

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I always felt the 2nd gen snout was too bulbous, expecially the center of the grill where the Toyota logo sits. If it had just sloped down (like the 3rd gen), I would have liked it fine.

Well... that and the tails that look like they came off another car.

This is why I "almost" would trade mine in...

DebbyM46227

03-11-2014, 04:20 PM

:laugh: I had two cats (given to me by that same cousin) for 12 years before I had my Yaris, and they DID NOT LIKE riding in any car. Perhaps they realized the destination was always the same :biggrin:...the vet.

That's the only destination my cats go to also! I'd take them to PetSmart but there's too many dogs there. :wub:

JustPassinThru

03-11-2014, 05:32 PM

Two/three over four/five? I don't often carry passengers - maybe once or twice while owning my cars will I have anyone in the back seat. So the extra doors are hardware and fittings that are just not needed.

The larger door suggests easier access; although I've never driven a four-door so I don't know. The larger door is heavier but ALL car doors are heavy now with the required safety internal bracings.

Yeah...and, image. No, the Yaris is not a sports car or a chick magnet. But nothing screams, "Married, with Children" like a four-door sedan/hatch.

As for the Gen3 snout: Odd looking, sure. But an improvement on the generic grille the previous model had.

roxy1

03-12-2014, 11:49 AM

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I always felt the 2nd gen snout was too bulbous, expecially the center of the grill where the Toyota logo sits. If it had just sloped down (like the 3rd gen), I would have liked it fine.

...

yeah, I cant count how many women commented on how cute my 2007 hatch was. with the 3rd gen I don't get any of that, and that suits me quite fine.

MadMax

03-12-2014, 12:26 PM

I am married with two teenagers, and while it is rare we have gone on short road trips in my 3-door hatch. Usually no more than a couple of hours, but it's never really been a problem except for trying to get up steeper hills with four people in the car! :laugh:

The 3-door just makes more sense, it's easier to get in/out of and while it may not be quite as easy as a 5-door to get people in the back seats, it's not that difficult.

dj92

03-12-2014, 12:35 PM

I am married with two teenagers
I had a hard time not to laugh :laugh:
(no offense, I know what you meant :cool: )

nookandcrannycar

03-12-2014, 08:19 PM

yeah, I cant count how many women commented on how cute my 2007 hatch was. with the 3rd gen I don't get any of that, and that suits me quite fine.

:laugh: I've had tons of people ask me if my car is a hybrid, but most of those questions were posed in the first year or so I owned the car.

JustPassinThru

03-13-2014, 12:56 AM

bronsin

03-13-2014, 06:03 AM

Funny. I had a few ask me the same.

Not with my 2009; but with my 2012.

Ive installed the block heater and have the cord hanging out the front grill. Everyone thinks its a plug in hybrid!

Considering putting it up for sale for $35,000! :w00t:

roxy1

03-13-2014, 08:56 AM

:laugh: I've had tons of people ask me if my car is a hybrid, but most of those questions were posed in the first year or so I owned the car.

Funny. I had a few ask me the same.

Not with my 2009; but with my 2012.

that's what I get all the time because the design language on the front of the 2012+ is rather similar to the Prius.

nookandcrannycar

03-13-2014, 04:54 PM

Ive installed the block heater and have the cord hanging out the front grill. Everyone thinks its a plug in hybrid!

Considering putting it up for sale for $35,000! :w00t:

:laugh:

nookandcrannycar

03-13-2014, 05:17 PM

that's what I get all the time because the design language on the front of the 2012+ is rather similar to the Prius.

^^^^^ :thumbsup: I agree that this is why you and JPT get such comments. I think I did because the 'model' (and especially the 3-door trim) was so new at the time. People making the comments possibly had never before seen one 'up close'....just one moving on the road, or they hadn't seen one at all. I remember the 2007 came out sometime in the Spring of 2006. I still had my Swift at the time (and had not yet left on my trip to Canada with the Swift), but I wanted to sit in a Yaris. I could only find one in stock at a dealer in the San Joaquin Valley, so I drove out there (from the SF Bay Area) to sit in one and look under the hood, etc. They only had the sedan.