Yaris vs. VW Bug

[littlecarlove]

Anyone else see a similarity between the Yaris and the VW Beetle? I
don’t mean the over-priced “New” Beetle but the bug from the 60’s.
That car swept the nation because it was cheap, well-built, and got
good gas mileage. The younger generation snatched them up as fast as
they were made. Once in the hands of the individual owners all sorts
of modifications were done.

It seems like the Yaris is poised to take over that role. It’s about time a
car like this came around again! I wasn’t driving yet when they
stopped making the old bug, so I missed out on all that. However, I’m
Yaris shopping next week - can’t wait to get my hands on one of
these babies and transform it into my very own!

It is also interesting to note that the Yaris has a very insect-like look
as well - which is good IMO.

Ok, I guess I’m not expecting a flurry of responses, just wanted to point
out the obvious.

Hays

[eTiMaGo]

That's a good comparison really
Now to put a psychedelic flower power paint job on mine.......

[TrancosRt]

No mods so far for my Frog (sorry, don't see an insect looks but a Frog looks. go figure) but tint and a decal. Some to come, but I plan to keep my car at least till I'm done paying for it, that is, when I'm 30, so I'll have ample time to customize it :D.

[riceboy]

yeah... i would say there are some similarities.. though we might also compare it to the civic of yesteryear.....

[ChinoCharles]

Very true... the VW's were really the great great grandfathers of today's tuner scene. They even share an egg-ish design, haha.

[littlecarlove]

Excellent point on the Civic - forgot about that one. I’ve always
bought used cars and I guess I was always driving something else
when those hit the scene. The Yaris will be my first new car
purchase - very excited about that.

Ooo - a FROG, huh? Yup, I see that - think I’m gonna have to steal
that from you and call mine a Frog… I like that!

Hays

[tekmoe]

Originally Posted by littlecarlove

I’ve always bought used cars and I guess I was always driving something else when those hit the scene. The Yaris will be my first new car purchase - very excited about that.

same here. my new yaris will be my very first new car. my first car was an 86 VW GTI with 180,000 miles. i sold that after a year. my second car which i am driving now is an 02 corolla with 34,000 miles.

can't wait to get my yaris!

[mikeukrainetz]

As much of a similarity to any car from previous generations I think the days of 'long lived pass on to your grand kids' kind of cars is long gone. The popularity may be there but cars just arent the same anymore. I grew up in the onset of the 'computer revolution' in cars and cant deny that cars these days are far superior in power and options but lack in everything else. The beetle was a perfect example of a car which was built specifically to be cheap, reliable and last forever. I used to be all for new cars, fuel injection, power seats etc etc but in 20 years are you going to be able to buy a knock sensor for 2000 toyota corrola? Cars are now built for profit only, quality, reliability and longevity are just sales gimicks. I know theres tons of cars out there pushing 400-500 thousand miles but how many of the million cars sold every year has that happened? Ive been sobered by the fact that my old hobby of fixing cars is now left up to electrical engineers or the computer run by teens at your local walmart. I however love the enthusiasm, I still modify what I can which is getting to be less and less as time goes by. I may have run a little off topic but so be it. I understand the comparison and have provided one of my own.

[littlecarlove]

Originally Posted by mikeukrainetz

As much of a similarity to any car from previous generations I think the days of 'long lived pass on to your grand kids' kind of cars is long gone. The popularity may be there but cars just arent the same anymore. I grew up in the onset of the 'computer revolution' in cars and cant deny that cars these days are far superior in power and options but lack in everything else. The beetle was a perfect example of a car which was built specifically to be cheap, reliable and last forever. I used to be all for new cars, fuel injection, power seats etc etc but in 20 years are you going to be able to buy a knock sensor for 2000 toyota corrola? Cars are now built for profit only, quality, reliability and longevity are just sales gimicks. I know theres tons of cars out there pushing 400-500 thousand miles but how many of the million cars sold every year has that happened? Ive been sobered by the fact that my old hobby of fixing cars is now left up to electrical engineers or the computer run by teens at your local walmart. I however love the enthusiasm, I still modify what I can which is getting to be less and less as time goes by. I may have run a little off topic but so be it. I understand the comparison and have provided one of my own.

You points are well taken - and you are right on all counts. I don’t
expect there will be too many 2007 Yaris cars on the road in 30 years
plus. BUT it isn’t uncommon to see a 1970’s (or earlier) Beetle still
chugging along. Cars are just not built to withstand the years as they
once were. My comparison was really more about the spirit and fervor
both cars seem to inspire in their owners.

