Before Buying Yaris - Some Newbie questions

[Gingi]

Hi there guys - great site !

I'm considering buying the Yaris after I test drove it yesterday - however, here are my questions for you pros:

1) Don't you guys think that since it's Yaris's first edition, it's too risky to buy it (yea, I know Toyota is a brand name blabla but look at the Echo)?

2) Aren't you guys afraid that (knock on wood) if you'll be involved in an accident this tiny car will not provide enough protection against the rest of the cars on the road, which are most likely bigger?

3) The only thing that I really felt uncomfortable with was the digital gas tank!! Don't you find it a bad feature?


Thanks !!!
Gingi

[caveatipse]

Originally Posted by Gingi

Hi there guys - great site !

I'm considering buying the Yaris after I test drove it yesterday - however, here are my questions for you pros:

1) Don't you guys think that since it's Yaris's first edition, it's too risky to buy it (yea, I know Toyota is a brand name blabla but look at the Echo)?

Nah. The 2008 is already in production and nothing has changed.

2) Aren't you guys afraid that (knock on wood) if you'll be involved in an accident this tiny car will not provide enough protection against the rest of the cars on the road, which are most likely bigger?

Sure. That is the risk of all smaller cars.

3) The only thing that I really felt uncomfortable with was the digital gas tank!! Don't you find it a bad feature?

I have to agree. That last bar is daunting. You never know exactly how much you have! It can be a real teste of nerves to try to beat the last bar to the gas station lol.

Thanks !!!
Gingi

Replies in quote above.

[blueskana]

With the side airbags the car is actually pretty solid. The digital gauge does take some getting used to, but its pretty consistant with the "low-level" flash indicator and its intervals. As for quality, they seem to have it well sorted from it's previous years abroad.

.02

[xed]

Originally Posted by Gingi

2) Aren't you guys afraid that (knock on wood) if you'll be involved in an accident this tiny car will not provide enough protection against the rest of the cars on the road, which are most likely bigger?

This is a common concern with any car (tiny or not) in the modern world of SUVs. There was an article that I read a few months ago that had auto accident statistics for a lot of different makes/models. All stats were on collisions; not single car accidents.

I didn't bookmark the link but basically what the stats showed was that smaller cars were involved in fewer multi-car accidents than larger autos. There was a direct correlation between the size of the vehicle and the frequency of accidents with bigger cars being more likely to be in an accident.

The stats suggest that smaller cars are better at avoiding accidents than larger cars. However, the numbers also showed that when smaller cars were in accidents with larger cars that there was a much greater chance of people being injured than collisions involving only larger vehicles. What was also interesting is that people were more likely to be injured in a collision involving multiple larger cars than they were if the collision involved only smaller cars.

So to sum up...

• little cars have the best chance of not being in a wreck in the first place
• little cars have lower injury rates when the collision involves other little cars
• little cars in wrecks with big cars still come out as big losers

[lloe]

Originally Posted by Gingi

Hi there guys - great site !

I'm considering buying the Yaris after I test drove it yesterday - however, here are my questions for you pros:

1) Don't you guys think that since it's Yaris's first edition, it's too risky to buy it (yea, I know Toyota is a brand name blabla but look at the Echo)?

Yeah, but unlike the echo there is MUCH more demand for the Yaris.

2) Aren't you guys afraid that (knock on wood) if you'll be involved in an accident this tiny car will not provide enough protection against the rest of the cars on the road, which are most likely bigger?

As the previous poster said that is just as likely with all small cars. The Yaris although it looks small really isn't THAT small. I also own a Saturn granted it is much older but it is also smaller.

3) The only thing that I really felt uncomfortable with was the digital gas tank!! Don't you find it a bad feature?

Thanks !!!
Gingi

Not really, but I also keep track of the miles I go on a tank of gas. I don't really see why that would be a bad feature. Even if it wasn't digital it could still mess up. My dads durango (whose gas meter is not digital) never seems to go past the half tank point but he would run out of gas if he didn't keep track of the miles he went.

Anyways, I love my Yaris and everyone I talk to that owns a Yaris(granted that has not been many) say how much they love it. It's inexpensive, GREAT on gas, and is super adorable!

[swng]

Thanks for the questions. Here are my personal opinions -
1. I tend to consider the Yaris the next generation Echo with just a change of name. To me, the difference between the Echo and the Yaris is not greater than that between the present Camry and the last generation Camry. Same is considered true about the Corolla for that matter.
2. No one can defy the laws of physics. But if it is a small, peppy, handsome, economical, and reliable car that you want, there are not too many choices around. Afterall, there are many small cars in Europe and Asia. They are only relatively uncommon in North America. I recommend that you make sure that you get the ABS, EBD, and all the available air bags. Always drive defensively.
3. As long as you fill up when the gauge drops to two bars, or at the very least rush to fill up when the last bar blinks (in fact it blinks all the time when it is alone), the guage is nothing to worry about. For avoidance of running dry, never assume that the last bar will give you anything more than 50 km/30 miles in normal city traffic, though in actual fact it may get you a little farther. Its (the last bar's) life span can be shorter in adverse traffic conditions.
Safe and happy motoring!

