xD Test Drive Surprise - Toyota Yaris Forums

woof · 09-01-2007, 05:46 PM

I dropped by my Toy dealer this morning and my buddy (the ACE salesman avg. about 1.5 units a day) let me take an xD on patrol. Just recently I took a xB out and liked it okay but it's not as flingable as my old xB (1st Gen).

The xD is supposedly the Yaris chassis so I wanted to see how close it was. Well, it wasn't in the same jungle as my LB. The xD handled very well and was quite flingable in stock form. I have a rear sway on my LB which helps but the xD has tighter springs and is lower to the ground. The four-speed auto that I hated in the xB is crisp and responsive in the xD. It was easy to down shift when cornering around town.

The xD might be the same chassis (4-door) but it sure has been tuned differently. I still have to say Scions are the value of century for automobiles.

staticorex · 09-01-2007, 08:19 PM

Nice. But I still don't like em. :)

ECHOKnight2000 · 09-01-2007, 10:53 PM

Yeah I would love to test the xD. It rides on a modified platform. Its actually bigger than the LB but not by much. I think they look good in red.

zyovka · 09-01-2007, 11:57 PM

You won't believe it, but it's been a week since I went through many auto websites trying to find detailed information about sub-compacts in the USA. We're very happy with our sedan here (nothing can beat 37 mpg in the city), so the time is coming to buy a second family car and the more we look through the options the more we understand that it probably will be the xD. Yes, fuel economy lower that Yaris, but the rest of the stuff in this vehicle seems just OK (and even better with additional options, like Vehicle Stability Control and so on...)... I really truly meticulously went through information about Honda (FIT), Nissan (VERSA), and other brands like KIA, HYUNDAI, WV (real disappointment) (YARIS IS OUT OF THE PICTURE - JUST THE UNBEATABLE STANDARD) .... and generally speaking nothing even came close to my choice, except Scion.... Well, I hope to go to test drive this amazing new cute little car..... and we'll see after that where to go further....

ToyotaTEch21 · 09-02-2007, 12:10 AM

I've driven 2 of them now on pre-delivery inspections, and I like them. They drive well, decent power and I like the look of the interior. It would have been nice to get the 5 door yaris in the US, But the Xd is a nice alternative.

woof · 09-02-2007, 12:25 AM

Quick comments:

When I said the xB's auto wasn't as crisp I meant the '08 xB not 1st generation. (My xB was also a 5-speed.) It's probably a different box and was very mooshy in the way it changed gears.

You cannot beat Scion for standard equipment for the price. The xD has "everything" for one price. Anything else is just unnecessary cosmetic crap.

The xD has a neat little MPG gauge in the dash. Probably worthless but it will amuse you as you accelerate or cruise. The counter-directional speedo / tach are fine as you really don't need to stare at it with the automatic. If I needed to trade anytime soon, I would probably get the auto. With the 1.8 it feels quick enough on its own and you can grab gears fairly easy with the auto.

The xD felt a little tight compared to my LB. Mainly, the center console intrudes into the footwell more so than on my LB. I guess my foot movements felt restricted...yeah, probably get used to it. I'm only 5'11" so be aware.

BailOut · 09-02-2007, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zyovka

fuel economy lower that Yaris

'Nuff said.

woof · 09-02-2007, 02:50 PM

BailOut, I completely agree with that point of view but with the xD that remains to be seen. Remember Corollas had been rated as high as 41 highway with a 1.8.

Right now I average 35-36 with my 5-speed and I'm not so sure an xD wouldn't come close with a manual. The xB is a complete write off in the mileage department and shouldn't even be looked at if that is an issue.

I'm hoping, somehow/some way, that there will be a 1.8 T-sport next model year for Yaris. That's what I would really like. I think TRD lowering springs would make a huge difference but the LB still lacks umph in the power department to take advantage of the investment.

Question: I drove a 4-door Yaris only once and my memory tells me it handled better than my LB. Could that be? Isn't it a tad lower?

Yaris Revenge · 09-11-2007, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BailOut

'Nuff said.

