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Old 07-29-2006, 08:39 PM   #1
AlexK
 
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Test drove Fit, Versa and Yaris... Bought a Yaris!

Even though on paper the Versa is the clear winner (in terms of what you get for the money), I chose the Yaris sedan. Here is why:

The Fit was very nice but it is impossible to get a manual transmission. The dealers said there are no more 2007 manuals available. The auto version was very slow off the line and not fun. The rear seats of the FIT are awesome but since I also have a pickup I won't be hauling huge loads with my commuter car. Also it has a timing belt instead of a chain which is like a little bomb waiting to go off at the worst possible moment (maybe I exaggerate a little here).

The Versa CVT SL (continuously variable transmission) model I drove was very nice. It was also slow off the line but once revved it accelerated very nicely. Too bad the price was $16900 for that model! The 6 speed manual was $13900 so I drove that one also. With a 6 speed transmission I was expecting a low first gear and a high 6th gear. Wrong on both counts! First gear is very high, and also the engine has very little low rpm torque (our Yaris engines are so much better in that dept). In 6th gear at 3000 rpm the Versa was doing 66 mph. My Toyota Tacoma truck is higher geared than that in 4th gear! Also the shifter was clunky feeling with obvious vibration from the engine. It made a hollow sounding noise with each shift. I work for a supplier for Nissan and could have gotten the car at below invoice price, but it still wasn't worth it. It is a POS in my opinion. It's such a shame too because it comes so well equipped and reasonably priced too (for the S trim level anyway).

The Yaris comes with few standard features but it felt like the smoothest, highest quality vehicle of the three makes I tried. The manual transmission and clutch are perfect. I do hate the annoying throttle-by-wire which causes the engine to rev up between shifts if I don't let off the gas a second earlier than I'm used to, but the Nissan Versa did that also (and I assume the manual Fit does the same). The ride quality is better than the Fit's and equal to the Versa's. The resale value of a Toyota is better than Nissan. The Yaris body also looks better than the Versa's.

I ended up buying a 5 speed manual Yaris Sedan in green. No options except tinted windows, bumper protector, and floor mats (not even a radio!). Interior color is black. The dealer knocked $300 off the MSRP for me, price was $12800 before tax.
I already ordered a in-dash DVD/MP3 player so I won't be without tunes for long. So far I've logged 200 miles and it's great! I bet I'm one of the few Yaris buyers who will be getting worse gas mileage than in their last car ('92 Geo Metro - I got 47 city, 52 hwy).
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Old 07-29-2006, 08:49 PM   #2
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LOL.. those Geo Metro's did take mileage to the limit...
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Old 07-29-2006, 08:57 PM   #3
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and in Nevada conditions to boot!!
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Old 07-29-2006, 11:39 PM   #4
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"annoying throttle-by-wire which causes the engine to rev up between shifts if I don't let off the gas a second earlier than I'm used to"

word.. i hate HEARING the engine rev up JUST A BIT when i pop the clutch..it sucks for rev-matching since you must wait an extra couple .1's of a second


Good comparison. i haven't had the opportunity to drive the Versa, yet, but you couldn't have described the Fit and yaris better!

and, btw..why the hell isn't the yaris getting better gas mileage than a Geo Metro????!!! heck, civic CX/VX's (92-95 base models, one having longer gearing AND a rear diffuser under the rear bumper that helps gas mileage by about 2-4 on the highway!!!) got 35-40 MPG and they didn't weight much less and ALSO had 1.5L motors!!! they were a bit slower, but not by much..especially not 15 years of technology and an extra $5000 difference..
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Old 07-30-2006, 11:38 AM   #5
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[QUOTE=TRD_Yaris]"annoying throttle-by-wire which causes the engine to rev up between shifts if I don't let off the gas a second earlier than I'm used to"

