2014 Likes, Dislikes, and Questions - Toyota Yaris Forums

RWey52 · 02-07-2014, 11:03 PM

Hi Yarisers,

I just bought a 2014 Yaris LE, 3-door. Traded in my 2008 Yaris 3-door (manual tranny) which had 220K miles on it. Was the most maintenance free, reliable vehicle I've ever owned. The two impressive things that stood out with my dearly departed 2008 were 1) After 220K miles, there was absolutely no interior rattles and noises. Solid construction. 2) 10,000 miles on synthetic oil burned less then 1/2 qt. Never before have I seen an engine that can do this ... never.

I now hope with the new 2014 will see as good a record as my old one. On to the likes, dislikes, and questions.

Likes:
While I was hesitant to take an instrument cluster back behind the wheel, after driving it a few days it's OK. I'm 6'4" and in most vehicles I can never see the speedometer because of the steering wheel (which is why I liked the center cluster in the 2008 ). I like the multi-function mileage center showing mpg, avg mpg, and what not, as well as an external temperature monitor. Way to go Toyota! The radio is very nice and does more than expected. In general the controls placement is very nice ... no issues. I also think the additional height adjustment on the seat is great. The single wiper up front is an improvement. Having two blades on a windshield of that dimension was pointless.

Dislikes ( over the old 2008 ):

Perhaps the biggest dislike is that the new dashboard sacrificed two of the three glove boxes I had in the 2008 model. I like to keep things stowed and now I have 1/3 the cubbies.
No center arm rest.
Elimination of the fold-out cup holders on left and right side of the dash.
Split fold-down seats don't really fold down all the way. The 2008 model folded them all the way flat. The 2014 requires removal of the head rests, and then they rest at about a 20 degree angle. This was a bad change.
Mfg'er mudguards available only for the rear wheels.

Aside from that, I'm very pleased so far. On to the questions:

How long (really) should I let the automatic tranny go between flushes? The 100K+ mfg'er suggested just seems too long for me. Every 50K miles perhaps? I desperately want to squeeze 200K plus miles out of this one like I did the last. Have their auto-trannies had any issues?
The center console needs insulation ... it's cold. How difficult would disassembly be?
Are fog lamps available? If so, how are they wired in and what sort of cosmetically appealing switch could be installed and where?
Are mudguards available for the front wheels?
Is a trailer hitch available and if so, has it changed from the mounting scheme I had on my 2008? ( I haul a kayak trailer ).

All comments welcome

RW

02-07-2014, 11:03 PM	#1
RWey52 Drives: 2014 3-door LE Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Minnesota Posts: 8	2014 Likes, Dislikes, and Questions Hi Yarisers, I just bought a 2014 Yaris LE, 3-door. Traded in my 2008 Yaris 3-door (manual tranny) which had 220K miles on it. Was the most maintenance free, reliable vehicle I've ever owned. The two impressive things that stood out with my dearly departed 2008 were 1) After 220K miles, there was absolutely no interior rattles and noises. Solid construction. 2) 10,000 miles on synthetic oil burned less then 1/2 qt. Never before have I seen an engine that can do this ... never. I now hope with the new 2014 will see as good a record as my old one. On to the likes, dislikes, and questions. Likes: While I was hesitant to take an instrument cluster back behind the wheel, after driving it a few days it's OK. I'm 6'4" and in most vehicles I can never see the speedometer because of the steering wheel (which is why I liked the center cluster in the 2008 ). I like the multi-function mileage center showing mpg, avg mpg, and what not, as well as an external temperature monitor. Way to go Toyota! The radio is very nice and does more than expected. In general the controls placement is very nice ... no issues. I also think the additional height adjustment on the seat is great. The single wiper up front is an improvement. Having two blades on a windshield of that dimension was pointless. Dislikes ( over the old 2008 ): Perhaps the biggest dislike is that the new dashboard sacrificed two of the three glove boxes I had in the 2008 model. I like to keep things stowed and now I have 1/3 the cubbies. No center arm rest. Elimination of the fold-out cup holders on left and right side of the dash. Split fold-down seats don't really fold down all the way. The 2008 model folded them all the way flat. The 2014 requires removal of the head rests, and then they rest at about a 20 degree angle. This was a bad change. Mfg'er mudguards available only for the rear wheels. Aside from that, I'm very pleased so far. On to the questions: How long (really) should I let the automatic tranny go between flushes? The 100K+ mfg'er suggested just seems too long for me. Every 50K miles perhaps? I desperately want to squeeze 200K plus miles out of this one like I did the last. Have their auto-trannies had any issues? The center console needs insulation ... it's cold. How difficult would disassembly be? Are fog lamps available? If so, how are they wired in and what sort of cosmetically appealing switch could be installed and where? Are mudguards available for the front wheels? Is a trailer hitch available and if so, has it changed from the mounting scheme I had on my 2008? ( I haul a kayak trailer ). All comments welcome RW Last edited by RWey52; 02-07-2014 at 11:29 PM.