Little things I've learned about the Yaris

[Angry Andy]

This thread is for all the little surprises about your Yaris, good or bad, that you didn't exactly know of before signing papers. Others who have recently acquired theirs are welcome to post their own surprises, too.

Origin: Canada
Year: 2007
Type: 5-door LB
Color: Black
Transmission: Automatic
Trim: LE, B package (ABS w/ EBD, A/C, power windows, keyless entry)
Options: Cruise Control, center armrest, center console cupholder

In no particular order:

1. Don't keep loose change in the cubby pockets on either side of the climate control system. There is a small gap that coins can easily slide into, never to return unless you take the dash apart. Refusing to keep pennies anywhere else for the time being, I covered up the gaps with strips of gaffer's tape. Problem solved.

2. The clearcoat scuffs and scratches easily. This has been addressed ad nauseum in this board. I will not add anything further other than the idea that I have learned my lesson- be more careful when opening doors with my left hand, as my wristwatch is on that appendage. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to apply two coats of wax.

3. The hood is very lightweight- so light, that a waitress with next to no muscle mass could carry 3-lb. porterhouse cut steak dinners for 6 on it without breaking a sweat. Keep this in mind when closing it- either drop it from a higher position than most other cars' hoods, or push it down gently to engage the latch.

4. The engine bay is roomier than expected. One can easily get their arms around almost the entire engine block. Changing the headlamps looks to be a bit tricky, especially on the driver's side.

5. The keyless entry option included only one remote, and it's integrated with the body of the master ignition key. This is a nice design trend, making people's keychains a bit less bulky- but if you wanted to grant someone access to your car w/o access to drive it away, you're SOL. Plus, if you damage the blade, you're out $100 for the entire key, or so I'm told.

6. Forget attaching most sunglasses holders to the sunvisors- they're too damn thick.

7. The car's break-in period is approximately the first 1600km (1000mi); according to specs in the owner's manual. A bit shorter than I expected.

8. The cabin isn't as noisy on the highway as I expected- even when I race the engine. I recall reading 72 dB in a critic's review of the car somewhere. Does anyone here have a loudness meter handy to verify this? Cabin noise usually isn't an issue for yours truly- that's because Slayer and Meshuggah are frequent visitors to the car's sound system. And who wants to listen to those bands at a reasonable volume? I know that I don't.

9. The last three digits on the car's license plate are "666". I rule. One of the sales chicks asked if that was okay, to that I responded:

"Hail Satan."

:headbang:

10. Have fun finding the power mirror and console dimmer switches in the dark- they're not back-lit when the exterior lamps are switched on. Also not back-lit:

-turn signal, wiper and cruise control stalks
-all door-mounted power window and lock controls (only the word "auto" on the driver's window switch is back-lit)

11. The daytimer lamps cannot be switched off unless the car is turned off, parking brake applied, and the car restarted. Some other cars' DRLs can be turned off simply by applying the parking brake w/o touching the ignition key. I'm tempted to pop open the steering column and yank the DRL relay box altogether.

12. The EPS rules. Period.

13. The LCD clock display appears to support the 24-hr. standard, yet it does not address that feature in the owner's manual. Does anyone know anything about this?


More to come later.

[joe keeney]

Sounds to me like you got a great car. Your just a nitpicker. You and my frist wife can get along great.

[Black Yaris]

Sounds to me like you got a great car. Your just a nitpicker. You and my frist wife can get along great.

dood he is "ANGRY" Andy..... don't think anyone who would make there handle that name would ever be happy..... do you?

[joe keeney]

A crybaby a crybaby

[YarisTom73]

My two cents: I was seriously surprised and annoyed when I found out that none of the American-released Yarii have a cabin filter, just an empty holder. My dealership insists none can be retrofitted; however, thanks to Yarisworld, I got a Bosch at Autozone for $15.

[Black Yaris]

My two cents: I was seriously surprised and annoyed when I found out that none of the American-released Yarii have a cabin filter, just an empty holder. My dealership insists none can be retrofitted; however, thanks to Yarisworld, I got a Bosch at Autozone for $15.

what was the part # you got at autozone?

[eTiMaGo]

nice thread! here's a few observations...

As the weather is cooler here and air conditioning is not absolutely required at al times, I can noticeably feel a power difference in the engine at low revs, making the car a lot more responsive in these situations.

And I love how the car can be easily dismantled (dashboard and other interior trim), a real modder's dream :wink:

[sherryberry]

well i found out intermittent wipers aren't really intermittent.. only one setting.

and another thing i've found is that.... guys whistle at me more when i drive my yaris *scratches head*

[eTiMaGo]

attractive girl + attractive car, don't be so surprised :wink:

[nsmitchell]

Angry Andy, are you really Andy Kaufman?

[MarkBen]

and another thing i've found is that.... guys whistle at me more when i drive my yaris *scratches head*

Me too... and I don't live in San Francisco....:eek:

[Angry Andy]

A crybaby a crybaby
Let's be friends.


well i found out intermittent wipers aren't really intermittent.. only one setting.
They're still intermittent, but they lack the manual delay control that often accompanies this feature. The mist setting ought to be standard on every vehicle in production. I use it quite often- my neck of the woods is one of the foggiest regions on Earth.


Angry Andy, are you really Andy Kaufman?
No.

[YarisTom73]

attractive girl + attractive car, don't be so surprised :wink:

+1 :biggrin:

[sherryberry]

Me too... and I don't live in San Francisco....:eek:

I don't live in San Francisco either... I live in IL.

[eTiMaGo]

I don't live in San Francisco either... I live in IL.

WOOSH... (sound of joke flying high above sherry's head) :biggrin:

[sherryberry]

i'm at work.. i don't have to think.

[hoperrs]

The only thing about my Yaris that irritates me is the non-adjustable intermittent wipers.

[death is my gift]

WOOSH... (sound of joke flying high above sherry's head) :biggrin:

Glad that someone else caught that.

[kimona]

Is this thread about annoying little things about our cars?

Lots of interior sqeaks and rattles. I give up trying to locate and silence them.

[steved]

I find the seat belt is too far back when reaching for it ( and my seat is all the way back). And there is no height adjuster for the belt also.

[sherryberry]

maybe it's because i'm short.. but my foot gets really uncomfortable pressin on the gas and brake after like an hour of driving. But if I'm wearing heels, I don't feel pain or cramps at all.. and it doesn't matter if i readjust the seat or not... i wish the steering wheel would move more than up and down so i can be a little bit more comfortable during the long trips.

[cactus22minus1]

I've noticed some of these little things you guys posted, but another one that may turn into a larger cosmetic issue for my interior is the softness of the light gray plastic found along the doors. Any light tap from the seat belt or my (short) finger nail peels up tiny pieces.

The area around the seatbelt is already looking like a cat scratch post after 4 months, and I'm a super-careful guy... especially when it comes to this car. :)

Don't get me wrong... I'm absolutely in love with this car. All these little things are a small price to pay for the money I'm saving in the long run, and it's a blast to drive around.

[swidd]

oh, I have an annoyance... the blind spots! I thought that this car would be easier to spot traffic in the blind zone left and right than my now retired SUV, but not so! The side mirrors only view directly aft at a narrow angle. So every time I change lanes and stuff, I have to twist my head alot. Been driving it for 3 days, and already had several "oops" situations where I've started to "slide" into the next lane while looking in mirror and then suddenly discovering a car hiding in the blind spot as I turn my head.

Edit: 38MPG city makes up for ANYTHING though! Will see what kind of mpg I get on highway tomorrow.

Kinda wish the Yaris had a sixth gear for highway-driving over 75mph. The engine RPM gets really high approaching 85mph.