LOL, Bail, when my Mustang GT comes in, I'm going to handcuff you and make you ride in the passenger seat while I sit in Atlanta gridlock.

I'll videotape his slow decent into madness as he writhes and moans about wasted fuel, pollution, and the wall of even more offensive SUVs that have us surrounded. Then I'll post it up on YouTube for everyone to experience firsthand.

~YR

black2yaris · 09-02-2007, 03:24 PM

throw a TRD rear sway bar on Yer hatchback & the handling really noticeably improves to the point where you ask why don't they come with a sway bar as a stock item ?? It was like a "Night And Day" difference

caveatipse · 09-02-2007, 03:47 PM

Where does the swaybar go exactly?

black2yaris · 09-02-2007, 03:53 PM

rear shock to rear shock at the bottom , 2 bolts one at each end ! . Powder coated RED bar .. VERY EASY install ........no drilling just bolt on & GO !! Best money I spent on the Car when I 1st got it , that and the TRD CAI !!

swng · 09-02-2007, 05:49 PM

Too bad this car is not available through Toyota Canada. I like cars equipped with stability control (Post #4). May be one day, the lovely fuel efficient Yaris here will be similarly equipped (as the xD). Then I can talk about having best of both worlds.

woof · 09-03-2007, 02:19 AM

B2T, I do have a TRD rear sway. When I traded my xB I had them remove my Progress Tech only for me to find there was NO match possible. (I should run a local ad I guess.)

A group of us here were disappointed that Progress did not promptly answer the Yaris market with a rear sway bar in a reasonable time. I got tired of waiting and got a TRD. The rear sway on the LB has a good effect but nothing like the rear sway added to the xB. The Yaris suspension is just too soft for its own good. The rear sway will let me corner and track a lot better but it does little to control the massive amount of lean the LB's have. I am still down about 5 mph in my favorite corners with the Yaris.

But YES, it does make me wonder why these bars aren't standard. It makes the vehicle a lot safer and more controllable. I don't want to "spring" for coil overs if there might be a T-Sport variant coming next year.

Surprisingly, the new xB handles quite well in a "mature" way. It's just too hefty to fling and zip.

Jerkratt · 09-03-2007, 04:06 AM

Yaris TRD Rear Sway Bar

dexter_5000 · 09-09-2007, 12:51 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQqrzx60GOI

they had this at a dealer show so i couldn't say no. the guy in the car told me i'm not supposed to do that. he didn't buckle up either after i mentioned that i've done an auto-x before too. the guy in charge had to go talk to them about it after since he knew that i was there to drive the car on a different level than anyone else.

even though i have an xa i think it still blew their minds when they drove that. they have never seen a modded xa setup to handle.

09-01-2007, 05:46 PM	#1
woof Drives: Yaris 3dr Hatch/Black Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Deep South Posts: 114	xD Test Drive Surprise I dropped by my Toy dealer this morning and my buddy (the ACE salesman avg. about 1.5 units a day) let me take an xD on patrol. Just recently I took a xB out and liked it okay but it's not as flingable as my old xB (1st Gen). The xD is supposedly the Yaris chassis so I wanted to see how close it was. Well, it wasn't in the same jungle as my LB. The xD handled very well and was quite flingable in stock form. I have a rear sway on my LB which helps but the xD has tighter springs and is lower to the ground. The four-speed auto that I hated in the xB is crisp and responsive in the xD. It was easy to down shift when cornering around town. The xD might be the same chassis (4-door) but it sure has been tuned differently. I still have to say Scions are the value of century for automobiles.

09-01-2007, 08:19 PM	#2
staticorex View User's Garage Drives: Sc'd Yaris Sedan. Join Date: May 2007 Location: civilwar town. Posts: 660	Nice. But I still don't like em. :) __________________ Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum.

09-01-2007, 10:53 PM	#3
ECHOKnight2000 Small Car Lover View User's Garage Drives: A Super Car Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Minnesota, US of A! Posts: 830	Yeah I would love to test the xD. It rides on a modified platform. Its actually bigger than the LB but not by much. I think they look good in red. __________________ You may look good on the beach but in reality you're a pompus, egotistical jerk. "I was never on the beach with you..."and you never will.

