Getting used to driving small cars...

[orangepeels]

Getting used to driving a small economy car was the weirdest thing in the world. I used to drive a Ford Ranger with an offroad stance/suspension/tires and RWD.

Switching from the truck to the car was quite the experience...
1. FWD and skinny tires make for quite the experience on the highway (getting used to it).
2. Low profile cars and speed bumps suck.
3. Turning into a parking lot that has a curb that is angled up at a fast speed makes for scary scraping sounds on your bumper.
4. Bumpy dirt roads, cobble stone roads, anything bumpy makes me feel like im befouling the car when driving over them =(

Ive been driving the car for a month. Despite the things that i dont like (listed above), im very happy with the car...
1. I have never had a real backseat for people to sit comfortably.
2. I have also never achieved over 25 mpg in my truck (25 is strictly highway, 13-15 city avg in the truck)...
-getting 35 city/highway mixed with the car.
3. I have never been able to weave in and out of traffic so well with my truck (thats not to say im driving recklessly)
4. Stick shift is cool.

Thanks yaris world for helping me decide to get this car!

[nerp]

Welcome to the club. You really did switch in an extreme way so your experiences are totally understandable. One trick to avoiding the dreaded incline scrape is to master the art of entering at a diagnal, so one wheel gets started before the other and you extend the angle of approach. I do this all the time even when I'm sure it's not necessary, just to be sure. It works quite well. I always do it if I can see grooves carved into the cement/pavement from other cars. That's the cue to cut the wheel before entering it and then sorta turn into it, with it.

Don't worry about the bumps, etc. Remember you're going to feel everything right under your butt. I agree that a particuarly bad pothole or a big rock under the wheel does make some jarring noises. You do have to be a little more gingerly with such a little car. But the noise and roughness are also part of the car's nature. It's kind of nice being so attenuated.

[07WYarisRS]

I hear ya
My ride before my first Yaris was a mint 99 Chevy Xtreme S-10 with 4.3, comp cam, Hooker headers with true dual, T bars, mini spool etc
That was a lot of truck.... mind you with the ZQ8 suspension hitting a pebble in that truck was like running over a rock with a lawnmower... 27mpg was the very best I got with it, strait run on the hwy with no stopping... 15 city if I was lucky...

We loved to travel so we sold the truck for a Yaris... best thing I ever did. 50+ Cnd mpg after i switched it over to Amsoil. It handled great compared to the truck, smooth as silk, a lil touchy steering wise, but driving it was a blast and parking it was even better. And when camping its nice to have everything in the car, warm and dry and not crawling around under the hard tonnue cover...
Best of all, low maintanence cost and reliable... that chevy was a money pit.
I baby my cars/trucks , under coat them twice a year etc. I had a Talon with well over 300K and still great working condish with just tires oil brakes and timing belts
that truck started breaking down after 70k...
oil leaks, alternators, drive shaft/u joints, differential, front end, oil cooler lines, ignition, belt tensioners, exhaust rotted off at the y pipe, fuel pump etc etc
I miss it though, it sure was a pretty machine

[nemelek]

I change up driving the Yaris (12.5 feet) to a Dodge truck with a trailer (45 feet). Pulling the trailer requires a lot more attention, advance planning, and defensive driving.

[IllusionX]

hehe, my friend drives a yaris hatchback... he was kind of boxed in the street parallel parking. There was barely any space for him to get out, and well.. when he left, someone tries to get in, and failed miserably. :)
That makes an empty space wasted because there is probably only 3 or 4 other models only that can park in there lol

[The little red pill]

Even though the Yaris is a SMALL car, it seems to have a good seat height, which in turn makes it seem like you sit up higher than most other compacts. My roommate has a Stratus and it seems like I'm in a low-rider when I ride in it.

[Pitt Yaris]

Originally Posted by The little red pill

Even though the Yaris is a SMALL car, it seems to have a good seat height, which in turn makes it seem like you sit up higher than most other compacts. My roommate has a Stratus and it seems like I'm in a low-rider when I ride in it.

I wish my seat height was lower. I've thought about keeping the yaris and getting an suv or truck for my next car, but I bet i'd regret it, especially if gas rises again.

[NJBob]

You can get used to driving anything. When you go back up to a big vehicle ...it's like driving a tank. The smaller cars are so much more maneuverable. I'd say I avoided about 4-5 accidents over the last 5 years that would have happened in a larger car. Also, I had two adults in the back seat last week and they said they were surprised how much room was back there. Maybe they might get tired of it on a long haul though.

[Revsson]

Originally Posted by Pitt Yaris

I wish my seat height was lower. I've thought about keeping the yaris and getting an suv or truck for my next car, but I bet i'd regret it, especially if gas rises again.

Don't you mean WHEN gas rises again and not IF?

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by The little red pill

Even though the Yaris is a SMALL car, it seems to have a good seat height, which in turn makes it seem like you sit up higher than most other compacts. My roommate has a Stratus and it seems like I'm in a low-rider when I ride in it.

