2008 m/t Yaris - I'm very tempted

[Kalispel]

I want to pick up a white 2015 SE in late July, but this 2008 Yaris is really tempting...and a fraction of the price (I could pay 100% cash outright instead of putting only 50% down on the 2015 and financing the rest). I would even have a few thousand cash left to get started on the upgrades I would want (alloys, rear sway bar, oem rear spoiler, trd springs, etc.)

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...00027416&Log=0

It's been sitting at that VW-Subaru-Mazda dealer for well over a month or two now, and the price has dropped at least $1500 in that time. I can't believe that little beauty hasn't been scooped up. Probably because it is m/t and not automatic...

Low Mileage, Stick-shift, Excellent Condition, One-Owner Vehicle, No Accidents, etc. The only negative is that it has power windows (I would take crank windows on any car if I could) and no tachometer (that would be annoying). I also prefer the profile of the 4-door hatch better than the 2-door version, but that isn't a deal-breaker by any means. It's not white, but still a color that I like, and the price seems damn good on it. What do you think?

[bronsin]

Sweet Mother Of GOD! (Chris Farley) I would buy this car over the 2015 in a heartbeat!

I think you are right about the m/t being the cause of the price. Check this puppy out! I don't like auto windows either but just roll with it.

The only caveats I have is 1) I can do at least some work myself and have a good mechanic to fix what I cant. This car will probably need work at some point. You should allow for that. 2) to be safe have another mechanic go over it if you aren't almost a car mechanic like me.

Good luck and TELL US WHAT HAPPENS!

PS Two doors are easier to get in and out of and allow odd shaped items to be inserted into the car. I thought the same when I bought a 2 door but my fears turned to relief that I didn't get a 4 door. Of course if you have a family they might prefer the 4 door.

Personally I rode around Europe in the back seat of a VW Beetle in 1969 as a teenager in the summer of 69. It wasn't a problem!

[ern-diz]

Def worth going to look at in person. Having said that, I will also say that I know my '07 looks nearly new in pictures, but when you get really close to it she shows a bit of her age. Looking closely at the pics of this car, you can see a couple scuffs on the left side of the rear bumper and it may just be me, but the seats look pretty beat. Heavy wear on the left side of the drivers and both front and rear appear to be pretty soiled. None of that is major and can be sorted easily. I only mention it because you're prob not going to get that new crispy car feeling that you'd get with the new '15. My advice would be to just keep that in mind.

Since I'm not a big fan of the '15 styling, if it were me, as long as it checked out mechanically, I'd save the money and go with the '08.

[Gogogordy]

Lists alloy wheels as well as hubcapped steelies.

Oversight or 2 sets of wheels?

(Yes the drivers bolster looks a bit hammered to me too)

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by ern-diz

it may just be me, but the seats look pretty beat. Heavy wear on the left side of the drivers and both front and rear appear to be pretty soiled.

It is not just you, this jumped out at me immediately when I first saw the ad.


To Kalispel (OP)...........owning both, there are things that I like better/think are better about the 3rd Gen Yaris, and the same re the 2nd Gen Yaris. One of the things that I think is much better re the 3rd Gen 2012-2014 (and I imagine would be the same on the 2015) is the paint. In some metro areas this might not matter, but in Phoenix the paint takes such a beating from the heat, the paint or clearcoat or both might start to suffer sooner rather than later.

My '14 Yaris was vandalized overnight last night at my hotel. Probably 20 big scratches on the hood...appeared to have been keyed. They left a female or kid sized cowboy hat as a calling card on the roof of the car . Upon noticing it, I drove to the nearest Toyota dealer. The service writer told me they don't have an in house body shop, but gave me the card of a nearby body shop and recommended them (All Foreign & Domestic Body Shop - North, in Stockton, CA) highly. I can see why. I drove there and told the receptionist what happened. A man who appeared to be the manager or owner overheard me. He looked at the hood and said it was 'right on the border' between being able to buff/;polish the scratches out or not...but that he thought they could be fairly successful. He brought the car back about 15 minutes later. 99% rectified. Fantastic! Two or so small scratches remain that they weren't able to get out, but they are so close to the headllamp lens that you have to look very hard to notice them. And they didn't charge me anything. Very professional, very courteous, and unbeatable karma. I wouldn't hesitate to patronize this business. Parked on the street in front of this bisiness, I saw one of the most pristine pre 1967 VW Beetles I've ever seen. Turns out to be an example of their work (belongs to one of their technicians, and he did the restoration himself). Bronsin, you would have drooled over this car. I probably should have taken a picture.

