You are here: Forums Automotive News & Views What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?

What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?

8570 messages,  Last post on Nov 11, 2009 at 6:06 PM

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What is this discussion about? Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, smart fortwo, MINI Cooper

#7857 of 8570 Re: This should make nippononly happy. [bumpy] by kyfdx HOST Jul 01, 2008 (11:29 am)
Replying to: bumpy (Jul 01, 2008 10:09 am) At least now when I catch the occasional episode of Psych, I won't be muttering that the blue 5-door Yaris the Santa Barbara-based lead characters drive isn't available in the U.S.   I'll be happy, too... The 5-door configuration is what you need in a sub.. (see FIT)..
#7858 of 8570 Yay by plekto Jul 01, 2008 (2:03 pm)
I was waiting for this. The Yaris 5 door is great as the combination of the rear sliding and reclining seat makes for a very large rear seat area. Being able to get a typical American in the rear is a godsend.   Actually it's EXACTLY the same as the 3 door in every way other than the addition of two rear doors. But what a difference those doors make in how it looks. I predict it will gouge into the Fit's sales as the base model will barely eek in at $12K.   The Toyota IQ is also coming, evidently. This looks to be a Smart killer. Toyota reliability, space for that all important child or passenger in back(or cargo!), and tons more power. Oh, and less expensive by oh, about 3-5K!. All with 50-60mpg - a clear 10mpg gain over the Smart.   http://www.leftlanenews.com/toyota-iq.html Let's hope that Toyota can pull a miracle off and get this to the U.S. It'll sell like crazy for the above mentioned reasons.(plus IMO, it looks better - less like a toy and more like a shrunk-down mini wagon.   My only gripe is   TOYOTA - If anyone from your HQ is reading this by some miracle - bring it to the U.S. *now*. Don't wait a year or two. I'd buy one in an instant.So would several people I know. Replies to this message: podred (Jul 02, 2008 8:05 am)
#7859 of 8570 5 door yaris by nwng Jul 01, 2008 (2:14 pm)
I was in canada a couple weeks ago and the yaris 5 door is everywhere. Since they don't have the xD up there, I wonder if it will eat into xD sales or toyota thinks they are two separate markets.   And the 5 door got all the bags standard, it's about time!
#7860 of 8570 nippononly by nippononly Jul 01, 2008 (5:40 pm)
IS VERY happy about the news of the 5-door Yaris.   Did anyone notice that Honda managed to sell 10,000 Fits last month? That's ten THOUSAND, with a T.   And the iQ supposedly has seating, such as it is, for four, including two kids. The 60 mpg should attract a few eyes, since it is such an eminently practical commute car (as the Smart would be if it made a few more mpgs and didn't have the terrible lurky-jerky automatic transmission). I hope they bring over something for a transmission besides the CVT.   PS with regard to the Yaris 5-door, however much you think would be the MOST Toyota might strip it for the U.S., you should then add 20%. 6 airbags, standard ABS, and the fold-flat reclining rear seat? Not likely to see the inside of a U.S. dealership except maybe in the totally loaded $17K model. This is Toyota we are talking about here. But I do think the base 5-door will probably undercut the Fit in price, which is useful considering it is a 40 mpg car.   Edit.....OMG! Is the world coming to an end? I see in the Yaris 5-door announcement that Toyota will also make cruise available on Yaris hatches for the '09 MY! Will wonders never cease. Now the question becomes, why didn't they just offer it from the beginning... Replies to this message: kyfdx (Jul 01, 2008 6:44 pm) nippononly (Jul 01, 2008 7:28 pm) bumpy (Jul 02, 2008 3:41 am)
#7861 of 8570 Re: nippononly [nippononly] by kyfdx HOST Jul 01, 2008 (6:44 pm)
Replying to: nippononly (Jul 01, 2008 5:40 pm) Now the question becomes, why didn't they just offer it from the beginning...   I think because the xA was pretty much a clone of the 5-door Yaris...I think they just assumed they could capture the market with the xA.. The new xD seems to be a different vehicle.. Replies to this message: nippononly (Jul 01, 2008 7:28 pm)
#7862 of 8570 Re: nippononly [kyfdx] by nippononly Jul 01, 2008 (7:28 pm)
Replying to: kyfdx (Jul 01, 2008 6:44 pm) Yeah, the xD is no xA...
#7863 of 8570 Re: nippononly [nippononly] by bumpy Jul 02, 2008 (3:41 am)
Replying to: nippononly (Jul 01, 2008 5:40 pm) I doubt the iQ will get 60 mpg once the EPA is done with it, though the jump seat and the Toyota badge might help it a bit versus the "I have to wait how long???" smart.
#7864 of 8570 Cruise control... by andre1969 Jul 02, 2008 (4:39 am)
I wonder how much it would add to the manufacturing cost if they just made it standard across the board? They've been doing that with bigger cars for ages now. It was standard on my 2000 Intrepid, but I think at that time, it was still optional on the Taurus and Impala. I'd imagine that by now, it's standard on many smaller cars.   Still, I guess cruise is really only useful if you do a lot of steady highway driving, so there are probably a lot of people who would have no real use for it. They'd probably be annoyed at the prospect of having to buy a car with it standard, knowing that the cost of it has been incorporated into the selling price. Replies to this message: nippononly (Jul 02, 2008 7:58 am) podred (Jul 02, 2008 8:17 am) nippononly (Jul 02, 2008 8:26 am) and 6 more...
#7865 of 8570 Re: Cruise control... [andre1969] by nippononly Jul 02, 2008 (7:58 am)
Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 02, 2008 4:39 am) Toyota will do pretty much ANYTHING to strip down its cheaper cars in the pursuit of a rock-bottom base price. I imagine there are still plenty of people who don't want or care about cruise control too, so I can understand them not making it standard. But geez, cruise has been around for ages and ages, it should be at least OPTIONAL on every car sold these days IMO. I won't buy a car without it, since I use it every day.   bumpy: if they don't shoot for WRX acceleration times, I think they could easily put a 60 mpg iQ on our shores. The thing is tiny and light. Give it a 10-sec 0-60, and that will be no sweat.   There was also some talk/rumor recently that they might bring the Aygo to the U.S., which I think would also be a great idea. There's a car that can genuinely seat four, or two plus lots of stuff, and pull 50 mpg in that daily commute. Again, provided the U.S. model has the acceleration times the European Aygo does. If they make it a little speedster instead, mileage will drop. That would be a BAD idea. Replies to this message: podred (Jul 02, 2008 8:17 am) nippononly (Jul 02, 2008 8:26 am) ateixeira (Jul 02, 2008 9:32 am) and 5 more...
#7866 of 8570 Re: Yay [plekto] by podred Jul 02, 2008 (8:05 am)
Replying to: plekto (Jul 01, 2008 2:03 pm) My only gripe is    TOYOTA - If anyone from your HQ is reading this by some miracle - bring it to the U.S. *now*. Don't wait a year or two. I'd buy one in an instant.So would several people I know.   I could not agree more! Toyota is too cautious, and conservative. Unfortunately they can afford to be. A fine example of their indecisive ways in certain cases is their Minivan which was only about oh... 10 years later than most. And yet they still sell them at a handsome profit.

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