great little car and mileage - yaris

perennial · #1 07/10/08, 06:53 AM

I just had to tell you all about this.

About 3-4 months ago, hubby traded in his gas hog supreme gas sports car.
He took it to the dealer and said he wanted a Toyota Yaris - new (the value on his five year old car and yaris was the same). Unbelievably, they did the deal and gave him a check for $500. It comes in four door (what we got) or hatchback.

The Yaris is one of the best kept secrets our there - It's half the price of a
prius! It's not complex and a hydbrid and costly to fix/put new batteries in later. Hubby is getting 44 miles/p/g! Now our friends have a prius and yes, it gets between 50 and 54 on highway, BUT the secret that no one talks about is that in the winter it only gets about 35-38 mpg because the batteries get cold.

Hubby loves it and says it's even fun to drive. He has done some things to it to handle the crazy corners around here even better.

But all in all, he's getting great mileage, low cost car, regular gas, either hubby or local mechanic could fix it as it's not overly complex.

I believe you don't hear much about this car because toyota wouldn't make as much.

Jerry in MN · #2 07/10/08, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perennial

...our friends have a prius...in the winter it only gets about 35-38 mpg because the batteries get cold...

Interesting. The Prius' winter-mpg drop could be a big factor in areas with cold winters.

Rowdy · #3 07/10/08, 07:58 AM

That, and the toyota Corrolla. I've had this one for five years and 113,000 miles and besides the normal fluids and filters, I've had to replace a burnt out headlight and a $70 A/C relay. I always get at least 35 mpg, but usually right below 40 if I do my part.

perennial · #4 07/10/08, 08:02 AM

i find it interesting that nobody mentions the winter mileage on a prius. Now don't get me wrong - i'm sure there are places it would be perfect. I also, just can't imagine where all these batteries are going to go when they are no good.

Rowdy · #5 07/10/08, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perennial

i find it interesting that nobody mentions the winter mileage on a prius. Now don't get me wrong - i'm sure there are places it would be perfect. I also, just can't imagine where all these batteries are going to go when they are no good.

I like the idea of the hybrid car, and for some people it might work out. But, if one lives outside of town, a hybrid makes little sense, since one loses most of the higher MPG on the highway with a hybrid. That is not to mention the higher cost of the car to begin with. Perhaps, as times go on the car will get cheaper, but right now the smaller cars like Yaris, Corollas, Civics, etc seem the better buy for people that have out of town driving.

As for the batteries, I'm sure they'll be recycled. Lots of expensive metal. Around here people are getting about $5 a battery if I remember right (which is funny, since you get charged a fee if you have the store take your old battery.)

wy_white_wolf · #6 07/10/08, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry in MN

Interesting. The Prius' winter-mpg drop could be a big factor in areas with cold winters.

Have to find out from Solar Gary on this one. He's in Montana and has done extensive recording on the performance of his Prius.

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects...s/ourprius.htm

cfabe · #7 07/10/08, 08:39 AM

The car my wife and I have been seriously looking at is the saturn vue hybrid. It's a "mild hybrid" but it doesn't have the cost premium of a "real" hybrid and still gets quite good gas mileage for an SUV, about +6mpg over the standard Vue. So it might be worth looking into if you don't want a little tiny car like the Yaris and prefer an SUV but drive enough miles that gas mileage is really important. More expensive than the Yaris of course, but I think cheaper or about equal to the Prius and a much more useful car.

beowoulf90 · #8 07/10/08, 08:58 AM

The only problem I see is will it haul the produce to market or will it pull my trailer.... Now I already know the answer to these questions. Now for those who live in town/city I can see where they would be nice, but for those of use out in the country where road maintenance tends to be limited I don't think they will hold up to the conditions..

I'll be waiting till they make a truck with a "different" fuel source before I change... I really don't have a choice on the matter.

cchapman84 · #9 07/10/08, 09:06 AM

The other thing they don't tell you about hybrids is that the environmental impact overall is much greater than most conventional vehicles (even big gas guzzlers like Hummers). While the gas mileage is better, the batteries generally only last for about 100,000 miles, when they have to be replaced. Even if they're recycled, it's still a very energy-intensive process to recycle the old ones and create the new ones. Someone did a huge study on this a year or two ago, and compared just about every car sold in the US, and found that the Prius was on the bottom half of the list as far as being less harmful to the environment.

But there are other benefits to good gas mileage, primarily not having to spend so much on gas!!!

Rowdy · #10 07/10/08, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beowoulf90

The only problem I see is will it haul the produce to market or will it pull my trailer.... Now I already know the answer to these questions. Now for those who live in town/city I can see where they would be nice, but for those of use out in the country where road maintenance tends to be limited I don't think they will hold up to the conditions..

I'll be waiting till they make a truck with a "different" fuel source before I change... I really don't have a choice on the matter.

