It should be called Scion xA and it would work

This car gives me Fits.

It’s dorky but it’ll sell. Perfect recession car. But it does seem to me it’s eating the xA’s lunch.

Perfect car for the dork squad.

why does it have to be so tall

actually the xa has a 1.8l and i imagine gets less mpg.. but actually has some balls.

four people in the car vs the xa with four people trying to go up a 10% grade.. epic fail! :p
But no really.. this is great. i hope they don’t discontinue the two door. IMHO 4 door hatches this short look stupid.

why does the instrument panel need to be in the middle of the car

sentinel,
The gauge cluster is in the middle of the IP so Toyota doesn’t have to pay to tool two different IPs, one for LHD markets, and one for RHD markets. If you’ll notice, the Yaris’s IP is basically symmetrical, save the steering wheel, passenger airbag, and glove box.
It’s a cost-saving measure.

Fiesta > Fit > Yaris. Nonetheless, the sheeple will buy Yari.

yes, perfect recession cae

inline6,
Not just a cost saving measure. It is said that your eyes do not drift off from the road as much (strange as it sounds). Apparently once you are used to this setup, it is difficult to go back to “regular” cars, because you have to take your eyes off the road and actually look directly down. When you look in an angle, your peripherial vision is much better.

After looking at this car and some of the other entries in the subcompact segment, I still find it perplexing that Mazda refuses to offer the Mazda2 in the U.S. It is far better looking than anything else currently offered in the subcompact segment in the U.S. (until the Fiesta reaches the market).

mazda2 is still the best looker here better than fiesta

Agreed, Mazda2 rapes this car in the anus

LS7, I don’t really buy that “reduced eyestrain/better peripherals” argument. It takes longer for the eyes to travel to a target skewed to the right – a longer distance than it would be if it were directly in front of you.

If it were an issue of significance, Toyota would equip more of their vehicles with that type of instrumentation. The heart of the matter is, Toyota needs to cut costs to make money on its cheapest cars, and designing a symmetrical instrumnent panel they can use in all markets means a central gauge cluster is necessary.

the centre console has also be tried by nissan. euro primera (interior looked great with it) x-trail and the quest. it worked really well in the primera and x-trail

Whether you like it, or you don’t like it, learn to love it!
With ABS, EBD, Side curtains, 30+ MPG, and a low price, sellng them should be cake.
Yaris sales are up big before this model hits.
DrFill

We have this car in Canada already!

It’s ugly here too.

A Honda Fit clone but much uglier.

MurcieMe: I couldn’t have told you that if you held a gun to my head and made me watch homemade porn where all the actors were at least 80. Unlike the Yaris, you remember the first time you see an old man’s scrotum.

I kinda like the console in the middle. Yes, it does help with visibility, but in most current vehicles it doesn’t help that much. I think the ultimate goal early on with these vehicles of putting the dials in the middle was to make the cabin symmetrical, and to make it “different”. It would be better if the dials were tilted toward the driver some, something that most center consoles have strayed away from- being directed at the driver. Although you can say being directed at the driver is a “hassle”, it’s YOUR responsibility to drive, and regardless of turning the air conditioner up or radio, it’s your responsibility to drive… responsibly. I remember a lot of GM cars had that sort of set up, and Audi still does in some cases, very ergonomic and well layed out.

>Not just a cost saving measure. It is said that your eyes do not drift off from the road as much (strange as it sounds). Apparently once you are used to this setup, it is difficult to go back to “regular” cars, because you have to take your eyes off the road and actually look directly down. When you look in an angle, your peripherial vision is much better.<

Which is why all cars have this feature. Um, no
It is bad ergonomics to have a center gauge-the Ion was roundly criticized for it yet you dont hear much about it being in the Yaris and the Scion crap. Media bias?
Even CR hates the Yaris and they’re basically Toyota’s whore.
Why would anyone choose this POS over the Fit or Versa? Heck, I’d even rather have an Aveo.

steve333. you would choose the CHEVYWOO aveo over this, you are a ****ing idiot. why would you buy an inferior product. the yaris is so successful for a good reason.
whereas the aveo is badly built,cheap tacky interior,trashy engines.
I would see the FIT as a better car but not the versa for sure

styling-wise, 3 better than 5, 5 way better than 4. 3 wins. doors, that is.

To acura_el2000. My though on your question of “why so tall” is why are not all cars so tall, if not even taller?

When new Fit with “extended” cabin will arrive in fall this will look sexy.
mayer_ray_nagin, what state I can buy Fiesta in, I don’t want to be a sheep

althought the fit and up and coming mazda 2 will kill this thing its the best ling yaris so far

Why can’t they brand these cars as Scions? Toyota is cutting the heart out of its own “funky car” brand.

And I would never own a car with the gauge cluster in the center of the dash… that’s just stupid. Maybe if they put a HUD unit in that would still display on the drivers side of the windshield. I realise it’s done as a cost-cutting measure. But when a manufacturer doesn’t even think highly enough of its “entry level” customers to make a properly laid out dashboard… gimme a break.

Lest we forget the new generation 2010 Suzuki Swift coming to these shores…more competition for the subcompact battle royale.

Can we get a subcompact horsepower war now? I realise the point is frugality… but 0-60 in more that 8 seconds is unacceptable. Put a little turbo on that sucker and let’s have some fun.

Little-known fact: the Yaris’ interior designer is actually a cyclops.

0-60 in under 8 sec is unacceptable? It’s this kind of talk that has kept our manufacturers focused on horsepower and not fuel economy. 15 years ago, it would have been unheardof to think that a 4-cyl Camry would get anywhere near that time. Most SUVs don’t to this day.

In Europe, where speed limits are typically higher, most cars don’t get to 60 in 8 seconds…at least, not without the top engine. Some of them don’t hit 60 in 16 seconds.

We in America are spoiled. What we DON’T need is subcompacts that get 150hp. With safety requirements putting pressure on subcompacts, adding weight and cost and therefore taking from actual fuel savings and money saved from fuel savings, the LAST thing the subcompact class needs is a horsepower race. As it is, the Aveo gets less hwy mpg than the Cobalt. The Accent gets the same hwy as the Elantra. The Fit gets the same hwy as the Civic. And the Versa gets the same hwy as the Sentra.

The critically acclaimed Fiat Panda’s top engine, in performance guise, is 100hp. No car sold in the US offers less than 103hp now.

This car = Scion xD with different styling.

Doesn’t Toyota know not to cannibalize?

>steve333. you would choose the CHEVYWOO aveo over this, you are a ****ing idiot. why would you buy an inferior product. the yaris is so successful for a good reason.
whereas the aveo is badly built,cheap tacky interior,trashy engines.
I would see the FIT as a better car but not the versa for sure<

And the Yaris engine isnt trashy? Heck, even the Corolla’s is.
The Yaris is garbage, the lemmings buy it because its a Toyota.

I’d pick an Aveo over the Yaris, too. The 2009 model comes with an all-new engine, too. The interior is probably the nicest in its class, and the build quality is just fine.

The Yaris is ugly, more expensive, has less of a warranty, gets barely better fuel economy, and has that idiot center-mounted gauge cluster. And the interior’s just as cheap if not cheaper than the Aveo’s.

Why doesn’t anybody like the Versa? Aside from the “sedans” styling… it’s a really thrifty car. Tons of space for a car in it’s class, good reliability and O.K performance.

I’m surprised that they are only releasing the 5-dr in Nth America now – it’s been on sale here in Australia ever since the current generation Yaris was first launched. It’ll be a good addition to the line-up for you folks and gives Toyota some competition against the Honda Jazz/Fit.
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