Article Comments - 2009 Toyota iQ First Drive

15 messages, Last post on Feb 23, 2009 at 3:01 PM

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First Drive: 2009 Toyota iQ - First Impressions: It's clever and fuel-efficient, but will it make Europeans pay attention?(more)

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#1 of 15 Article Comments - 2009 Toyota iQ First Drive by KarenS HOST Aug 28, 2008 (11:14 am)
Squeezing our 6-foot-3 frame behind the thick, sporty steering wheel of the 2009 Toyota iQ, we immediately notice just how spacious the cabin feels. Only when you're standing outside the Toyota iQ do you realize how short it is, less than 10 feet long from the tip of the front bumper to the end of the back bumper. First Drive: 2009 Toyota iQ Replies to this message: nippononly (Aug 28, 2008 11:40 am) johnr1 (Aug 29, 2008 2:25 am) plekto (Sep 03, 2008 9:04 pm)
#2 of 15 Re: Article Comments - 2009 Toyota iQ First Drive [KarenS] by nippononly Aug 28, 2008 (11:40 am)
Replying to: KarenS (Aug 28, 2008 11:14 am) I'd buy one - it will have an honest-to-goodness stick shift manual rather than the SMT the Smart ForTwo has. And room for occasional children in the back is something that I need too, another thing the ForTwo can't offer. 54 mpg in the Euro cycle isn't that good though - it would translate under 50 mpg combined in the States I think. Which for a car under 2000 pounds with a 0-60 of 14 seconds doesn't seem that good to me. Maybe I could opt for the diesel, or maybe they could improve the fuel economy a bit. Obviously my discussion is mostly moot, as there is little to no chance Toyota will bring the car to the U.S., especially if gas prices now remain flat for a couple of years. Too bad.
#3 of 15 Tired... by ihop23947 Aug 28, 2008 (5:42 pm)
I wish toyota would bring this to the states. I am tired of automakers assuming we wouldn't buy cars like these. Just like they assume we don't want diesels, etc. There are so many great cars sold else where and not here. The iQ looks like another one of those. Why do we have to wait for $6.00 a gallon gas to be able to get something like this? You don't want to be one of those conspiracy nuts, but...you gotta wonder. People aren't buying the smart just because of its MPG - in fact, in my opinion the MPG is horrible compared to a civic which has a lot more to offer for the same money WITH a much better warranty (the smart only has a 24 month warranty!). People are buying the smart because its different! They want to be seen in it, thats something rare in the automotive world. I agree with the MPG comment, you would expect more from such a small, light car. At least the iQ will haul a bit more than a smart, another plus. Maybe its me, but the automaker who comes out with a car this size with a hot little engine in it is really going to have a hit. Check out the smartuki. A smart with a hyabusa motorcycle engine in it. Impractical? Sure. But so what! : P A motorcycle engine would be efficient and really rev up the excitment factor. A small car doesn't have to be slow or boring, another WRONG assumption automakers make.
#4 of 15 Re: Article Comments - 2009 Toyota iQ First Drive [KarenS] by johnr1 Aug 29, 2008 (2:25 am)
Replying to: KarenS (Aug 28, 2008 11:14 am) The article suggests some trick is available to get three adults in this car, but looking at the photos, I don't see how that is possible. Replies to this message: plekto (Sep 03, 2008 9:04 pm)
#5 of 15 Re: Article Comments - 2009 Toyota iQ First Drive [johnr1] by plekto Sep 03, 2008 (9:04 pm)
Replying to: johnr1 (Aug 29, 2008 2:25 am) The dash in the front passenger area is curved and essentially GONE, other than for a small glove box and airbag.(think 1960s VW bug - very minimalistic dash there. That allows the passenger to sit a good foot or two farther forward and still be safe and not have their knees hit anything. That, with the foot longer rear end, gives you just enough space to fit a third adult,, though like a VW bug, it'll be a bit cramped. But for a kid, it's fine. The 4th is really maybe a child seat only. Think Porsche 911 rear seat on that one and VW Bug for the one behind the passenger. But, you CAN fit that child. If Honda had even put in a single child seat mount in the Insight, it would have sold twice as well. That third seat is non negotiable in the U.S. market. Smart needs to quickly figure that out and make a three person version ASAP. Maybe a foot longer "wagon" version.
#6 of 15 Toyate service on Prius would keep me from buying the IQ by bookdiva Oct 19, 2008 (2:40 pm)
