Debating having a Yaris in my life

[CyR]

Hello, i'm Cy and i currently drive an 01 Lexus IS300, which i love most everything about. The real problem is gas mileage...and it's auto...and big...and expensive haha. I've fallen for the Yaris lately for it's looks (when lowered with good wheels), it's economy, and the fun, i assume "zippy" nature. I've come on here to hear owner's thoughts on my situation, would i be happy with this decision, is the Yaris fun to drive and affordable? I'm truely a Honda guy but i've had my last stolen and stripped so the idea is not so appealing to get another.

My plans would be coilovers and some affordable, somewhat agressive wheels, not much else. I'm no speed demon, but a track day would definitely be in the cards after completing the modifications.

Thank you for any input, i'm enjoying browsing the site so far.

[Golddeenoh]

face it the Yaris competes with hybrids for a lot less money. they are fun to drive and if you negotiate just right at the dealership you could leave with trd parts add to it (I did :D). and Lexus is Toyota's luxury car line so you are keeping in the family. of course i may be biased to the car i own now. but in general Toyota is a good car company to purchase from. so as long as you test drive it and feel comfortable in the car, go for it. we won't mind the company :D

[tooter]

My wife and I recently purchased a new 2012 2 door hatchback, 5 speed manual Yaris L...

...and were struck by how high the seating position is and how large and roomy the interior feels for such a small car. Take a test drive in one. That may help you to decide.

[BEEF]

if you are seriously considering it and really want to see what you think, rent one from hertz or enterprise or something and drive it for a few days. drive it like you would your own.

an extended test drive may tell you much more than just a test drive at a dealership. if you are used to driving a lex, you may have issues with the yaris. that being said, I love mine to death.

[why?]

aggressive wheels are usually a problem, depending on the size you are looking at. Every pound you add to the wheels you can really feel because the engine is so underpowered. Now people have added superchargers and still claim over 30 mpg.

It is lightweight, fun to drive, handles decently. No power though. I mean really absolutely none.

Of course getting 38 mpg is worth it. Getting to make fun of all the losers speeding by like they are on a race course spending over $100 a week on gas is great. Telling them I spend $100 on gas in maybe 3 months is ever so fun.

I do think you should buy one used though and keep your current car. Unless of course you can afford to buy one new and keep your current car. The lack of power just gets to you and it is nice to drive something that can accelerate every so often.

[CyR]

i really appreciate all of the helpful feedback!

i used to have a fairly stock civic for years, so i'm used to the "having no power to even merge onto the freeway" type of car lol. as far as agressive wheels, i just mean lower offset 14 or 15's so it shouldn't weigh too much more. i will most likely be starting a new job very soon which will require traveling 4 out of 5 days and the Lex just won't cut it gas-wise. unfortunately i will have no way to afford 2 cars so i can just drive my wife's integra for more fun once in a while.

i'm such a noob, when did these first come out? i may shoot for the first or second production year to keep costs low. i will be buying used no matter what, anything to look out for when test driving?

[randeez]

Originally Posted by why?

aggressive wheels are usually a problem, depending on the size you are looking at. Every pound you add to the wheels you can really feel because the engine is so underpowered. Now people have added superchargers and still claim over 30 mpg.

It is lightweight, fun to drive, handles decently. No power though. I mean really absolutely none.

Of course getting 38 mpg is worth it. Getting to make fun of all the losers speeding by like they are on a race course spending over $100 a week on gas is great. Telling them I spend $100 on gas in maybe 3 months is ever so fun.

I do think you should buy one used though and keep your current car. Unless of course you can afford to buy one new and keep your current car. The lack of power just gets to you and it is nice to drive something that can accelerate every so often.

sadly i do spend 100+ a week on gas, but again that's three tanks a week that i would normally spend ATLEAST twice as much if not triple depending on what i would be driving

[eTiMaGo]

Once you Yar you don't go back Like the guys above said, test drive it, rent it, the car has its quirks of course, but once you get used to them, it's a delight.

Originally Posted by CyR

i'm such a noob, when did these first come out? i may shoot for the first or second production year to keep costs low. i will be buying used no matter what, anything to look out for when test driving?

2006 would be the first production year. Keep in mind they'd been around Japan for a while before being sent over to the US (The ones you get over there are JDM, yo), but even so there have been quite a few TSB's for earlier USDM models, which you can refer to on this site too :)

Otherwise no major changes between model years, just new bumpers and lights for the mid-life refresh.

[marcus]

the question should be " Why Not?".....:)

[daf62757]

I purchased my 09 Yaris to simply drive to and from work which is a 180 mile one way commute. I wanted to get a high mileage car. As it turns out, I have been spoiled by the Yaris. It is a very roomy interior for being so small on the outside. I have always been able to haul anything I need to and for one or two adults, its very comfortable. I used to have a 4Runner and my wife tells me the Yaris is more comfortable. I keep wanting to buy a Tundra pickup but every time I start looking at the mileage, the Yaris continues to be the winner. I am sure a hybrid is better on gas, but for the low cost of ownership, you would have to drive the Hybrid a lot of miles for a lot of years to make the hybrid vs Yaris cost difference work. I am looking at keeping this Yaris for 300k miles and if lasts that long, why not try for 400K, 500K....the possibilities are endless!

