Yaris in a fatal accident

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by BLKHILLSGUY

I'd definitely steer clear of Nissan. They aren't what they once were. And I left Toyota for Honda. Bought 2 Fits, and an Element. Had problems with both the Fit and the Element. Went back to Toyota. A Toyota is more solid in almost every regard. Good luck to your future choices. Consumer Reports is your best friend. It's the Bible in my home. Specifically the yearly model with all of the scientific data from all the consumers. A lot of real world info there. I don't usually follow their car reviews, as that is subjective to each person. But real world reliability statistics do not lie. And a Honda is not nearly reliable as a Toyota. And Nissan hahahaha

My uncle used to have a classic Mercedes 250 C Coupe. He got rear ended at a freeway off ramp stoplight. His insurance company didn't give him what he felt it was worth. He bought a big, new Chrysler sedan after that. It was decent...no major problems in the 165k + miles of ownership. They traded that in on another big, new Chrysler sedan. When that second Chrysler had about 65k on it, the engine went out while they were at a place in Sisters, Oregon that they rent for a few weeks a year. No warranty. My uncle paid for the new engine, and the minute they got back he traded it in for a brand new ES Lexus sedan. They love it! When my aunt's Acura started to get a bit long in the tooth, my uncle bought her an RX SUV. When my uncle's two daughters saw how satisfied they were, their husbands bought G series for them, one the SUV, and one the sedan. Even more Lexus purchases happened after that. Other family members have BMWs, Audis, and Volvos, but I wonder if they will eventually follow to Lexus. I may be the only one with a non Lexus Toyota . One family member went from a Mazda Tribute (engine failed at about the same mileage my uncle's Chrysler did ) to a Subie and couldn't be happier. I'm more likely to compliment my silver Yaris in the future with a Subie than anything else. Another household in the family has a Sentra and a big Saturn SUV. The Sentra hasn't been as reliable as my blue Yaris (my silver Yaris = not enough miles to be a test of reliability)

[BLKHILLSGUY]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

My uncle used to have a classic Mercedes 250 C Coupe. He got rear ended at a freeway off ramp stoplight. His insurance company didn't give him what he felt it was worth. He bought a big, new Chrysler sedan after that. It was decent...no major problems in the 165k + miles of ownership. They traded that in on another big, new Chrysler sedan. When that second Chrysler had about 65k on it, the engine went out while they were at a place in Sisters, Oregon that they rent for a few weeks a year. No warranty. My uncle paid for the new engine, and the minute they got back he traded it in for a brand new ES Lexus sedan. They love it! When my aunt's Acura started to get a bit long in the tooth, my uncle bought her an RX SUV. When my uncle's two daughters saw how satisfied they were, their husbands bought G series for them, one the SUV, and one the sedan. Even more Lexus purchases happened after that. Other family members have BMWs, Audis, and Volvos, but I wonder if they will eventually follow to Lexus. I may be the only one with a non Lexus Toyota . One family member went from a Mazda Tribute (engine failed at about the same mileage my uncle's Chrysler did ) to a Subie and couldn't be happier. I'm more likely to compliment my silver Yaris in the future with a Subie than anything else. Another household in the family has a Sentra and a big Saturn SUV. The Sentra hasn't been as reliable as my blue Yaris (my silver Yaris = not enough miles to be a test of reliability)

I drive a 13 Avalon Limited. Pretty much the same components and car as an entry level Lexus. Beautiful inside and out, but it's never given me the excitement of a manual Yaris, or a manual Tacoma. I'm pushing 40 and I have a few more decades that I want to continue to drive a manual. It is so damn boring to drive an automatic. That is the biggest reason I am getting rid of my Avalon. BORING. And I love the 4-Runner,but you can't get that in a manual. I need to keep my hands busy. So pretty much having the Lexus experience would I do it again? Probably not. Too expensive and not my style. I don't care what people think of me and what I drive. They don't pay my bills, so their opinion is null. If a $18k dollar car makes me happy, that's what I'm going to drive, even when I can afford more.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by BLKHILLSGUY

I drive a 13 Avalon Limited. Pretty much the same components and car as an entry level Lexus. Beautiful inside and out, but it's never given me the excitement of a manual Yaris, or a manual Tacoma. I'm pushing 40 and I have a few more decades that I want to continue to drive a manual. It is so damn boring to drive an automatic. That is the biggest reason I am getting rid of my Avalon. BORING. And I love the 4-Runner,but you can't get that in a manual. I need to keep my hands busy. So pretty much having the Lexus experience would I do it again? Probably not. Too expensive and not my style. I don't care what people think of me and what I drive. They don't pay my bills, so their opinion is null. If a $18k dollar car makes me happy, that's what I'm going to drive, even when I can afford more.

My uncle caring about perceived status is probably somewhere in the middle. If he really cared that much, he would never have purchased two Chryslers in a row . The point of my story wasn't the 'contagiousness of prestige', it was 'the contagiousness of reliability' . I certainly agree with you re manual transmissions . Are any of the Lexus models even available with a manual? Any of the F sport models? . One thing that makes me shy away from buying a significantly more expensive vehicle is the number of people who don't give a flying f about being careful not to open their car doors into another car in parking lots . In the NE, I've seen cars with thick pads that can be put/hung on doors to counteract such actions, but I've never seen such pads in Texas.

[bgkz25]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

.... the number of people who don't give a flying f about being careful not to open their car doors into another car in parking lots.

This is true. I usually pick a parking spot at the outer edge of a parking lot so that I would have to worry about just one side of the car and try to stay close at the edge as much as possible which leaves an enormous amount of space at the other side. The only problem here is that some drivers don't pay attention with lines and use your car as a reference.

[BLKHILLSGUY]

Originally Posted by bgkz25

This is true. I usually pick a parking spot at the outer edge of a parking lot so that I would have to worry about just one side of the car and try to stay close at the edge as much as possible which leaves an enormous amount of space at the other side. The only problem here is that some drivers don't pay attention with lines and use your car as a reference.

I do the same thing. My dad taught me that.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bgkz25

This is true. I usually pick a parking spot at the outer edge of a parking lot so that I would have to worry about just one side of the car and try to stay close at the edge as much as possible which leaves an enormous amount of space at the other side. The only problem here is that some drivers don't pay attention with lines and use your car as a reference.

Me as well. I thought I was the only one in the world who did that . I guess there are at least three of us .

[Yaristeve]

Originally Posted by bgkz25

This is true. I usually pick a parking spot at the outer edge of a parking lot so that I would have to worry about just one side of the car and try to stay close at the edge as much as possible which leaves an enormous amount of space at the other side. The only problem here is that some drivers don't pay attention with lines and use your car as a reference.

You should go to a Las Vegas casino parking lot. You will see entire rows of cars parked "relative" to the car next to it, regardless of the painted lines. It drives my GF crazy when we go to Vegas whenever I pass up parking spaces just so I can find an end spot one...

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Yaristeve

You should go to a Las Vegas casino parking lot. You will see entire rows of cars parked "relative" to the car next to it, regardless of the painted lines. It drives my GF crazy when we go to Vegas whenever I pass up parking spaces just so I can find an end spot one...

I have had that experience a number of times in Vegas.....and I also hunt for the end spaces in those lots .