How does throttle by wire work?
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Old 07-30-2006, 01:39 PM   #6
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My layman's understanding is that unlike the mechanical system with a cable linking between the pedal and the throttle, the electrical system (by wire) uses the pedal as a controlling switch to send signals to a servo which opens or closes the throttle which controls the supply of fuel to the engine.
There is inevitably some over simplification in what I have said, of course.
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Old 07-30-2006, 02:38 PM   #7
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Congrats AlexK! You made the right choice! Hope you have many years of happy motoring!
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Old 07-30-2006, 05:55 PM   #8
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Congradulations.....you made the right choice. You will not regret it.
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Old 07-30-2006, 08:27 PM   #9
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is it just me, or is the agreed upon "enemy" of the Yaris the FIT? or is this something we all know, but never mention???
when I see one on the road I feel such emnity for it, as if it has less of a right to be on the road and should make room for my Yaris.
I'm like... "Fit, GO! Get outta here! This is Yaris territory!"
when I was searching for my Yaris, I rememeber going to a dealer and seeing a Fit across from the Toyota dealer and thinking, "I could always just get a Fit... but... ewwwww. I don't want to be that type of guy."
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Old 07-31-2006, 12:36 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Henshin
is it just me, or is the agreed upon "enemy" of the Yaris the FIT? or is this something we all know, but never mention???
when I see one on the road I feel such emnity for it, as if it has less of a right to be on the road and should make room for my Yaris.
I'm like... "Fit, GO! Get outta here! This is Yaris territory!"
when I was searching for my Yaris, I rememeber going to a dealer and seeing a Fit across from the Toyota dealer and thinking, "I could always just get a Fit... but... ewwwww. I don't want to be that type of guy."

Awww - I think just some insecure folks go mad over trying to justify their purchase of a Yaris. It is pretty simple psychology - a person is more inclined to increase the positive affect they have for something after investing/paying for it (so they feel more rational and better abotu themselves in return - it is why you never listen to specific car forums for positive reviews but use them to look for potential problems).

The fit & yaris are both good vehicles - I wish more people would adopt smaller vehicles with better mileage. I would be happy with either vehicles because they work well enough to get around (not one of those folks who drive karts on public roads).
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Old 07-31-2006, 09:03 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Chalmers
Awww - I think just some insecure folks go mad over trying to justify their purchase of a Yaris. It is pretty simple psychology - a person is more inclined to increase the positive affect they have for something after investing/paying for it (so they feel more rational and better abotu themselves in return - it is why you never listen to specific car forums for positive reviews but use them to look for potential problems).

The fit & yaris are both good vehicles - I wish more people would adopt smaller vehicles with better mileage. I would be happy with either vehicles because they work well enough to get around (not one of those folks who drive karts on public roads).

what about the fact that people bought the yaris in the first place AFTER checking out other vehicles like the fit? that doesn't really jive with your psychological statement...
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Old 07-31-2006, 09:24 AM   #12
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I never got the chance to test a FIT or a Versa..

Being you tested both, if you had to choose between JUST those two, which would it be?
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Old 08-01-2006, 01:08 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oktaren
what about the fact that people bought the yaris in the first place AFTER checking out other vehicles like the fit? that doesn't really jive with your psychological statement...

There are people who checked out the Yaris and bought other vehicles too. I think both vehicles are great and each has its own advantages and weaknesses. But some Yaris fanboys go nuts and essentially wish the Honda dealer would blow up and engulf all the Fits in flames or something.
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Old 08-01-2006, 09:04 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Chalmers
There are people who checked out the Yaris and bought other vehicles too. I think both vehicles are great and each has its own advantages and weaknesses. But some Yaris fanboys go nuts and essentially wish the Honda dealer would blow up and engulf all the Fits in flames or something.
i don't really care if they blow up or not. in fact, i would rather people buy those other cars and not fill the road with yaris'. i can see why someone would buy a versa because it does have a bigger engine or even an aveo or something because they are so cheap, but the fit is ugly and overpriced for what it offers, at least in my opinion. but again, i didn't drive it, i didnt' want to be caught it something so ugly.
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Old 08-03-2006, 02:16 AM   #15
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Wow you think the Fit is ugly? I think it's nicer looking than the Yaris and would have maybe bought one if I could have gotten a manual transmission model. It supposedly handles better too but I know for a fact the ride is stiffer than Yaris or Versa.

I got 41.9 mpg (90% highway miles) on my first tank of gas in the Yaris which is pretty respectable considering I was doing 70-80mph and some stop-and-go traffic (Reno to San Francisco).
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Old 08-06-2006, 05:50 AM   #16
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I have tested a Fit and the Yaris is the better car!
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Old 08-07-2006, 10:55 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexK
...
The rear seats of the FIT are awesome but since I also have a pickup I won't be hauling huge loads with my commuter car. Also it has a timing belt instead of a chain which is like a little bomb waiting to go off at the worst possible moment (maybe I exaggerate a little here).

FYI the Honda Fit has a low friction timing chain, not a timing belt.
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Old 08-07-2006, 07:51 PM   #18
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I bought the Yaris for the simple reason that I thought it was cuter than the other econoboxes. Each to his/her own! :) I have nothing against Honda at all.
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