[fnkngrv]

I was running 8psi of boost with my turbo setup and getting 35/36 highway and 32/33 mixed or city. You should be debating over white or wheat bread at the market...getting a Yaris is a no-brainer in my book.

[spocksleftball]

That is like saying you arent sure if you want democracy in your life. Question it after your purchase....or be a commie!

[jpmck03]

Originally Posted by CyR

...[i]s the Yaris fun to drive and affordable?

Yes, it's a hoot to drive and no matter what I do when tossing it around I still get very good fuel economy. I've got a manual and for being a slow little car, it's a blast to just floor it onto the interstate, chirping the tires between shifts! Like they say, it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.


As for affordability, the most money I've spent on it is on mods! Just gas and oil changes so far!

[RedRide]

Originally Posted by jpmck03

Yes, it's a hoot to drive and no matter what I do when tossing it around I still get very good fuel economy. I've got a manual and for being a slow little car, it's a blast to just floor it onto the interstate, chirping the tires between shifts! Like they say, it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.


As for affordability, the most money I've spent on it is on mods! Just gas and oil changes so far!

I agree. Having a car with limited power does not mean it is unsafe or not fun to drive. However, one should have a manual transmissin to take full advantage of a car with limited power.

The car I owned with the lowest power to weight ratio was a MGb that I purchased new in '76. It was ment to be driven by frequently using the gearbox and it was a blast to drve. It was never unsafe on the hi-way.

[spocksleftball]

If you want to talk unsafe, try a bmw 135. 5 star crash rating sure at 35 mph. Who do you think would drive it at that speed? Turbo charged v6 on a small coupe? Unsafe.

Yaris, otoh, is a car that forces a level of safety just by being an eco commuter tool. You wont burn the bmw off the line, corner like a pro, or even get close to 150 hp without major money, but you will feel like a champ for having an interesting comfortable, economical roomy, agile like car that cost a quarter of the muscle machines yet obeys all the same traffic laws...

[why?]

Originally Posted by CyR

i really appreciate all of the helpful feedback!

i used to have a fairly stock civic for years, so i'm used to the "having no power to even merge onto the freeway" type of car lol. as far as agressive wheels, i just mean lower offset 14 or 15's so it shouldn't weigh too much more. i will most likely be starting a new job very soon which will require traveling 4 out of 5 days and the Lex just won't cut it gas-wise. unfortunately i will have no way to afford 2 cars so i can just drive my wife's integra for more fun once in a while.

i'm such a noob, when did these first come out? i may shoot for the first or second production year to keep costs low. i will be buying used no matter what, anything to look out for when test driving?

it depends what you are looking for. The first year for the Yaris is labelled 2007, even though they started delivering them in early 2006.

That model year I believe is the only one you can get without any of the electronic nannies. My car doesn't even have ABS.

The only issues that seem to crop up is the water pump going bad, and even that is very rare.

A few people have reported some rust in the seems of the rear quarter panels too.

Those are the only real problems and they are minor in numbers. There are also 2 or 3 lemons that have been reported, but out of the number of cars produced, that is an extremely small number.

The newer cars (MY 2010 & newer) seem to be going for just as much as the brand new ones. Seem to see 2007 my cars go for $6k at the cheapest.

[jay cobbs]

Hi Just bought the sedan in red 2010 same as 2011 save some cash. I drive for a living and like the camry feel with the yaris sedan same or better milage with 4 spped auto with overdrive check the specs ang the real numbers on epa.gov with sedan. has 6x9 rear deck speakers for real bump not in the hatch unforunatly. easly up the tires with well clearance to 17" and power assit steer is fansastic. hertz still has great fleet car sales on them and the liftback but hurry. they go fast. yaris is the unoffical love child of a camry and a prius. check you tube for mpg videos. comfy too. I get 40-45 mpg @ 65-70 mph here in california with reg tires at 37 psi not hypermiling at all. GO FOR IT ITS FUN TO DRIVE BUT DONT GET A CVT TRANS NOT VERY FUN AND ZIPPY like 4 speed with overdrive!!!! yes 5 gear box.....

[jay cobbs]

Ive been in the forum for awhile now and can let you in on a little known fact for car shoppers. HERTZ car sales lots will let you drive off any model there when you sign a 2 hour rental voucher for free . no strings and no salesman with you..just you and the car.. time to drive and take it to your mechnic like I did for my 2010 yaris sedan, my mechnic said all levels of engine and even front alinment were spot on! just return it to the lot of course in 2 hours and all questions solved. Most cars come with one key though so if you need another ask before you buy any pre owned car....just a few hits ....enjoy your free 2 hour test drive. visit hertz .com to also verify the model you want and the color is in the nearest lot to you. It does get easier than that...I was very happy If you like the car ask for a rent to buy....the web site will explain.
Enjoy the way it use to be with no pressure pre set prices that are very good, even check edmunds.com for real fair market prices off the info on the car before you drive it..... risk free...enjoy.....Jay