Anyone driven the Scion iQ ?

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Billiam

I sat in one, but did not drive it. It is an interesting vehicle, for sure. What would kill it for me is the CVT. At the least Toyota should offer a proper manual gearbox....IMO.

I agree, but I would imagine a target market for this car would be people who would strongly identify with edmscan's statement that he hardly ever goes out on the highway. Many of those people, especially in metros with really impatient drivers (who want you 'off the dime' yesterday when the light turns green), would likely welcome the CVT over a manual.

Oh, on a somewhat related bent, I heard an interesting blurb the other day re a subject (among several) discussed on a single Yarisworld thread a few months ago. A few days ago I was listening to an AM news and talk station in the car and the reception was spotty. I didn't catch the woman's name, nor the URL she gave, but it seems she has a regular programming spot (self sponsored?) at the station. I imagine the point of the blurb was to drive traffic to her website (which would likeley have any program days and times). The blurb contained just one focus of information (that was part of a previous Yarisworld discussion), namely how long a car needs to have the engine turned off at a stoplight to make turning the engine off worth it. She says 10 seconds. She then went on to explain potential savings re this for the average consumer.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

The blurb contained just one focus of information (that was part of a previous Yarisworld discussion), namely how long a car needs to have the engine turned off at a stoplight to make turning the engine off worth it. She says 10 seconds. She then went on to explain potential savings re this for the average consumer.

I dont believe it. 10 seconds of fuel at idle is really small.

I would want more than a persons like thats word.

When auto stop/start came out its was poo pooed by people who should know.

Me I want the truth!

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

I dont believe it. 10 seconds of fuel at idle is really small.

I would want more than a persons like thats word.

When auto stop/start came out its was poo pooed by people who should know.

Me I want the truth!

I don't know if she's right or wrong...I just thought I'd pass the info along...that some might find it interesting. I wish I had been driving in an area with better reception. Then I'd likely have caught her name. Thinking back on the articles I've come across re this I find (as stated in that old/previous thread I was referring to --- which you posted to if I remember correctly) the assertion of 30 seconds most credible. The larger point that about half of us were trying to make on that old/previous thread was that whatever that number of seconds is, the average time stopped at most stoplights would be enough to make turning the engine off a fuel saving proposition.

[MadMax]

Well, the iQ isn't exactly selling in this country now, is it?

I've seen a few on the road (and only a few), but there's nothing to compel me to test drive one. There is no real advantage over the Yaris, but the Yaris gets nearly as good of gas mileage and can seat two more people in it; plus it has a useable hatch area (or trunk as appropriate).

It's a neat car and I can see it being a big seller in London or Brussels (when we lived south of the latter, there were Smart cars all over that city); but in the States there just isn't a market.

Heck, even the Fiat 500 is floundering here, and it is a much better can than the iQ.

Cheers! M2

[Thirty-Nine]

I spent a week with the iQ. You can read all about it here:

http://www.subcompactculture.com/201...telligent.html

As far as sales go, as of November 30, Scion has sold 8,303 iQs. That's 710 less than the Smart ForTwo, but it hasn't been on sale as long. The Chevrolet Spark is, however, outselling the iQ already, and it's only been out for a few months.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by MadMax

Well, the iQ isn't exactly selling in this country now, is it?

I've seen a few on the road (and only a few), but there's nothing to compel me to test drive one. There is no real advantage over the Yaris, but the Yaris gets nearly as good of gas mileage and can seat two more people in it; plus it has a useable hatch area (or trunk as appropriate).

It's a neat car and I can see it being a big seller in London or Brussels (when we lived south of the latter, there were Smart cars all over that city); but in the States there just isn't a market.

Heck, even the Fiat 500 is floundering here, and it is a much better can than the iQ.

Cheers! M2

LOL. Last month I had to go to the new Comcast office in The Woodlands. This new office is a couple of doors down from the Fiat 'Studio'. The only parking space I could find on the street was on the other side of the 'Studio'. The most direct walking route led me by the window of the 'Studio'. They had a few 'exotic' () used but pristine models from other manufacturers on the showroom floor (to help drive traffic to the showroom, I presume).

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by Thirty-Nine

I spent a week with the iQ. You can read all about it here:

http://www.subcompactculture.com/201...telligent.html

As far as sales go, as of November 30, Scion has sold 8,303 iQs. That's 710 less than the Smart ForTwo, but it hasn't been on sale as long. The Chevrolet Spark is, however, outselling the iQ already, and it's only been out for a few months.

Fascinating.

Im going down to the Toyota dealer and offer him $12k cash for an iQ.

If he doessnt go for I'll tell him Im going to look at the Spark...


With gas selling for $10 A GALLON IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, THE Iq IS THE FUTURE.

sorry for caps

But its not the present. It will never sell.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Fascinating.

Im going down to the Toyota dealer and offer him $12k cash for an iQ.

If he doessnt go for I'll tell him Im going to look at the Spark...


With gas selling for $10 A GALLON IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, THE Iq IS THE FUTURE.

sorry for caps

But its not the present. It will never sell.

