Edmunds says:

[Cutie Pie #2]

Saw this on Edmunds just thought I'd share:

http://blogs.edmunds.com/strategies/...a-yaris-s.html

[Goose]

Interesting article. Hadn't seen that one.

It's interesting that this review gives the Yaris points for handling, since most pan our beloved little car's abilities in this area. For my money, I don't need to cram huge piles of junk in my car, so the Fit's main advantage (as seen by many) is nullified. The Fit's styling is nice with its 16" alloys and sharp nose, but viewed from a practical standpoint, the Yaris wins.

The main area in which the Yaris wins is on the highway; the Fit tends to be noisy and boomy while droning along. For whatever reason, the Fit feels less solid than the Yaris.

Just my "unbiased" opinion...

[ddongbap]

Fit has better aftermarket support IMO.

[Crandall]

Originally Posted by ddongbap

Fit has better aftermarket support IMO.

No opinion needed. It does.

[enviri]

"Yaris lacked a number of key features -- specifically stability control, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and an auto-up driver's window."

those worthless features they want are the reason why i bought my car--too much useless crap i dont care to use. I wanted a driver's car and i got one. I read that and i closed the page, but i still agree 18k for a yaris is retarded. They would most likely scored the yaris higher if they got a 3dr S for its 5 speed manual and lower price! Wait, they might complain about having to actually shift!

[aclark246]

Originally Posted by enviri

"Yaris lacked a number of key features -- specifically stability control, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and an auto-up driver's window."

those worthless features they want are the reason why i bought my car--too much useless crap i dont care to use. I wanted a driver's car and i got one. I read that and i closed the page, but i still agree 18k for a yaris is retarded. They would most likely scored the yaris higher if they got a 3dr S for its 5 speed manual and lower price! Wait, they might complain about having to actually shift!

I bought mine with only the convenience package and I love my manual locks and windows. I also love the fact that it is so basic that I don't worry about something breaking down the line needing an expensive fix. I wanted an inexpensive, reliable, simple car and I got one.

As someone else mentioned, if you're going to spend over 16k there are better cars for you.

I've never driven a fit, but I'm sure it's a fine car. I think the new model design looks much better than the old one too.

[Phaeton]

The Yaris is less noisy than the fit on the highway? I didn't think that was possible.

[GeneW]

Best for: People who don't want to live at the Dealership waiting for repairs. Yaris reliability is well documented. Ease of maintenance, another Toyota strength, is well reflected in the Yaris.

[Kal-El]

Very predictable comparo.

Thing is, the Yaris is intended and was built to be a very low cost car. The Yaris, imo, is the best car you can buy in it's lower price points (under $15K).
As soon as you load it up like this one, it becomes almost silly to buy it - $17.9K? Come on. Your on your way to a Camry at that point.

How does Toyota sell a Scion xD with still more equipment and a bigger engine than this loaded Yaris for $16K? Doesn't make sense.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by Kal-El

Very predictable comparo.

Thing is, the Yaris is intended and was built to be a very low cost car. The Yaris, imo, is the best car you can buy in it's lower price points (under $15K).
As soon as you load it up like this one, it becomes almost silly to buy it - $17.9K? Come on. Your on your way to a Camry at that point.

How does Toyota sell a Scion xD with still more equipment and a bigger engine than this loaded Yaris for $16K? Doesn't make sense.

Work in manufacturing, it might make sense to you.

The price is probably how the market shook out... people were willing to pay X amount more for added features to a Yaris. So they did, the volume stayed sufficiently high, profits were either decent or not too painful, and this loaded Yaris ended up costing more than a "standard" xD.

A bigger motor is not necessarily more expensive - there may be a handful of differences in parts between a 1NZ-FE and 2ZR-FE. I have read that the 2ZR-FE is "die cast", am not sure about the 1NZ-FE. What of the internal parts? A 1NZ-FE might end up costing Toyota more, or less, than a 2ZR-FE. You can NEVER assume that price reflects what it costs to make something.

I once worked for a MAJOR TV manufacturer. They offered two lines of TVs - regular and premium. The difference between the regular and premium models were four premium grade speakers and some software. The picture difference was stunning - the premium model was like looking through a window onto the world. The Company was very proud of their hard work. So were we though we were amused that the differences in the TVs were trivial - different software, four extra speakers and a SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT cabinet. Mainly three or four plastic pieces.

Some of the more enterprising engineers would buy a regular model, take it home, program the "better" software into the TV and then plug it into their stereo systems. For the cost of some cables (which were often laying around in scrap bins) they achieved a one or two thousand dollar difference in prices for their own home entertainment systems. The Home Office would have crapped a brick if they knew, but everyone kept quiet, and nobody went around "upgrading" TVs.