I know what you mean... now that I'm used to it, my 3dr Yaris is starting to feel too big. I really wish I could have purchased the IQ.

My kids accuse me of "showing off" when I drive the Yaris. Yesterday I pulled into a parking spot, then went diagonally between the car in front of me and the car to the left to get into the spot to the left of the car in front of me so that I wouldn't have to back out when I left.

      /  Y  /  X  /
     /  Y /   X  /
    /  ^ /   X  /
   --- ^ -----
  / X  / ^   /
 / X  /  ^  /
/ X  /  ^  /
        ^
        ^
         ^

(arrows, ^, show direction of motion, to Y which is where I parked)



Shortly after that I swung it around and parked in a spot about 210 degrees rotation from my starting position, and then had a good laugh. :-)

         || R ||
     ====|| O ||
    / Y /|| A ||
   / Y / || D ||
  /   /  || | ||
   ^        |
   +--------+

[Thirty-Nine]

I used to drive some huge trucks for work, and it took some getting used to. After a weekend of driving a ginormous F-250, it took a while to get back into the small-car zone.

[twowheels]

Every time I see a truck like that next to a small car, pedestrian, bicyclist, etc, all I can think of is impeding death. Don't you feel even a tiny tinge of guilt?

[Thirty-Nine]

Originally Posted by twowheels

Every time I see a truck like that next to a small car, pedestrian, bicyclist, etc, all I can think of is impeding death. Don't you feel even a tiny tinge of guilt?

No.

First off, I don't own a vehicle that large, and probably never would. I prefer to drive smaller vehicles. If I were to buy an off-road-capable vehicle, I'd get a four-cylinder Toyota or a Suzuki. That's just me, though.

Secondly, people are free to buy whatever vehicle they like and customize it as they choose (within the law, of course). Additionally, the large trucks I drove were show or tow vehicles, but were actually used off road and for vehicle recovery. These weren't pavement or carpet queens—they were workers.

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by Thirty-Nine

No.

First off, I don't own a vehicle that large, and probably never would.

Ah... OK... I didn't realize that the pictured vehicle wasn't yours, I got the impression that you were showing your two vehicles side by side.

Secondly, people are free to buy whatever vehicle they like and customize it as they choose (within the law, of course).

That's the thing... most aren't within the laws, particularly regarding bumpers; mudflpaps; tire extension beyond body; etc, though enforcement is lax. Also, I think that the laws should regulate crash compatibility better... if you want off-road capability you could remove/fold bumpers/etc to get the additional clearance -- or trailer it. In Europe they even test for pedestrian injury.

Additionally, the large trucks I drove were show or tow vehicles, but were actually used off road and for vehicle recovery. These weren't pavement or carpet queens—they were workers.

Sure, such vehicles have a place, but the majority of the most outlandish vehicles are that way for looks not function.

[Yaris Hilton]

Gas is already rising again, of course. Late last fall gas was under $1.30 here. Now it's about to crack $2.00 again. A year ago it was pushing $4.00, and I expect we'll see that return before long.

[tomato]

Originally Posted by twowheels

Every time I see a truck like that next to a small car, pedestrian, bicyclist, etc, all I can think of is impeding death. Don't you feel even a tiny tinge of guilt?

I wouln't. I've been driving small cars for a long time now, but I didn't always, and each vehicle has its place on or off the road. You won't see contractors haul their stuff with a Yaris and you won't see me drive a truck to work. But each vehicle has its purpose.

And by the way, that red truck parked next to the Yaris is awesome! Whoever owns that thing can be proud! (well as long as they drive it responsibly and for the purpose the vehicle was designed for, I guess)

[tomato]

Originally Posted by twowheels

      /  Y  /  X  /
     /  Y /   X  /
    /  ^ /   X  /
   --- ^ -----
  / X  / ^   /
 / X  /  ^  /
/ X  /  ^  /
        ^
        ^
         ^

(arrows, ^, show direction of motion, to Y which is where I parked)



Shortly after that I swung it around and parked in a spot about 210 degrees rotation from my starting position, and then had a good laugh. :-)

         || R ||
     ====|| O ||
    / Y /|| A ||
   / Y / || D ||
  /   /  || | ||
   ^        |
   +--------+

How long did it take you to do that?!!! F'ing impressive!!

Oh, and by the way, welcome to the forum!

Do'nt worry, you'll get used to driving the Yaris. The poster who said you get used to driving anything is right! I drove large vehicles before, Jeep Cherokee's, domestic cars with V8 engines, and one day I switched to Japanese imports and found that these cars were best for me. I had a couple of Hondas which I absolutely adored, especially the CRX, and this is my first Toyota.

[Thirty-Nine]

Originally Posted by tomato

And by the way, that red truck parked next to the Yaris is awesome! Whoever owns that thing can be proud! (well as long as they drive it responsibly and for the purpose the vehicle was designed for, I guess)

It's owned by Warn Industries (e.g. Warn winches). I used to be the PR Manager for them.