Trying to decide: Power Package or not

[Thirty-Nine]

I really don't mind the crank windows or lack of keyless. The non-power mirrors? I'd get used to it. However, I really want to see a pic of the standard folding rear seat. Does it fold as flat as the one the comes with the Power Package?

[tacsniper]

I really don't mind the crank windows or lack of keyless. The non-power mirrors? I'd get used to it. However, I really want to see a pic of the standard folding rear seat. Does it fold as flat as the one the comes with the Power Package?

the one that folds down flat is the RS version, it have nothing to do with power package or not... its the RS that you want if you want that feature

here is an image of what it looks like when its folded flat
http://i.treehugger.com/files/toyota-yaris-sh-04.jpg

[brickhardmeat]

several people with 60/40 claim their seats fold very flat

I don't have 60/40 and the seat folds pretty flat, I have no complaints about this, have you been to the dealership and taken a close look at both?

I -really- did not want power stuff on my car personally. Manual is very -trusty- and I like that but I do drive an auto so I can't finger point to much.:tongue:

[Boo]

I don't know if the standard rear seat slide.. but the 60/40 seat can slide, so you can increase the cargo area without folding the seats... This is one of the nice feature with the 60/40.

[njyaris]

i dont have a pwr package .. and really the only advantage there is the pwr windows and door locks

just like you .. i can live without it .. not worth paying for ..

[BailOut]

Here's a shot of the one-piece seat folded down:

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/hatch_seat_down.jpg

It's definitely not flat but it's never been a problem for me. I and others with the same configuration have fit an amazing amount of stuff into this setup. My best load yet was a mini refrigerator, a microwave, 2 medium and 1 large house plants, 2 vertical fans and 2 circular fans, along with $300 in groceries, utensils and dishes, and some computer equipment (taking them all to the new office at work). Or maybe it was the 2 boxed rack-mount computer servers, 4 rack-mount network switches, 2 vertical mount PDUs, 10kg of CAT6 cables, 15kg of 208V power cords, tool box, power driver, portable cart, folding chairs and 2 night's worth of luggage and laptops for myself and my assistant on a Sacramento run.

With regards to the power package: I have owned many vehicles throughout my lifetime thus far, and without fail the first things to always go out on them are electrical. Adding power windows and whatnot just increases the pool of early failure points. Additionally, once these things fail they are stupidly expensive - and often difficult - to repair.

For example, on my old Stratus the front door locks stopped working, and no amount of cleaning or lubricating would bring them back to a strong enough condition to actuate the lock's mechanism. Dodge's design had the little $0.30 solenoid mounted as part of the outer door assembly. The stealership wanted $600 for a pair of replacements, and salvage yards wanted $400. The labor to perform the replacement was also intensive, about 2 or 3 hours per door and a lot of scraped knuckles on a DIY, or $300 quoted by the stealership (which really means $500).

That's an awfully expensive convenience.

[Thirty-Nine]

You guys rule! Thanks for the pics and info.

the one that folds down flat is the RS version
The US doesn't get the RS.

have you been to the dealership and taken a close look at both
Yes, but the dealer didn't have a non-power-package-equipped liftback to look at. I did monkey around with the sliding/reclining back seat, and I can tell you it doesn't fold truly flat. And I agree -- manual is indeed trusty.

Here's a shot of the one-piece seat folded down:
Exactly what I was looking for. I also agree with you on the "another thing to break" statement. This car is a two door; not many windows to have to roll down, either!

The main concern I had was with resale. I was under the impression a car w/o power windows/locks would have less of a resale value. Then again, I guess it's not that big of a deal.

It should also be noted that the Power Package seems to always come with ABS in this area, and I can live w/o ABS.

[smokinyaris]

as long as the seats fold down thats all that matters to me................

[joe keeney]

Power Pack all the way. Get the alum. wheel upgrade.

[Thirty-Nine]

I personally would not get the aluminum wheel upgrade -- I would rather get aftermarket wheels.

