new to yaris and with questions :) - Toyota Yaris Forums

Yaris17 · 10-30-2011, 07:45 PM

Hi all! I currently have a 2008 Suzuki sx4 crossover with 64,000 miles that I am wanting to get rid of and get better mpg (I currently get about 29 on straight highway).
I have been researching the yaris a bit and from the mpg I'm seeing other people having sounds like a contender. So is the mpg really that good? What is real life numbers for you yaris-ers out there.
Low maintenance - how low cost low maintenance is a yaris?
I'm only looking to spend 10,000 to 11,500 on one, what could I look into getting with that budget.
I saw a Toyota certified yaris with power package 41,000 miles, but was a former rental car for 10,950. Is it trustworthy? Anyone out there had luck with previous rental cars?
What's the average life of an yaris with decent upkeep?
Any nuances that I should be aware about that are normal for a yaris ( anything that might struck me as odd, but is actually the character of this car?)

There is another yaris 2008 hatchback 57,000 miles local trade for 10,700 that I thought about looking into! Sound reasonable ?
Any input would be appreciated !!

Stove · 10-30-2011, 08:17 PM

My '10 5-door has been low maintenance. I've only had to do the regular maintenance items, oil and filters. I'll spend more on tires than anything else with this car. It only has about 20k on it so far but I drive it like it's stolen (or a rental car) and I haven't broken anything yet. I average about 28 to 29 mpg, but like I said, I don't drive it nicely. When I am careful, I can get well over 36 mpg and when I really beat on it I've seen as low as 26 mpg. Check out the hyper-mile threads if that's your interest, some people are getting far over 40 mpg.

Check out the posts about the A/C system stink. That's the only oddity about the Yaris I can think of.

Depending on what year the car is, I would recommend checking out the TSB info posted on this site. Verify that all of applicable ones have been taken care of if you can.
http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9753

I would think that the Toyota Certified Car would be a safe bet, but I base that on my local Toyota dealer. They are one of the better ones.

josh044 · 10-30-2011, 08:54 PM

I got an 07 private party in great shape with 42,000 for 9750. No problems yet, though I've only had it for a few months. I manage around 40 mpg - keeping it pretty easy on the gas. I drive an hour each way to work, mixed country roads and city about 60/40.

They are good cars, and should really be low maintenance, it's a toyota and it has a timing chain. It is an econo-car, so don't expect Camry quietness or comfort, but it does the job well, and it's more interesting to drive than a camry or a corolla.

Yaris17 · 10-30-2011, 09:33 PM

Josh:
Where did you search to find your vehicle? I'm having a really hard time finding one that isn't either a previous rental vehicle or has no service records to show that indeed servie was performed on the vehicle.
Can anyone shed some light on the best ways to find a good deal on one.

It makes me weary to buy a formal rental , but it seems that's all that I can find in my area (northern kentucky).

Stove · 10-30-2011, 10:52 PM

There are a bunch of them on the Louisville craigslist.

UTVitz · 10-30-2011, 11:38 PM

Here's my experience over the last 3 years and 62,000 miles
Purchased with 2000 miles in July of '08

I average 42 MPG with mixed driving. Had an 1100 mile freeway only trip last weekend at 75 MPH and averaged 40 over the whole trip. 5 speed manuel-no cruise control.

nothing has broke on the car to date. I did have the a/c evaporator replaced under warranty at 32,000 miles after reading a TSB here and thought-yep, my cars a/c smells and I live in a dry climate even. So know that there were a couple of years that had smelly evaporators and it is in the metal they are made out of-replacement is the only cure and they will only do it for free if you're under warranty-period. So a certified yaris might be worth it's weight in warranty. Also, the water pumps have been known to leak, mine has not, but I have an '08 RAV4 that started leaking at 20,000 miles-apparently some defective seals used in them. But a pink line on the underside of the hood easily tells you of this problem. That's been it. It is listed as one of the most reliable vehicles you can purchase followed by the Honda Fit.

I like to do my own maintenance and this car is a dream to work on-everything is super easy to get to-I mean everything. This lowers maintenance costs even if you're paying someone else to work on it.

One poster on here apparently has over 400,000 miles-insane. I really believe the Yaris is more a toyota of old-super reliable and simple.

The prices you are seeing sound right on par and even better than what I see in my area. Used are commanding 13K here before haggeling. I got ming for 11,700 back in '08 but it is almost bare bones, no auto, no power windows/locks/mirrors. I miss power locks and mirrors. Rentals are usually excellent buys and were on the go from the moment they hit the ground so any problems get fixed. I would not shy away from a rental if it's in the condition you want it to be and drives good.

why? · 10-30-2011, 11:45 PM

A former rental shouldn't worry you that much, one of the members here actually owns one, can't remember his handle atm.