Hays

[eTiMaGo]

Well you also have to understand the concept of "planned obsolescence", i.e car manufacturers do not make their cars to last so long, as they did in the past.

One reason is that components are more complex and lightweight now, and this usually makes them more fragile. You don't have to worry about a worn MAF sensor in a classic Bettle, because, well, there weren't any! Mechanicals were much simpler, and simplicity of design leads to more robustness, usually.

Also, nowadays parts are made more cheaply, with lower-grade materials and have less longevity, and after so many years, it's just not worth it to replace the parts. But the advantage is, they are able to offer cars that are cheaper in the first place, you just have to buy new cars more often... Cuz in the end, that's all it's about.. You can talk about an auto maker's passion and design as long as you want, in the end it's all a business, and it's a business meant to make money.

[Violin]

The oversized headlights are very buggish too.

I don't know about the older cars having greater longevity - my '65 beetle was nearly rusted out in 1978. Cars with 200,000 miles were pretty rare back then - today they're fairly common.

I used to pour through the JC Whitney cataloge like it was porn or something. Trouble was, I didn't have enough money to do much to my bug. Now I can afford to modify my Yaris and I'm picking up where I left off.

[nsmitchell]

The Yaris LB definately has the look of a beetle, literally. The whole "less is more" and "simple is better" design is in effect like the bug had. Toyota calls it "vibrant clarity". I just love my Yaris more each day, especially when I calculate the savings on each fillup over my Tacoma!

BTW - I once knew someone who was selling a bug convertible, and it had bad rust problems(doors and floor board), so he used wood grained shelving paper and made it into a "Woody Bug Convertible, the only one of it's kind" is what he told the buyer. Someone bought it and drove it a while and then it broke in half.

[gonzo452001]

i haven't got my yaris yet but my first car was a 62 bug i was 17 spent all my money to keep it running . The first time i saw a yaris LB i thought of my old bug gas was cheap then couldn't get two dollars in the tank

[mikeukrainetz]

Sort of a continuation of my previous post but I have a curious Idea...
Suppose in 20 years there are still decent pre-comp motors around (and some Yaris' that havent yet been turned into soup cans or fertilizer) maybe there'll be a few who transplant old internals into their 'classic Yaris' to keep them alive. I cant imagine itll happen since the car is built so light it may just vaporize after 20yrs. but that would be up my alley.
'littlecarlove' - I understand completely where you were coming from I think I just got a little 'emotional' with the good ole days.

[DorytheYaris]

The VW New Beetle is garbage. I used to own a 2001 VW NB and I had nothing but problems with it.

The Classic VW however could compare to the reliability and popularity of the Yaris. The NB will never even come close to comparing to the reliability of a Toyota of any type!

[hystria]

You got it I was already calling my HB "the little bug"

[boris13]

The comparison between the new Yaris and the '50s/'60s Beetle had already occurred to me, so imagine my amusement when I saw this topic!

Definitely similarities... from market niche... to reliability... to fuel economy... to simplicity... to adaptability.

I had a '66 VW and I'm looking forward to taking delivery on my '07 Yaris Liftback.

[60 Somethings]

Intersting thread.

Don't want to burst any bubbles, but the cars of the 50's & 60's were "disposable", too. The very significant year-to-year body style changes, and new features & colors combinations, were meant to encourage just what many people did - get a new car every 2-3 years! (We didn't have 5, 6 & 7 year auto loans back then. If I remember correctly, 36 months was pretty much max.)

Leasing didn't evolve as an option until the early 70's.

My first new car was a '66 Bug - great car, but traded it in at 96,000 miles in 1979. It got 24 MPG on the highway, where it was usually cranking along at 70MPH. The alternative was an american compact car (which had grown larger by then) or a full sized sedan which got 14 MPG - but who cared at $.30/gal.

The Yaris most reminds me of my '79 Ford Fiesta (which made it to 180,000 miles before accident body damage "totaled" it). The bug would be a close 2nd. The Yaris body is as good as the bug or Fiesta, and the mechanicals are BETTER! VW had no A/C, Fiesta had minimally effective A/C and Yaris has great A/C. Engines are far more precise and sophisticated, power steering, front disks w/ABS and Air Bags. No comparison with the older cars. I don't think the bug even had seat belts!

I think today's cars will last really well, if taken care of, but the cost of repair will be high causing the throw-away mentallity like with electronics. I see many of the folks on here flipping cars every couple of yrs, as we did in our younger days, but haven't done in the last 20 yrs. Needless to say, flipping cars is fun, but often can be very expensive.

Now, if they'd only bring back the two-tone paint jobs!!!