[adamschneider]

Thirty-Nine, which dealership are you going through? If you don't have one picked out yet, I can tell you about my local experiences.

[Thirty-Nine]

If all goes as planned, I'll be going through Gladstone Toyota. I've had excellent service with them on my xB.

[cm07yaris]

get the power package

[static808]

if theres only gonna be one driver for the car, go without the power package. but multiple drivers means adjusting the side mirrors, and the yaris doesnt even have knobs on the a-pillars, meaning rolling down the passenger window AND leaning over and manually adjusting the side mirror itself. we tried it, and it wouldnt be very pleasant if done on a consistent basis. we do love the sliding 60-40 rear seat, but again, you can make do without this.

on the note of power packages going bad, our family has owned toyotas and hondas since '88, and oddly enough, the only window that went bad was the '97 civic without power!! the damn thing kept going off-track (total of 4 dealer visits over its last 5 years or service), and a little research showed that this was a common problem among all '96-'98 civics without power windows. we typically own cars for longer than 8 years, and not a single power door lock or window has gone bad on us from either toyota of honda. maybe we've been lucky. just a little food for thought...

--B

[sherryberry]

Power package doesn't necessarily come with the keyless entry device. I know mine didn't. But I got the power option because I know my boyfriend will also drive my car from time to time and to adjust the two side mirrors manually every time would just be a pain in the butt. Plus, I can lock the doors easily with one click instead of leaning over to lock/unlock the passenger side as well. That's why I went with power package.

[BailOut]

Sometimes I forget how nice it is that my wife and I are the same height. :smile:

Of course, it means she can't wear heels, but she hates those things anyway.

[Thirty-Nine]

Around here, ABS seems to be only bundled with the Power Package. I'd kinda like ABS, although I could live w/o it. However, I thought I read the braking was a lot better w/ABS on the Yaris. Is there any truth to that?

[BailOut]

The stock brakes work damn good under normal conditions. So good that I had to train myself to be a little lighter on them when I first got my Yaris.

IMHO ABS is overrated if you know how to drive in adverse conditions. I commute over a mountain in the Winter and do just fine without ABS because I slow down, anticipate other people, look ahead and plan ahead.

[Astroman]

One thing to mention is that with the power package you get the fog lights but on ebay you can easily get that for around $100. The g/f and I are 4" apart on height and we don't have to adjust anything. My Astro van had manual windows and when someone punched out my driver side window I managed to find a free replacement off of a non-running van with power windows. It was a pain in the ass to get the window out of the power equipped van, and to top if off the switch didn't work. I had to cut the wires and use a car battery (holding it with one knee) and touch the wires to the terminals to get the window in the right place to pull out. Getting the window in the correct position on my van was easy and there was no motor in the way either. I am just happy w/o the power package (I think $1200 is way too much anyway), although the fogs and split rear seat would have been nice.

[adamschneider]

If all goes as planned, I'll be going through Gladstone Toyota. I've had excellent service with them on my xB.
Okay, just don't pay MSRP, whatever you do. :wink:

[Thirty-Nine]

Okay, just don't pay MSRP, whatever you do. :wink:

That shouldn't be a problem. :biggrin:

[static808]

Around here, ABS seems to be only bundled with the Power Package. I'd kinda like ABS, although I could live w/o it. However, I thought I read the braking was a lot better w/ABS on the Yaris. Is there any truth to that?

opinions will vary, but ABS is another system that does effectively take control away from the driver. stopping distance are increased should the abs system modulate the brakes when no modulation is needed. there are documented instances where abs systems have gone off when they didnt need to, therefore drivers ended up stopping right into the intersection, instead of before it. we ordered our LB with the PP and without the abs. again this will vary from situation to situation. if you live in an area with icy roads, i figure abs will definitely save your ass from time to time. here in SoCal, abs is not a necessity. the effectiveness of abs will go on a case-by-case basis, so no blanket statement should be made whether abs is good or bad. hope this helps a bit...