For me maintenance has been decently cheap. I am paranoid so I try to do every 10,000 miles, which is probably overkill, and it is usually a little lower than $500.

I have an 07 I bought in May of 06, it has 67,000 miles on it, and I haven't had to replace anything but the tires. The brakes are going to be replaced at my next oil change. That is it. Well, except for the mods, but that is not maintenance.

If you are in it for the gas mileage, check our Prius' as well, up here I have seem some crazy low prices. Don't know if they were real or not.

Oh, and I usually get between 37 and 42 mpg usually.

Yaris17 · 10-31-2011, 11:42 AM

Thanks all! Yeah I have heard mixed opinions on whether or not to buy a formal rental. The car is a 2009 hatchback silver with 41,000 miles , power package.... Is Toyota certified and it offered at 10,590. The only blemish I could tell is a little cigarette burn in headliner ( which erks me a little).
Do you guys with plenty of buying experience think this is a good deal or would you look elsewhere?
Also, I have limited experience with buying cars... Are there certain things that I should look for to kids determine if it's a good car or been beat up a lot?

WeeYari · 10-31-2011, 11:55 AM

There are more than one of us with previous rentals, although I am probably the only one who is a regular poster. Only issue with going this route is no availability of a manual transmission.

I've had absolutely no issues with mine and I've put over 110,000km of my own on the clock.

A burn is the headliner is unfortunate and would irk me quite a lot. Keep checking for more of those prior rentals.

josh044 · 10-31-2011, 11:56 AM

Yaris17 - I scoured Craigslist. I used one of those craigslist search conglomerate sites - I drove a couple hours to pick it up, but it was worth it.

I talked them down from 10,500 to 9,750 - the previous owner had purchased the platinum warranty, which also ended up transferring to me, so that eased any concerns. At this point, most lower mileage cars shouldn't really have much service on them besides oil changes and tires.

10-30-2011, 07:45 PM	#1
Yaris17 Drives: Yaris Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Louisville Posts: 24	new to yaris and with questions :) Hi all! I currently have a 2008 Suzuki sx4 crossover with 64,000 miles that I am wanting to get rid of and get better mpg (I currently get about 29 on straight highway). I have been researching the yaris a bit and from the mpg I'm seeing other people having sounds like a contender. So is the mpg really that good? What is real life numbers for you yaris-ers out there. Low maintenance - how low cost low maintenance is a yaris? I'm only looking to spend 10,000 to 11,500 on one, what could I look into getting with that budget. I saw a Toyota certified yaris with power package 41,000 miles, but was a former rental car for 10,950. Is it trustworthy? Anyone out there had luck with previous rental cars? What's the average life of an yaris with decent upkeep? Any nuances that I should be aware about that are normal for a yaris ( anything that might struck me as odd, but is actually the character of this car?) There is another yaris 2008 hatchback 57,000 miles local trade for 10,700 that I thought about looking into! Sound reasonable ? Any input would be appreciated !!

10-30-2011, 11:45 PM	#7
why? Only Happy When it Rains View User's Garage Drives: Yaris LB Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: harnett county NC Posts: 4,097	A former rental shouldn't worry you that much, one of the members here actually owns one, can't remember his handle atm. For me maintenance has been decently cheap. I am paranoid so I try to do every 10,000 miles, which is probably overkill, and it is usually a little lower than $500. I have an 07 I bought in May of 06, it has 67,000 miles on it, and I haven't had to replace anything but the tires. The brakes are going to be replaced at my next oil change. That is it. Well, except for the mods, but that is not maintenance. If you are in it for the gas mileage, check our Prius' as well, up here I have seem some crazy low prices. Don't know if they were real or not. Oh, and I usually get between 37 and 42 mpg usually. __________________ Colin Chapman disciple

10-31-2011, 11:55 AM	#9
WeeYari View User's Garage Drives: 06 Polar White 5dr, 13 Soul 4u Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Georgetown, Ontario, Canada Posts: 5,741	There are more than one of us with previous rentals, although I am probably the only one who is a regular poster. Only issue with going this route is no availability of a manual transmission. I've had absolutely no issues with mine and I've put over 110,000km of my own on the clock. A burn is the headliner is unfortunate and would irk me quite a lot. Keep checking for more of those prior rentals. __________________

10-30-2011, 08:17 PM	#2
Stove View User's Garage Drives: 2010 Yaris 5 Door Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Tigard Oregon Posts: 314	My '10 5-door has been low maintenance. I've only had to do the regular maintenance items, oil and filters. I'll spend more on tires than anything else with this car. It only has about 20k on it so far but I drive it like it's stolen (or a rental car) and I haven't broken anything yet. I average about 28 to 29 mpg, but like I said, I don't drive it nicely. When I am careful, I can get well over 36 mpg and when I really beat on it I've seen as low as 26 mpg. Check out the hyper-mile threads if that's your interest, some people are getting far over 40 mpg. Check out the posts about the A/C system stink. That's the only oddity about the Yaris I can think of. Depending on what year the car is, I would recommend checking out the TSB info posted on this site. Verify that all of applicable ones have been taken care of if you can. http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9753 I would think that the Toyota Certified Car would be a safe bet, but I base that on my local Toyota dealer. They are one of the better ones.