I went on a lot of forums, including the Edmunds forums while considering a Prius. It took me over a year to consider whether or not to purchase a Prius. I was so glad that I am a slow shopper. During that year enough problems surfaced with the Prius, the HUGE repair prices and the arrogant sevice departments that I have opted not to buy any vehicles that can only be serviced buy the manufacturer. I just stayed with my Plymouth minivan which gets 24 mpg with 169,000 miles on her. I drive like a grandma. Sometimes being green means sticking with what you have and not feeding consumerism and sometimes the cheapest car you can get is the one you already own. Just my opinion. Replies to this message: fourteen14 (Feb 22, 2009 2:22 pm) fourteen14 (Feb 22, 2009 2:53 pm) plekto (Feb 23, 2009 12:11 am) fourteen14 (Feb 23, 2009 3:01 pm)
#7 of 15 skip the rear seat by johnr1 Oct 20, 2008 (2:22 am)
For the iQ in N. Am, IIRC talk was that it would have the same engine as the Yaris. IMO for N Am they should drop the rear seat, save the expense of a rear air bag, and pick up some room for a spare tire. (JDM car will not have a spare.) I think there will still be enough buyers for a two seater. People who need more room can go to a Yaris.
#8 of 15 Car and Driver by nippononly Nov 05, 2008 (8:58 am)
has a new article on the iQ this month, and what they are saying is very interesting if it turns out to be true. Specifically: - Toyota IS now planning to bring this to the U.S. in 2010, as a competitor to the ForTwo and the Mini - As such, it will sell as a premium small car, with prices possibly approaching $20K for fully loaded models - It will use the 1.3L engine Toyota already uses in other parts of the world. This engine produces 100 hp (the car weighs only 1900 pounds, so it will be VERY spry with so much power), yet should achieve at least 40 mpg combined in the new EPA test (for comparison, the ForTwo achieves 38 mpg combined on the same test). As for the Yaris reference in one of the posts above, they expect that they may start selling a base trim Yaris with the 1.3 also, to bring the base price down to compete with Nissan's new base model Versa. I love this news, because premium small cars are my cup of tea and so few and far between in the U.S. Indeed, I am most surprised that Toyota is hatching such a plan, as I would have expected them to strip the car to the bare metal, offer no options whatsoever, give it zero handling and power, and sell it for $9995. Instead, it may actually sell for a higher average price than the Yaris if this vision is fully realized. And as to seating, this thing is sort of a "3+1" - the front passenger seat is mounted further forward to allow room for a (small) adult in the rear seat on that side. On the driver's side, there is a seat big enough to mount a child car seat, and not much else. So you could potentially carry two kids and an adult quite easily in this thing. I agree that one of Insight's downfalls was its lack of any seating at all beyond two people. That is also probably a limiting factor on ForTwo's sales now, although it is selling better than expected even so. Oh yeah, and 9 airbags will be standard, including a curtain airbag over the rear hatch for back seat passengers.... If this thing turns out to have any kind of decent handling, it will be in the running for my next car. Running against it will be Honda's new CRX (called CRZ currently) and Toyota's own jointly developed RWD sport coupe that Subaru is helping to design, also for 2010.
#9 of 15 iQ in US: Highly Possible by PikachuRacer Dec 25, 2008 (1:09 pm)
Loads of sites have claimed the Toyota iQ is to possibly come out in the United States, yet would be re-badged as a Scion. They also claim the engine and transmissions would be straight out of the US-spec Toyota Yaris. In a way, I agree that this could be coming to the US. This is the perfect rival to the Smart Fortwo (which is approaching it's 2nd year in the US). Now I think the Toyota iQ would be great in the United States now more than ever. With gas prices soon to rise again, more city-car based cars would be great (as long as they are safe). Like the Smart, the iQ is built with safety in mind (9 airbags which includes the first rear hatch-mounted airbag? now that's a smart idea for any subcompact hatchback)! I also agree that it is possible for this to be a Scion. Besides, it has the lowercase/capital labeling that is known from Scion (you know, xA, xB, xD, and tC). Toyota iQ would be perfectly set in Scion's lineup, along with the "love it or hate it" design aspect. I think this is a nice car, I would buy one, and I would like to see this arrive stateside with all the basic features shown for the European model at a starting price tag between $12,000 and $14,000. It's nimble, looks safer than a Smart Fortwo, and with the possible engine/transmission choices... a better all-around car. Now the Toyota (Scion) iQ... that's really a "Smart Car"!
#10 of 15 I agree... by hpmctorque Jan 02, 2009 (6:17 am)
...completely with nippon and pika on the IQ. It outsmarts the Smart. Bring it on! Replies to this message: nippononly (Jan 05, 2009 8:20 am)