Bengt Halvorson of TheCarConnection.com writes that the iQ "was conceived for a part of the world where vehicle choice is largely governed by engine-based taxes, compact-only parking spaces, and six-dollar-a-gallon gas". I agree with the '7:58pm' poster on subcompactcurture.com who prefers the Prius C when comparing it to the iQ - "Little more expensive, but better gas mileage and can actually get 4 adults in there comfortably. The Prius C might not be as easy to parallel park, but would still be easier to parallel park than most cars". In 2006, when I started looking for a replacement for my Suzuki Swift, my three 'must haves' (not in any particular order) were reliability, close to the Swift in MPG, and no more than 6" longer than the (2001) Swift. I was living in California at the time. I bought the Yaris while on a trip (3,000+ miles away), but had parallel parking on my mind when coming to a decision. The Yaris is only 1.2 inches longer than my Swift. Now, in my little slice of Texas, I hardly ever have to parallel park and would never again want to live in an area where this would be more than a fleeting concern (unless I moved outside the U.S. to an area where it made more sense to not own a car). The Mini Cooper is the smallest I would go in size re a car purchase (2.8 inches shorter than my Swift, 4 inches shorter than my Yaris, and 26.5 inches longer than the iQ).

[bronsin]

The car is doomed. It engine is too big and the car too heavy to get 40+ mpg.

Its too expensive for what you get in room and carrying ability.

They only thing they might be going for is people are dumb enough to buy it.

They might have something there after all...

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Bengt Halvorson of TheCarConnection.com writes that the iQ "was conceived for a part of the world where vehicle choice is largely governed by engine-based taxes, compact-only parking spaces, and six-dollar-a-gallon gas". I agree with the '7:58pm' poster on subcompactcurture.com who prefers the Prius C when comparing it to the iQ - "Little more expensive, but better gas mileage and can actually get 4 adults in there comfortably. The Prius C might not be as easy to parallel park, but would still be easier to parallel park than most cars". In 2006, when I started looking for a replacement for my Suzuki Swift, my three 'must haves' (not in any particular order) were reliability, close to the Swift in MPG, and no more than 6" longer than the (2001) Swift. I was living in California at the time. I bought the Yaris while on a trip (3,000+ miles away), but had parallel parking on my mind when coming to a decision. The Yaris is only 1.2 inches longer than my Swift. Now, in my little slice of Texas, I hardly ever have to parallel park and would never again want to live in an area where this would be more than a fleeting concern (unless I moved outside the U.S. to an area where it made more sense to not own a car). The Mini Cooper is the smallest I would go in size re a car purchase (2.8 inches shorter than my Swift, 4 inches shorter than my Yaris, and 26.5 inches longer than the iQ).

I hope the 'part of the world' scenario that Halvorson mentions re the iQ never comes to pass in the USA. I actually welcome the planned increase in CAFE here, but hope increased regulations stop there ( fat chance).

[JohninVT]

If Scion offered the IQ with a manual I'd be inclined to check them out. An IQ with a supercharger and 5 speed seems like it would be stupid-fun.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

The car is doomed. It engine is too big and the car too heavy to get 40+ mpg.

Its too expensive for what you get in room and carrying ability.

They only thing they might be going for is people are dumb enough to buy it.

They might have something there after all...

Yeah, and it is not that much lighter than the Yaris. Plus, no location in the U.S. fits all of Halverson's criteria as we don't have engine-based taxes.

[junorico24]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

?????

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by junorico24

?????

Ah, the Volkswagen Up. Bronsin would love this car. Similar to the 2nd generation Yaris in standard equipment, except interior control of the side mirrors is also standard. 7,995 GBP at that standard equipment level (12,882.69 USD at todays exchange rate). 1.0 liter engine with 59-60 HP. About 18 inches longer than an iQ, so there is more room for storage. About 13 inches shorter than a 2nd generation Yaris. Over 50 MPG equivalent (some say 56 MPG equivalent). I'd consider it, but I don't think it would catch on in the U.S.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by junorico24

?????

Ah, the Volkswagen Up. Bronsin would love this car. Similar to the 2nd generation Yaris in standard equipment, except interior control of the side mirrors is also standard. 7,995 GBP at that standard equipment level (12,882.69 USD at today's exchange rate). 1.0 liter engine with 59-60 HP. About 18 inches longer than an iQ, so there is more room for storage. About 13 inches shorter than a 2nd generation Yaris. Over 50 MPG equivalent (some say 56 MPG equivalent). I'd consider it, but I don't think it would catch on in the U.S.

[nookandcrannycar]

^^^^^ Oops, the way I hit the back button in Safari somehow caused my post to post again .

[bronsin]

You had me going there!

I went to Edmunds and looked at VWs lineup!

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

You had me going there!

I went to Edmunds and looked at VWs lineup!

I knew it would be up your alley. I'd have to see it, but I think I'd like it. Unfortunately, I don't think enough people in the U.S. would agree with us.