Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Automotive News & Views What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?
8685 messages, Last post on Dec 04, 2009 at 5:05 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 02, 2008 4:39 am) 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.
|
|
|
Replying to: plekto (Jul 01, 2008 2:03 pm) 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. |
|
|
Replying to: nippononly (Jul 02, 2008 7:58 am) 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!
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: podred (Jul 02, 2008 8:17 am) 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.
|
|
|
Replying to: nippononly (Jul 02, 2008 8:26 am)
|
|
|
Replying to: ateixeira (Jul 02, 2008 9:32 am) Three people at my work have bought them. I'll probably be #4 when the 5 door comes out.
|
|
|
Replying to: plekto (Jul 02, 2008 9:41 am) We have a Garmin c340 and a Nuvi 200 widescreen.
|
|
|
Replying to: ateixeira (Jul 02, 2008 10:01 am) The new GPS units are amazing as well - little handheld device shows you local real-time traffic, where to get gas, where to eat... the list gets better every year. For a fancy map, the Auto Club has great local maps for free.
|
|
|
Replying to: plekto (Jul 02, 2008 11:46 am) I tested out a Dash model that had traffic info and even gas prices, but I found the traffic was very unreliable, only accurate about half the time. Gas prices were very useful, though. With portables the innovations keep coming all the time, so they're not only cheaper, but likely offer more features as well. I want gas prices and traffic on my next one. |
|
You are here:
Forums
Automotive News & Views What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2010 Nissan Versa
2010 Toyota Yaris
2010 Honda Fit
2009 smart fortwo
2010 MINI Cooper
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
