Countdown to delivery and "Zoom Zoom"

[Kalispel]

Originally Posted by bronsin

There are some folks on this forum who say they know how to drive a MT yet their MT Yaris ate its clutch.

I suspect the on/off throttle control has something to do with this.

So....look out!

Yeah, modern clutch longevity is a real worry for me. I have never had a factory clutch fail on me in 35+ years of driving 1982-2000 model year Honda Manuals - even at 200K miles on the clutch. I hope to have similar luck with my Yaris.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by Kalispel

Yeah, modern clutch longevity is a real worry for me. I have never had a factory clutch fail on me in 35+ years of driving 1982-2000 model year Honda Manuals - even at 200K miles on the clutch. I hope to have similar luck with my Yaris.

I deal with the on/off throttle on my 09 with AT by letting off the brake and letting the car roll forward with the engine idling. Once its rolling the throttle may be advanced smoothly.

Maneuvering in a tight space is tricky however!

Perhaps some version of this can be applied to a MT.

[Kalispel]

I went out this morning around 8am and did a couple things to my Yaris. It is supposed to get up to 113+ today here in Phoenix, and it was hot as hell even at that time in the morning.

I installed the polished stainless-steel exhaust tip, the VVT-i badge, and cleaned the dealer sticker gunk off the lower hatch lid. I am going to try and get up around 5:30am tomorrow and wash/wax/detail her, since she will need a good coat of quality wax on her in this weather. Here are some pics of the work thus far:









In case anyone is interested:

The Toyota Part Number for the VVT-i badge is 75443-06151. It is quality metal construction with the same adhesive backing as what is on the OEM Yaris and SE badge.

The exhaust tip was a great fit on the 2015 Yaris, and is a 'Superior 28-6201 2 1/2" x 6" Stainless Steel, Slant Bolt-On Exhaust Tip' that I found on Amazon for around $22. The intake is 2" and the outlet is 2.5" - just the right size IMO.

Oh, and just for the fun of it, I put this decal on my upper passenger front window. It is small, but I like it.

[Kalispel]

Also put a small white TRD decal on the inside gearbox. Sorry for the fuzzy, sun-drenched pic...

[nookandcrannycar]

Great job of getting the dealer decal off. I was so used to looking at mine, that that area seems a little 'naked' now......but I'm VERY glad I'm no longer giving free advertising to my dealer in Florida. While I was looking for the TRD plate frames (and got free dealer ones from my LOCAL dealer as a consolation), I saw that my local dealer has one TRD badge left for $12.95. I think I'm going to pick that up tomorrow and put it where the dealer decal used to be .

[Kalispel]

My first daily commute to work in my Yaris went smoothly today, and I am already adjusting to the sensitive/light "modern electronic" gas peddle (wearing dress shoes today). shifting was smooth/precise, and I had much better control over the RPMs starting out from a stop than I did yesterday on my initial drive. I am really glad that I held out, and jumped through all the numerous hoops of securing an elusive manual 5-Speed SE Yaris from another state, versus settling on an automatic locally. This little car is a pleasure to drive.

I will post my overall main pro's and con's about the vehicle thus far, later today.

[3rdSEman]

Really nice and stands out in white... you'll like the somewhat tauter dynamics of the SE.

He he - now that you've driven the car a few miles, just picture how you would have felt if you had ordered an automatic transmission : \

May I suggest peeling the dealer adhesive label on the trunk while it's fresh ?

Congrats...

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by 3rdSEman

May I suggest peeling the dealer adhesive label on the trunk while it's fresh ?

I haven't done this yet ( I've had my car for 1 year + 1 day). Any idea as to how to 'coax' it to peel or at least peel a bit without damaging the paint ?

[Kalispel]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I haven't done this yet ( I've had my car for 1 year + 1 day). Any idea as to how to 'coax' it to peel or at least peel a bit without damaging the paint ?

From what I read on the internet, you just heat it up with a blow-dryer (or the blazing hot AZ sun) and then take something like a drivers license to get the edge started, and then just peel it up.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Kalispel

From what I read on the internet, you just heat it up with a blow-dryer (or the blazing hot AZ sun) and then take something like a drivers license to get the edge started, and then just peel it up.

Thanks. My silver '14 is the first car I've ever owned (most purchased new) that has had one of these 'dealer ad ' stickers. I guess I've just been lucky.

[Kalispel]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Thanks. My silver '14 is the first car I've ever owned (most purchased new) that has had one of these 'dealer ad ' stickers. I guess I've just been lucky.

The dealer one on my Yaris was some sort of cheap die-cut rubbery clear plastic with imprints of letters/graphics on them - not the type that I am used to seeing. It peeled up pretty easy. The ones on some of my older cars were made of pin-stripping type material and once they baked on in the sun, they were a nightmare to remove, since they broke apart so easily into little pieces if you tried to peel it up.

[Kalispel]

Originally Posted by 3rdSEman

Really nice and stands out in white... you'll like the somewhat tauter dynamics of the SE.

He he - now that you've driven the car a few miles, just picture how you would have felt if you had ordered an automatic transmission : \

May I suggest peeling the dealer adhesive label on the trunk while it's fresh ?

Congrats...

