Tell me about it.

[SpoCom2nr]

Dear Yaris owners and enthusiast,

First some brief background knowledge about myself:

My name is Leon. I'm a college student pursuing a second degree in Criminal Justice. I already have an A.A.S degree in automotive technology (I took the Toyota Technician Program). I'm 21 years of age and I love my current car I own. I currently own a 2001 Mercury Cougar, but it's getting old. I need something more up to date. My parents think I should get a new car too. Something more safe and reliable. And though I love my Cougar, I would love to get a Toyota even more. It's been... If you will. A dream of mine.

"So why is this dude here?:"

Being a large fan of Toyota, I have been thinking of how cool it would be to have a Yaris since I seen a Best Motoring Video featuring a Vitz. I was hooked. This had to be for some two years now at least.

I love the Yaris because it seems like it would be a functional car in my life. I'm a college student so every penny counts. The price is do-able. Toyota has a firm foundation for reliability and customer support. The Yaris is great on gas, which is something I must have. And I'm not one to lie; The Yaris 3 Dr Manual in Absolute Red looks nice to me. It's small, I can store what I need in it. And I test drove a brand new one in 09 and I was like "I want one so bad!"

The reason why I'm here is I'm looking to purchase a Yaris, if you haven't obtained that hunch yet. This forum post is the official start of my research process and hopeful purchase. I'm going to take my time and find the best deal I can. But in the end, I definitely want a Yaris. =)

"Why do I need you guys?"

Well I know most of you guys already own a Yaris. I'm hoping this forum has some nice people who can help me out. What I'm simply looking for from ALL of you is:

1) Your opinion on your car (i.e. The good, the bad. What you like about it. How does it fit into your lifestyle? What do you do with it? Do you go on long trips? Everything you can tell me.)

2) Why you think it's a great car to buy. This can go with number 1 as well. I'm already hooked. But I want you to pretend that you have to convince me to buy it, if you understand what I'm saying.

3) Where is a good place to access more information about the Yaris besides the dealership?

P.S. I'm hoping to learn a lot here. This forum seems really neat. And I've seen some pretty cool tricked out Yaris'. I'm pretty jealous.

[WeeYari]

I'm in my 4th year owning this little beast, and absolutely love it. You'll be getting a whole pile of responses here, and I'm not sure how valuable they will be as far as 'convincing' you. I think that decision may have already been made.

Personally, at this point in time if I was to do it again, I'd be waiting for the Mazda2/Ford Fiesta to hit the dealerships. They will be providing very close competition to the Yaris in this segment. In my model year, 2006, comparable options really did not exist. Yaris uniquely stood on its own.

Cheers and welcome.

[SpoCom2nr]

Originally Posted by WeeYari

I'm in my 4th year owning this little beast, and absolutely love it. You'll be getting a whole pile of responses here, and I'm not sure how valuable they will be as far as 'convincing' you. I think that decision may have already been made.

Personally, at this point in time if I was to do it again, I'd be waiting for the Mazda2/Ford Fiesta to hit the dealerships. They will be providing very close competition to the Yaris in this segment. In my model year, 2006, comparable options really did not exist. Yaris uniquely stood on its own.

Cheers and welcome.

Wow. That I did not know. I have always wanted a Mazda also. My dad had one and it was a reliable car. The reason why I haven't considered Mazda so much though is because it was always a little out of my price range. I love the 3, but with all the options, I'd getting up there...

I may have to consider the Mazda2 though. I will certainly look into that. Thank you very much. =)

[nemelek]

The best question to ask is if a current Yaris owner would buy another one. I would and many of us would, however, there are some that wouldn't. Size, power, and status are a few of the reasons why they would get a different brand.

[RedRide]

OK... I have an '02 Celica-MT that I bought new (and stiil have) that I used as my DD.
It had beeen paid for a few years ago and I was thinkig about getting another car for comuting and one that would be a bit more pratical.
I mention the Celica to indicate what type of car I normally like and usually drive.

So, I checked out the Yaris as a co worker had one and he really likes it The 2d HB-MT caught my eye and I bought my Yaris last june. My Celica is now "retiered" and is now for fair weather pleasure use only.
The Yaris is now basically my DD

Anyway, I have really no complaints about the Yaris. I feel very secure driving it 65-70 MPH in my work commute and it is very economical on gas, etc. It does exactly what it is intedended to be which is an inexpensive economy car that is also pleasant to look at and drive.

One thing though, one of the complaints that most reviewers have is that the Yaris has excissive body roll on turns and has excessive oversteer This is true as it comes from the factory. However a rear swar bay cures both issues A rear sway bar can be had from either Toyota or from third party vendors and is easy to install.

The Yaris is definaltely not a Celica but, I love the Yaris for what it is.

Bottom line, I have absolutly no regets about getting my Yaris.