--B

[Thirty-Nine]

Of the 7 cars I've owned, 3 of them did not have it. In Oregon, the roads can get icy, but not that bad. I used to live in MN and WI and there ABS did indeed save me from spinning in several instances.

I thought I read that non-ABS braking distance was longer w/o ABS on the Yaris. Perhaps I'm wrong.

[Violin]

That's what consumer's said.


I'll bet the power package will come in handy on resale. I personally wouldn't buy a car without power windows or mirrors.

[brickhardmeat]

but by the time you are ready to sell or trade all that electric shit is broken anyway:laugh:

[grampi]

I personally would not get the aluminum wheel upgrade -- I would rather get aftermarket wheels.

You could get the factory alloys and run them during the winter months and store your nice aftermarket rims so the salt doesn't ruin them. That way you'd have nicer looking wheels on the car during the winter instead of having to run those steel wheels and cheezy looking plastic wheel covers. That's what I'm going to do.

[Thirty-Nine]

Well, we don't use salt out here (thank God). Secondly, I can buy an aftermarket set of 15s for a lot less than the dealer would charge, which is $665 (MSRP) or $166.25 a wheel. However, I wouldn't mind a cheap set of alloys for the winter months -- there is a lot of gravel in the winter out here.

[501]

you are forgeting that the power package will come with side impact and side curtain airbags standard along with the abs. you will not get the power without those two items also. this is for the NW territory

this is the first car that i have owned with abs and on a lite car i could see it benefiting it. what i like is that there is no pedal pulse with this car.

good luck with your purchase

[Thirty-Nine]

you are forgeting that the power package will come with side impact and side curtain airbags standard along with the abs. you will not get the power without those two items also.

I understand that. The car WILL have the side airbags. My decision is whether or not to go with the Power Package and ABS or w/o.

[myt]

I would go with the power package...I thought about getting mine without it but the rolling down of the windows is just not worth it. Also, if you test drive a yaris and only put one window down or put one down lower than the other you hear this funny noise like when you just have the rear windows down in a 4 dr car. Also a note about the 60/40 seat, I love it. I am a pretty big guy 6' 1" and about 240lbs. So needless to say there can't be an adult behind me when I'm driving, I sit too far back. But that 60/40 is great because when me and my buddies go to bowling tournaments, I can fold down the 60 part(convieniently behind my seat :) ) and my buddies can sit in the other 2...PERFECT!. I think that you will be happier in the long run with the power package.

Myt

[grampi]

you are forgeting that the power package will come with side impact and side curtain airbags standard along with the abs. you will not get the power without those two items also. this is for the NW territory

Where did you get this info? I looked up the option packages on Edmunds.com and the power package (PP) isn't shown as including side air bags or ABS. They are shown as separate options.

[Thirty-Nine]

It's not part of the power package, but out here in the PNW, it's typically bundled with the power package.

[Violin]

but by the time you are ready to sell or trade all that electric shit is broken anyway:laugh:


My Camry had all power items still working at over 190,000 miles.

[Stoln]

Why not get the power options. Later the resale on the car is better if it is fully equipped. Don't go on the notion that the power options will fail, you do have warrantee and the convinience. In my opinion power option is worth it as you will definately not be paying MSRP for the car.

[Thirty-Nine]

Why not get the power options. Later the resale on the car is better if it is fully equipped. Don't go on the notion that the power options will fail, you do have warrantee and the convinience. In my opinion power option is worth it as you will definately not be paying MSRP for the car.


Because I could save about $1,200. However, there is that resale thing.

[brickhardmeat]

Because I could save about $1,200. However, there is that resale thing.