Anyway, the reason I wrote this last paragraph above is that I don't think I would have had anything remotely resembling this great result re eliminating the damage had it happened to my '07 Yaris....even within the first year of ownership, as I am with my '14 Yaris. Just some things to think about re your decision.

[bronsin]

How nice of that business to come to the rescue after a depressing happenstance!

67 was a good year. I redid a 67 Bus with 93k on it in '78, drove it to Houston looking for work from upstate NY and was blown off the road in a blizzard that winter when Houston didn't pan out and I went back home.

Brings back the memories...

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

How nice of that business to come to the rescue after a depressing happenstance!

67 was a good year. I redid a 67 Bus with 93k on it in '78, drove it to Houston looking for work from upstate NY and was blown off the road in a blizzard that winter when Houston didn't pan out and I went back home.

Brings back the memories...

Yes, very nice of the business. I don't know which year Beetle it was. I just know it was probably pre 1967 because it had that longer rear 'hood' that went away with the 1967 model year (at least as far as I can tell re a few internet searches).

The hotel just changed ownership a few days ago. One of the new owners went over the DVR footage with me, but his unfamiliarity with that particular DVR rendered that useless.

[CoryM]

Interior looks pretty bad in general. I'd put money on the fact the car smells bad.....
Interior is a good indicator of how people treat the rest of the car. if they don't care enough to maintain the interior, they don't tend to change the oil on time. I'm a mechanic btw so am in other people's cars all the time.
I'm all for buying used over new though. Especially if it avoids paying interest. I bought my Yaris used (3yrs old, rebuilt and cheap) and 5 days later was at autoX banging cones. Would have felt bad doing that to brand new paint...

Cheers.

[enviri]

yeah that interior...its either he worked in construction,mechanic, or something down and dirty...or just general poop. Its even in the back seat!! If you plan on removing/replacing seats, go ahead, otherwise...i wouldnt..

[Kalispel]

I'm going to go check it out in person in a few weeks if it is still available (too busy with 7 day work weeks at the moment). I agree that a soiled interior is the mark of someone who didn't care about the car. Also, I don't ever want to own a car that was the vehicle of a smoker. The latent smell would drive me crazy, and cannot be 100% eliminated.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Kalispel

Also, I don't ever want to own a car that was the vehicle of a smoker. The latent smell would drive me crazy, and cannot be 100% eliminated.

Why do I usually buy new cars? See above ^^^^^ . Big factor. I sometimes joke that I grew up in a Shick center (the decades ago commercials on TV re aversion therapy centers....not the current rehab hospital model). I've never been a smoker. My dad smoked 4 packs of unfiltered Pall Malls a day for 35 years. In the last year of his life his Emphysema was so bad, he couldn't walk a block without stopping to rest. He was an athlete in high school and in college. Where did he pick up the habit? On the front lines during the Korean War. My mother smoked 2 packs a day for almost 20 years. When the Surgeon General's report came out, she immediately tried to quit. It took her a few years to quit, but she did. Then, 24 years after she quit, she got lung cancer (type that only comes from smoking) and passed away 6 months later.

