Toyota Yaris
rtx042
10-27-2006, 02:50 AM
Just returned a Yaris after renting it for the w/e.
I didn't have high expectations when I picked it up and was very surprised at the quality of ride even at speeds of 120+km./hr. It did not seem underpowered at all and I touched off 155 km./hr at one point.......and it was still climbing!. Anyone know how fast these cars go?
I found myself constantly speeding and was wishing the rental company had opted for cruise control. The only complaint I had was that after driving it for the w/e (520 km. total) I found the seat to be uncomfortable on the back. Maybe you can option up and get seats with lumbar support?
All in all........a great car. Cheap to rent too....$78 for the w/e with 600 free km.!
I found a nice looking new All Toyota Yaris site that seems to have just started, looks promising for Yaris Owners here in the States..
Yarisowners.com (http://www.yarisowners.com)
I didn't have high expectations when I picked it up and was very surprised at the quality of ride even at speeds of 120+km./hr. It did not seem underpowered at all and I touched off 155 km./hr at one point.......and it was still climbing!. Anyone know how fast these cars go?
I found myself constantly speeding and was wishing the rental company had opted for cruise control. The only complaint I had was that after driving it for the w/e (520 km. total) I found the seat to be uncomfortable on the back. Maybe you can option up and get seats with lumbar support?
All in all........a great car. Cheap to rent too....$78 for the w/e with 600 free km.!
I found a nice looking new All Toyota Yaris site that seems to have just started, looks promising for Yaris Owners here in the States..
Yarisowners.com (http://www.yarisowners.com)
Damien
12-16-2006, 06:35 PM
wow...this area is dead. but since this thread exists and you had it for a weekend, i guess you support?
im thinking of buying one but i wanted to see if anyone had one yet or knows of someone and how they like 'em. thanks, ya'll!
im thinking of buying one but i wanted to see if anyone had one yet or knows of someone and how they like 'em. thanks, ya'll!
drunken monkey
12-23-2006, 08:32 AM
I've had a first gen Yaris right from when they were shipping them in to the UK from Japan and the car has never set a foot wrong. There were a few teething problems as with any brand new model but once these were seen to by the toyota dealers, everything was perfect.
The engine is the star here.
The base 1.0 litre is a bit lifeless and torqueless but it loves to rev. The gearbox is slick enough to let you shift quickly when you're pushing it and not drop below 4000rpm where it gives the most pull. Incidentally, the engine redlines at around 6000 which gives you an indicated 120ish mph in 5th.
The 1.3 should be the real minimal you look at (it wasn't available when i bought mine) as it gives that extra oomph that you WILL wish for when you're in need of overtaking, a long and considerate process in a 1.0 car and it has essentially the same chassis although on bigger wheels originally. I think subsequently, the 1.3 is offered as another engine without the "special" package (bigger wheels, slightly lower chassis) that it got when it was first released.
The 1.5 is a bit hit and miss.
It's a nippy car is enough for a 9 sec 0-60 (assuming you only have half a tank of petrol and no passengers and you weight 60kgs....) and like the other engines, loves to rev but the chassis has suffered slightly in this, the car's sporty model. It's a little too hard in my opinion and going over speed humps make you cringe and grip the wheel in anticipation. You also have to pray that you don't bottom the car on the way down.
That pretty little lower lip on ALL Yaris' don't last very long...
In the normal cars, the car is a little soft and going around a corner fast = lots of roll, to the point that you'd be amazed that you haven't toppled over. The car is also a bit prone to sudden understeer, especially in the wet. In the dry, the car seems to be very tyre sensitive. I've tried a few different tyres but it still feels the best on the bridgestones that it comes on although they don't seem to be very easy to come by at Kwik Fit who always try to fob off michelins to me.
There is also a point in the roll when the chassis seems to lock-up for a fraction before giving up and spinning. It will freak you out the first time it does this but you get to learn what this feels like and you get to know when this is about to happen so you end up never going that hard. In the wet, this doesn't happen. Braking in the wet isn't very confidence insiping either unless you have an ABS fitted car. Understeer to snap oversteer seems to be common to the early cars but appears to have been largely fixed when the car got a facelift.
I haven't driven the new Yaris so I can't really comment.
If you're looking at a Yaris, I'd also suggest you take a look at the Honda Jazz. I have a friend who has one and I have to say that it is a damned fine car and as a "tool" for carrying people and shopping, it is better offerning more space and a more comfortable environment for passengers. It doesn't go as hard as the 1.5 Yaris and it doesn't have the model options that the Yaris gives you but it is the better overall car in terms of being an all rounder. The other thing is, for the price of a kitted out Yaris, you can get a Mini One or even a Cooper and that's not to be ignored.
The engine is the star here.
The base 1.0 litre is a bit lifeless and torqueless but it loves to rev. The gearbox is slick enough to let you shift quickly when you're pushing it and not drop below 4000rpm where it gives the most pull. Incidentally, the engine redlines at around 6000 which gives you an indicated 120ish mph in 5th.
The 1.3 should be the real minimal you look at (it wasn't available when i bought mine) as it gives that extra oomph that you WILL wish for when you're in need of overtaking, a long and considerate process in a 1.0 car and it has essentially the same chassis although on bigger wheels originally. I think subsequently, the 1.3 is offered as another engine without the "special" package (bigger wheels, slightly lower chassis) that it got when it was first released.
The 1.5 is a bit hit and miss.
It's a nippy car is enough for a 9 sec 0-60 (assuming you only have half a tank of petrol and no passengers and you weight 60kgs....) and like the other engines, loves to rev but the chassis has suffered slightly in this, the car's sporty model. It's a little too hard in my opinion and going over speed humps make you cringe and grip the wheel in anticipation. You also have to pray that you don't bottom the car on the way down.
That pretty little lower lip on ALL Yaris' don't last very long...
In the normal cars, the car is a little soft and going around a corner fast = lots of roll, to the point that you'd be amazed that you haven't toppled over. The car is also a bit prone to sudden understeer, especially in the wet. In the dry, the car seems to be very tyre sensitive. I've tried a few different tyres but it still feels the best on the bridgestones that it comes on although they don't seem to be very easy to come by at Kwik Fit who always try to fob off michelins to me.
There is also a point in the roll when the chassis seems to lock-up for a fraction before giving up and spinning. It will freak you out the first time it does this but you get to learn what this feels like and you get to know when this is about to happen so you end up never going that hard. In the wet, this doesn't happen. Braking in the wet isn't very confidence insiping either unless you have an ABS fitted car. Understeer to snap oversteer seems to be common to the early cars but appears to have been largely fixed when the car got a facelift.
I haven't driven the new Yaris so I can't really comment.
If you're looking at a Yaris, I'd also suggest you take a look at the Honda Jazz. I have a friend who has one and I have to say that it is a damned fine car and as a "tool" for carrying people and shopping, it is better offerning more space and a more comfortable environment for passengers. It doesn't go as hard as the 1.5 Yaris and it doesn't have the model options that the Yaris gives you but it is the better overall car in terms of being an all rounder. The other thing is, for the price of a kitted out Yaris, you can get a Mini One or even a Cooper and that's not to be ignored.
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