[fnkngrv]

My only gripes are that there is only the 1 12v plug and it is inconveniently placed so close to the parking brakes, the windshield seems to be very easily scratched, the check engine light comes on like clockwork at 5k intervals, and that not all the instruments are lit when the lights are on. Lastly that I do not have a "Sherryberry" airfresher to put around my rear view:wink:

One a side note to Sherry....that sounds kind of odd that things are better for you when driving with heels than without:rolleyes: I would just have thought the exact opposite would apply. :smile:

[tapuleo]

Here's a goodie I found. My son was asking me about the handle on the back of the rear seat, so I showed him what it was for. I was surprised to find that the back seat has 2 locked-in positions. one being slightly reclined...neat-o.

[ECHOKnight2000]

Kinda wish the Yaris had a sixth gear for highway-driving over 75mph. The engine RPM gets really high approaching 85mph.


Well yeah, you're going 85mph you silly!!:laugh: Of course the RPM's are going to be high. Also remember the kind of engine it is and its not meant to be driving that fast too long but I still can see what you're saying, not knocking you...but its like complaining how a economy car doesn't handle like a Porshe at 90mph...I don't have a Yaris but I do have the same engine (although slightly different but the same) and I do have my music on usually so I guess I don't hear the high RPM's.:thumbsup:

[slvryaris]

Got mine at Advance Auto Parts, and it s a purolator brand, but they do not fit perfectly, but I think that is as close as your gonna get. I had an old thread about this once . I did notice something in the manual that said it needed one for the air conditioner to work properly or something like that. In this case I would go to the dealership and complain.

My two cents: I was seriously surprised and annoyed when I found out that none of the American-released Yarii have a cabin filter, just an empty holder. My dealership insists none can be retrofitted; however, thanks to Yarisworld, I got a Bosch at Autozone for $15.

[kimona]

My two cents: I was seriously surprised and annoyed when I found out that none of the American-released Yarii have a cabin filter, just an empty holder. My dealership insists none can be retrofitted; however, thanks to Yarisworld, I got a Bosch at Autozone for $15.

True, the Yaris/Vitz does not come with a factory A/C filter. This disappointed me as well.

The reason for this omission though is rather simple. Because of the tight position of the blower unit behind the glovebox, the OEM filter frame cannot fit. So, Toyota decided with no frame, there can be no filter.

But like you, what many of us have done is install a filter without the frame... which seems to work well enough.

[TLyttle]

I'm not convinced about the engine revving too high: specs say the torque peak is at 4200rpm, power at 6000. My experience with Toyotas has been that you can kill any part of a Toyota except the engine; I am depending on that experience!

[sherryberry]

My only gripes are that there is only the 1 12v plug and it is inconveniently placed so close to the parking brakes, the windshield seems to be very easily scratched, the check engine light comes on like clockwork at 5k intervals, and that not all the instruments are lit when the lights are on. Lastly that I do not have a "Sherryberry" airfresher to put around my rear view:wink:

One a side note to Sherry....that sounds kind of odd that things are better for you when driving with heels than without:rolleyes: I would just have thought the exact opposite would apply. :smile:

hehehe to the air freshner thing.

Anyway, yeah.. I think the reason heels work better for me is because the steering wheel is at such an odd angle that I have to move my seat back a lil' more than usual so it doesn't feel like the steering wheel is cramped into me but then now, the steering wheel is kinda a stretch and my feet hits the pedals but lik yeah.. i guess a little bit of a stretch. I'm only 5'3" after all :smile:

[sherryberry]

wow and I didn't know we didn't have a A/C filter.. weird.

[steved]

oh, I have an annoyance... the blind spots! I thought that this car would be easier to spot traffic in the blind zone left and right than my now retired SUV, but not so! The side mirrors only view directly aft at a narrow angle. So every time I change lanes and stuff, I have to twist my head alot. Been driving it for 3 days, and already had several "oops" situations where I've started to "slide" into the next lane while looking in mirror and then suddenly discovering a car hiding in the blind spot as I turn my head.

