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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#11 of 15 Re: I agree... [hpmctorque] by nippononly Jan 05, 2009 (8:20 am)
Replying to: hpmctorque (Jan 02, 2009 6:17 am) I wonder if this plan will go on hold now that the global economy is in such bad shape. After all, Toyota wanted to market this car as a "premium mini" to go after the Mini Cooper and such.
#12 of 15 Re: Toyate service on Prius would keep me from buying the IQ [bookdiva] by fourteen14 Feb 22, 2009 (2:22 pm)
Replying to: bookdiva (Oct 19, 2008 2:40 pm) ""I just stayed with my Plymouth minivan which gets 24 mpg with 169,000 miles on her. I drive like a grandma."" You don't have to drive an old minivan to get good mileage! I have a Dodge Magnum with, yes, the 340HP Hemi. 0-60 in under 6 seconds, but when I 'grandma' down the Interstate at 65 mph I get 25 mpg!!!! The iQ is cute, but Magnum to iQ for a few hundred dollars a year in fuel savings!?! I don't know!! The iQ has half the weight, gets to 60 in twice the time, and gets twice the mpg - no miracle, just physics!!
#13 of 15 Re: Toyate service on Prius would keep me from buying the IQ [bookdiva] by fourteen14 Feb 22, 2009 (2:53 pm)
Replying to: bookdiva (Oct 19, 2008 2:40 pm) ""I was so glad that I am a slow shopper. "" It may pay to shop slowly a while longer! A year ago I thought that the Smart would be great, but now, compared to the iQ, I wouldn't take a Smart as a gift!! Next I hear that Hyundai may offer a 'city car'! Seeing what they did with the Azera and Genesis, a Hyundai 'city car' may eclipse the Smart and the iQ with high quality and excellent design at a much lower price!! PS: What I would really love is a 'watch pocket rocket'! A tiny but comfortable, light weight, high quality, powerful, great handling car that would also get very good MPG!!!! Like a safe, enclosed, high performance motorcycle with four wheels!! Replies to this message: plekto (Feb 23, 2009 12:11 am) fourteen14 (Feb 23, 2009 3:01 pm)
#14 of 15 Re: Toyate service on Prius would keep me from buying the IQ [fourteen14] by plekto Feb 23, 2009 (12:11 am)
Replying to: fourteen14 (Feb 22, 2009 2:53 pm) You just described the future(to the U.S. at least) Fiat 500. The higher power version is quick, it's neat looking, light, tiny, seats 4, and apparently isn't half bad in terms of reliability(scores consistently higher than the Smart in any case). http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=121677 Good things come to those who wait. And 4 seats plus a real manual gearbox? Toyota and Mercedes have forgotten that it's not about a yuppie toy. It's about a small fun little car that's relatively cheap and straightforward in design.(the base model in Italy is about 10K Euros) And the level of customization is silly. Mini-esque silly, in fact. http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2011-fiat-500.htm Note the 0-60 time... estimated at 9.3 seconds. The Smart and the IQ unfortunately can't come close to that. http://www.motorauthority.com/future-fiat-models-detailed-in-chrysler-viability-- - plan.html Just a few days old. They spilled all their future plans to the government. Nice. Replies to this message: fourteen14 (Feb 23, 2009 3:01 pm)
#15 of 15 Re: Toyate service on Prius would keep me from buying the IQ [plekto] by fourteen14 Feb 23, 2009 (3:01 pm)
Replying to: plekto (Feb 23, 2009 12:11 am) My favorite car 35 years ago was the 1974 Fiat X1/9. What a ball to drive and economical too! Fiat took the transaxle and suspension from the front of their 128 FWD compact, and used it for the mid-engine rear drive X1/9. Two seats in front of the engine, less than 2000#, SOHC 1.3L 75HP engine, four speed manual, disc brakes, Targa roof, and both a front and a rear trunk. With most of it's weight in the center of the car, it was super responsive and handled like a large go-cart or a small Ferrari! It wasn't quick, but very willing, and could break plenty of traffic laws if you wanted to!! Well over 35 mpg. Although tiny, only 150.8" long and 46.1" high, it was roomy and quite comfortable for my 6'-2" 200# frame. With the Targa roof removed, and the rollbar and window behind you, there was no wind turbulence in the cockpit. Great fun car!!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_X1/9 .