JHZR2
Staff member
OK, I might as well start off with this statement... I transferred from an 08 yaris to an 08 civic, and IMO, the Yaris is a superior vehicle!
-The yaris is a small appliance vehicle. Nothing about it is flashy, but what it does, it does well, and what is poor about it is somewhat forgivable.
-the seats are surprisingly comfortable, and the cabin (4dr) fits my 6ft 5 person pretty well. The seats are made with a foam that has a "memory" characteristic it seems (relatively high yield, then a controlled compression) and they hug you more than others (like in my civic) which are made more like multiple rectangles of foam stitched together. There is ample headroom and the view is quite good.
-The outside mirrors are of a good size to provide a decent view. In the car, you feel that you have a good view all around you, and are aware.
-The AT shifts smooth and downshifts well. The engine has plenty of power to do 80 MPH all over south CA, across the mountains on freeway 101. while it will loose steam going up steep hills, a downshift regains power and ability to keep up very easily.
-youre not going anywhere very fast. Though its quicker, the yaris has less 'pep' than my 62 hp 1981 MB 240D. It is uninspiring under acceleration, even if floored. That said, the engine is willing to rev. At WOT, the engine revs up to redline faster and more willingly than the engine in the civic. All this means is that you need to drive a bit harder when need be, and be a bit more aware of the car's operation. You need to think a bit about the car's operation and not just mash the go-pedal. its really no big deal though...
-The cabin is pretty darn quiet at high speeds. doing 75-80 in CA is far quieter than my civic that I have now. There is far less road buzz and noise translated through the cabin. When the engine downshifts, it roars a bit, but it is more pleasant than the buzzy sound of other small engines.
-handling isnt as secure as, say a civic, but the yaris has far smaller and cheaper tires. Quick motions are not inspiring, with a feel of roll. Not a big deal for an appliance that is used for short driving and commuting, which gets me to my next point...
-the driving position is OK, but there is an issue with layout. There is plenty of legroom with the seat back, but the steering wheel isnt angled and spaced such that a really comfortable driving position. Having the seat far enough back to be comfortable on the legs means that you have to stretch out.Having the seat up to make the steering wheel in comfortable reach means that there is too tight a footwell. I dont necessarily expect a telescoping wheel (which the civic has, and is really nice), but at the same time, I know that vehicles with tilt only, or non-configurable steering can still be comfortable if designed right. This makes the yaris a somewhat poor long-distance car compared to the civic in terms of comfort. Still, it is quieter, and actually tackles hills at speed with less hunting and rapid upshifting/downshifting...
-The center speedometer isnt bad. I like the green "cool" idiot light, though I wish that more information, like coolant temperature, outside temperature, MPG, etc. upon demand. Some GM cars dont have temp gauges either, and IMO, thats OK, but having the ability to get an actual reading of such an important metric is a good thing. The speedometer and tach gauges themselves look really nice and from a higher end car than the yaris is.
-The radio is terrible. The sound system is too bassy, too boomy, and not clear enough. The radio display is tough to see unless it is nighttime, and is nearly impossible to view with polarized sunglasses. This is a safety issue, IMO.
-The AC cools well. It cools faster than the civic I have now, though apparently this is a known issue with the civic (slow cooling, especially at low speed).
Overall, I think the yaris is a superior car to the civic. Is it cheaper feeling? for sure... Its a less desirable car than the civic, because overall the civic feels more pleasant (though I did really like the form and shape of the yaris's seats), and a better driving position can be had. I didnt think Id like the civic's upstairs/downstairs type setup, but I do (though its weak on info). I like the center high speedometer in the yaris, and the yaris does it well enough. To me, either way is a non-issue. The ergonomics on the civic's dash (radio and HVAC) are too busy, so they are poor. The yaris radio is hard to see, so thats a toss up too.
Im sure many will disagree and won't like this, but its how I see it after about 325 miles through south CA, and about 125 immediately after in a civic (which Im still driving). The civic is a more desirable car, and more suited for longer driving, but is also noisier, has more, more harsh shifting, worse ergonomics, and while comfortable and nice and firm... has less comfortable seats than the yaris.
That's my thought... the yaris is a good little car, especially with an MT I'd bet. Put a more capable suspension on the yaris, fix the radio ergonomics issue, and fix the steering wheel or make it telescoping setup a bit, and it is one heck of a little car, IMO.
