gen2 to gen3

[Onwrdigo]

I ditched my Bridgestone Turanza tires within the "first half-hour" of driving my new '13 Yaris LE off the lot. I had read enough on TireRack Reviews the night before I was to pick it up about those Bridgestone nightmares. Got a great trade-in for those tires for just a few bucks...literally....from a local tire dealer to put on "General Altimax HP's".

I noticed a difference right away in ride, noise, handling. Now, with almost 8,000 miles on these General Altimax HP's, no wear, noise or handling woes that I can feel or hear. Great replacement tire for those interested.

However, they did not cure the on-center numbness of the steering. That is just the design of a lot of electric steering systems. I have even seen some car magazines complain about the same problem on BMW's and other high-line automobiles.

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by Onwrdigo

General Altimax HP's.

those are one of the tires im considering. not too many choices in the 175/65-15 sizes.

it will be those or the Yokohama Avid Ascend. the Michelin Pilot A/S 3 look awesome. im into getting the best mileage possible, and im afraid the performance I hear about from those pilots would mean they have a higher rolling resistance.

[kimona]

Originally Posted by roxy1

those are one of the tires im considering. not too many choices in the 175/65-15 sizes.

For more selection and an excellent fitment, replace with either 185/60/15's or 195/60/15's.

[mr_miles]

I've had both, and still have my 2013. Most of my opinions are probably void due to me modifying the hell out of both of them, but IMO the 3rd gen is better in every aspect except the lack of storage bins and no more dash mounted cup holders ;_; Gah I miss those.

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by mr_miles

IMO the 3rd gen is better in every aspect .

I would agree. the 3rd gen feels more like a small corolla hatch rather than Toyotas bargain car...though it is still their bargain car.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by roxy1

I had a 2007 manual yaris. I now have a 2014 manual yaris. (I had a few cars in between there)

the current yaris is really everything I wanted the previous gen to be.

-it is easier to find a comfortable seating/steering position.

-the steering is definitely less vague on center

-most notably, there is less road/engine noise intruding into the cabin.

-I very much like the instrumentation in front of me...the black expanse of plastic in front of the driver in the previous gen made the cabin look cold and depressing, imo.

-the body is an improvement over the rather bubbly and feminine (imo) style of the 2nd gen and gives the body a shape I feel I can live with for a long time.

-the 6 speaker standard radio set up (in all models in 2014, anyway) is a night and day improvement. I get about 1-2 mpg's more than I did in my '07.

it is a simple looking hatchback that I expect to be reliable minus some of the harshness/"cuteness" of the previous gen.

This post is the most valuable re my criteria. I was leaning toward a Prius c for another car, but after spending 3 days with a 2013 Yaris LE automatic, I'd want what you found...a manual. The radio you mention (correct, now on all....and it is a vast improvement) is only included on the L from 2014 forward.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by kimona

For more selection and an excellent fitment, replace with either 185/60/15's or 195/60/15's.

^^^^^ This. I could definitely tell the difference between the 175/65/15s on the '13 LE and the 185/60/15s on my Yaris.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by mr_miles

I've had both, and still have my 2013. Most of my opinions are probably void due to me modifying the hell out of both of them, but IMO the 3rd gen is better in every aspect except the lack of storage bins and no more dash mounted cup holders ;_; Gah I miss those.

I found a way to mitigate the importance of the storage bins.....but there isn't any aftermarket product that would be an equal substitute if I no longer had those cup holders

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

^^^^^ This. I could definitely tell the difference between the 175/65/15s on the '13 LE and the 185/60/15s on my Yaris.

im kind of a slave to the mpg's, so I like to stick with the narrower 175's. plus the skinnier tires are (in theory) a little better in the snow. the oem's are such garbage, I think the biggest improvement will be dumping them. I think I will look at what is available in the wider tire, but would 185's fit properly on the stock rims?

edit after a few minutes on tirerack: come to think of it, I don't think I want any less profile on the yaris. its not the smoothest car over bumps and such and a lower profile isn't going to help. those pilot a/s 3's look like one of the best all season tires (ratings wise) in existence, but im sure they will not maximize mpg's.