[DandiDani]

i have no regrets either. my husband and i got our first 07' yaris sedan in 2007. then we needed a second car after he was transfered(work) so we picked up our second 09' yaris LB in 2009. we love our cars. it is great on gas and it may look small but i can sure fit a lot of stuff in my LB. when my husband bought a bodykit for his sedan we picked it up in the LB. we didnt think it was going to fit and we did have to tie down the hatch but i was pretty amazed. both our yari have made a trip from louisville,ky to dayton,oh and to nashville, tn for yari meets. no problems getting there and back at all. We recently made the trip from louisville to austin,tx in the sedan. it took forever to get there but the sedan did awesome. i was estimating that we'd have to stop for gas more than we actually did. the only negative thing that i have found about my car is when it is extremely windy outside.lol. but...once you lower the car and ad a sway bar you wont notice it. these cars have a lot of potential...just look at garm's (cali yaris) LB.

[JBougie]

My husband bought my 07 in spring of 07 (crap - that reminds me, my tabs are due in April!); she was brand new on the lot and I wasn't really thinking I'd like it - I test drove it and found it to be very high and I felt like I was driving a semi-truck, but this was because I had a lowered Eclipse and was used to being an inch off the ground lol. The test drive was all it took, the clutch was smooth and it was easy and fun to drive. I took my sedan home a few hours later.

I have absolutely fallen head over heels in love with my car and have gotten 5 people to purchase one since I bought mine. I have had NO problems with my Yaris, I have taken her from MN to SD twice, MN to AL 4 times and numerous other weekend road trips.

This was hands down the best gift that my husband ever bought me.

[jekqmb]

I love my car, it rides rough, turns like crap, scrapes, rubs, rattles.....But damn does it look good and i love every minute of it!

[DevilGirl]

Originally Posted by SpoCom2nr

1) Your opinion on your car (i.e. The good, the bad. What you like about it. How does it fit into your lifestyle? What do you do with it? Do you go on long trips? Everything you can tell me.)

I love my car. I love that no matter where I am or what other cars are around me, it stands out. There really are no other cars that look like it. IMO, the sedan looks like other sedans out there, with no distinctive body lines or whatever. Other LB's out there (Fit, Versa, Aveo), none of them look even remotely close to the Yarii.

I also love that I sit higher in the Yarii than in other cars. It's a lot easier to get in and out of than in most cars, almost as if get into and out of a smaller, or lower, truck or SUV (which I would like to have for the simple fact of riding higher, and being able to pass over a lot of obstacles without issue to the car; I used to work on construction sites, I know the damages that can occur from a low vehicle, even if just stock).

I wish the Yarii had a few of the nicer extras as options (heated seats, sunroof, etc.), but they can always be added after (I have heated seats in mine now).

I use mine as a DD, with a 100-mile round trip daily (except weekends when I work overtime, then it's about 140-mile round trip). It's a comfortable ride. She handles just fine on the turnpike where I do the speedlimit (65) with large trucks, SUV's, and sports cars going flying past me (they seem to think the speedlimit is more like 90 or higher). I've only taken 1 longer trip with the car (Yarii meet in NY). Even then it was fine, with me, the boyfriend, and our puppy.

I moved from my apartment to my boyfriend's house last September. I had only had my LB for about a month. I made a bunch of trips moving things (no more than a 30 min ride between the farthest points). She sure can hold a lot!

In the 7.5 months that I've owned the car, I've put almost 16,000 miles on her. But, I have no doubt that I'll be able to go well above 200,000 miles (see threads on trini's yarii passing the 400,000 mile mark last week).

Originally Posted by SpoCom2nr

2) Why you think it's a great car to buy. This can go with number 1 as well. I'm already hooked. But I want you to pretend that you have to convince me to buy it, if you understand what I'm saying.

See above.

In addition, I would probably buy another Yarii. We'll see how I feel in about 6-7 years, and what other cars are out on the market at that point.

[KrazyDawg]

I upgraded from a 1995 Civic EX. Compared to the Civic I have better visibility because the car sits up higher. Also, it feels like the car projects more lighting while driving at night. I had Sylvania Silverstar Ultras on my Civic and the lights were adjusted, so I know it wasn't the headlights. Fuel economy is great and the small size makes it easier to find parking in limited areas like San Francisco.

I purchased a used base model, so I added power locks and an alarm. I was interested in a Honda Fit but it costs a bit more and none were available from Enterprise. The Honda Fit comes standard with power options and most importantly side air bags, side curtain airbags, and ABS. I could live without power windows and power mirrors but you can't add side air bags and side curtain air bags to a base model.

The seats can fold completely flat in the Fit but you can only do that with the split seat option in the Yaris. All the interior compartments for storage do come in handy. It's something my Civic didn't have and I can finally fit water bottles safely in the car. I had a tiny glove compartment that would barely hold a GPS, owner's manual, and a pair of sunglasses. So it was a big upgrade in terms of "small" storage.

Finding good wiper blades is somewhat of a challenge since it's hard to find smaller blades to fit the passenger side. I keep running into websites and postings that contradict the correct size and whether they're compatible.

I've had the Yaris for only a week but overall I'm satisfied with it. I just like to nitpick certain things.