Oh yeah, and get rid of the "S" package, spoiler, and suggestion that the car is in any way sporty...
JMH
-The yaris is a small appliance vehicle. Nothing about it is flashy, but what it does, it does well, and what is poor about it is somewhat forgivable.
-the seats are surprisingly comfortable, and the cabin (4dr) fits my 6ft 5 person pretty well. The seats are made with a foam that has a "memory" characteristic it seems (relatively high yield, then a controlled compression) and they hug you more than others (like in my civic) which are made more like multiple rectangles of foam stitched together. There is ample headroom and the view is quite good.
-The outside mirrors are of a good size to provide a decent view. In the car, you feel that you have a good view all around you, and are aware.
-The AT shifts smooth and downshifts well. The engine has plenty of power to do 80 MPH all over south CA, across the mountains on freeway 101. while it will loose steam going up steep hills, a downshift regains power and ability to keep up very easily.
-youre not going anywhere very fast. Though its quicker, the yaris has less 'pep' than my 62 hp 1981 MB 240D. It is uninspiring under acceleration, even if floored. That said, the engine is willing to rev. At WOT, the engine revs up to redline faster and more willingly than the engine in the civic. All this means is that you need to drive a bit harder when need be, and be a bit more aware of the car's operation. You need to think a bit about the car's operation and not just mash the go-pedal. its really no big deal though...
-The cabin is pretty darn quiet at high speeds. doing 75-80 in CA is far quieter than my civic that I have now. There is far less road buzz and noise translated through the cabin. When the engine downshifts, it roars a bit, but it is more pleasant than the buzzy sound of other small engines.
-handling isnt as secure as, say a civic, but the yaris has far smaller and cheaper tires. Quick motions are not inspiring, with a feel of roll. Not a big deal for an appliance that is used for short driving and commuting, which gets me to my next point...
-the driving position is OK, but there is an issue with layout. There is plenty of legroom with the seat back, but the steering wheel isnt angled and spaced such that a really comfortable driving position. Having the seat far enough back to be comfortable on the legs means that you have to stretch out.Having the seat up to make the steering wheel in comfortable reach means that there is too tight a footwell. I dont necessarily expect a telescoping wheel (which the civic has, and is really nice), but at the same time, I know that vehicles with tilt only, or non-configurable steering can still be comfortable if designed right. This makes the yaris a somewhat poor long-distance car compared to the civic in terms of comfort. Still, it is quieter, and actually tackles hills at speed with less hunting and rapid upshifting/downshifting...
-The center speedometer isnt bad. I like the green "cool" idiot light, though I wish that more information, like coolant temperature, outside temperature, MPG, etc. upon demand. Some GM cars dont have temp gauges either, and IMO, thats OK, but having the ability to get an actual reading of such an important metric is a good thing. The speedometer and tach gauges themselves look really nice and from a higher end car than the yaris is.
-The radio is terrible. The sound system is too bassy, too boomy, and not clear enough. The radio display is tough to see unless it is nighttime, and is nearly impossible to view with polarized sunglasses. This is a safety issue, IMO.
-The AC cools well. It cools faster than the civic I have now, though apparently this is a known issue with the civic (slow cooling, especially at low speed).
Overall, I think the yaris is a superior car to the civic. Is it cheaper feeling? for sure... Its a less desirable car than the civic, because overall the civic feels more pleasant (though I did really like the form and shape of the yaris's seats), and a better driving position can be had. I didnt think Id like the civic's upstairs/downstairs type setup, but I do (though its weak on info). I like the center high speedometer in the yaris, and the yaris does it well enough. To me, either way is a non-issue. The ergonomics on the civic's dash (radio and HVAC) are too busy, so they are poor. The yaris radio is hard to see, so thats a toss up too.
Im sure many will disagree and won't like this, but its how I see it after about 325 miles through south CA, and about 125 immediately after in a civic (which Im still driving). The civic is a more desirable car, and more suited for longer driving, but is also noisier, has more, more harsh shifting, worse ergonomics, and while comfortable and nice and firm... has less comfortable seats than the yaris.
That's my thought... the yaris is a good little car, especially with an MT I'd bet. Put a more capable suspension on the yaris, fix the radio ergonomics issue, and fix the steering wheel or make it telescoping setup a bit, and it is one heck of a little car, IMO.
Oh yeah, and get rid of the "S" package, spoiler, and suggestion that the car is in any way sporty...
JMH
Last edited:
