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[autodom]

2017 Toyota Yaris IA - The good , the bad, and the decision.

I’ve been driving this toyota For about a year now. Give or take a few months . It’s been an exceptional little car. Efficient Mazda engine, leftover scion appearance and a generally decent car.

The good

1- Fuel economy can’t be overlooked even with gas prices steady. They will likely rise again and cars like this are a good alternative to hybrids (for now). It’s an all gas 106hp engine from Mazda that gets about 35-40 mpg average. I’ve seen 32 in the city and 44 on the highway but my lead foot keeps a steady “too and from” mpg of 36.5. It handles regular fuel with our issue. The tank, tiny. About 9 gallons (as you can tell I don’t actually look everything up but rather describe the experience). 9 gallons means you can fill up and drive 300+ miles for almost a 20$ bill. Rare these days. If you ask me personally, it comes with out the confusion or confusing tech that some hybrids offer. I don’t disregard hybrids, but they do have a lot of tech and sometimes issues that can escalate repair bills.

2- the Bluetooth. I’ll be quick on this one. I’ve had cars from 2012 and on with Bluetooth tech from a few Manufacturers and this little econobox has the simplest and most responsive Bluetooth connectivity. No recurring disconnect or reconnect issues.

3- safety. It did quite well , from what I saw, on the ihsa crash tests. Surprising for such a small car. I have a small child and I was nervous but I now have some trust after so minor digging and a few videos.

4- the trunk. What are you going to do with all that junk? Put it in the back of this f***ing monster trunk. The trunk on the Yaris ia was the final buying point for me. The size is well above what I thought was feasible for these sized cars. I’m able to perform majority of my tasks and a few hobbies with the space. I don’t know about full family road trips with luggage or things of that nature, but for an economy commuter car, it’s exceptional.

5- the steering wheel. Sharp and precise, but the magic is having most of your necessary controls right there on the wheel. Trivial ? Maybe since all cars seem to have them but it’s nice that these compact cars are coming with some good convienence features that were previously left for the the nice models.

The bad

1- power . There isn’t much. I understand it’s not the point of such a car but as an automotive enthusiast, I get frustrated at some times during normal passing or lane changing scenarios. While turning is sharp and the ride is reasonable, it lacks the ability to charge full force into fast rush hour traffic. Rest easy in the fact that when the highway comes to a halt, you be able to relax in a reasonably comfortable , quiet and convenient car.

2- infotainment system. While your still stuck in a stand still, barely using any fuel, you’ll be able to tinker with. Touch screen/wheel controlled infotainment system. It is different with a wheel/button, knob control behind the gear selector as well as the touch screen on the dashboard. The appearance is pleasing but it takes some getting use to and can be frustrating to find songs or stations. It’s trivial but I found it aggravating at the worst times. Trying to select my presets was a challenge because you don’t have the typical buttons to jump from channel to channel . You now must use the control wheel or the seek button on the steering wheel to select your media.

3- weight. Directly linked to the phenomenal fuel economy is a very light car. Not usually an issue but you will have to deleiver some input to the wheel during windy days. More than most conventional vehicles I’ve drove.

4- heating. It will bake you out . The HVAC is appropriate but doesn’t come with an auto setting. This is survivable to me, so my issue is more with this: on very cold days (seems to be under 20f) , the engine takes a very long time to heat up enough for comfort. Trivial to some but I try to warm the car up for my sons comfort and after 7 minutes, there seems to be little change. If it was myself, id let it be but some may find issue with this.

Decision- at $17k , yes, would buy again. I have about 8k miles on mine and I’d buy it again under different circumstances. I’ve told my wife before, the car is great and that’s kind of my issue. Being an enthusiast, I look for more out of my driving experience. I don’t have the schedule for track days and lots of modifications generally speaking so I thoroughly enjoy my “to and from” rides. I have not found anything yet that would logically deter a reasonable person in this market.

[autodom]

[autodom]

What some might call my child in a car seat, others might call my co-driver . Here he can be seen helping with weight distribution and he does this for a measly 5 yogurt drops a trip.

[autodom]

After much thought, I’ve decided to keep the red rocket ship. If all works out, I’ll have another cheap daily and turn this thing into the monster I want it to be. We’ll see what happens . It’s too much fun to part with for now. I’ve regretted getting rid of the last two fun cars I had. I don’t want to do that again.

[autodom]

I maintain my stance on the Subaru. It may not be the stellar achiever it used to be, but if you ask me, it's like an old rifle. It is battle proven and has seen victories in its day. Technology changes everything and I can't tell if suburb is making minor improvements merely to keep cost down while staying mildly competitive. I love my Subaru and I am bias, however, I do not under estimate the performance and design of the ford and vw. I have not driven either of them so it would be wrong of me as an enthusiast to completely dismiss these cars. The ford itself has some progress to make. I know the rs has been in place in Europe for year, but it's a new design and that can have great or terrible long term consequences. Knowing fords progress lately, I think is car will be an exceptional performer. The vw is what it is. Reminds me much of the evo mr in various features. The lack of storage was a negative with me as I require slightly more versatility. That does not diminish from the cars heritage and general performance. It holds its own when I see it on the street, and this article verifies that for me. I won't go into the Subaru quite yet. Since I personally own a '15 STI , I will just lob my personally review in with my personal history of cars. Good read, educate and enjoy. (Disclaimer- these are my opinions only and as an enthusiast, I like every car for what it is)

[autodom]

this is my first car. Sorry I have no other pictures. Actually took time and money for pictures when I had this beauty. My first ride. The point at which ones life is no longer limited by the walking or bike riding distance. At the time, for only a few dollars, an adventure was one pedal away. The car was a 1987 Buick Regal custom. I was excited because it was the same year and make as the Buick grand national I long for to this day. It was a car that was big in my family and now I felt as if I could blend in. I purchased the car from my aunt for $300 which I made working part time at Kmart. It was exciting. The outside- it's about perspective. To average joe , this is your average beater . Brown faded GM paint. Cracked vinyl top. The rust spots behind the wheel well and flares. Bits of chrome hanging or missing completely . The very definition of the automotive middle age. You know it's got some miles on it but it also got some miles left. The inside- worn felt material, seating for 6 if I remember correctly. Blown speakers and an occasional cigarette burn. Power windows that worked, power locks that didn't. I would spend a decent portion of my high school years leaning over the foldable center arm rest. The overall- the gas tank leaked . I was afraid to let my friends smoke near by in fear it would ignite the fumes and turned my chariot into a blackened pumpkin. You could only fill the tank with about $5-$7 worth of gas or it would leak. Eat your heart out EPA. Thankfully gas was only about $1.00-$1.50 Many of my friends called it the "couch" . Ironically, people didn't want to ride shotgun, but rather the back seat where a few teenagers could stretch out and sleep. Later , I put a few tires on it, found out someone plugged my exhaust, but since the muffler was so rusted out, I never noticed problem. The small block olds 307 was thirsty by anyone's standards . The quadrajet 4 barrel carb was never adjusted and was probably too much to begin with. Never a mechanical issue until the inevitable The tail end- smashed the couch right into the back of a late model dodge minivan . Car still ran. People in the van were fine . I swear to this day , that can had no brake lights. No excuses for poor following distance though. My brother seized the vehicle and it made its way through a few seasons of racing with his friends. Actually track racing. They had turned it into a decent little stock car. After a few wrecks, I pretty sure that beautiful brown beast made her last journey to the junk yard. Her death was probably quick since most of her was stripped for weight reduction at the track. I could probably do another post on just the stories that car could tell. Maybe one day.