09-02-2007, 03:24 PM	#10
black2yaris The Man In Black Lives View User's Garage Drives: Black Sand Pearl L/B 'o7 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 477	throw a TRD rear sway bar on Yer hatchback & the handling really noticeably improves to the point where you ask why don't they come with a sway bar as a stock item ?? It was like a "Night And Day" difference __________________ black2yaris The Man In Black Lives! 2007 2 door hatchback in Black Sand Pearl, A/T,rear spoiler,front & rear JDM badges,TRD CAI,TRD rear sway bar,exhaust tip,sill protectors,heximats,under dash blue LED's,short rubber ant,rear bumper protector,Toyota thin 7 spoke alloy wheels,pwr pkg,ABS,side curtain airbags,rear defogger,fog lights,mud guards,TYC tail lights,shift knob,tint all windows,security sys,keyless entry,clear paint protection all exposed front surfaces,TRD fuel cap,rubber dash & g/b mats

09-02-2007, 03:53 PM	#12
black2yaris The Man In Black Lives View User's Garage Drives: Black Sand Pearl L/B 'o7 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 477	rear shock to rear shock at the bottom , 2 bolts one at each end ! . Powder coated RED bar .. VERY EASY install ........no drilling just bolt on & GO !! Best money I spent on the Car when I 1st got it , that and the TRD CAI !! __________________ black2yaris The Man In Black Lives! 2007 2 door hatchback in Black Sand Pearl, A/T,rear spoiler,front & rear JDM badges,TRD CAI,TRD rear sway bar,exhaust tip,sill protectors,heximats,under dash blue LED's,short rubber ant,rear bumper protector,Toyota thin 7 spoke alloy wheels,pwr pkg,ABS,side curtain airbags,rear defogger,fog lights,mud guards,TYC tail lights,shift knob,tint all windows,security sys,keyless entry,clear paint protection all exposed front surfaces,TRD fuel cap,rubber dash & g/b mats

09-01-2007, 11:57 PM	#4
zyovka Drives: yaris sedan 07 BLACK Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 22	You won't believe it, but it's been a week since I went through many auto websites trying to find detailed information about sub-compacts in the USA. We're very happy with our sedan here (nothing can beat 37 mpg in the city), so the time is coming to buy a second family car and the more we look through the options the more we understand that it probably will be the xD. Yes, fuel economy lower that Yaris, but the rest of the stuff in this vehicle seems just OK (and even better with additional options, like Vehicle Stability Control and so on...)... I really truly meticulously went through information about Honda (FIT), Nissan (VERSA), and other brands like KIA, HYUNDAI, WV (real disappointment) (YARIS IS OUT OF THE PICTURE - JUST THE UNBEATABLE STANDARD) .... and generally speaking nothing even came close to my choice, except Scion.... Well, I hope to go to test drive this amazing new cute little car..... and we'll see after that where to go further....

09-02-2007, 12:10 AM	#5
ToyotaTEch21 Drives: 2007 Yaris Sedan Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bainbridge,NY Posts: 39	I've driven 2 of them now on pre-delivery inspections, and I like them. They drive well, decent power and I like the look of the interior. It would have been nice to get the 5 door yaris in the US, But the Xd is a nice alternative.

09-02-2007, 12:25 AM	#6
woof Drives: Yaris 3dr Hatch/Black Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Deep South Posts: 114	Quick comments: When I said the xB's auto wasn't as crisp I meant the '08 xB not 1st generation. (My xB was also a 5-speed.) It's probably a different box and was very mooshy in the way it changed gears. You cannot beat Scion for standard equipment for the price. The xD has "everything" for one price. Anything else is just unnecessary cosmetic crap. The xD has a neat little MPG gauge in the dash. Probably worthless but it will amuse you as you accelerate or cruise. The counter-directional speedo / tach are fine as you really don't need to stare at it with the automatic. If I needed to trade anytime soon, I would probably get the auto. With the 1.8 it feels quick enough on its own and you can grab gears fairly easy with the auto. The xD felt a little tight compared to my LB. Mainly, the center console intrudes into the footwell more so than on my LB. I guess my foot movements felt restricted...yeah, probably get used to it. I'm only 5'11" so be aware.

