lots of cars for sale here lately

[jack black]

I'm shocked to see so many yaris for sale, some even close to my location. When I was shopping for one in December, there was very hard to find one.
Is summer the best time to buy an used car?

[Kalispel]

I'm shocked to see so many yaris for sale, some even close to my location. When I was shopping for one in December, there was very hard to find one.
Is summer the best time to buy an used car?

Finding a decent pre-owned Yaris with the color/options/etc. that I want is a serious potluck waiting game when buying locally. Seems like the only way to possibly get close to what I want is to use a nationwide business like CarMax (which has a large selection usually) to deliver it to me from some other part of the country, and pay significantly higher than book value in the process. :frown:

[CTScott]

There do seem to be a lot more for sale as of late. Probably a sign that people have gotten used to current gas prices and are returning to large vehicles.

I just traded one of mine in for a low mileage Mini Countryman S All4 and the Lexus dealership that I traded it to was psyched to get the Yaris, as they are located close to a couple colleges and said that the Yaris won't stay a week on their used car lot.

[JustPassinThru]

I can't speak for anyone else; but I'm selling mine as my life and work circumstances are completely changed.

I used to commute 38 miles; now it's FOUR. I used to live in the Rust Belt; now I'm in the West.

Old cars where I was, were rust-buckets. Here, I bought a rust-free 15-year-old Tacoma pickup for a song (2WD, which is not popular here) and it's meeting my transportation needs MUCH better.

The Yaris has been parked and it's depreciating. Time to send it off to a new home.

[why?]

I think the community as a whole is getting older and having much more disposable income. While the Yaris is a surprisingly good car for what it is, it still is not good at anything but gas mileage. And now even entry level luxury cars are getting to be as good at mileage as the Yaris. People are just moving on.

[nookandcrannycar]

it still is not good at anything but gas mileage

Some might say it is even better at being reliable than it is re MPG.....but I understand your overall point.

[why?]

Some might say it is even better at being reliable than it is re MPG.....but I understand your overall point.

True, the reliability is excellent, and the cost to repair anything is dirt cheap, and working on it is really easy.

[Kalispel]

I think the community as a whole is getting older and having much more disposable income. While the Yaris is a surprisingly good car for what it is, it still is not good at anything but gas mileage. And now even entry level luxury cars are getting to be as good at mileage as the Yaris. People are just moving on.

I just love simple, small subcompact cars and manual transmissions, though finding one that I like aesthetically is always a challenge - which is where the Yaris (especially the Sedan) shines for me. I should have been born in Europe, instead of the USA. :cry:

[JustPassinThru]

I just love simple, small subcompact cars and manual transmissions, though finding one that I like aesthetically is always a challenge - which is where the Yaris (especially the Sedan) shines for me. I should have been born in Europe, instead of the USA. :cry:

It SHOULD be, that if you want a European car badly enough to go there and buy it...you SHOULD be able to bring it home.

Once upon a time, that was possible and legal. That was how MG and VW got started in this country - servicemen bought them there, like them, shipped them home. That was a benighted time, without our goobermint keeprs and masters...

[Absolutely Red 12]

There do seem to be a lot more for sale as of late. Probably a sign that people have gotten used to current gas prices and are returning to large vehicles.

I just traded one of mine in for a low mileage Mini Countryman S All4 and the Lexus dealership that I traded it to was psyched to get the Yaris, as they are located close to a couple colleges and said that the Yaris won't stay a week on their used car lot.

Are you on NAM yet??

Im TVPostSound there, bought a 2013 MCS

[CTScott]

Are you on NAM yet??

Im TVPostSound there, bought a 2013 MCS

I should probably have done some serious reading on there before I bought my Countryman. I see way too many nightmare stories about wicked premature clutch failures on them. Good thing I kept my other Yaris, so I will have reliable wheels.

[fnkngrv]

I should probably have done some serious reading on there before I bought my Countryman. I see way too many nightmare stories about wicked premature clutch failures on them. Good thing I kept my other Yaris, so I will have reliable wheels.
I am sure there are plenty of aftermarket upgraded clutch packages out there for it.

[JumpmanYaris]

My wife is selling hers too! And loaded. Lol in South Indiana

[tooter]

Some might say it is even better at being reliable than it is re MPG.....but I understand your overall point.

Our little Yaris' are now trailing technology...
...and people are moving on to newer vehicles. I, however, am a luddite who loves doors with real keys and windows that roll up and down with a hand crank... and will never part with ours because there is nothing else that will replace it.