[DevilGirl]

+1 for the storage/glove compartments

[intioumaximus]

I'm with you, I am wondering what current owners think. I'm on the fence between a yaris and a used fit. I noticed the glove boxes and clutch peddle are plastic (glove boxes seem really thin) and wondering how everything holds up, but they look awesome lowered little with nice rims.

[YAR1S]

do yourself a favour, get a yaris..... no regrets for me.


;)

[Gideon]

Originally Posted by intioumaximus

I'm with you, I am wondering what current owners think. I'm on the fence between a yaris and a used fit. I noticed the glove boxes and clutch peddle are plastic (glove boxes seem really thin) and wondering how everything holds up, but they look awesome lowered little with nice rims.

Depending on price, if you can get a good priced Fit I'd say go for it (of course, test drive both!). I was on the fence between the two and really I ended up going with the Yaris because of price, as the Fit was several thousand more.

The interior is a lot nicer on the Fit, although I'd go for a GD (07-08) rather than the GE8 (2009-) as I prefer the looks over the earlier generation and I did not like the pedal feel on the GE8. (It doesn't take any pressure at all to go to WOT, really hard to rest your foot on the pedal to maintain speed) I think on the Fit forums they helped the feel by installing a spring to the pedal to increase tension, but anyways, a used GD is probably cheaper.

Obviously, drive both and see what you prefer. I really thought both were similar as far as handling stock goes, although no idea what they're like with aftermarket upgrades.

That being said, I'm pleased with my Yaris, if I had to go back and do it again, I'd probably choose the Fit just to switch things up a bit, but IMO they're pretty similar for what they offer. Trim is slightly better in the Fit, but they're usually more expensive.

[Kioshi]

Originally Posted by SpoCom2nr

1) Your opinion on your car (i.e. The good, the bad. What you like about it. How does it fit into your lifestyle? What do you do with it? Do you go on long trips? Everything you can tell me.)

2) Why you think it's a great car to buy. This can go with number 1 as well. I'm already hooked. But I want you to pretend that you have to convince me to buy it, if you understand what I'm saying.

3) Where is a good place to access more information about the Yaris besides the dealership?

P.S. I'm hoping to learn a lot here. This forum seems really neat. And I've seen some pretty cool tricked out Yaris'. I'm pretty jealous.

1. Before my purchase, I made fun of my coworker so much driving one..hated the look of it, I called it the rebirth of a shitty Tercel/Echo...the automatic tranny looked like a twig stuck to the car's interior, etc...

I needed to save money on gas, so i bought it. I dislike the sensitive clutch, to this day. But the look of the car has grown on me. It's a very unique design not seen elsewhere and turns a lot of heads. I love it for taking me great distances. I love how it starts up w/o a fuss, gives me assurance i can make that tight turn through a corner even if i wasn't fully capable of doing. I like how the car manages to get past little areas and giving the driver second thoughts as to..will i fit or not~ The seats are comfy..my ex loved the ride and how quiet it is considering how much plastic is used inside it~
I use my car to commute to college/s, to work, go snowboarding with my friends in the winter and go to the beach w/ it. I have fit, myself and a passenger plus 6 snowboards in my hatchback no problem...
Last dislike on this car...cheap paint. Get the paint repainted because the front gets chipped pretty damn easily.

2. I think its a great car to buy because one, not too many people own one on the road vs a Civic or Prius. It's a car that fools one's eye...small on the outside, but damn roomy in the inside. This car is a great A to point B car for commuters, college students, and eco-huggers. If you are into heavy or light modding or..simply want a car w/ A LOT of potential and secrets behind every compartment....? This is the car to get.. you will hate this car for it's low power and plastics , but the love grows for this car over the coming months. I whined about the car being small, but found great usage after 5-6 months down the road ;)

3. YarisWorld.com/forums or for modding enthusiasts microimageonline.com/forums

I fi had to do it all over again? I'd get a 2010 5-door Liftback model, an imported RS version from Canada...or look into importing the Vitz RS from Japan...

[Kioshi]

This is off-topic, but MAY be considered when making a decision between a Yaris or a Fit~

http://autos.aol.com/article/honda-fit-recall

No discussion on the posted link guys...just something for the OP to read through, okay.

[Hershey]

if try hard enough it's quite possible to get an 5 speed manual 2010 YARIS 3 door with CONVENIENCE PACKAGE and floor mats for less than $12,000 . As a base model 5 speed FIT will be couple thousand or more dollars that's not equipped with V.S.C. , Tracton Control , floor /cargo mats , and cargo cover like that of the YARIS . My pick would be the YARIS for the best bang for the buck . Looks a bit better too . Especially the 3 door . As for cargo , the FIT gives more space with flip / fold all the way up rear seats along with front passenger seat that folds flat . Very clever design for the FIT . Wish the YARIS rear and passenger seat were the same . The headlight bulbs are very easy to change for the FIT compared to cramped / tight spot for YARIS liftback . The YARIS sedan bulbs are are breeze to change . Less than 15 minutes on a good day . Overall , YARIS wins .

[why?]

i agree with everything said. If I was looking to buy now I would also look at the upcoming iQ, and the aforementioned Mazda/Ford.

For me, the smaller the better, and i want gas mileage too.