Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow...

[CanIHazYarisHatch?]

Originally Posted by A1an

Nice. We were very close on pulling the trigger on a Sonic LTZ Turbo before we took a look at the Yaris. I think the Sonic still has the Toyota beat on interior style, function, and quality...but a first year GM had me concerned. I think the Sonic is going to shine just like the Cruze but I don't want to be one of the first to help GM work through the first production year quirks. The Yaris platform has been around for quite some time so I know it shouldn't give us any issues.

Being a VW owner I'm still completely unimpressed by all the interiors in the b-segment. Yes the Yaris interior is pretty nice but the dash still has a very cheap plastic feel/look to it. I paid $16k for my 3-door Rabbit back in 2007 and you simply can't beat the materials used in this car. Would be nice if other manufacturers stepped it up a bit as well. Perhaps when the Polo finally gets here it will motivate others to improve their interior material quality. After all...that is were we spend all of our time.

I agree with you, but I cannot trust a VW or GM car further than I can throw it. Sad, because VW makes some lovely-looking and driving cars (when they are new). But I would never own one.

After about three years, that "great interior" starts peeling and rattling. Those power windows fall off their tracks. That beautiful instrument panel lights up like a Christmas tree--especially with the CEL, which on a VW, I refer to as the "Change Engine Light".

For those VW enthusiasts I have known (and I have known plenty), the cars are essentially built to really impress on the test-drive...and after the paperwork is signed, to hell with the customer. VW is insanely profitable because it squeezes it's parts suppliers nearly to death, so the parts are very cheap for VW--and they last about as long as one would expect. Because the consumer is already $20k+ deep in paying off their beloved VW, they are essentially forced to pay out of pocket to fix those things that break, oftentimes very expensive things, with those same defective parts--but at high-quality prices, making VW's coffers very obese with what is essentially stolen money from their customers. How they get away with it is amazing to me. How owners keep going back for more punishment--is also amazing to me.

I also don't understand the complaints about the new Yaris dash--do people get a blanket and sleep on it overnight or something? It's a dashboard, it's not supposed to be "soft-touch"--especially in a $15,000 compact car.

Want a "soft-touch" dash? Buy an Audi A4 and get rid of it before the warranty--and the car--expires.

I want a reliable, fun-to-drive car that has high resale value and looks sharp for not a whole lot of money. That's why I bought a Toyota--I don't have to pray for it to start at 60,001 miles. I know it will. But when it does break (when my grandchildren are finishing their Master's theses), it will be very mechanic-friendly to service, and the parts won't cost me my firstborn child.

If you like VWs, well, have fun. I'll stick with that proven 1NZ-FE; what it lacks in "power", it makes up for in near indestructibility. Why is this? Because Toyota does their R&D right the FIRST time. Call me "vanilla", but I like that. It shows they have some pride in more than just a quick sale, and they respect their customers.