I think I'm gonna go with the Yaris.

[mfratt]

Hi all. Brand new member here.

I just got back from the Toyota dealership where I took a second drive in the Yaris 2-door hatch 5MT. As much as I want to think that the car is a little crappy econobox, I just love it too much! The short wheelbase and 2300lb weight make it a hoot to drive (at least with the 5 speed). The sales rep said he can get me in it for around $200/mo lease with nothing down, and that works out perfect for me. I still need to see if I can get VW lower than $249/mo with $750 down for a 2 door Rabbit, but I'm not sure thats gonna happen.

Either way, I'm really leaning towards the Yaris now. Maybe for the price, maybe for the simplicity of it, maybe just for the fun factor, but I'm really warming up to the idea of owning one.

Anyway, a few items of business I'd need to go over if I were to get one:

Tachometer. I don't like having to guess where to shift. Are there any good options for aftermarket tachs? Better yet, is it possible to retrofit a sedan gauge cluster into the hatch's?

Springs and wheels. I would probably look to get some not-too-pricey coilovers to tighten up the ride and drop it down a bit. Is TRD the best way to go or are there better options? I'll want to lose the stellies too.

Real-world MPG. What kind of mileage are you folks getting out of these? Highway, city, mixed? I'd guess that it wouldn't be too difficult to get better than the advertised 36mpg highway. Also, how many miles do you usually get out of a tank of gas?

Thanks and I look forward to becoming an active member should I go with the Yaris.