November 2013 Yaris Sales: Down

[Kar98]

Originally Posted by dj92

I wouldn't want to exchange my '09 with a 3rd gen.
Why did they take away the rear seat rails and moved the instrument away from the center?
I feel very comfortable with these two features.
Without them and the good engine, it's not much better than a VW Polo :(

My 07 hatchback didn't have rear seat rails or a 60/40 seat to begin with. And VW doesn't sell the Polo in the US.

In the US, the Yaris is the barebones foodstamps model and you're supposed to buy a Corolla. You can't even configure a Yaris at the Toyota web site, you can only pick from pre-delivered ones at the dealership. And they're all automatic. Yuck.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Kar98

barebones foodstamps model

. One can't always judge a book by its cover, though (and I know you're not...you're (successfully) being humorous). I know an old guy who is a real curmudgeon, but is smart enough to give his wife (who is one of the nicest people I've ever known...just amazing during the last couple of months my mother was alive) anything she wants. This guy drives a 1972 Buick Skylark with dents in it. His clothes usually match the car (often have holes in them). Nothing to do with finances. If his commercial real estate equity alone fell below $50 million during 2008-2009, I'd eat my hat. I'm sure his wife wishes he'd make other sartorial and vehicle choices, but he buys her a new Mercedes every year and she buys any clothes that she wants. I love talking to him. He's a whip smart, old fashioned, Stanford grad. He wants people who don't know him to think he doesn't have anything. I'm sure he feels it gives him an advantage in certain situations. However, I don't think his son appreciates his unique personality too much. He moved to England, and rarely comes back to visit.

[Kar98]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

. One can't always judge a book by its cover, though (and I know you're not...you're (successfully) being humorous). I know an old guy who is a real curmudgeon, but is smart enough to give his wife (who is one of the nicest people I've ever known...just amazing during the last couple of months my mother was alive) anything she wants. This guy drives a 1972 Buick Skylark with dents in it. His clothes usually match the car (often have holes in them). Nothing to do with finances. If his commercial real estate equity alone fell below $50 million during 2008-2009, I'd eat my hat. I'm sure his wife wishes he'd make other sartorial and vehicle choices, but he buys her a new Mercedes every year and she buys any clothes that she wants. I love talking to him. He's a whip smart, old fashioned, Stanford grad. He wants people who don't know him to think he doesn't have anything. I'm sure he feels it gives him an advantage in certain situations. However, I don't think his son appreciates his unique personality too much. He moved to England, and rarely comes back to visit.

Oh trust me, I know a couple of multi-millionaires and neither feels it's beneath him to bum smokes and drive around in 30 year old vehicles. And I would totally rock a 72 Skylark.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Kar98

Oh trust me, I know a couple of multi-millionaires and neither feels it's beneath him to bum smokes and drive around in 30 year old vehicles. And I would totally rock a 72 Skylark.

LOL. One of the commercial buildings 'the curmudgeon' owns includes a restaurant as one of the tenants. The restaurant went belly up. My godson's aunt was hired as the interior designer for the new restaurant that took over the space. She told me that that the curmudgeon was very pleased that the previous restauranteur left some things (like candleholders on the tables, etc) because he could sell them online . That level of utilization at his level is commendable, she just felt that the level of pleasure he got from squeezing out such a potentially small additional sum was a roll eyes moment.

The 72 Skylark doesn't have the cleanest exhaust in the world. Sometimes, when he pulls into a parking space at the local Safeway, at least one other shopper (as they are loading their groceries into their Benz or equivalent) will look over in his direction with a look on her face similar to that of a person who just swallowed a prune. I've chuckled to myself when I've seen that personally. Those women are taking themselves, and life, a tad bit too seriously.