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

What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?

8660 messages,  Last post on Nov 30, 2009 at 8:22 AM

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

#7859 of 8660 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 8660 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 8660 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 8660 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 8660 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 8660 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 8660 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 8660 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.
#7867 of 8660 Re: Cruise control... [nippononly] by podred Jul 02, 2008 (8:17 am)
Replying to: nippononly (Jul 02, 2008 7:58 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.   Don't get me wrong, I'm not sticking up for Toyota, however every mfg strips their entry level models. Even my 06 MINI Cooper S, was very basic and did not include cruise, it was a $240 option. Considering they pre-wire every MINI for cruise and all that was involved was the switch, that's a handsome price to pay. By the time I was done equipping (I ordered the car) it with all the options I wanted it added another $10,000 to the price. Back to the Yaris, yes I do agree with you the cruise should at least be an option, but again, here is where Toyota, and Honda for that matter, ship cars to the dealers with "popular option packages" over which no one but Toyota has any control. Finally just a bit more insight into how Toyota and Honda operate. I decided I wanted a Toyota Highlander, I live in Northern CA, but found much better dealer discounts in Los Angeles. I drive down to buy a new Highlander, only to find that unlike Northern CA where they have heated seats, in So Cal Toyota "thinks" that they do not want them and I confirmed this after calling 12 dealers everyone of whom said, sorry no heated seats. Thus packages are shipped according to regions within the very same state. Sheesh! Replies to this message: nippononly (Jul 02, 2008 8:26 am) ateixeira (Jul 02, 2008 9:32 am) plekto (Jul 02, 2008 9:41 am) and 3 more... nippononly (Jul 02, 2008 12:08 pm)
#7868 of 8660 Re: Cruise control... [podred] by nippononly Jul 02, 2008 (8:26 am)
Replying to: podred (Jul 02, 2008 8:17 am) Oh yes, Toyota is totally annoying when it comes to what it "thinks" each region "should" have, and not making anything else available in that region.   But in the case of the Yaris hatches, it was not even a matter of "popular option packages", cruise was just unavailable from the factory, period. That needed righting, and I'm glad that for the '09 MY they will do just that.   It's just plain absurd that Mini Coopers didn't (and still don't?) have standard cruise at their price point.   My local dealer has a very nice Yaris 'S' hatch, white, stick shift, with power package and alloys. The sticker is about $15K, but it does not have either cruise or keyless entry at that price. So to add those two items if I were buying the car for myself, the price would be about $16K for me. That's the same price as a Fit Sport, which has those items standard, as well as better handling, a much better stereo, immobilizer alarm, a better stick, and two extra doors for those occasional back seat passengers (mainly my nieces).   I am glad that Toyota offers the Yaris, and will offer more small cars in the future, but right now I think the Honda is a better deal unless you want a basic, stripped car, in which case the Yaris can be had for $12K or less with a CD and A/C. I think those less expensive Yarii are a steal. Replies to this message: ateixeira (Jul 02, 2008 9:32 am) plekto (Jul 02, 2008 9:41 am) ateixeira (Jul 02, 2008 10:01 am) and 2 more... nippononly (Jul 02, 2008 12:08 pm)

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