I'm also in the same situation with my 2012 Tacoma. It's a standard cab 4 cylinder 5 speed manual with keyed locks and hand crank windows. I modified the engine to average 24 mpg around town and 30 mpg on the freeway. Toyota does not manufacture standard cab Tacomas any more, so I'm never letting go of it either.

Keep any vehicle long enough and it becomes a classic...

...and I intend to own classic vehicles. :smile:


Greg

[Killchain]

There do seem to be a lot more for sale as of late. Probably a sign that people have gotten used to current gas prices and are returning to large vehicles.

I just traded one of mine in for a low mileage Mini Countryman S All4 and the Lexus dealership that I traded it to was psyched to get the Yaris, as they are located close to a couple colleges and said that the Yaris won't stay a week on their used car lot.

I always had a small vehicle, yet theres not a chance in hell I would buy a large car as long gas is 3 bucks a gallon or more. And its not going to get any lower.

[The Limo 2]

Gas, today, in Chilliwack is $1.349 CAD a litre. That is about $5.10 CAD a U.S. gallon.
So I will be keeping my Yaris.
Roy

[nookandcrannycar]

Our little Yaris' are now trailing technology...
...and people are moving on to newer vehicles. I, however, am a luddite who loves doors with real keys and windows that roll up and down with a hand crank... and will never part with ours because there is nothing else that will replace it.

I'm also in the same situation with my 2012 Tacoma. It's a standard cab 4 cylinder 5 speed manual with keyed locks and hand crank windows. I modified the engine to average 24 mpg around town and 30 mpg on the freeway. Toyota does not manufacture standard cab Tacomas any more, so I'm never letting go of it either.

Keep any vehicle long enough and it becomes a classic...

...and I intend to own classic vehicles. :smile:


Greg

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: I definitely don't share your skill, and I don't think I share your diligence re the above, but I do share the spirit behind it. When my 2007 conks out, my two quite different thoughts re replacement might be equally hard to find (a Tacoma just like yours and a well maintained, low mileage 2nd Gen Prius (think Prius RV blog + tent for the hatch that she doesn't have) with hand crank windows

[nookandcrannycar]

as long gas is 3 bucks a gallon or more. And its not going to get any lower.

Would it be different if we had had a different POTUS for the last 5 years and 7 months?

[nookandcrannycar]

Gas, today, in Chilliwack is $1.349 CAD a litre. That is about $5.10 CAD a U.S. gallon.
So I will be keeping my Yaris.
Roy

I feel for you. I just paid $2.95 USD per U.S. gallon a couple of hours ago.

[IllusionX]

It's always a good deal to fill up in the states even with a 12% exchange rate.
At some point, it was cheaper for me, when exchange rate was closed to 1:1, to drive 1hr down the states to fill up and come back as I live just 30mins away from the border.

[JustPassinThru]

Would it be different if we had had a different POTUS for the last 5 years and 7 months?

To answer that, look at history.

Why is gas high? Because crude oil is high. Because the sources of almost all the pumped crude are controlled by the OPEC cartel.

We went through this in the late 1970s, as OPEC was coming together. And then a President promised, and meant, to relax regulation and encourage American exploration and drilling.

Oil dropped to SEVEN DOLLARS a barrel. Because the price isn't reflective of extraction cost - it's a monopoly. We finance their jihads and their playboy lifestyles.

Were we to get serious, the world price - the only meaningful price, since oil is fungible and is a worldwide commodity - the world price would again fall with increased supply and a broken monopoly cartel.

[bentjazz]

I'm with tooter 100%. I'm keeping my Yaris for as long as possible. I sure and hell don't want another car payment, and reliability and fuel efficiency are the two things that I care about most. So, I can't do any better than the Yaris. Oh, did I mention I don't want another car payment? Interestingly enough, Kerry Toyota, where I bought my Yaris, sent me something in the mail that states they will give me 120% of the value of the car if I trade it in. I think lots of Yaris owners have got that offer, however.

Kind of depressing CTScott traded one of his Yaris in for a Mini. I thought I had felt a tremor in The Force a few days back....

[fnkngrv]

I'm with tooter 100%. I'm keeping my Yaris for as long as possible. I sure and hell don't want another car payment, and reliability and fuel efficiency are the two things that I care about most. So, I can't do any better than the Yaris. Oh, did I mention I don't want another car payment? Interestingly enough, Kerry Toyota, where I bought my Yaris, sent me something in the mail that states they will give me 120% of the value of the car if I trade it in. I think lots of Yaris owners have got that offer, however.