[bronsin]

1st car $300 69 Beetle with blown engine (hot-rodded) Fixed for $400. Damaged in accident with motorcycle and sold for new 74 Beetle (Dads car). Mine after 3 years. Totally rusted out in NY winters at 250k in 82. Next car: 79 Subaru Station Wagon 4WD 58k miles $500. Car was rolled and repaired. Carpet on ceiling! Car failed NJ inspection 30k miles later due to "sharp edges". Hood held down by coat hangers. Next car 86 Toyota Pickup 38k miles $2000. Sold for $1500 in 92. Next car 79 Mercedes Benz 240D 105k miles. $4000 with engine knock on startup. Was the injectors fixed for $100. Sold in 2001 for $2500 with 153k miles. NEW CAR 2001 ECHO $13,100. (cant do heavy work on cars anymore) Sold in 2009 for $4000 with 49k miles (mt) (cant drive stick anymore).

NEW CAR 2009 Yaris $~16,000 0% interest. 40k currently. 3 accidents. Last new car almost certainly. Hopefully last car period.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

1st car $300 69 Beetle with blown engine (hot-rodded) Fixed for $400. Damaged in accident with motorcycle and sold for new 74 Beetle (Dads car). Mine after 3 years. Totally rusted out in NY winters at 250k in 82. Next car: 79 Subaru Station Wagon 4WD 58k miles $500. Car was rolled and repaired. Carpet on ceiling! Car failed NJ inspection 30k miles later due to "sharp edges". Hood held down by coat hangers. Next car 86 Toyota Pickup 38k miles $2000. Sold for $1500 in 92. Next car 79 Mercedes Benz 240D 105k miles. $4000 with engine knock on startup. Was the injectors fixed for $100. Sold in 2001 for $2500 with 153k miles. NEW CAR 2001 ECHO $13,100. (cant do heavy work on cars anymore) Sold in 2009 for $4000 with 49k miles (mt) (cant drive stick anymore).

NEW CAR 2009 Yaris $~16,000 0% interest. 40k currently. 3 accidents. Last new car almost certainly. Hopefully last car period.

...and your kids got to see first hand your ability to 'squeeze out value', freeing up those dollars to invest and/or go toward more important tangible aspects of raising them .

I would have gone more your route in the past if I had your skills re vehicles.

[justjesus]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

He brought the car back about 15 minutes later. 99% rectified. Fantastic! Two or so small scratches remain that they weren't able to get out, but they are so close to the headllamp lens that you have to look very hard to notice them. And they didn't charge me anything.

The free part is outstanding. I'm surprised at that. 15 minute to do the job, also a bit surprising. I've buffed out a section of my hood, for testing purposes, and it easily took longer than 15 min. Of course, they're pros and likely have way more experience!

Makes me curious as to what it looked like before, and of course, after.

Keep an eye on it, and after a month or so of washes, let us know if it still looks good.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

...and your kids got to see first hand your ability to 'squeeze out value', freeing up those dollars to invest and/or go toward more important tangible aspects of raising them .

I would have gone more your route in the past if I had your skills re vehicles.

Really the best thing I did was get my son to help me bring my Moms 92 Camry 10 miles to the Toyota dealer to fix something I couldn't. We got up at 4 in the morning and pushed the Camry there using my 2001 ECHO and an old tire as a cushion.

He drove the Camry. He looked extremely dubious. But I explained how we were going to do it and we got the car there without incident. He was laughing out loud In the ECHO for the ride home, shaking his head in disbelief. A few days later I heard him tell one of his friends "My old man doesn't let ANYTHING stop him when he wants to do something."

Its great to be able to pass that kind of attitude on to your kids!

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by justjesus

The free part is outstanding. I'm surprised at that. 15 minute to do the job, also a bit surprising. I've buffed out a section of my hood, for testing purposes, and it easily took longer than 15 min. Of course, they're pros and likely have way more experience!

Makes me curious as to what it looked like before, and of course, after.

Keep an eye on it, and after a month or so of washes, let us know if it still looks good.

I'm guessing they have a very good reputation. The Toyota dealer service department praised their work immediately and added they are the only shop the dealer recommends. They're getting enough business to have two locations in different areas of Stockton.

