Test drove a Yaris

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
There's no way I could commute 100 miles a day with a panther. The seats are so comfortable, they ride so nice ... I would fall asleep driving.


What is the torque convertor like? I find having it unlock constantly in Toyota's to drive me nuts. Maybe in dead silent car where I can't hear it I wouldn't care... but it'd still make me think I was wearing it out.

Still, even 28mpg is on the low side for a commuter I'd think.

 

[IndyIan]

I was quite impressed with my friends early 2000's Echo hatchback. VVTi engine with decent power, great mileage, nice 5spd manual ratios, and had good steering feel and firm suspension. With some skinny snow tires it would be a fine winter commuter too.
The hatches were all made in Japan as well, and the sedans were designed for the N.A. market and built here, but that may have changed with the Yaris?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Miller88
There's no way I could commute 100 miles a day with a panther. The seats are so comfortable, they ride so nice ... I would fall asleep driving.


What is the torque convertor like? I find having it unlock constantly in Toyota's to drive me nuts. Maybe in dead silent car where I can't hear it I wouldn't care... but it'd still make me think I was wearing it out.

Still, even 28mpg is on the low side for a commuter I'd think.


The torque converter always seemed to stay locked on the highway for me. The civilian 'vics have 2.73:1 rear ends. When you're running down the highway at 55, the engine is pretty much idling. You don't hear anything.

 

[BearZDefect]

On a flat highway I imagine all automatics will keep the TCC engaged. It's when you have hilly terrain that the now-too-tall top gear results in TCC unlocks and even downshifts.

It also depends on how fast you're driving - the faster you drive the faster the engine runs in top gear. Despite the increased wind resistance, this still leaves more reserve for climbing hills at higher speeds than at 55 MPH for example.

 

[supton]

My truck seems best at 60mph. At 70mph or more, particularly with a full load of people, and esp if it's warm out, likes to unlock for anything looking like a slope. But at 60 I can often keep it locked up... but once I hit 6% or so, and esp if it drops much below 60, it'll unlock. It just doesn't want to crank out much torque below 2k, let alone at 1,500 (which is 60).

That it unlocks all the quicker the faster I drive is not really surprising. It's in a flat spot in the torque curve--it's not rising very fast. Even if it was rising at a linear rate the wind load is rising at an exponential rate.

The Yaris, unfortunately I had the sales guy so no flogging. But on a slight slope I could feel it unlock once under a slight throttle increase. Then again, 2 people in the car is a heavy load for the 1.5L... I was at 70mph, which was 3k on the tach. Again a decent load for something arguably underpowered.

I have a nasty habit brought on by years of driving stick. I tend to pulse throttle instead of gently rolling into it. The aggressive tip-in on my Toyota's is taming that, but I still don't like how mild throttle is read as a command to unlock. To me responsive is direct connection of engine to wheels, not "engage the rubber band connector!" that an unlocked convertor is.

Seriously: on the hill before my house (while driving my truck) I was at 1,300rpm and it unlocked, and rpm's shot up to 1,800rpm. Mild throttle changes then makes it feel like a rubber band, going from 1,700 to almost 1,900 with ease.

 

[supton]

Oh, and I live in NH. "Flat" land is considered something of a mythical entity around here. I bicycle in the summer, and have learned that it is indeed possible to spend more time going up hills than down.

 

[BearZDefect]

No flat terrain around here either.

And we're on the same page about transmission programming and TCC disengagement.

If any of these vehicles we're discussing would cruise around 2,500 RPM the engine output would be enough for almost all the hills. But then the manufacturer would have to post a lower MPG.

My old 1997 i30 spins around 2,500 RPM at legal highway speeds. It will climb all the interstate inclines at that speed within many hundreds of miles without unlocking the TCC. If we kept these Toyota 6-speed autos in 5th they could probably do the same.

I am not against tall top gears. With a manual I can see the hill coming, notice if the engine can't keep up, then downshift to 5th with no torque converter mush slush.

 

[rslifkin]

In the Jeep, I added a manual TC lockup switch to fix the issue. It wasn't bad about unlocking under throttle, but it unlocks whenver you let off, which around 40 - 45 mph gets really annoying (it'll happily lug along at 1100 - 1300 rpm at that speed in 4th). On the highway, it turns 1800 at 60, 2100 at 70 and will walk up any hill you put in front of it (even 7% grades) with power to spare without unlocking the TC or downshifting. The programming and gearing works well together in that sense.

Newer cars tend to have less low end torque, it seems, combined with tall top gears, which makes climbing hills smoothly a tough issue.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Miller88
There's no way I could commute 100 miles a day with a panther. The seats are so comfortable, they ride so nice ... I would fall asleep driving.


What is the torque convertor like? I find having it unlock constantly in Toyota's to drive me nuts. Maybe in dead silent car where I can't hear it I wouldn't care... but it'd still make me think I was wearing it out.

Still, even 28mpg is on the low side for a commuter I'd think.


