Having second thoughts about the Yaris

[SilverBack]

This must be a new thing. I paid $12,500 for mine, and it has power everything with factory alloys. You just gotta do your research and figure out what you wanna pay, then haggle with dealers until one can make it happen.

And what you said about the price of add-ons and getting a Scion instead, keep in mind you'll still pay more than what you'll want for the Scion because of dealer mark-up and all those options they'll wanna thrown in. If you let them, they'll charge you up to $16K or more.

IMO your best bet is the base Yaris if you just want a Point A to Point B car. Just make sure you make that VERY clear to dealer so he'll be more likely to give you the deal you're looking for. My 2 cents.

[TheRealEnth]

manual is ... better fuel economy,WAY Faster, Last Longer...

[otterhere]

Hobo... I feel ya, LOL... I also hate to part with even a dime of my hard-earned money... Car-buying is a nightmare! My understanding, going in, was that Toyota didn't "dicker" on price; it was what it was; also that you could "order" a base model.

I think there's a lot of confusion on here as to what a "base model" is; to some, that means convenience package, cold-weather package, MP3, and $150 floor mats, but no power package. To me, it means STRIPPED; I'll add what I want, if i want anything, and that WON'T include the MP3 player, thanks very much.

Overall, my experience with this car (both in buying and now owning) has been quite a disappointement; I watched, waited, and researched for years to buy the cheapest yet MOST RELIABLE (and it has been that; no complaints on performance; more on cost and design) tiny hatchback I could find; formerly loved my Suzuki Swift/Geo Metro hatches.

Now I think I should've just done the repairs and waited a couple more years to see what else they come up with; I may be trading in. Is just holding off an option for you? If gas prices increase again, car makers may finally get serious about offering options.

Otherwise, just scan the ads and deal ONLINE ONLY (do *not* go in person, except to test-drive, and then make it crystal clear that you're there ONLY to test drive the car).
Get it in writing and close the deal, but don't count on getting exactly what you want...

In all my wanderings, I never encountered a true "base model," although I'm fairly happy with the price I finally paid: $13,700 out the door for a new 2008 auto 3-door liftback...

[Tamago]

Originally Posted by otterhere

Hobo... I feel ya, LOL... I also hate to part with even a dime of my hard-earned money... Car-buying is a nightmare! My understanding, going in, was that Toyota didn't "dicker" on price; it was what it was; also that you could "order" a base model.

I think there's a lot of confusion on here as to what a "base model" is; to some, that means convenience package, cold-weather package, MP3, and $150 floor mats, but no power package. To me, it means STRIPPED; I'll add what I want, if i want anything, and that WON'T include the MP3 player, thanks very much.

Overall, my experience with this car (both in buying and now owning) has been quite a disappointement; I watched, waited, and researched for years to buy the cheapest yet MOST RELIABLE (and it has been that; no complaints on performance; more on cost and design) tiny hatchback I could find; formerly loved my Suzuki Swift/Geo Metro hatches.

Now I think I should've just done the repairs and waited a couple more years to see what else they come up with; I may be trading in. Is just holding off an option for you? If gas prices increase again, car makers may finally get serious about offering options.

Otherwise, just scan the ads and deal ONLINE ONLY (do *not* go in person, except to test-drive, and then make it crystal clear that you're there ONLY to test drive the car).
Get it in writing and close the deal, but don't count on getting exactly what you want...

In all my wanderings, I never encountered a true "base model," although I'm fairly happy with the price I finally paid: $13,700 out the door for a new 2008 auto 3-door liftback...

you should have picked up a used Scion xA..

[Havana]

I guess some dealers don't order base models. I don't know how much say they have over that but at least two dealers in my area had base, no options models on the lot when I was buying in Dec. One dealer even had 5 of them. I don't feel my Yaris was overpriced. I actually consider to be a steal because of the value. Value is something to remember. Don't let sticker price overshadow that. I bought a Yaris because I am cheap or frugal as I prefer to say. It's an investment that will pay off in the long run and even in the not so long run. The way I look at it, I paid a Hyundai/Kia price for a new Toyota. I can't complain about that. I'm sure I won't be complaining about it 5 to 10 years from now either.

[33OH]

Originally Posted by Havana

The way I look at it, I paid a Hyundai/Kia price for a new Toyota..

I actually paid $1,700 more for my 2007 Hyundai Accent GS Hatchback then I did for my 2008 Yaris LB, and the Yaris has more options.

[Yawesh]

Originally Posted by hobojon

I wanted to get a dependable car for my wife to have for the next few years of her commuting for college. I did the research and it seemed like the Yaris 5 door LB was a good choice. It was cheap, dependable and had good resale value and good fuel economy. I didn't realize that the base price of the car as advertised was a scam. They don't sell a Yaris without some kind of package added on. If you want cruise you have to buy the power package or put it in yourself. With TTL and the destination charge, this is not a cheap car. If I wanted to pay 15K or 16K for a car I might as well buy a Scion that comes with all the options you have to pay for on the Yaris. For that kind of money I think I'd rather have a 4 or 5 year old Lexus. Am I missing something? Even the most inexpensive Yaris, the 3 dr LB seems way overpriced. There aren't any 5 dr models in the used market, the used 3 dr cars are priced at 8K or 9K which isn't bad. Maybe I should just wait until the 5dr models start hitting the used market, I guess when the revised 2010 models come out in Sep.

try not buying it at the dealer, sometimes deals are out there for used by almost likenew cars

scions can start at 15/16k but when they start adding their packages, it raises the cost too.

or there's that Versa for 9,900, no power steer, ac, manual.

[hobojon]

The best quote I have so far is $13,463.00 +TTL for a 2009 5 dr LB with the convenience (CQ) and all weather (CP) packages. What do you think?

[nemelek]

Originally Posted by hobojon

I wanted to get a dependable car for my wife to have for the next few years of her commuting for college. For that kind of money I think I'd rather have a 4 or 5 year old Lexus. Am I missing something?

A 4-5 year old Lexus is probably out of its warrantee. When problems occur, Lexus is not a cheap car to fix. If average yearly miles is 12,000 to 15,000 a used Lexus would have 48,000 to 75,000 miles on the odometer. Brakes and other items will start costing money. Looking 5 years into the future I would rather have a 5 year old Yaris with 75,000 miles than a 10 year old Lexus with 150,000 miles. Especially if gas hits $4/gallon again.