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Old 11-09-2006, 11:46 AM   #1
littlecarlove
 
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Center console

What did your salesman say was the reason for the console being in
the center?

Mine said it was a safety feature. He said the driver doesn’t have to take his eyes off the road to see it.

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Old 11-09-2006, 12:49 PM   #2
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In reality, I believe that it's here to lower costs. This way, they don't have to make different units for right/left driver countries.
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Old 11-09-2006, 12:56 PM   #3
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The placement of the speedo/tach cluster is supposed to ensure the driver's eyes are on the road as much as possible. It is supposedly an improvement over most stock placements behind the steering wheel. I like the fact that the steering wheel is never in my way when I go to look at my speed. It took some getting used to, though.
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Old 11-09-2006, 12:59 PM   #4
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I agree.
AND I don't have a problem with that either. It gives me a cheaper Toyota,
I'm all for that! Plus I think it adds to the funky look of the car - which I like
a lot.
Why couldn't they be honest?

Oh wait... they are car salesmen... forget I asked.

Hays
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Old 11-09-2006, 03:58 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by littlecarlove
I agree.
AND I don't have a problem with that either. It gives me a cheaper Toyota,
I'm all for that! Plus I think it adds to the funky look of the car - which I like
a lot.
Why couldn't they be honest?

Oh wait... they are car salesmen... forget I asked.

Hays
Haha! true
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Old 11-09-2006, 05:54 PM   #6
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Mine said: "I DON'T KNOW"...
Today he doesnot works there anymore lol
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Old 11-09-2006, 06:54 PM   #7
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yea its no doubt in order to keep cost down, which can be deduced because it doesnt face the driver in the center, which it would need to do to really optimize the usefulness of the center console. Thouh actually i have thought before while driving "man i wish somebody woudl move the console somewhere else, i hate looking inbetween my steering wheel" so im very happy with it.

As to the cost, other people can make equally priced cars with 4 doors, telescopic steering wheel, height adjusting seats, ABS, EBD, BA, and side airbags, fully reclining front seats, and numerous other things. So it seems to me that while i can understand their cutting out some combination of those based on the Toyota reputation making sales and making more money for themselves I cant justify the extremes they took it to. They cut production cost and cut ALL of those functions (and even when you pay for the side airbags and 60/40 folding seats they are very limited in usefullness due to no roll sensors and front seat limitations) They really didnt have to cut ALL of them out, Toyota may have been going for a little too much profit off a cheap car here i think and it may well hurt them in the end--i know it will next time i go car shopping.

Last edited by BMGYaris; 11-09-2006 at 08:24 PM.
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Old 11-09-2006, 07:26 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMGYaris
yea its no doubt in order to keep cost down, which can be deduced because it doesnt face the driver in the center, which it would need to do to really optimize the usefulness of the center console. Thouh actually i have thought before while driving "man i wish somebody woudl move the console somewhere else, i hate looking inbetween my steering wheel" so im very happy with it.

As to the cost, other people can make equally priced cars with 4 doors, telescopic steering wheel, height adjusting seats, ABS, EBD, BA, and side airbags, fully reclining front seats, and numerous other things. So it seems to me that while i can understand their cutting out some combination of those based on the Toyota reputation making sales and making more money for themselves I cant justify the extremes they took it to. They cut production cost and cut ALL of those functions (and even when you pay for the side airbags and 60/40 folding seats they are very limited in usefullness due to no roll sensors and front seat limitations) They really didnt have to cut ALL of them out, Toyota may have been going for a little too much profit off a cheap car here and i think and it may well hurt them in the end--i know it will next time i go car shopping.
Sounds like you are a little disappointed with the Yaris. I agree with you
that they cut too much. I also think that they were caught off guard
by Honda and Nissan. I wouldn’t be surprised if the base Yaris has more
of these features next year without going up in price that much.
Still, if other car makers don’t start making more reliable cars I will keep
on buying Toyotas even if they have fewer accessories. Of course, I plan
on driving the Yaris for the next 15 years or so, who knows what types of cars will be available when I’m ready to buy again?