No idea...can't hear it.

 

[JustinH]

I did not find the bench seats in my 08 Marquis comfortable at all.

However, I did drive 900 miles in one week all over Florida in a 4 door Yaris, and that was fine.

The newer cars have better constructed seats, much better than a bench where I would fight my body sliding all over.

 

[CharBaby]

Jumping in late here!

A retired(like myself) friend of mine, always drove large cars(Boats). Now that his wife is gone, he bought a used Yaris 2 door hatch. He loves it!

He says it drive better(not as quiet) than most of the Boats that he's had in the past and gets waaaaay better MPG. He only runs around town and some quick 30-45 minute highway driving to visit his son & daughter and their families.

It's roomy & comfortable inside and is quite solid feeling enough for him. And, he loves the hatchback for those few trips to HD.

Should he visits his brothers in PA or OH, he rents a larger car for the trip for the particular holiday or weekend. He doesn't like traveling on the hiwy for more than 4-5 hrs so, the larger car works perfectly. He always says..."why should I put the wear & tear on my little car"!

But as stated, he loves this Yaris. It's easy on gas, easy to drive and easy to clean inside/outside...Done!

He can gas up, wash/vacuum the car and get back to the game on TV with his toasted cheese sandwich & glass of milk on a TV Tray!

Since he's lost his wife 2 yrs ago, I haven't seen him this happy! Now, all he needs is a small dog to keep him company!

 

[hotwheels]

Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Since he's lost his wife 2 yrs ago, I haven't seen him this happy!


!!!

hotwheels

 

[CharBaby]

hotwheels,

I think that time has now passed and he's moving on. Learning to live alone without a mate and being close to family and friends have helped much.

A NEW-ish car is just one small piece to the start of his happiness.

He sold the big house and moved to a condo.

Still close to his children/grandchildren.

The new car(different from the past boats).

He's eating better again.

Getting out more than before and seeing friends again(me in particular).

Dressing sharp again(after looking rundown and tired).

I dread the day that this happens to me(loss of a spouse).

 

[supton]

Have to admit, losing ones partner after several decades is a major adjustment. It can be like losing part of one's body--if you were close, you just lost a part of yourself. Worse in old age, after losing parents and then friends.

Glad to hear he is adjusting. I certainly don't look forward to this in my life, but I take solace in the fact that I'm older, and in her family the women live long lifes. And, speaking impartially, she's more likely to better adjust to me dying than the other way round.

*

I liked the two door Yaris. I need to sit in a 4 door hatch, as I fear the shorter doors might impact egress. But I'm not sure what would bug me more: that automatic or the kids getting in/out of the backseat. But the 2 door stick hatch felt "lifely" and "fun". I mean, I didn't take cloverleafs as hard as I could, so perhaps it'd be leaning tower of dissappointment. But certainly felt like a fun city car. Three gloveboxes? Sign me up!

 

[datech]

Trying a car out for a week on your regular routes would probably be a big help in deciding what to get. I wonder if there is a 'rent-a-wreck' type place near that you could get some cars to try out?

 

[CharBaby]

I guess if my buddy was buying a new Yaris, he would have gotten the 4 door or 4 door Hatch. But, since it was used at a good price, it is what it is!

And as I've mentioned, he loves the car! There are two things that come to mind about his particular Yaris that he's not keen on.

The center mounted speedometer
and
the fact that it is a 2 door because, the two doors are kind'a long-ish in between other cars.

 

[supton]

What bugs me is that the 5 door hatch was never available in stick. The sedan was available with stick, as was the 3 door; but the 5 door is stuck as auto-only.

I didn't mind the center mounted spedometer. Maybe it's something that would bug me over time. Then again, where do GPS's go when one buys an aftermarket one? Right there. Heck, after about 5 min of using, I'm finding that I look at my GPS for both my current speed *and* what the posted limit is! Ok, I have no intentions of not paying attention to the signs on the road, but it's nice to see both in the same display at the same time. Speed info, location, directions... Argh, I'm getting spoiled!

That reminds me, other than the unavailability of stickshifts the one thing that bugged me was the lack of a outdoor temp guage. I know I could fix that for like $5 but still. Such a little thing, and suddenly I expect it.

 

[hotwheels]

Originally Posted By: Char Baby
hotwheels,

I think that time has now passed and he's moving on. Learning to live alone without a mate and being close to family and friends have helped much.

A NEW-ish car is just one small piece to the start of his happiness.

He sold the big house and moved to a condo.

Still close to his children/grandchildren.

The new car(different from the past boats).

He's eating better again.

Getting out more than before and seeing friends again(me in particular).

Dressing sharp again(after looking rundown and tired).

I dread the day that this happens to me(loss of a spouse).


So what you meant say was not that "Since he's lost his wife 2 yrs ago, I haven't seen him this happy!" but that he hasn't been happy since losing his wife. Opposite meanings there.

hotwheels