[ECHOKnight2000]

^^^Yeah you have good points. The Yaris is the evolution of the ECHO...its how I see it. I guess you can say that about any new gen model. Its an improvement over the last. The first gen Vitz/Yaris/ECHO broke the small car mold and changed most people's perspective on it. This gen is a contiuation of that and an improvement.

Also small cars RULE!!!

[slvryaris]

1.) The only thing first generation people have a problem with is the engine and tranny and those have been in Scions and other toyota vehicles.

2.) I dont plan on wrecking it but I do have full coverage and gap insurance:)

3.) I would think it is just reliable as a gauge because they can both fault out plus it was made in Japan

[Pars]

1. The Yaris power train is derived from the Echo and the Echo has a very good reliability record. Also, the new Yaris has been around for a few years, which is ample time to work out the kinks

2. If you're considering a hatchback, the Fit has a better safety rating since it's got the side airbag. An airbag equipped Yaris is the most crash worthy vehicle in it's class. It's too bad that it's not an option for the liftback model.

If you've got quick reaction, stability control and traction control is more likely to save your ass. The ABS equipped Yaris with brake force distribution is a really good system. One time, I was coming up on left turn without slowing down and timing it so that I'd be cutting right behind an on-coming truck, while doing about 70 km/hr. However, there was a taxi car hiding beside the truck and by the time I noticed it, I was only a car length away and perfectly setup for a t-bone. It didn't help that I was in middle of my turn, with the wheel cranked to the left and now doing about 60km/hr. I had a fraction of a second before the two cars would impact and I still can't believe I got out of it....

3. Analog gas gage sucks, digital is better.

[eTiMaGo]

1) As was said before, this current model Yaris has been out in Japan for years, and the engine/transmission has been around in previous models and several other cars since quite a long time, and is proven in terms of reliability.

2) That's always going to be a risk in any cars, I agree about the previous comment on small cars being able to avoid the accident in the first place anyway, thanks to being nimble.

3) Digital gas gauge takes some getting used to, but you shoudl really try to fill up when you reach the last two bars, it's good practice as the fuel in the tank is used to cool the fuel pump, and if it runs too low for too long, the pump can get damaged.
In my experience, as cars get older the analog fuel gauge is one of the first things to mess up... Either showing half tank when it's empty, or empty tank when there's still half left in there!

Plus, a digital gauge helps to keep tabs on your mileage too.. For example, the first bar usually drops at 50km sharp on mine. If i can make it last to 60km, then I feel kinda good about it

[Gingi]

loved to read your comments

[Ferret_san]

I agree with the comments above, so I guess I can only add personal thoughts here. I've always been a hatch fan, and to me the yaris really is IMHO the best pick in the segment. Though I have to admit, I can't wait to see what impact the new Mazda 2 will have.

I test drove about 6 cars in the same day, and to be honest, all have their pros and cons. Seats fold better on some, engine slightly better on others, fit and finsh etc. To Toyota's credit, in Australia its class leading at only AUD$750 for the additional air bags at what could nearly cost Toyota 10 times that amount. There is a video around the forums here (also search on youtube) that shows the crash testing done.. mighty impressive.

Other things you might like to consider are service costs, insurance, parts outside of warranty, dealer network etc.

... and yes I love the center dash. Toyota being Toyota you can bet they have 1000's of <little> men running around working out the best pace to put this nob here or that dial there.

Anyhow.. just my opinion. Hope you enjoy and are happy with what ever you decide to buy. And feel confident that if your sick of it in 12 months or your situation changes and you need to change, I bet your going to be surprised on the resale value.

[kimona]

1. The current Yaris/Vitz is now in its third year of production (2006, 2007, 2008). The Echo/Yaris/Vitz has been developed and designed by the same European division of Toyota since inception.

2. It's small on the outside (but big on the inside)... drive defensively.

3. I quickly got used to the digital gas gauge, and now I really like it; in fact, I think I prefer it. It's Japanese electronics... that's electronics at its best!

[ojo]

1) Like other people said, this car has been out for several years before it came to the US. The Echo was a solid, reliable car, but they were just too funny looking.

2) A couple weeks ago I was hit on the side by a huge Ford truck trying to change lanes going 45 mph. All I felt was a bump, and the body damage was pretty minimal - I had my car back in 2 days.

3) The digital gas tank is fine with me. I usually fill up as soon as I get down to 1/4 tank anyway.

The Yaris is my first new car, so I definitely took all of these things into consideration. It's a solid car with incredible gas mileage and has a lot of potential for mods. So far, I am completely happy with my purchase and have no regrets.