Edit: 38MPG city makes up for ANYTHING though! Will see what kind of mpg I get on highway tomorrow.

Kinda wish the Yaris had a sixth gear for highway-driving over 75mph. The engine RPM gets really high approaching 85mph.

I hate those blind spots too! I bought those small blind spot mirrors to solve that problem.

[TLyttle]

For some reason, the driving position reminds me of my old kart, ca 1958, and I am very comfortable...

The whole car is very reminiscent of my old Morris: quick handling, great economy, just plain fun. Sure wish they built this thing in a convertible!!

[YarisTom73]

The whole car is very reminiscent of my old Morris: quick handling, great economy, just plain fun. Sure wish they built this thing in a convertible!!
With a sawzall and little patchwork, anything is possible :wink: :laugh:

[Imagine]

Things I've learned..

- The EPS steering is nearly rediculously touchy. While it makes for quick turns, it lacks a little in feed back. Not to mention, if you aren't paying attention the car will stray right or left quickly. I'm just use to Honda's I suppose.

- Something under the car rattles sometimes at idle. I haven't taken the time to find out what it is yet.

I'm sure there is more, but most have been touched on already. I have the same problem with foot comfort as well. It seems that the gas pedal angle is a bit steep, which makes finding a comfortable position tricky.

[TLyttle]

Hmmm... I think I would have the front end doublechecked; our Yaris tracks arrow-straight. I agree with you about no road feel, but apparently that is how cars must behave nowadays. Even with power steering, my Volvo tells me everything I want to know. It could be the difference between FWD and RWD; anyone ever drive an old Renault FWD? Torque lock would remove any chance of steering under full throttle!!

AS far as the Sawzall is concerned, I would consider it, but my wife would literally kill me...

[YarisTom73]

- Something under the car rattles sometimes at idle. I haven't taken the time to find out what it is yet.


There's a TSB on that..it's the transmission cable. Mine does it too, occasionally when it's cold, but I haven't taken the initiative either :redface:

[Imagine]

Hmmm... I think I would have the front end doublechecked; our Yaris tracks arrow-straight.

It tracks straight, it's the person holding the steering wheel. :laugh: Driving with one hand, turn your head for a second to look at something you are drifting. My Hondas require a lot more force then the Yaris takes a unstrained finger. It's both a good and bad thing. If I had my choice I wouldn't use power steering at all, but I'm just that way. :bellyroll:

There's a TSB on that..it's the transmission cable. Mine does it too, occasionally when it's cold, but I haven't taken the initiative either

Thanks, I figured it was something like that or a heat shield.. I'll get motivated and check it out one of these days. Like yours, its just when its cold and you put it in gear. Have any more info on the TBS?

[YarisTom73]

Just do a quick search on here, it's posted somewhere. Or better yet, make your trusty Toyota dealer find it, it's his job to do that :laugh:
Good luck :thumbsup:

[Thirty-Nine]

In two days of ownership, the only thing I find slightly annoying is that when you have the windows down, there's a lot of buffeting noise, and it doesn't seem to help if both windows are down or not.

[TLyttle]

Like I said, FWD without power steering leaves you to the vagaries of torque lock; even the original Minis took some force to move the wheel under some circumstances, and the Mini was a little over half the weight or power of the Yaris. Nothing like that bleedin' Renault though.

Agreed on the buffeting; however, it isn't quite as bad with a rear window open with our sedan.

Still think that the car is worth every dime...

[swidd]

My Yaris was turning a bit to the right all the time when I first got it. Checking the tire pressure fixed that - the right front tire was 4 psi less than the left.

[skateboarddziner]

speaking of simplistics.... how do you get the cd player out of the dash?...

wanting to purchase a kit and insert my panasonic...


any help would be great....


JAR~

[g man]

WOOSH... (sound of joke flying high above sherry's head) :biggrin:
be nice etimago!