Hays
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Old 11-09-2006, 07:55 PM   #9
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I read before I bought the car that it was a safety feature. I like it no matter what the reason. I can put my GPS directly in front of me now and still see the bottom of the windshield.
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Old 11-09-2006, 08:36 PM   #10
DorytheYaris
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It's a safety feature. There were a few articles on it. They kept up with it since the Echo's first release and Saturn has also gone with that feature.
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Old 11-09-2006, 08:47 PM   #11
littlecarlove
 
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I just don’t buy that safety feature story. There are articles about it but I think it’s all smoke and mirrors. Since when do car makers put the latest safety features on their cheapest cars? Does anyone really expect to see it on a Camry one day?

Just my opinion, but I think it makes sense that it is cheaper to produce them this way - less refitting on the production line going from making left hand drive cars to right hand drive cars. Plus you still have to look down to see it but off to the right as well. It’s not a natural move.

On the other hand I actually like the placement. As I said before I think it adds to the overall look to the car plus the driver gets a glovebox.

Hays
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Old 11-10-2006, 04:53 AM   #12
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I don't really mind it being in the center... only problem is with the turn signal indicators, they make a pretty quiet "click", and if I have music on, it's hard to tell if they are blinking or not, on a normal car you would see the light in your peripheral vision, but not on this one...
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Old 11-10-2006, 07:35 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChinoCharles
The placement of the speedo/tach cluster is supposed to ensure the driver's eyes are on the road as much as possible. It is supposedly an improvement over most stock placements behind the steering wheel. I like the fact that the steering wheel is never in my way when I go to look at my speed. It took some getting used to, though.
while that may be true... if Toyota honestly believed it was safer, why not put it on every model they sell? Same with saab putting the ignition key between the seats, they did that for years on all their models... then the 9-5 (maybe the 9000 too.. .not sure) had it on the steering column... hmmm... what about that whole safety factor they were bragging about??

im with you though, once i got used to it over there, i like it...
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Old 11-10-2006, 07:58 AM   #14
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I would say they won't change over all the models because of customers. A lot of people see that center console and immediately think they could never get used to it. They've been driving for YEARS with it right in front of them. I personally found it very easy to adapt but a lot of people see that and immediately cross the car of their list of possibilies. It's MUCH easier to introduce with a brand new car that has no loyalty or sales history with American consumers. I see TONS of people 60+ driving a brand new Camry. They'd probably be driving an Accord if they were told they had to learn to drive with a center console on the 2007.
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Old 11-10-2006, 08:34 AM   #15
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Let me point ou the in your face reason (to me at least) for the console being in the center: $$$

think about it. Now Toyota doesn't have to have different molds/processing procedures to create a dashboard for US and non-US models...

They'll say its about safety, but the only reason for a company the size of Toyota to release a eco car with a "new design" (I've never been in an echo, so i don't know if the center was in it) is to save money either now or in the long run (as in its easier to preform maintenance or other work on the car should things go wrong)
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Old 11-10-2006, 09:00 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eTiMaGo
I don't really mind it being in the center... only problem is with the turn signal indicators, they make a pretty quiet "click", and if I have music on, it's hard to tell if they are blinking or not, on a normal car you would see the light in your peripheral vision, but not on this one...
your car really is SEXAY!!
i want a red 4door
:(
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Old 11-10-2006, 11:10 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vodkalush
Let me point ou the in your face reason (to me at least) for the console being in the center: $$$

think about it. Now Toyota doesn't have to have different molds/processing procedures to create a dashboard for US and non-US models...

They'll say its about safety, but the only reason for a company the size of Toyota to release a eco car with a "new design" (I've never been in an echo, so i don't know if the center was in it) is to save money either now or in the long run (as in its easier to preform maintenance or other work on the car should things go wrong)
that is somewhat true. As i said before, it probably saves them in production cost because it isnt turned to the left or right to face the driver. if it was really about being a safety feature it would be tilted somewhat for convenience. However, if they had some testing to show that it was safer and they were concerned over its acceptance they might introduce it in their base models to see how it is accepted. Also, in regards to % toyota sales volume, isnt the yaris in other countries something like the camry in ours?
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Old 11-10-2006, 01:17 PM   #18
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I like it, but I wish the area just in front of the display was sunken just a 1/4 to 1/2" so that I could throw my wallet up there or whatever and it wouldn't slide right off.

I have gotten so used to it, it is like second nature now. Resetting the trip meter requires a good stretch though. I fugure that's not a big deal because you don't have to reset it very often because of the great MPGs. hehe

As for safety, I guess Toyota has moved most of the stuff associated with the cluster to the middle, and also making the steering column safer as well will benefit in a front crash because there is less stuff to smash into your legs. Just a theory though.
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