[mr_miles]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I found a way to mitigate the importance of the storage bins.....but there isn't any aftermarket product that would be an equal substitute if I no longer had those cup holders

I don't typically keep enough stuff in my car to need that much storage space anyways, it was just nice having them all lol.

I think the yarii should come optional with the 2zzge. much fast yes. Whenever I buy another new car if I still have the yar i think i'll stuff a 2zz in it. yaris with a 6 speed and lift? Yes please.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by roxy1

im kind of a slave to the mpg's, so I like to stick with the narrower 175's. plus the skinnier tires are (in theory) a little better in the snow. the oem's are such garbage, I think the biggest improvement will be dumping them. I think I will look at what is available in the wider tire, but would 185's fit properly on the stock rims?

edit after a few minutes on tirerack: come to think of it, I don't think I want any less profile on the yaris. its not the smoothest car over bumps and such and a lower profile isn't going to help. those pilot a/s 3's look like one of the best all season tires (ratings wise) in existence, but im sure they will not maximize mpg's.

Do you think the narrower tires on your 3rd Gen account for the up to couple MPG improvement over (a few cars ago, as you mentioned) your 2nd Gen Yaris ? (The search I did indicated they have the same relatively slippery CD number...and that there is only a 5 lb weight difference)

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by mr_miles

yaris with a 6 speed

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Do you think the narrower tires on your 3rd Gen account for the up to couple MPG improvement over (a few cars ago, as you mentioned) your 2nd Gen Yaris ? (The search I did indicated they have the same relatively slippery CD number...and that there is only a 5 lb weight difference)

maybe. a little less weight to turn and im pretty sure they have pretty low rolling resistance. it also seems like my 07 ran just a touch higher rpms on the highway. even a very small improvement in coefficient of drag can make a difference.

I know I will not go through another winter with these awful, awful, awful tires. did I mention they were awful?

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by roxy1

maybe. a little less weight to turn and im pretty sure they have pretty low rolling resistance. it also seems like my 07 ran just a touch higher rpms on the highway. even a very small improvement in coefficient of drag can make a difference.

I know I will not go through another winter with these

Good point. Even with the 07 Model Year different tire sizes were available from the factory, so (re both 07 and 14) I wonder what size tires and wheels were used during the test?....or...Is the factory quoting the CD for just the body (not with any tires/wheels) ?

I know I will not go through another winter with these awful, awful, awful tires. did I mention they were awful?

[specialeducator]

I'm in the process of giving my 2008 Yaris sedan to my daughter and buying a 2014 5 door. Sorry to hear the back seats don't slide and fold flat- my wife drives a 2010 3 door.

Originally Posted by JustPassinThru

I have.

The driving position is a little better for a big guy in the current model. The chassis loses some (not all) of its squirmy feeling on center, straight-ahead.

I miss the center-mount instrument pod, but that's me.

I'd taken my 2009 cross-country on long trips, and my 2012 on one such. The current model is better, in terms of seating position and support.

I also (my foibles, again) like the big single wiper. Does the job well in wet weather.

I went from a manual to an auto; and I lost about 3 mpg; but that was to be expected. I expect comparable models would be equal.

I did like the styling of the 2009 a bit better. Not so much the front-end; the current series is an improvement. But the overall package seemed better balanced. AND...back storage was better in the 2009, with its sliding rear seat to give a level flat area. The current series just flops the seatback down and it doesn't fold flat.

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by specialeducator

I'm in the process of giving my 2008 Yaris sedan to my daughter and buying a 2014 5 door. Sorry to hear the back seats don't slide and fold flat- my wife drives a 2010 3 door.

sacrifices to keep weight and costs down I suppose. they do fold flat enough to slide an object in there. (ie the cargo area is on the same plane as the rear seat hinge, so there isn't a 2 tier effect you get with some).