09-02-2007, 02:50 PM	#8
woof Drives: Yaris 3dr Hatch/Black Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Deep South Posts: 114	BailOut, I completely agree with that point of view but with the xD that remains to be seen. Remember Corollas had been rated as high as 41 highway with a 1.8. Right now I average 35-36 with my 5-speed and I'm not so sure an xD wouldn't come close with a manual. The xB is a complete write off in the mileage department and shouldn't even be looked at if that is an issue. I'm hoping, somehow/some way, that there will be a 1.8 T-sport next model year for Yaris. That's what I would really like. I think TRD lowering springs would make a huge difference but the LB still lacks umph in the power department to take advantage of the investment. Question: I drove a 4-door Yaris only once and my memory tells me it handled better than my LB. Could that be? Isn't it a tad lower?

09-02-2007, 03:47 PM	#11
caveatipse Banned Drives: 2007 Black Yaris Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Louisiana Posts: 119	Where does the swaybar go exactly?

09-02-2007, 05:49 PM	#13
swng Drives: 06 3-dr auto RS Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: BC Posts: 1,051	Too bad this car is not available through Toyota Canada. I like cars equipped with stability control (Post #4). May be one day, the lovely fuel efficient Yaris here will be similarly equipped (as the xD). Then I can talk about having best of both worlds.

09-03-2007, 02:19 AM	#14
woof Drives: Yaris 3dr Hatch/Black Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Deep South Posts: 114	B2T, I do have a TRD rear sway. When I traded my xB I had them remove my Progress Tech only for me to find there was NO match possible. (I should run a local ad I guess.) A group of us here were disappointed that Progress did not promptly answer the Yaris market with a rear sway bar in a reasonable time. I got tired of waiting and got a TRD. The rear sway on the LB has a good effect but nothing like the rear sway added to the xB. The Yaris suspension is just too soft for its own good. The rear sway will let me corner and track a lot better but it does little to control the massive amount of lean the LB's have. I am still down about 5 mph in my favorite corners with the Yaris. But YES, it does make me wonder why these bars aren't standard. It makes the vehicle a lot safer and more controllable. I don't want to "spring" for coil overs if there might be a T-Sport variant coming next year. Surprisingly, the new xB handles quite well in a "mature" way. It's just too hefty to fling and zip.

09-03-2007, 04:06 AM	#15
Jerkratt View User's Garage Drives: 08 Yaris Liftback S (RIP 07) Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Fair Lawn, NJ Posts: 1,379	Yaris TRD Rear Sway Bar __________________ "It hurts more when its wet"

09-09-2007, 12:51 PM	#16
dexter_5000 View User's Garage Drives: 2006 Scion xA Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 21	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQqrzx60GOI they had this at a dealer show so i couldn't say no. the guy in the car told me i'm not supposed to do that. he didn't buckle up either after i mentioned that i've done an auto-x before too. the guy in charge had to go talk to them about it after since he knew that i was there to drive the car on a different level than anyone else. even though i have an xa i think it still blew their minds when they drove that. they have never seen a modded xa setup to handle.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Longest Test Drive?	lostmind	General Yaris / Vitz Discussion	4	05-31-2007 06:20 PM
Going for test drive Monday; I'm gonna custom order one	YarisBlazer	New YARIS Purchase Forum	9	05-24-2007 08:52 PM
Finding a 5 speed LB to test drive	grampi	General Yaris / Vitz Discussion	16	05-10-2007 08:58 AM
My 1st Test Drive (Liftback)	Yaris Revenge	General Yaris / Vitz Discussion	13	07-18-2006 07:36 PM
07 yaris liftback and 06 xa test drive	extenny	General Yaris / Vitz Discussion	12	05-31-2006 12:56 PM