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11-09-2006, 11:46 AM | #1 |
Drives: Want a Yaris Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: KY
Posts: 101
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Center console
What did your salesman say was the reason for the console being in
the center? Mine said it was a safety feature. He said the driver doesn’t have to take his eyes off the road to see it. Hays |
11-09-2006, 12:49 PM | #2 |
Drives: Flint Mica Yaris Sedan Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 23
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In reality, I believe that it's here to lower costs. This way, they don't have to make different units for right/left driver countries.
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11-09-2006, 12:56 PM | #3 |
Banned
Drives: LB Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: OH
Posts: 7,787
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The placement of the speedo/tach cluster is supposed to ensure the driver's eyes are on the road as much as possible. It is supposedly an improvement over most stock placements behind the steering wheel. I like the fact that the steering wheel is never in my way when I go to look at my speed. It took some getting used to, though.
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11-09-2006, 12:59 PM | #4 |
Drives: Want a Yaris Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: KY
Posts: 101
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I agree.
AND I don't have a problem with that either. It gives me a cheaper Toyota, I'm all for that! Plus I think it adds to the funky look of the car - which I like a lot. Why couldn't they be honest? Oh wait... they are car salesmen... forget I asked. Hays |
11-09-2006, 03:58 PM | #5 | |
Drives: yaris sedan Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: boston
Posts: 20
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Quote:
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11-09-2006, 05:54 PM | #6 |
Drives: Thndr cl metallic HB 3 drs '05 Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Panama City, Panama
Posts: 795
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Mine said: "I DON'T KNOW"...
Today he doesnot works there anymore lol
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11-09-2006, 06:54 PM | #7 |
Drives: Yaris 3dr Hatchback Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: South Carolina, USA
Posts: 255
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yea its no doubt in order to keep cost down, which can be deduced because it doesnt face the driver in the center, which it would need to do to really optimize the usefulness of the center console. Thouh actually i have thought before while driving "man i wish somebody woudl move the console somewhere else, i hate looking inbetween my steering wheel" so im very happy with it.
As to the cost, other people can make equally priced cars with 4 doors, telescopic steering wheel, height adjusting seats, ABS, EBD, BA, and side airbags, fully reclining front seats, and numerous other things. So it seems to me that while i can understand their cutting out some combination of those based on the Toyota reputation making sales and making more money for themselves I cant justify the extremes they took it to. They cut production cost and cut ALL of those functions (and even when you pay for the side airbags and 60/40 folding seats they are very limited in usefullness due to no roll sensors and front seat limitations) They really didnt have to cut ALL of them out, Toyota may have been going for a little too much profit off a cheap car here i think and it may well hurt them in the end--i know it will next time i go car shopping. Last edited by BMGYaris; 11-09-2006 at 08:24 PM. |
11-09-2006, 07:26 PM | #8 | |
Drives: Want a Yaris Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: KY
Posts: 101
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Quote:
that they cut too much. I also think that they were caught off guard by Honda and Nissan. I wouldn’t be surprised if the base Yaris has more of these features next year without going up in price that much. Still, if other car makers don’t start making more reliable cars I will keep on buying Toyotas even if they have fewer accessories. Of course, I plan on driving the Yaris for the next 15 years or so, who knows what types of cars will be available when I’m ready to buy again? Hays |
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11-09-2006, 07:55 PM | #9 |
Drives: 07 Yaris silver manual sedan Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Queens New York, USA
Posts: 145
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I read before I bought the car that it was a safety feature. I like it no matter what the reason. I can put my GPS directly in front of me now and still see the bottom of the windshield.
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11-09-2006, 08:36 PM | #10 |
aka Eleni
Drives: 10 Yaris LB Auto- Blazing Blue Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Jersey
Posts: 204
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It's a safety feature. There were a few articles on it. They kept up with it since the Echo's first release and Saturn has also gone with that feature.
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11-09-2006, 08:47 PM | #11 |
Drives: Want a Yaris Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: KY
Posts: 101
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I just don’t buy that safety feature story. There are articles about it but I think it’s all smoke and mirrors. Since when do car makers put the latest safety features on their cheapest cars? Does anyone really expect to see it on a Camry one day?
Just my opinion, but I think it makes sense that it is cheaper to produce them this way - less refitting on the production line going from making left hand drive cars to right hand drive cars. Plus you still have to look down to see it but off to the right as well. It’s not a natural move. On the other hand I actually like the placement. As I said before I think it adds to the overall look to the car plus the driver gets a glovebox. Hays |
11-10-2006, 04:53 AM | #12 |
vroom vroom
Drives: lil red 5-door Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Posts: 7,744
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I don't really mind it being in the center... only problem is with the turn signal indicators, they make a pretty quiet "click", and if I have music on, it's hard to tell if they are blinking or not, on a normal car you would see the light in your peripheral vision, but not on this one...
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11-10-2006, 07:35 AM | #13 | |
Bears eat beets.
Drives: Yaris LB Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: manch
Posts: 202
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Quote:
im with you though, once i got used to it over there, i like it...
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11-10-2006, 07:58 AM | #14 |
Club Baby Seals
Drives: Yaris Sedan Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NY
Posts: 206
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I would say they won't change over all the models because of customers. A lot of people see that center console and immediately think they could never get used to it. They've been driving for YEARS with it right in front of them. I personally found it very easy to adapt but a lot of people see that and immediately cross the car of their list of possibilies. It's MUCH easier to introduce with a brand new car that has no loyalty or sales history with American consumers. I see TONS of people 60+ driving a brand new Camry. They'd probably be driving an Accord if they were told they had to learn to drive with a center console on the 2007.
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11-10-2006, 08:34 AM | #15 |
I drive a yarrrris
Drives: 07 Sedan Polar White Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 1,009
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Let me point ou the in your face reason (to me at least) for the console being in the center: $$$
think about it. Now Toyota doesn't have to have different molds/processing procedures to create a dashboard for US and non-US models... They'll say its about safety, but the only reason for a company the size of Toyota to release a eco car with a "new design" (I've never been in an echo, so i don't know if the center was in it) is to save money either now or in the long run (as in its easier to preform maintenance or other work on the car should things go wrong)
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11-10-2006, 09:00 AM | #16 | |
Bears eat beets.
Drives: Yaris LB Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: manch
Posts: 202
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Quote:
i want a red 4door :(
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11-10-2006, 11:10 AM | #17 | |
Drives: Yaris 3dr Hatchback Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: South Carolina, USA
Posts: 255
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Quote:
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11-10-2006, 01:17 PM | #18 |
Drives: LB-Auto-PWR-ABS-Cruise-Springs Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 1,065
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I like it, but I wish the area just in front of the display was sunken just a 1/4 to 1/2" so that I could throw my wallet up there or whatever and it wouldn't slide right off.
I have gotten so used to it, it is like second nature now. Resetting the trip meter requires a good stretch though. I fugure that's not a big deal because you don't have to reset it very often because of the great MPGs. hehe As for safety, I guess Toyota has moved most of the stuff associated with the cluster to the middle, and also making the steering column safer as well will benefit in a front crash because there is less stuff to smash into your legs. Just a theory though.
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