I plan to drive mine into the ground. There won't be much left to resale when I'm through.:laugh:

again, I don't like power

[sherryberry]

brickhardmeat, I think we've established no power for you!! lol :tongue:
Honestly, thirty-nine, it's up to you whether or not you want it. everyone has their own preferences. if you prefer not to get it (and it seems that way to me), then just don't get it! Problem solved!! :smile:

[Thirty-Nine]

Sherry, I understand it's my decision. However, I wanted to see what other's preferences and experiences were regarding the matter. So far, this thread has been very helpful.

[adamschneider]

I didn't get the PP, just because of the additional $1000 or so. (I bought an automatic, so that was my "splurge.") I'll admit that power locks might be nice, but I really don't care about power windows.

[kimona]

I bought the automatic as well and couldn't care less about the power option package ($1290), but my wife really wanted it.

The dealer only had one Yaris... Red, automatic, power package. So, that's what we bought.

Here are the things I like about the power package:

1. Power windows: It's actually nice to be able to roll the passenger window up and down at will. The Yaris is a peculiar design in that the air doesn't flow into the cabin and make all kinds of noise when the windows are open, so I find myself cracking the windows often for ventilation rather than putting on the A/C.

2. Power mirrors: Great when my wife has just driven the car and I need to readjust. But, if you're the only driver, then this isn't a handy feature.

2. 60/40 split rear seat with recline and slide: This is great for luggage plus a rear seat passenger. It's been very handy when my 9-year old is in back as I can still fold down part of the seat for the things I'm carrying. The slide function has been really useful too, and reclining the rear seat makes it much more comfortable.

3. Rear wiper/defroster: Well, I don't use this alot in Florida, but I can see where many would find this feature handy.

4. AM/FM/CD/MP3: I like the stock stereo system just fine.

Here are the things I don't like:

1. Power door locks: I guess they're okay as a safety feature. But they are a pain in the ass! I hate that I always have to remember to unlock the passenger door when exiting the car if I want to access it.

2. The 15" steel wheels and caps. No big deal if you want to upgrade wheels and tires anyway.

[501]

Where did you get this info? I looked up the option packages on Edmunds.com and the power package (PP) isn't shown as including side air bags or ABS. They are shown as separate options.

you can get the side air bags without the power but you cannot get the power without the side airbags. this is for the PNW territory

just as thirtynine stated.

the problem with edmonds, kelly blue book is that they are not accurate to specific regions and there is a disclaimer on those sites telling you so. toyota runs mainly on preferance

[Matt_in_Mpls]

I just bought mine yesterday. I went with the power pkg. because 1) that's the one I could get with a stick, but mostly because 2) I understood that's how I could get the rear window defroster. That feature's not optional in Minnesota.

[Thirty-Nine]

The way I understood it is that you could get the rear defroster with the convenience package if you don't get the power package.

[Matt_in_Mpls]

You might be right. I needed to buy right away, so I needed to pick from available in-stock cars; I wasn't picking from the full range of possible options. I do know I wouldn't have bought anything without the rear defroster.

[Thirty-Nine]

Having grown up in Minnesota, I understand.

[adamschneider]

Hey, I grew up in Minnesota too. Seems to be a well-worn path from there to Portland. :smile: I think the rear defroster is a must-have anywhere, although out here, we need it as a defogger more than a defroster, because 40° and rainy (typical December weather) can really cloud up the windows.

And yes, the "convenience package" does include the rear defroster -- in the NW, anyway.

[hystria]

I don't have A/C, in warm weather windows are the only escape. Power windows would be very nice since is so long to lower both windows in front. Keyless entry is also nice since without 'em rear hatch opens only with the key... how many times I had to shut off the engine, in order to open the hatch :redface:

[sherryberry]

I don't have A/C, in warm weather windows are the only escape. Power windows would be very nice since is so long to lower both windows in front. Keyless entry is also nice since without 'em rear hatch opens only with the key... how many times I had to shut off the engine, in order to open the hatch :redface:

If you have power locks, u can press the unlock button and the rear hatch is unlocked as well. or whenever you enter your car, turn it to unlock twice in the key hole and everything unlocks