Any regrets?

[why?]

never had a regret. Ordered it before it came out here, and very happy with it ever since.

[supmet]

The smart is less safe, less comfortable, slower, smaller, unproven reliability, marginally better gas mileage, and costs about the same as a yaris. Half the usefulness for all of the price - Oh, but you'll find an extra 1 parking space a month if you live in LA or NY.

[UTVitz]

I've driven smarts a lot locally-everytime a used one pops up I'm in to test drive and my local smart center has let me take one alone several times-just drove one last friday again-but new. I don't mind the transmission over all and kind of like the idea it can be an auto when I want it to be. But the durablity of this transmission and the short warranty has me sitting on the fence watching other owners go through the growing pains of a new model. The car is super quirky and that's what I love about it-I just don't want to be broke down on the side of the road with it because it was not so well made or worse yet out of warranty and looking at a $600 + repair bill. I'll probably still buy one for kicks at some point. Don't get me wrong, the yaris has been a flawless little companion for reliablity and gas mileage-I just get a little bored driving it. Perfection isn't everything-at least to me. I sometimes wonder if the yaris three door was made by someone else instead of Toyota-if that would spice up the character of the car to me?

I just love how the smart is just barely street legal transportation-full of compromises. Some of those compromises spill over to ownership costs I'm finding. Because the smart is its own unique model, it shares nothing with other cars built by it's manufacturer-this means everything is made just for that car-so everything for it cost that much more.

[Phaeton]

First let me state that the car does everything it's supposed to do.
The few things I regret about it are the road noise, and that I can't find a comfortable seating position. The steering wheel needs to be about 2 inches closer.

[djct_watt]

Yes I remember. . . in my xA I was DYING for telescope on the steering wheel.

[Woody_Woodchuck]

Mine does absolutely everything I expect of it. It is a great economic commuter vehicle. No regrets so far.

[nemelek]

I knew exactly what I was getting for the money. If I wanted all the bells and whistles I would have spent $5,000 to $10,000 on something else.

[specialeducator]

Originally Posted by nemelek

I knew exactly what I was getting for the money. If I wanted all the bells and whistles I would have spent $5,000 to $10,000 on something else.

Exactly why I'm not in a Corolla or Fit

[wooverstone8]

The Yaris sold here in States lacks telescopic adjustable steering wheel. I wonder if it's the same overseas?

[Henry G.]

Wish I paid a little more and got the power package, probably would have only added $10 bucks a month to my $227 payment. Lack of cruise control sucks outright but I will do the CT Scott upgrade when I get a chance. Best investment so far was tinted windows so I stopped baking in the sun like a roasted chicken in a supermarket broiler, rear sway bar (big difference), and some decent tires. Seats are pretty crappy, I think if I leaned against the car it would dent, and I hope I never get into an accident but for a cheap azz $12k econo car I think I did good. The wife is scared to drive it but I dont blame her, at 2200 lbs I think a collision with a Schwinn could be life threatening.

[djct_watt]

Originally Posted by Henry G.

Wish I paid a little more and got the power package, probably would have only added $10 bucks a month to my $227 payment. Lack of cruise control sucks outright but I will do the CT Scott upgrade when I get a chance. Best investment so far was tinted windows so I stopped baking in the sun like a roasted chicken in a supermarket broiler, rear sway bar (big difference), and some decent tires. Seats are pretty crappy, I think if I leaned against the car it would dent, and I hope I never get into an accident but for a cheap azz $12k econo car I think I did good. The wife is scared to drive it but I dont blame her, at 2200 lbs I think a collision with a Schwinn could be life threatening.

I also drove an xA (5spd MT) in the USA for a couple years. I don't recall if I had the brake engaged, but I was rear ended by a semi at a stop light at approximately 5-7MPH. All he managed to do was push me about 5 feet. There was no damage, amazingly. I also managed to rear end someone else at a similar speed with no damage too. But who knows for a high speed collision. . .

[djct_watt]

Originally Posted by wooverstone8

The Yaris sold here in States lacks telescopic adjustable steering wheel. I wonder if it's the same overseas?

Yeah. . . it's the same here in Thailand.

[UTVitz]

People die in fullsize suv's and pickups and some people walk away from a small car crash. If your number's up and you're not properly restrained in the vehicle the car can do little to save you. I think it's a lottery of fate if you die in a car crash.

[EleKid]

I think my main complaint is the steering wheel. I'm only 5 3 (not TOO short, but short nonetheless) and I literally have to hold out my arms at full length in front of me to drive if I put my hands where they should be. I don't want to move my seat up because it'll be cramped so I just have to deal with it. And my arms get tired quickly, especially since I drive from LA to San Diego all the time.

[wooverstone8]

Yaris Liftback vs Volvo wagon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXzs6gvfHhs&feature=fvw

[SilverBack]

Just the occasional wobbling on windy days. Nothing drop springs and a sway bar can't fix.

[supmet]

Originally Posted by k r a y z e e . j o j o

Just the occasional wobbling on windy days. Nothing drop springs and a sway bar can't fix.

true.. I'm always amazed how bad the side profile aerodynamics are. I probably would have sold the yaris if it weren't for the sway bar by now, and I still can't wait to drop it on a windy day.

[SilverBack]

Originally Posted by supmet

true.. I'm always amazed how bad the side profile aerodynamics are. I probably would have sold the yaris if it weren't for the sway bar by now, and I still can't wait to drop it on a windy day.

Exactly. IMO a sway bar (at least 19mm) should be standard on all Yarii, not really for performance but for safety. It just seems too easy to tail-out just at the flick of the steering wheel.

Case in point: Some slow jack-off in an SUV pulled right in front of me from a driveway this morning. I locked-up and avoided the crash at the expense of the rear-end trying to swing around. If I didn't countersteer I would've definitely gotten sideways and jumped the curb. Yeah I think I'll be getting that sway bar on my next payday. The springs are another must-have, but they can wait a while.