I live 25 miles out of town on a rutted out dirt road and have driven my corrolla for five years. Other than ground clearance, my front wheel drive corrolla is eaiser to drive in slick stuff than my truck. I've hauled quite a bit of feed in this car as well. No, it is not a heavy hauler (that is why I have the truck) but I do not drag my trailer everyday.

beowoulf90 · #11 07/10/08, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rowdy

I live 25 miles out of town on a rutted out dirt road and have driven my corrolla for five years. Other than ground clearance, my front wheel drive corrolla is eaiser to drive in slick stuff than my truck. I've hauled quite a bit of feed in this car as well. No, it is not a heavy hauler (that is why I have the truck) but I do not drag my trailer everyday.

I understand that the Corrolla gets better gas mileage then my truck and will hold up reasonably well. The problem is that I normally have anywhere from 500 to 1000 lbs of something in my truck. I may haul scrap metals out and haul straw back... your Corrolla isn't going to take that kind of abuse. Yes front wheel drive is better in the slick stuff then a rear wheel drive vehicle, but my truck is 4 wheel drive so it matches the front wheel drive.. I do own a front wheel drive car and know the differences...

During the winter I am hauling a ton of coal in my trailer to heat my home and during the summer I am hauling scrap metals and also haul our Civil War re-enacting gear in the trailer...

Like I said these little tonka toy cars and such may be fine for some, but they won't do the work required for me to even consider using them...
I guess there are only 2 ways I'm going to get one
1. When they develop a reliable truck at a reasonable price
2. When the Government forces me to give up my livelyhood and mandates that my truck is illegal. Yes, "I BELIEVE" it is heading that way. So much for freedom...

Rowdy · #12 07/10/08, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beowoulf90

I understand that the Corrolla gets better gas mileage then my truck and will hold up reasonably well. The problem is that I normally have anywhere from 500 to 1000 lbs of something in my truck. I may haul scrap metals out and haul straw back... your Corrolla isn't going to take that kind of abuse. Yes front wheel drive is better in the slick stuff then a rear wheel drive vehicle, but my truck is 4 wheel drive so it matches the front wheel drive.. I do own a front wheel drive car and know the differences...

During the winter I am hauling a ton of coal in my trailer to heat my home and during the summer I am hauling scrap metals and also haul our Civil War re-enacting gear in the trailer...

Like I said these little tonka toy cars and such may be fine for some, but they won't do the work required for me to even consider using them...
I guess there are only 2 ways I'm going to get one
1. When they develop a reliable truck at a reasonable price
2. When the Government forces me to give up my livelyhood and mandates that my truck is illegal. Yes, "I BELIEVE" it is heading that way. So much for freedom...

Do you haul a "ton of coal" or scap metal _everyday_?

I'm not saying that a small car is for everyone, but that it would work for alot of people that just refuse to consider anything but a truck. Even considering the price of the car, the yearly tags, insurance and upkeep my car is cheaper than if I was just driving my F250.

As for reliable trucks, Toyota has been building tough gas sipping small trucks for decades now.

SolarGary · #13 07/10/08, 09:33 AM

Hi,

I've also heard a lot of good things about the Honda Fit -- similar size and performance.

Just to pass on a couple things about our experience with the Prius we have and like a lot.

It gets good gas mileage summer, spring, winter and fall. The gas mileage drops just a bit in mid summer (AC) and in the winter, but the drop is quite small -- maybe 1 mpg. I've kept track of every gallon of gas going into it for 60K miles and the grand average is right at 50 mpg -- the absolute worst tank ever under terrible conditions was 42.5 mpg. Best tank was over 60 mpg.
We live in SW MT and get night temps as low as -30F.

The batteries are designed to last the life of the car -- there is lots of data out there from people with battery packs with over 180k on them and still going strong. The batteries are only the size of a couple shoe boxes and they are NiMH -- they don't contain toxic heavy metals. Toyota has a very aggressive program in place to recyle battery packs. The battery packs don't represent any kind of threat to the environment.

There is a good Yahoo Group called Prius-2G with some very knowledgeable Prius owners on it that can answer just about any question on the Prius based on real experiences. Some of them routinely get 70 mpg!

Gary

perennial · #14 07/10/08, 09:57 AM

I agree that a small car isn't for everyone. We live in the mountains and
hubby commutes about 60 roundtrip each day. So, his gas guzzler was taking all is "fun" money which wasn't fun.

We do have another vehicle that doesn't get the gas mileage, but it holds lots of stuff.

I wonder if living at 2700 feet elevation makes a difference on the mileage one gets in a prius in the winter.

I wanted other people to know that if it fits their needs there are far cheaper cars our there that do get good mileage.