Fortunately, I had only paid for one more night at that hotel. The old owners very likely were charging much lower rates for really long term guests. My room was nice, but the old owners let the long term occupants reflect a more seedy area that was quite a few blocks away. All was well until the hotel changed ownership a day or two before my incident happened, unsettling the long term people. One of the members of the family of new owners told me this. He also suggested that I park on the other side of the hotel in one of two spaces that are in a direct line of sight through the door of the office. Until a couple of nights before the scratches happened, I had been parking under a tree (mostly re shade) that had parts that were so low hanging they prevented anyone from leaning over any part of the hood and pretty much the windshield. I moved from that spot because the other spot opened up and I was tired of getting this sort of mild clear 'sap' from the tree on the car.. The 'sap' was landing on the windshield and the roof, but not on the hood. On my way back from having the scratches taken care of, I noticed a 24 hour laundry in a safe area near the junior college.I ended up doing long put off laundry and didn't return until the sun was about to rise. Both of the spaces the new owner had mentioned were available, so I parked in the closest one. I finished packing and then slept a bit before checking out. The new owners didn't have a complete handle on who had paid and who hadn't. They asked me If I had paid, and I replied yes through Priceliine...and that my reservation ends in five minutes. The way I phrased that must have seemed credible to them, as they didn't make me log on to my e-maill to prove that I had paid.

I'm now staying in a much nicer area (where I have already stayed most of the time on this trip) and the only negative I see is people with bicycles (riding their bikes over from impoverished areas) going through the outside trash cans of businesses and office buildings and picking out aluminum cans to put in the trash bags they already have partially filled with such cans. This doesn't seem to garner any attention from the police. Perhaps ithe businesses like the trash receptacles filling up at a slower rate .

I'm definitely going to keep an eye on the car hood, and I'll report any changes I notice

[BLKHILLSGUY]

The local dealer has a 2013 with 53k miles on the used lot. I just can't do red, although it is quite a looker. I'll likely pick up a 16 white SE. I'll tint the windows immediately. I miss my 2011 Yaris in Polar White. Traded it for a Tacoma. And then the Tacoma for a 13 Avalon. I want cheap, super reliable transportation. And a manual. I only buy new personally. I think I got that from my dad. When I went watch shopping, the jeweler thought I'd be interested in a gently worn Rolex. I didn't. I wanted, and got, a new one. Still pulling plastic stickers off the watch a year later. I just don't like used. Probably moronic, but just my thing.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Really the best thing I did was get my son to help me bring my Moms 92 Camry 10 miles to the Toyota dealer to fix something I couldn't. We got up at 4 in the morning and pushed the Camry there using my 2001 ECHO and an old tire as a cushion.

:thum bsup:

He drove the Camry. He looked extremely dubious. But I explained how we were going to do it and we got the car there without incident. He was laughing out loud In the ECHO for the ride home, shaking his head in disbelief.

I would have been doing the same, had I been in his shoes.

A few days later I heard him tell one of his friends "My old man doesn't let ANYTHING stop him when he wants to do something."

Its great to be able to pass that kind of attitude on to your kids!

. My cousin regularly swims in the bay in San Francisco, and has done so for over 30 years. In the late 1980s, she decided to check with the Channel Swimming Association to see if any U.S. Women's team had ever swam the English Channel. The answer was no. My cousin decided to organize such a team, and recruited 3 of her friends/fellow club members to join her. They became the first U.S. Women's team to complete a swim of the English Channel. Either before or after the swim (can't remember which) my cousin and her teammates were being interviewed on a radio show. I happened to be tuned to that station at my office at that moment, and was able to record the show. When I uncover that recording, I'm looking forward to sending it to my little cousin (her daughter) to drive home even more the ideal that 'my mom can do anything/I can do anything' (I just want to . My cousin definitely does NOT need the help. I don't think she could possibly be a better example for her daughter ). While I was growing up, the same family lived in the house below us on the hill. The dad had been valedictorian of his class at MIT, and owned an engineering firm. My classmate was the third of his four sons, but probably most embodied his father's mindset.....he was voted 'Most
Likely to Succeed' in our class, and his senior quote was "I think I can, I think I can" - The Little Engine That Could.