Yaris weight compared to early fun Japanese cars

[DebbyM46227]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Yea, IIRC the CR-Z wasn't available when your Yaris would have been new. I thought about getting a CR-Z as my next car, but it's my understanding that with the way the hybrid system works on that car you can't use the A/C when it is in electric mode. Wouldn't work well re driving in hot weather in SE Texas.

I'm pretty sure the CR-Z was available in 2010, but $30K is not affordable for me. I drool over every CR-Z I see when I'm out driving around. The Honda dealers around here rarely have them in stock.

[roxy1]

the CR-Z is such a disappointment. Hybrid costs with out real hybrid performance and pretentions of being sporty without being real fun to drive. add to that it is a two seater. there is a reason less than 400 CR-Z get sold per month.

imo, the veloster at least has a fun spirit to it and it quite a bit cheaper, has a lot more room, and still gets fair mileage without having a hybrid.

[Thirty-Nine]

Originally Posted by roxy1

the CR-Z is such a disappointment. Hybrid costs with out real hybrid performance and pretentions of being sporty without being real fun to drive. add to that it is a two seater. there is a reason less than 400 CR-Z get sold per month.

imo, the veloster at least has a fun spirit to it and it quite a bit cheaper, has a lot more room, and still gets fair mileage without having a hybrid.

Totally agree on the CR-Z. And no, the A/C doesn't work when it's in EV mode (e.g. stop/start downtown).

I'm not a Veloster fan either, however. It looks way more fun than it is, and that includes Turbo versions.

I think the Yaris SE is a hoot. Still low in weight but with faster steering and sporty suspension. Mazda2 falls into that category, too. However, I still think the Abarth is the most fun you can have in a tiny car. It's just a damn hoot. Pricey? Yes. Sounds like a Ferrari that caught in a shrink ray? Indeed!

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by Thirty-Nine

Totally agree on the CR-Z. And no, the A/C doesn't work when it's in EV mode (e.g. stop/start downtown).

I'm not a Veloster fan either, however. It looks way more fun than it is, and that includes Turbo versions.

I think the Yaris SE is a hoot. Still low in weight but with faster steering and sporty suspension. Mazda2 falls into that category, too. However, I still think the Abarth is the most fun you can have in a tiny car. It's just a damn hoot. Pricey? Yes. Sounds like a Ferrari that caught in a shrink ray? Indeed!

the veloster definitely looks more fun and fast than it is, but it is still relatively light, handles really well when pushed, has the best manual shifter ive used since my early Honda days, and an interior that is pretty interesting yet decent quality, so overall a fun package.

between the yaris, 500, and veloster ive owned, the 500 was easily the most fun. even at low speeds it was fun, yet achieved 40+ mpg's with ease. I miss the car, but don't miss the dealer/service experience.

the yaris reminds me of my first car, a 1989 civic hatch, 4 speed manual transmission...a simple reliable hatch, except the yaris is bigger, far safer, and doesn't rev close to 4000 rpm's on the highway.

[jcboy]

Originally Posted by roxy1

the veloster definitely looks more fun and fast than it is, but it is still relatively light, handles really well when pushed, has the best manual shifter ive used since my early Honda days.

i think this is the biggest factor. FUN. i mean, we all know that power-to-weight ratio plays an important role in this, but IMHO if it's not on the "underpowered" side, great company R&D (research and development) will get you gear ratios that will make the car fun to drive.

with this, a 2012 corolla weighs 2700+ lbs, with 122hp for 1.6L giving 0.044 hp/lb (my yaris is even less@1.3L, only 0.037 hp/lb), despite this it was sluggish and there was no fun factor at all. the handling felt like driving a small pickup truck. comfortable, just not fun.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by roxy1

imo, the veloster at least has a fun spirit to it and it quite a bit cheaper, has a lot more room, and still gets fair mileage without having a hybrid.

I agree. The Veloster is 6 inches longer, but Hyundai utilizes that extra space well. I also don't like the dash in the CR-Z that much, and I do like the dash in the Veloster. The manual base Veloster is also lighter than the manual CR-Z.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by DebbyM46227

I'm pretty sure the CR-Z was available in 2010, but $30K is not affordable for me. I drool over every CR-Z I see when I'm out driving around. The Honda dealers around here rarely have them in stock.

Sorry, I was thinking 2008 (the year in the title of your recent tire thread) . Wow, 30k. They must have only had heavily optioned ones with additional PAC stickers in your area (similar to what many Toyota dealers in Bronsin's neck of the woods have done re the Yaris). I remember the CR-Z (here) being in a similar (but narrower) range to the Prius c. According to Motor Trend now (a few years down the road) for 2014 the MSRP range (which I imagine wouldn't include destination, title, tax, and dealer installed options) is $19,080 - 23,360 for the Prius c, and $20,645 - $23,990 for the CR-Z. I like Hondas, but I wouldn't pay 30k for a Honda (unless I could find an NSX for much less than what it is worth, drive it for a bit, and then sell it and make a profit).