2015 Yaris SE at Houston new car show

[428CobraJet]

An improvement over last year...they had zero in 2014.

[nookandcrannycar]

An improvement over last year...they had zero in 2014.

I was wondering if you attended, and if so if you would do a post/post a pic :thumbsup:. I ended up going both days, for most of each day, and seeing all I desired to see. Last year I got a late start on both weekend days and didn't see all that I wanted to see. You're right....last year NO Yaris. The year before that...one SE just like this year. Last year (and IIRC, the Year before) it seemed like most of the classic cars were from Tony Gullo's collection. This year, some of his same cars were thre...but so many others as well.....first time I remember a spill over into the lobby with classic cars.

I think one of the reasons there were so many classic cars...and funky cars outside the building in the front....is that they were promoting the Councours d'Elegance of Texas (here in Montgomery County in April) and the Houston Art Car Parade (also in April). I think I had the best time I've ever had at a car show because of the particular blend of 'classic' cars on display. When I got my license at 16 and 3 months, the first car I had to drive (while I finished saving up for my own car) was a '67 Firebird convertible. On display at the show was a red '67 Camaro convertible...the dash etc...almost a twin. The mother of one of my boyhood friends had an old greenish blue '63 Thunderbird convertible...there was a red one at the show. While I was growing up, my next door neighbor had a silver '63 split-window Corvette Stingray....there was a dark blue one at the show.....etc. It was a 'trip down memory lane.

There was another Yaris there...out front among the art cars. I'd imagine that Yaris had the worst coefficient of drag of any Yaris on the road.....and bad MPG as well...the weight of all that art :eek:. ATTN: OTHER YARISWORLD MEMBERS AS WELL. You have to see a picture of this Yaris to believe it. The Facebook info is posted on the windshield. I was going to post a link to that Yaris' Facebook page, but it turns out that Yaris has a page on the Houston Art Car Parade website...so I'll post a link to that. It is a 2007 Yaris:

http://www.thehoustonartcarparade.com/little-bit-of-nonsense/

428 Cobra Jet, one of the Shelby examples had a badge with your screen name on the front left fender :thumbsup:.

^^^^^ Also, did you sit in the Fiesta ST ? The driver door rattled when I shut it, and (after locking it) the steering column was loose :eek:.

They had quite a few $100,000 plus cars showcasing several different protectant (and wrap) technologies...including two Porsche 918 Spyders (I'd never seen one in person before) and what I think was the most expensive car at the show...at over $544,000 USD....a Lamborghini Aventador (I got behind one on my way to the grocery store a few months ago). They also had the new Alfa Romeo 4C (I saw one of those in The Woodlands while making a Starbucks run before the show on Saturday).

I liked the 2015 Yaris SE at the show. In person, I think the 'Fu Manchu' tend looks sharp. I had to create my own 'all black interior' on my 2014 (with covers), whereas that 2015 SE had the 'all black' seating stock. I also like the piano black on the steering wheel, and I like the dash material better than that used on the 2014. Still don't like the backup light at the bottom of the bumper. Assembly....seemed quite tight :thumbsup:.

I have to admit, the Fit was impressive....and they had a base 5 speed manual with no PAC sticker...just over $15.6 k, plus $800 or so for destination.

I also liked, re models under 30 k, The new Chevy Trax, a cheaper and a bit more masculine Buick Encore (small SUV made in Korea), the entire Subaru Impreza line, and (if you absolutely needed the room) the Ford Transit Connect. After looking at the Subaru website on Sunday night (prompted by a comment on Edmunds.com), I learned that the XV Crosstrek package CTScott got on his new Subaru is available on oall Impreza 5-door models.

Over 30k, but under 60k, I really liked the BMW X4, the Jeep Cherokee Trail Head, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit.

If one relly needs 3 seats in a full sized SUV, I liked the Acura MDX.

The same model Mercedes/Airstream motor home that was there last year was there again ($ 155,000). I liked the separate 22' Airstream trailer...bigger bathroom, and more private bed area than the motor home. You could haul it with a Tundra for between $45k - $5 1 k and have more flexibility while saving over 50k.

