Please help me decide what to do re: new Yaris ....

[tdinut]

Hello Everyone,

I have a 2008 Yaris sedan purchased new Nov. 2007. I now have 132,000 miles of mostly highway driving. My daily commute is almost 80 miles round trip. I have to say the car has been stellar and no problems to date. An occasional extra few seconds to start and squeaky accessory belt after I changed the first one but otherwise PERFECT. The car needs a major cleaning, detailing and some routine maintenance for normal wear and tear.

I am sort of in the market for a new car and ask for your advice. I am seriously thinking about a new 5 door hatchback Yaris (for more utility) and keeping my 2008 around as a backup. I drive an avg. of 18K per year. I've never been so confident in the reliability of a car like I am now with my Yaris. It is outstanding. Do I do all the maintenance (and then some) and just keep my car, or do I splurge for a new one? I am thinking about a Yaris again, mainly because of how well my 2008 has worked out.

The other model I am thinking about is the new Corolla. Thank you in advance.

[tdinut]

Dear Moderators,

I think this belongs in the 3rd gen forum. Sorry.

[ern-diz]

I have a 2007, bought it new. I'd be lying if I said that in the last 6 months to a year I haven't been thinking a lot about getting something different, just for a change. I keep holding myself back primarily because life without a car payment is great. Also, I work remotely from home, so it's hard to justify taking on a car payment with a 0 mile commute per day.

In your case, you're driving at least 80 miles a day, so if you can afford it, why not enjoy something new? I wouldn't even recommend buying another Yaris. Like you, I'd keep my current Yaris (because it's awesome) and just get something else. Life's short, enjoy cars lol. If money is an issue, then I'd recommend giving the old girl some much deserved TLC and keep on keepin' on.

Just my 2 cents

[tdinut]

Thanks ern-diz,

Thank you so much for your thoughts. That was kind of my thinking too. Some of the cars that I am looking at may be refreshened for 2016 and come out second/third quarter. I think I'll do some TLC anyway and be ready to pull the trigger later this year, unless a screaming deal comes my way sooner. Life without a car payment is really wonderful though.

Joe

[ern-diz]

My pleasure, Joe. Keep us in the loop.

[tdinut]

Will do.

I plan on checking out a few cars this weekend and see what turns up. I do admit to liking the fact that my Yaris needed very little aggressive maintenance to get me this far. It's sort of like of like a big appliance :D It just works. I am not as willing to get my hands as dirty these days as I used to, so I need to see how "upscale" I want to take it. .

[kimona]

Since you mentioned you're considering a new Corolla... I recently bought my father a 2015 Corolla L. It actually cost less than a similarly equipped Yaris. I really like the car, and if I didn't need a hatchback, I'd definitely consider replacing my Yaris with a Corolla L.

[Kalispel]

If you really like the Yaris sedan, you can always pick up a used 2012 sedan with only 35-45K on it, or wait until later this year for the Scion iA sedan (which will be the new Yaris Sedan in Canada) and hope that its long-term quality is also excellent.

[tdinut]

Originally Posted by kimona

Since you mentioned you're considering a new Corolla... I recently bought my father a 2015 Corolla L. It actually cost less than a similarly equipped Yaris. I really like the car, and if I didn't need a hatchback, I'd definitely consider replacing my Yaris with a Corolla L.

I've been looking at the Corolla, Honda Fit and similar priced cars. If I had thought ahead back when I bought my sedan, I would have opted for the hatch. I need to carry boxes every now and then and really need more of an suv (cargo space wise) but don't want to go too big. I'd consider the RAV4 for the utility but need to drive one first.

Originally Posted by Kalispel

If you really like the Yaris sedan, you can always pick up a used 2012 sedan with only 35-45K on it, or wait until later this year for the Scion iA sedan (which will be the new Yaris Sedan in Canada) and hope that its long-term quality is also excellent.

I have no doubt the Scion will be reliable but I am more focused on a hatchback or suv type vehicle. I am not crazy buying used unless I know who I am buying from.


I appreciate everyone's opinion so far, thank you.

[Jcp123]

If you want space in a small car, the Fit is phenomenal. The low gearing sucks though, it takes a lot to get really good economy out of it.

[Kalispel]

If you can stand the looks of the Honda Fit, it does offer the most bang for the buck in terms of hauling capacity for a subcompact type vehicle, though I would never personally buy a Honda with anything but a manual transmission since their history of quality with automatics is spotty at best.

Also, Honda is releasing a subcompact "Crossover/SUV" type vehicle later this year called the HR-V, and it is built on the latest Honda Fit platform, and will offer similar cargo capacity as the Fit, with MUCH better styling. It will also offer a manual transmission option, but not sure what trims it will be limited to. Google Honda Venzel if you want to see some info/pics on it, since it has already been released in other countries since 2013/2014.