I think when you purchase a vehicle, you have to look at the entire "cost" issue, not just the gas - tires, batteries, how easy to work on, mileage. I also believe the more complex something is, more things to break - been there and done that - NO more.

Now my friends car is nice, quite and she loves it and i do think there are plusses to it.

beowoulf90 · #15 07/10/08, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rowdy

Do you haul a "ton of coal" or scap metal _everyday_?

I'm not saying that a small car is for everyone, but that it would work for alot of people that just refuse to consider anything but a truck. Even considering the price of the car, the yearly tags, insurance and upkeep my car is cheaper than if I was just driving my F250.

As for reliable trucks, Toyota has been building tough gas sipping small trucks for decades now.

Yes I have something in my truck almost everyday.. I pick up used electrical motors and other items to scrap out. It is better for me to do this then to see them landfilled... I've even posted some of the items here to keep them from the landfill... (check the barter board and look for the bathroom sinks(lavs) and toilets, all brand new. they just don't match this years colors I guess) you could not have gotten them into a car. Period

But I have no problem with you owning a hybrid or some other vehicle, because it's none of my business, but by the same token it's none of anyones business what I'm driving..
But of course that will change becasue of the agenda of some....

When they build a reliable truck that gets 50 mpg (this is just a random number) then I will consider it.. I already run my backhoe on WVO as much as I can...

I see that because of others agenda I will be forced to give up my freedom to satisfy there agenda and if it comes to that, then I guess I will have to revolt and fight for my freedom. Atleast I will die with honor fighting for freedom then submitting to the new socialism under the name of "Enviromentalism" and all it's other catch phrases...

I use and reuse anything I can already, but that will change because of "their" agenda.. I won't be allowed to continue to do this because "they" will want their taxes and payments....

I've taken bread trays and turned them into cat houses and such, I've used old refrigerators and striped out the recyclables and refrigerant and used the empty shell as a cat condo and worm beds...But now I'm no longer allowed to do this becasue I'm not liscensed to handle the refrigerants, even though I disposed of it properly, becasue of the "Enviromental" laws.. If you've even seen the trash along the country roads, I used to clean them up, but now I'm no longer allowed to pick up the disgarded washers, dryers, fridges etc.. By orders of law enforcement..
So yes I do use my truck....

cfabe · #16 07/10/08, 11:30 AM

Beowolf I don't think anyone suggested that a small fuel efficient car was a replacement for a full-size pickup. There are certianly lots of legitimate reasons to keep a truck. We have a truck that we use for heavy tasks and are considering trading in my wife's thirsty SUV for a much more efficient vehicle because we both commute 60 miles a day to work and our fuel costs are getting up over $700 a month. Not too hard to justify switching to a fuel efficient vehicle at those prices!

wy_white_wolf · #17 07/10/08, 11:57 AM

After a lot of thinking I would attribute the drop in winter mileage more to the fuel than the batteries. In cold areas you get different blends in the winter and summer. I can tell when the change the blend as it makes about a 5% difference in mileage on my Hyundi Elantra. Some cars this may not affect as much.

beowoulf90 · #18 07/10/08, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfabe

Beowolf I don't think anyone suggested that a small fuel efficient car was a replacement for a full-size pickup. There are certianly lots of legitimate reasons to keep a truck. We have a truck that we use for heavy tasks and are considering trading in my wife's thirsty SUV for a much more efficient vehicle because we both commute 60 miles a day to work and our fuel costs are getting up over $700 a month. Not too hard to justify switching to a fuel efficient vehicle at those prices!

I understand switching to a smaller vehicle and one that is more fuel efficient if the only thing you do is commute back and forth to work...That is just common sense. However that is not what "they" are saying or trying to get done by legislation... Since we are not in the General Forum I won't expand on it.

Today already I have 2 evaporator coils and a 1hp electrical motor on my truck that I just saved from the landfill and they will get recycled instead. So yes I need my truck...

beowoulf90 · #19 07/10/08, 12:32 PM

As I've said before !!!!

If you want one of these tonka toys then feel free to buy one, I won't stop you or even think about stopping you from buying one, but by the same token "they" keep trying to stop me from buying and using a truck. I believe in freedom, and forcing this on me and others is not freedom.....

sorry for not including this in the last post, but it kept kicking me out everytime I tried to edit it

FL.Boy · #20 07/10/08, 12:56 PM

I think all the news about hybrid cars is funny we have had 3 cyl and 4 cyl cars for the last 20 years that could get 50 to 70 mpg but you don't here about them. The batteries in hybrids i hear will cost between $3,000 to $5,000 dollars to replace. I have a truck and SUV both paid for that get 18 to 20 mpg so adding a $300 to $400 car payment to save $150 a month in gas is nonsense to me and my 2 cents is you can have your Toyota's because i have never had good luck with them.

ELE. cars have been around for the last 100 years so there not new.