Where I work now a certain added "feature" to some of our wares costs money, something like several thousand dollars. To add this very desirable feature costs twenty minutes of engineering time, adding four wires and about an extra two hours of testing time., mostly on setup and tear down. The actual test takes about ten minutes of time but the necessary gear is tough to move and takes most of the time.

It's not a scam - the trick is at the end of the day to make enough extra money to make it worth someone's while to keep us employed and to justify research to create those extra features. In part this was why "Socialist" products were so plain, because nobody had any incentive to make things a bit better.

Gene

[Kal-El]

I do "get it". See, with the Yaris available as a simple, bared boned car, what happens when you start adding the "extras" (that almost every other car has standard), it really shoots the price up quickly. That's economics. Every time things are bought or added separately, it costs more.

So Toyota can build a whole car and sell it for $12K. But add power features, upgraded wheels, and a ground affects kit, and price goes up about 33%!

It's kinda like when McDonald's will sell you a whole Double Cheeseburger for $1 and then charges $1.89 to add 2 half strips of thin dried out bacon.

[kudzu71]

A coworker of mine bought an 09 Fit recently. He got it loaded with nav but no sunroof and spent over 21K...and that was after a week or so of negotiations with several dealers in Atlanta. I've ridden to lunch with him a few times since and the ride in that car is awful. You feel every bump and pothole and is noisy even when not on the highway. My Yaris felt like a Cadillac after getting out of that thing. (ok maybe thats an exaggeration). Last Friday I drove to lunch and he rode with me. The first thing he said was "i want your headrests...mine are uncomfortable" and then after a few minutes on the road he said "how much was this again?" I told him I paid $11,800 and he got real quiet.

Hehehe. I have nothing against Honda really. I had a 93 Civic for 6 years and loved it, and I drove an Accord for a while. But they have gotten so overpriced. The Yaris is by far the best car for the money IMO.

[yaris-me]

I'm happy with my Yaris and that's all that matters. I've read most of the test drives and for the most part I disagree. Be happy, we have a great car!

[MadMax]

I agree, the Cube is just fucking ugly. If it was a seal, I'd club it!

I don't like the Fit as I already have a Honda Odyssey (the wife's). If I parked a Fit next to it in the driveway, it'd look like a "Mini Me."

Prior to buying my Yaris, my favorite cars were my two mid-80s BMW 3-series and my Jeep. The common thread with all those cars were that they were technologically devoid. I loved the VW Passat wagon I had before my Yaris, but the thing nickeled-and-dimed me to death...the sunroof crapped out, stuff like that. It is a simple line of logic...the more crap you add to a car, the more things break.

Yeah, I have to reach over to wind up my window or lock/unlock the passenger door. Big deal, if anything ever goes wrong (and it is not likely to), I can fix it more easily because it is mechanical and not electrical. And I don't need stability control or anti-lock brakes to drive because I know how to drive. Those things only encourage people to pay less attention to the road. Put down the cell phone, stuff the burger back into the bag, and stop putting on make-up while driving and pay attention to the fucking road, and there would be a lot less accidents.

And fuck Edmonds, they wouldn't know a good car if it drove over them (obviously)...

[yarisugi]

I like both the Fit and Yaris. They both have pros and cons, but the Yaris was a lot cheaper which was a big "pro" for me. Would it be a sin to put Fit wheels on the Yaris?

[bronsin]

Edmunds trashed the ECHO back in 00. They STILL have no clue. If Honda would bring back the old 85 hatchback suitably updated I would buy it.

[Kal-El]

Notice the Yaris gets bashed for not having features that weren't even available 10-15 years ago on luxury cars and now people are so spoiled it's expected on a $13K car.

See, these auto journalists drive expensive cars all day long so it is never satisfying to them to drive the cars that we appreciate or even prefer.

[MadMax]

Agreed, I understand the initial concern as I had the same feeling when I drove a Yaris rental before I bought mine; but after a very short while I quickly realized that the center-mounted instruments was a preferred set-up for me!

Plus, if you look at the interior pictures of the three cars in the review, you will notice that the Yaris is the cleanest. I don't want the inside of my car to look like I am driving a spaceship, I prefer the minimalist approach.

FInally, I really don't consider the Yaris, Fit and Cube to be in the same genre. Sure, they are all subcompacts but the styling of each is completely different and each appeals to a entirely different customer base. The Fit looks to appeal to new families that want a car that bridges between a compact and a minivan, the Cube is for the "thump-thump" MTV crowd who are "hip" and "cool," and the Yaris is geared more towards the European/Japanese driving enthusiasts.

Regardless, I love my Yaris and I honestly don't give a rat's ass what magazines don't like it. As I've said before, it was the constantly solid owner reports that I researched that finally sold me on it!