The upcoming 2016 Scion iM "Corolla Hatchback" should also be a nice hatchback in terms of cargo capacity and such.

[tdinut]

Originally Posted by Jcp123

If you want space in a small car, the Fit is phenomenal. The low gearing sucks though, it takes a lot to get really good economy out of it.

The FIT is high on my list, but I need to see how comfortable the interior feels.

I do worry about all these CVT transmissions. They make sense in theory but I feel they will not be as reliable. My Yaris is rock solid but getting a little tired. If Toyata offered a 5 speed conventional auto trans in the Yaris, I'd jump on a 5 door hatch version in a heartbeat. Highway rpm revs are a little high for my taste, but not the ultimate deal breaker.

Originally Posted by Kalispel

If you can stand the looks of the Honda Fit, it does offer the most bang for the buck in terms of hauling capacity for a subcompact type vehicle, though I would never personally buy a Honda with anything but a manual transmission since their history of quality with automatics is spotty at best.

Also, Honda is releasing a subcompact "Crossover/SUV" type vehicle later this year called the HR-V, and it is built on the latest Honda Fit platform, and will offer similar cargo capacity as the Fit, with MUCH better styling. It will also offer a manual transmission option, but not sure what trims it will be limited to. Google Honda Venzel if you want to see some info/pics on it, since it has already been released in other countries since 2013/2014.

The upcoming 2016 Scion iM "Corolla Hatchback" should also be a nice hatchback in terms of cargo capacity and such.

Great advice. Thank you. I can pretty much drive a manual but don't want to anymore. CVT's scare me on reliability, as well as first and sometimes second year new introductions. I will put some TLC into my Yaris and keep it as a beater. But I still don't want to be going to the shop for any new car I buy because of problems. I saw the HR-V and would also consider the CR-V but the newer vehicles don't seem as rock solid reliable. I guess it's the luck of the draw sometimes.

Part of the reason I bought my Yaris was because of all of you guys. Information is so valuable and I'd like to thank all the posters here.

Thanks you!

[kimona]

I'm waiting to see the new Scion iM... which is a Toyota Auris (Corolla hatchback). The iM concept looks like shite. But, I'm hoping the production iM arrives at dealerships looking like a stock Auris with basic equipment (power windows, mirrors, locks). That would be my next car to replace the Yaris. Of course, I'd remove the Scion badges and rebadge it Toyota.

[Jcp123]

Oh, if you're thinking CVT, then your revs will be kept in check. The six-speed is still around 3000rpm @ 60mph, bloody stupid and boots the Fit from ever being a contender for me...

IM looks ok, I'm hoping for a strippo base model with no power stuff and stick. That might be a contender to replace my Echo although I'm really leaning more towards used.

[NYC-SE]

Originally Posted by tdinut

Part of the reason I bought my Yaris was because of all of you guys. Information is so valuable and I'd like to thank all the posters here.

That's the reason I bought my Yaris too! This is a great site and all the wonderful posts here about the Yaris is what convinced me. When I was looking to buy I spent a lot of time online at various websites devoted to the cars I was considering. The ratio of positive to negative posts was so much higher here. It was a simple decision and I'm glad I purchased the Yaris. Had it for about a year now and ZERO problems.

As for your situation I would keep the Yaris. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

BTW I noticed your name "tdinut". Before I bought my Yaris I had a 2010 Golf TDI. Let's just say it was the other thing that convinced me to buy a Yaris. Good luck with your search.

[tdinut]

Originally Posted by NYC-SE

That's the reason I bought my Yaris too! This is a great site and all the wonderful posts here about the Yaris is what convinced me. When I was looking to buy I spent a lot of time online at various websites devoted to the cars I was considering. The ratio of positive to negative posts was so much higher here. It was a simple decision and I'm glad I purchased the Yaris. Had it for about a year now and ZERO problems.

As for your situation I would keep the Yaris. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

BTW I noticed your name "tdinut". Before I bought my Yaris I had a 2010 Golf TDI. Let's just say it was the other thing that convinced me to buy a Yaris. Good luck with your search.

Ha!

Yes, I bought a 2002 Jetta TDI diesel from a friend and was going to get a newer one but at about the time I was ready, there was a couple of year hiatus in NY for the VW diesels. It was a great car but was happy to get rid of it. The Jetta TDI replaced a Hyundai Elantra that someone in a SUV creamed the back of it. The trunk was destroyed but I still drove it until my friend was ready to sell me his VW. I picked up my 2008 Yaris the day after Thanksgiving 2007 and she's been great ever since. I still think about a diesel, but give me a carefree Yaris/Toyota/Honda etc, and I am happy. My diesel took half my commute to get warm. Ice on the windshield was a royal pain. My Toyota heats up pretty quickly, get 35-36 mpg avg for the week, even hitting 90 mph when I am late for work , and keeps on ticking.