Kind of depressing CTScott traded one of his Yaris in for a Mini. I thought I had felt a tremor in The Force a few days back....
There is more to the story with Scott. The Yaris was part of a bigger opportunity that sprang up out of nowhere. He still has his blue one and Crashy. When we discussed the opportunity I was a little shocked too, but I would have done the same I think quite possibly.

I have seen a lot more Yarii on the road in my area now than I have seen before. I am literally seeing dozens of them where before I would see less than a half dozen.

It is funny how things are going with the used market. The industry has been dealing with an inflated used vehicle price in the market for the last few years. We just traded the wifey's 11 Silverado for her 12 Highlander. The dealership had a tough time giving us what we wanted which was just a grand below top book for the Chevy. This is mainly due to all the incentives that GM has right now. They overprice new vehicles to the point that they have to do the incentives and with the book values being so high on used now for many folks it is a nobrainer to pay the extra couple grand and get new with a full warranty. This just makes the used market even more congested. That being said the Yaris as a used purchase is starting to be im that sweet spot for buyers. If you thought that you were saving money buying one new when they came out saved you money jusy think about folks getting one now for 6-9k.

The issue is systemic too....maybe not to the extent it is with GM, but it is creeping for all manufacturers.

[CTScott]

^LOL. Indeed I still have two and am currently shopping for an 04-06 Scion XB (same engine as the Yaris) for my daughter.

The Mini is a replacement for my Tacoma, which I sold to my sister, as she has more of a need for a pick-up than I did. I have a feeling that the turbo, AWD Mini, although lots of fun to drive, is going to be an absolute nightmare reliability-wise. So, my daily driver Yaris is here to stay.

And, talk about resale value - My 08 Yaris with under 40K miles is currently listed for $9,990 on the website of the dealer where I traded it to for the Mini.

[tooter]

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: I definitely don't share your skill, and I don't think I share your diligence re the above, but I do share the spirit behind it. When my 2007 conks out, my two quite different thoughts re replacement might be equally hard to find (a Tacoma just like yours and a well maintained, low mileage 2nd Gen Prius (think Prius RV blog + tent for the hatch that she doesn't have) with hand crank windows

I really admire you making your Yaris last for 300,000 miles. :thumbsup:
There's two kinds of people:

1. Those who use things.

2. Those who use things up.

You're obviously #1. :smile:


Greg

[bentjazz]

This really has nothing to do with this thread, but I thought I'd pass it along, nonetheless. I can't stand dirty car floor boards, and I hate going to the car wash to vacuum my car (also hate paying to use the vac, too). So, I recently bought a Eureka 41a handheld vacuum cleaner. Totally impressed. The hose attached to this small vacuum is every bit as powerful as the vacs I use at the car wash, and it gets all the dirt on my car's floor out. It's amazing. Just thought some of you guys might be interested......

[nookandcrannycar]

To answer that, look at history.

Why is gas high? Because crude oil is high. Because the sources of almost all the pumped crude are controlled by the OPEC cartel.

We went through this in the late 1970s, as OPEC was coming together. And then a President promised, and meant, to relax regulation and encourage American exploration and drilling.

Oil dropped to SEVEN DOLLARS a barrel. Because the price isn't reflective of extraction cost - it's a monopoly. We finance their jihads and their playboy lifestyles.

Were we to get serious, the world price - the only meaningful price, since oil is fungible and is a worldwide commodity - the world price would again fall with increased supply and a broken monopoly cartel.

......but would that balance of power that OPEC enjoys change if Obama had an opposite attitude toward both drilling on federal lands and pipeline construction than 'the hand he has already shown'..

[nookandcrannycar]

I really admire you making your Yaris last for 300,000 miles. :thumbsup:
There's two kinds of people:

1. Those who use things.

2. Those who use things up.

You're obviously #1. :smile:


Greg

:thumbsup: Thanks. I guess I deserve credit for (generally) being easy on my Yaris (not driving it hard). Most of the rest of the credit should go to Toyota :thumbsup:. I'm sure 'my Yaris would have liked it (:biggrin:)' had I changed the oil and filter 58 times (every 5k miles) rather than the actual 20 times. The oil would probably stay closer (for longer) to the color it is when poured into the engine. My friend with the PT Cruiser says it now needs a new rear axle (at 156k). She drives that car so hard, I wonder how much that contributed to her new issue.

