Yaris Questions

[Tokiko]

Thank you everyone for your replies!

A lot of my first questions may have sounded obvious or pointless, but I was really taken aback by the dealer's approach when I went there. I apologize for the really basic questions, but I got home from work kind of late last night and was like "Aw hell, I'm going to post here, too!"

Anyway, about that experience:

I had some errands to do-- ironically, not intentionally-- across the street from the closest Toyota dealer, in my area. I got done rather early, and was rather surprised. When I went to get back in my car, to drive home, I looked across the street and noticed that the Toyota dealership had a new name/owner, and that people were just filtering in to work. Three dealers were standing outside drinking coffee, and I started talking to the one that got off his cell-phone first.

I asked the guy some questions, and told him my current situation. The fact that my current car ('93 Cavalier) had just passed it's last inspection, BUT they found chassis corrosion or whatever else that would potentially cripple my current car by the next time inspections rolled around, etc... all came up BEFORE I even mentioned what model I was looking for information on.

After telling the guy that I was in no way a car-expert, and then trying to act like one... (lol).... I said I was looking at a Toyota, specifically a Yaris, and asked his opinion of the model and what HE thought I should go for.

The first words out of his mouth? "You don't want a Yaris, man! You'll need all the leg-room you can get. Plus I can show you a car that has what you're looking for (ABS, gas mileage, mainly) for the same price as the Yaris, and it won't take packages to get them, either. (He was talking about the Corolla LE).

Now I knew that the Yaris didn't have ABS standard, and since I live in "upstate" New York, I was pretty much going to have to get both the winter-weather and power packages just to get a viable Yaris for this area. The guy kept trying to stress to me that the Corolla's 0.2 difference in Liter capacity between their respective engines. (Yaris has 1.5 v. Corolla's 1.7).

Now don't get me wrong, but I have no idea what that difference means. But let's put this into some sort of perspective I thought made sense. I don't know if that means how many liters of fuel run through the car at once, or what. But if you handed me a bottle of soda and it was only 20% full, I could most likely easily drink it without having to stop to catch my breath. 0.2 of a Liter? Someone's got to make some sense of that to me, because I can't see inflating the base ticket price to over $17k just to get ABS standard and to have 0.2 difference in anything.

Nonetheless, I let the guy talk and eventually he's like "Hey, lets let you take one of the Corollas for a drive." So I get in the car, and not only did the seat not go back far, but my legs were almost pinned under the steering wheel! Yeah, it was adjustable and all, but I could still feel the wheel glancing off of my legs while I wasn't pressing down on a pedal.

The guy pointed out how quiet the Corolla was, how the A/C turned on "instantly," and a few other things as I took it for a short spin for a few blocks, and back. When we got back to the dealer's lot, he was all ready to have me have my credit rating checked out, and unbeknownst to me....

To offer me a "one-time, deal" that he was able to negotiate "directly with Toyota"... (as if he had their corporate HQ on-call and put some director in Tokyo on hold) till he put me under the gun and tried to get me to sign a makeshift contract he drew up on the back of the "Toyota Guest Sheet."

To tell the truth, I have no idea what he was smoking. Not only did he instantaneously try and talk me out of a Yaris, he inflated the price of the car over $17,000-- and told me he would be able to get me a remarkable deal for this "nearly $20k Corolla..." (wait for it...) ".... if I signed the dotted line RIGHT NOW, and took advantage of this deal, right then and there!"

I looked at him cock-eyed, and said... "Ummm, I wasn't looking to BUY the car outright *today!*" He then proceeded to grab his manager from an office and basically tried to pressure me into buying the Corolla right then and there.

"Our family's been selling cars for 110 years, you know. This company (the dealer, not Toyota)'s been around for ages and we do the best for our customers, and would love to have you for life." Awesome, then don't try and shove a car that's MSRP is over $18,500 when I was starting the conversation on "What do you think about the Yaris?"

I couldn't believe that. Anyway, enough ranting.

I like how the hatch seems to have more height, and if what some of you are saying is true, I certainly will have to actually get to take a look at the Yaris. I don't like how ABS aren't standard, and how the base price of a Corolla is about the same price as a well-equipped Yaris, but.. after an experince like that, I'm not sure I'll want any dealer to even mention a Corolla the next time I walk near a lot.

There's a part of me that even kinda wishes that the Yaris had been out longer... I'm not sure I'm ready to bite the bullet and get a brand new car. The way you all talk about yours, it almost makes me wish that I could get them used affordably. Being such a new model and all, that's kinda crazy, though.

Anyway, thank you all for your responses and taking the time to read through my little rant, this morning. I'm sure I'll be posting more as the rest of this unfolds.