10-30-2011, 08:54 PM	#3
josh044 Drives: 07 yaris hb - 5 spd Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: illinois Posts: 33	I got an 07 private party in great shape with 42,000 for 9750. No problems yet, though I've only had it for a few months. I manage around 40 mpg - keeping it pretty easy on the gas. I drive an hour each way to work, mixed country roads and city about 60/40. They are good cars, and should really be low maintenance, it's a toyota and it has a timing chain. It is an econo-car, so don't expect Camry quietness or comfort, but it does the job well, and it's more interesting to drive than a camry or a corolla.

10-30-2011, 09:33 PM	#4
Yaris17 Drives: Yaris Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Louisville Posts: 24	Josh: Where did you search to find your vehicle? I'm having a really hard time finding one that isn't either a previous rental vehicle or has no service records to show that indeed servie was performed on the vehicle. Can anyone shed some light on the best ways to find a good deal on one. It makes me weary to buy a formal rental , but it seems that's all that I can find in my area (northern kentucky).

10-30-2011, 10:52 PM	#5
Stove View User's Garage Drives: 2010 Yaris 5 Door Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Tigard Oregon Posts: 314	There are a bunch of them on the Louisville craigslist.

10-30-2011, 11:38 PM	#6
UTVitz Drives: Black Vitz Liftback Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 238	Here's my experience over the last 3 years and 62,000 miles Purchased with 2000 miles in July of '08 I average 42 MPG with mixed driving. Had an 1100 mile freeway only trip last weekend at 75 MPH and averaged 40 over the whole trip. 5 speed manuel-no cruise control. nothing has broke on the car to date. I did have the a/c evaporator replaced under warranty at 32,000 miles after reading a TSB here and thought-yep, my cars a/c smells and I live in a dry climate even. So know that there were a couple of years that had smelly evaporators and it is in the metal they are made out of-replacement is the only cure and they will only do it for free if you're under warranty-period. So a certified yaris might be worth it's weight in warranty. Also, the water pumps have been known to leak, mine has not, but I have an '08 RAV4 that started leaking at 20,000 miles-apparently some defective seals used in them. But a pink line on the underside of the hood easily tells you of this problem. That's been it. It is listed as one of the most reliable vehicles you can purchase followed by the Honda Fit. I like to do my own maintenance and this car is a dream to work on-everything is super easy to get to-I mean everything. This lowers maintenance costs even if you're paying someone else to work on it. One poster on here apparently has over 400,000 miles-insane. I really believe the Yaris is more a toyota of old-super reliable and simple. The prices you are seeing sound right on par and even better than what I see in my area. Used are commanding 13K here before haggeling. I got ming for 11,700 back in '08 but it is almost bare bones, no auto, no power windows/locks/mirrors. I miss power locks and mirrors. Rentals are usually excellent buys and were on the go from the moment they hit the ground so any problems get fixed. I would not shy away from a rental if it's in the condition you want it to be and drives good.

10-31-2011, 11:42 AM	#8
Yaris17 Drives: Yaris Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Louisville Posts: 24	Thanks all! Yeah I have heard mixed opinions on whether or not to buy a formal rental. The car is a 2009 hatchback silver with 41,000 miles , power package.... Is Toyota certified and it offered at 10,590. The only blemish I could tell is a little cigarette burn in headliner ( which erks me a little). Do you guys with plenty of buying experience think this is a good deal or would you look elsewhere? Also, I have limited experience with buying cars... Are there certain things that I should look for to kids determine if it's a good car or been beat up a lot?

10-31-2011, 11:56 AM	#10
josh044 Drives: 07 yaris hb - 5 spd Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: illinois Posts: 33	Yaris17 - I scoured Craigslist. I used one of those craigslist search conglomerate sites - I drove a couple hours to pick it up, but it was worth it. I talked them down from 10,500 to 9,750 - the previous owner had purchased the platinum warranty, which also ended up transferring to me, so that eased any concerns. At this point, most lower mileage cars shouldn't really have much service on them besides oil changes and tires.