Yep - I peeled the dealer adhesive off later the same day, after taking those pictures. It peeled off pretty easy by hand out here in this heat, but I still need to get some sticky residue removed from that area when I go to wash/wax/detail it this weekend. I'm surprised it wasn't more baked on, considering this car sat unwanted on the dealer lot in Colorado for over 6 months before I bought it. The dealership didn't even try to negotiate/haggle when I low-balled them a price - they just said yes and sent the paperwork. I guess they were glad to be rid of the 2015, before the 2016 models roll in soon. No love for the Yaris - especially the manuals.

[IllusionX]

I always peel that sticker off the day I get the car. Sometimes I wonder if I'd be too mean if I peeled it off on the lot before leaving. Lol



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[BLKHILLSGUY]

Have you used the cup holders yet? I'm curious how they might hold a bottle of water, or in my usual case a Venti Starbucks drink. Not crazy about the placement, but if they work well I'd be happy.

[Kalispel]

Originally Posted by BLKHILLSGUY

Have you used the cup holders yet? I'm curious how they might hold a bottle of water, or in my usual case a Venti Starbucks drink. Not crazy about the placement, but if they work well I'd be happy.

The dual front cup holders aren't very large, and seem suited for things like the regular-sized bottles of water or a small/medium-sized fast food drink. I had a tall/skinny 16.9 FL OZ standard-sized bottle of water in there a few days ago and it fit easily enough. I haven't tested it yet, but they don't visually appear to be large enough to hold a "big gulp" type cup very well - though that would fit in the larger one between the two front seats.

I ordered one of the OEM Toyota "lid/hinged ashtray cups" to fit into the rear cup holder between the seats, as a change holder. I will also test-fit it to the cup holder in the door and the dual ones in front of the gear box - and if it fits in those locations also I may order at least one more for extra concealed/removeable storage (one dedicated to pennies only at least, since I prefer to keep those separate and roll them into 50 cent rolls towards gas-money as they build up).

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[Kalispel]

I normally work 7 days per week (56 hours/week, 8 per day), but decided I'm going to start taking one Sunday off every month in order to wash/wax/detail my Yaris. Gotta keep her protected as much as I can from the brutal Arizona sun/heat.

I got up at 6am this morning and managed to get her fully wash/waxed/detailed, inside and out, but I tend to be a pokey cleaner just like I am a pokey "speed limit" type driver most of the time, and the sun was killing me by the end around noon or so. I am also sort of OCD about details, so washing/waxing/detailing takes me longer than it should. But on the bright side, it gave me a chance to examine literally every aspect of my Yaris and get to know it better. I'm sure I will be feeling a sunburn tomorrow, lol.

The more I drive this car, the happier I am with my choice to get it. The only must-do things I have left to do ASAP is install a license plate frame/protective backing when I am able to get my tag, and then get the windows tinted/shielded appropriately (including some street-legal 3M Crystalline protective tint for the front windshield). I also ordered a 'Covercraft UV11265SV UVS100 Silver Heat Shield' (custom fit for 2012+ Yaris front windshield) to help prevent the sun/heat from coming through that monster-sized front windshield when it is parked at work, etc.. The dark cloth seats in the SE heat up pretty toasty when the sun is hitting them directly through the windows.

I'm putting together a pretty comprehensive list of likes and dislikes about my 2015 Yaris SE and will post it later this week, after I drive it for another week to work. Interesting enough, some of my initial observations about the car, such as the sensitive gas-pedal, are non-issues now that I am accustomed to it. I was just used to having a heavier foot with my 2000 Accord and the older cable-driven accelerator mechanics, so it was a shock the first time I drove my 2015 Yaris.

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[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Kalispel

don't visually appear to be large enough to hold a "big gulp" type cup very well - though that would fit in the larger one between the two front seats.

Don't remember if the 'larger one' is exactly the same on the '15 and the '14, but the larger one between the seats on the '14 is one of the better differences from the 2nd Gen Yaris, and it also holds a big gulp type cup pretty well. The best one on my '14 re holding a coffee cup is the holder directly between the seats (the one directly in front of the '2 lit/big gulp' holder).

[Kalispel]

Yesterday I received the OEM Toyota "lidded ashtray cup" (#74101-AE010) that I ordered, since I need additional "covered" storage options in my 2015 Yaris for coins. It is shorter/shallower than I thought it would be, but of good quality. It is clearly designed to rest in one of the smaller dual cup holders in front of gearbox, and the raised, molded rubber ring on outside body edge ensures tight, snug rattle-free fitment there. It can also be fully-placed into the bigger "rear" cup holder behind emergency brake, between the seats, though it is engulfed by that cup-holder, with a very small bit of open airspace around cup, as it sits loosely on the felt bottom of that holder. Even then, the rubber sides of cup ensures no rattling in that larger holder if it does shift that tiny fraction of an inch during movement. The cup does NOT fit into the side door cup holders. I will probably order one more, so that I can have one for pennies alone, and one for everything else.

I just got around to rolling all the change that was stored in my old Accord, and it added up to almost $50, lol. Over $10 alone in pennies. Needless to say I paid for my first tank of gas today ($24) in all rolled coins.

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