[nookandcrannycar]

4 cylinder 5 speed manual

Do you know if the Tacoma was ever offered in the U.S. with the above and also with the long bed? Same question for CTScott if he sees this.

[nookandcrannycar]

04-06 Scion XB (same engine as the Yaris)

I was aware of this, but hadn't really thought about it in relation to the content of one of my posts to tooter on this thread (...Prius as RV...) until a bit after I read this post. I found a video on You Tube where a guy took out the back seat, the load floor, the tire, etc. in a 1st Gen xB. He cut out a piece of plywood that stretched from the plastic lower hatch frame lip to the front edge of where the back seat used to be. He also cut out another 10" or so piece (that he hinged onto the bigger piece) that extended over what was (before removal) the leg room for the rear seat. He also used garage wall hanging shelving to create an area for the spare tire, storage, and a car battery/air compressor/jumper/etc. combo device (behind the driver seat). :thumbsup: Great. The only problem is that it only accommodates someone 5'8" or shorter (I'm a bit over 6'3"). If someone wanted to carry this to the next level.....remove the passenger seat and put an additional piece of plywood that would be level with the rest.....Would the device you designed for the Yaris (seat bypass module (?) dealing with the 'seat interaction' with the SRS/airbag system) also work in a 1st Gen xB ?

[tooter]

Do you know if the Tacoma was ever offered in the U.S. with the above and also with the long bed? Same question for CTScott if he sees this.

It was in 1988. That was my very first Toyota pickup. :smile:
I don't believe any are made now.


Greg

[nookandcrannycar]

It was in 1988. That was my very first Toyota pickup. :smile:
I don't believe any are made now.


Greg

:thumbsup: Thanks. :cry:. Since I can't become shorter (:biggrin:), a 1st Gen xB (with the front passenger seat removed), a 2nd Gen Prius (probably with the front passenger seat removed), or a Fit (with the front passenger seat removed) would probably work re what I had in mind, but a Tacoma like yours (with the wonderful small engine/hand crank windows/manual transmission :thumbsup:) would not re the shorter bed.

[JustPassinThru]

It was in 1988. That was my very first Toyota pickup. :smile:
I don't believe any are made now.


Greg

Those weren't Tacomas. Those were "Truck" models - in other markets Toyota sold them as the Hi-Lux; but the Hi-Lux name got phased out in America about 1974.

The actually were pretty-nice trucks; a little more spartan than the Tacoma was, but compact and rugged. Although like all earlier Japanese vehicles they were susceptible to tinworm.

The Tacoma emerged in 1995. It was a design specific for the American market and with much-greater rust resistance. And I've just bought an older one, and realized - funny-looking front-clip notwithstanding - that I'd been missing out on a great all-around vehicle.

[tooter]

I also used this 1996 Tacoma as my work truck for 17 years... :smile:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/Smilies/IMG_6994_zps9f6af547.jpg

They're like a Yaris pickup truck. :wink:


Greg

[JustPassinThru]

I also used this 1996 Tacoma as my work truck for 17 years... :smile:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/Smilies/IMG_6994_zps9f6af547.jpg

They're like a Yaris pickup truck. :wink:


Greg

That's about like mine...except I have the stretch cab.

Like it. Much. Except...nope, it's not like a Yaris. RWD versus FWD. Much heavier; and quite a bit thirstier. But, since I'm close to work now, it's all good...

[nookandcrannycar]

I also used this 1996 Tacoma as my work truck for 17 years... :smile:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/Smilies/IMG_6994_zps9f6af547.jpg

They're like a Yaris pickup truck. :wink:


Greg

It must have been a real workhorse :thumbsup:. I was just looking at the July/August 2014 edition of Toyota Today. It contains an article about Nancy Richardson ("The Fish Lady") and Clyde (her 1995 Toyota T100 Pickup)....the last year of 'the previous generation'? She lives in Jasper, IN and delivers fish to upscale restaurants in Indiana and Kentucky. She just hit 1,000,000 miles. Only 2 major repairs: a transmission rebuild at about 300,000...and recently had to replace the gas tank.

[DebbyM46227]

Would it be different if we had had a different POTUS for the last 5 years and 7 months?

I bet it would have. :thumbsup:

Unfortunately, I may be getting older, with less disposable income. I just lost my job of 20+ years and it's hell finding a new one. Only one interview in the past 7 weeks.

[bentjazz]

Very sorry to hear that, Debby. Wish you the best in your hunt for a new job.

[DebbyM46227]

Very sorry to hear that, Debby. Wish you the best in your hunt for a new job.

Thanks!