Yaris Fundamentals - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

06SportEdition · 07-08-2008, 04:31 PM

Greetings: Have changed my mind on the purchase of an 09 Corolla and am now considering the 08 Yaris. Haven't followed the Yaris model much but have owned Toyota vehicles for 20 years. Could someone please bring me up to speed on their history from the beginning....what platform are they built on, any mechanical/quality issues to date and where are they made? Am considering the 08/5-speed sedan with the convenience group.

Thanks

jambo101 · 07-09-2008, 03:54 AM

I was in a similar situation,i was going to the dealer to buy a Corolla but that day the price for a liter of fuel went from $1.25 to $1.45 so i decided to go with the made in Japan 08 5 speed Yaris sedan as it gets just a little better gas mileage than the Corolla and costs a few $k less and i thought over the life of the car that difference in mpg would add up.The Yaris model replaces the Echo model which happens to be my other car since 01,just turned 200k with no problems.
The Yaris seems to be quite reliable and is very economical to run fits 2 adults and 2 kids nicely.
A few minor niggles i'll have to live with are
Cup holders are up on the dash and drinks have a tendency to spill over dash.
Fly by wire gas pedal has a strange feel as if you have a lazy throttle return spring.
In certain daytime lighting conditions the radio and climate control settings are hard to see.
There is no way i can see of turning on the front window defrost without the air conditioner coming on also.
Speaking of air you cant get it as a stand alone option it has to come in a package.
and cruise control seems to be a dealer add on so you may have to bring the car back to have that installed.
Apart from those small problems i love the car its like a smooth quiet Cadillac compared to the Miata i traded in for it.
I paid $19,233 out the door with all options and the Government will be sending me a $1000 rebate check because its an eco friendly car.Price is probably a bit high if you compare it to American prices but its Canada and we seem to be getting ripped off when it comes to anything auto related.

BestToyota · 07-25-2008, 08:05 PM

I think that you'll find that you'll love the economical value of the Yaris. You should get around 31 mpg if you consider highway and city miles. The price is right too and with the money you save on the purchase and the good fuel efficiency, I think it's a sound choice.

Reddog66 · 07-25-2008, 10:15 PM

The AC being on with the defrost seems to be a standard feature in many (if not all) newer cars. Defrost works MUCH better when the air is de-humidified at the same time.

un4seen · 07-26-2008, 09:25 AM

Only downside ...

In Ontario, Yaris inventory is scarce. You can forget about a sedan - they are pretty much order only now. Corolla's are a bit better when it comes to availability.

BDSL · 07-26-2008, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by un4seen

Only downside ...

In Ontario, Yaris inventory is scarce. You can forget about a sedan - they are pretty much order only now. Corolla's are a bit better when it comes to availability.

That is very true. A friend just bought one and the dealership has a hard time locating the one she wants. She ended up getting a different colour.

jambo101 · 08-02-2008, 08:01 AM

I wanted a dark grey/charcoal one but the only one left on the lot was a Pacific Blue so rather than wait a month or more i bought the blue one,so far on my 12000 kilometer cross country trip i've had no problems,we will be leaving Tofino BC today for the long haul back to Montreal.Scangauge is reading 42 to 44mpg at 60 to 65 mph on level highway cruising.

thebarber · 08-05-2008, 07:43 PM

mine is an 07 hatch 3dr, 5spd manual, absolutely red, B package (rear mudflaps, 4 speaker stereo, power mirrors, rear wiper), no power locks, no power windows, no a/c.......got a block heater, window visors, cd/mp3 HU, and all season mats thrown in on the purchase

no complaints about the car, generally. only things that have gone wrong is i had some condensation in my tail lights in january during a thaw, and in late spring my shifter at the base and at the transmission linkage squeaked. toyota replaced the tail lights and lubed up the shifter and tranny linkage.....linkage has squawked once since they lubed it....but its currently quiet

i have an intake on my car and i have auto-x'd it twice........im averaging about 34USmpg since i bought the car in early august of 07....thats including winter out east.....

Dake · 08-06-2008, 09:40 AM

Everything everyone else has said: It's a great car, especially for the price. We have an Echo, and when it came time to replace my wife's Saturn we got the Yaris Sedan in auto with the works and she loves it. She averages 30 to 31 mpg in heavy city driving with the AC on.

We've had it for about 8 months now, with only two problems. One was a faulty tire pressure sensor on one wheel which was quickly and easily replaced at the dealer during an oil change.

The other, slightly more annoying issue was a squeaky dash. I think you'll see that complaint a bit more frequently. It took two trips to the dealer to get them to find all the points under the dash that were rubbing and get them felted up so they'd stay quiet. We're down in Houston, so part of it may have stemmed from the dramatic temperature changes, but I imagine it can go both ways since you're up in the great white north.

It may be changing, but they also don't offer variable speed intermittent wipers. They have a single speed intermittent, but not the three speed selector like they offer on most other cars. The good news is, if you want to, it's easy to swap out the wiper stalk from an '09 Corolla or Camry. You unscrew three screws, unplug the old and plug in the new and you're good to go!

I love our Yaris, and I'm seriously considering trading in the Echo on another in a year or so (I'll probably get the 2 dr hatch with stick for myself).

Sykostick · 08-18-2008, 09:27 PM

If what I've heard around is true, you might come out with more for your buck by buying a US Yaris. I dunno how the dealerships are doing in the north, but i know out here in cali every time I go to my dealership they have at least 5 hatchbacks and 5 sedans in stock

jambo101 · 08-19-2008, 06:47 AM

Big trip is over.Added 13000kms to the car,it now has 18000kms total,absolutely flawless drive,car is underpowered when it comes to passing but i dont mind as i'm usually the slowest car on the road.Best gas mileage was 47.8mpg going through northern Ontario and worst was 39.6 driving around Vancouver.only niggle is the position of the cup holders,if your cup is too full expect to feel the contents on your knee as it spills all over the dash.