I looked at almost all of the full sized pick ups from all of the manufacturers and....similarly equipped...the ones built in UAW factories, as opposed to non union plants in the U.S. South, were more expensive.

[428CobraJet]

Wow...you did go two days!

My 68 shelby i shouldaneversold was like the lime green one.

I bounced between the Mazda3 GT....the FiestaST. ..the Fit...and the Yaris. Post show and with one email each only...i got at 17900 quote on a 5 speed SE Yaris (1-3mo order time) from Don Magill Toyota....and $17,041k flat on a 6speed Fit EX at Spring Branch Honda.

The FiestaST is such a bargain!

[428CobraJet]

$17,949...on the Yaris...sorry

[Kar98]

And thanks to Toyota Gulf States, you literally can not buy a manual in Texas.

Edited, because all the words.

[428CobraJet]

No. But ordering is an improvement!

[nookandcrannycar]

My 68 shelby i shouldaneversold was like the lime green one. :thumbsup:

I bounced between the Mazda3 GT....the FiestaST. ..the Fit...and the Yaris. Post show and with one email each only...i got at 17900 quote on a 5 speed SE Yaris (1-3mo order time) from Don Magill Toyota....and $17,041k flat on a 6speed Fit EX at Spring Branch Honda.

I wonder if dealerships were allotted particular times to be 'on the floor' I spent a fair amount of time around the yellow Fit. A Honda person asked me questions. He was an older but fairly new to the dealership sales rep from Community Honda in Baytown. He said he didn't know why they had just the base sticker price with no other price on the yellow one. He said their dealership is selling the Fit, equipped exactly like that, for over $18k (over 2k more). A lady walked up while I was talking to this rep and said she has a 2007 Fit with 150k+ miles and it has been flawless. She rattled off the dizzying array of items she has transported in her Fit. She said in about 6 months she'll have her new home AC paid off and she'll then trade in her Fit for a new Fit. She lives in Angleton and said her commute = 60 miles per day. Another lady was thinking of replacing her 10 year old Matrix with a new Fit.

I liked the layout of the Mazda3 interior from the driver's perspective. One thing I would worry about in our climate...the screen on the top of the dash. Two other manufacturers (IIRC, Mercedes and Audi/VW) have that set up, EXCEPT that the screen retracts inside the dash. I think our SE Texas heat would be very hard on the Mazda's non retractable screen.

The FiestaST is such a bargain!

Feature wise per dollar, definitely....that loaded one with the moonroof...a bit over 23k. The seats in the Fiesta ST and the Chevy Trax :thumbsup:. The Yaris and Fit seats were comfortable, but one would definitely notice a difference with the Fiesta ST and the Chevy Trax.

I really have reservations though re how the Fiesta ST would hold up over time.

Two other trends I noticed and liked. One, more vehicles with the reclining rear seat like my '07 Yaris....the Prius V, the Acura MDX. and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit come to mind in that regard...but I know there were others. Two, 'double passenger side glove boxes...think Gen 2 Yaris'.....the Chevy Trax, the Prius V, and full size GM produced pick ups come to mind...but I know there were others.

[428CobraJet]

The Honda dealer...btw...just sent a follow up with a bait and switch tactic of adding shipping and $600 worth of worthless bringing to 18,469 plus ttl and stuff on an 18380 msrp. Geez...good thing i like my 09!

[nookandcrannycar]

The Honda dealer...btw...just sent a follow up with a bait and switch tactic of adding shipping and $600 worth of worthless bringing to 18,469 plus ttl and stuff on an 18380 msrp. Geez...good thing i like my 09!

That is sad, SMH. Perhaps they look at the Memorial Villages as their target market and they think people with an address in one of the villages won't care :rolleyes:. The Honda rep I spoke with at the show said he thought his dealership was making a mistake jacking up the price of the Fit, as he thinks demand for small cars will decrease re the price of gas going forward.