Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

[katwalk]

http://img9.imageshack.**/img9/4399/toyotasewing.jpg

"I'm a sewing machine!"

Oh god I must remedy this mistake immediately

Ok all better.
Personally I will take the one that makes pants.

 

[gaasc]

Having had out quote of Yaris bashing, that's the newest, best handling, fastest, most reliable car, best equipped the captain's tested.

 

[Cowboy]

Having had out quote of Yaris bashing, that's the newest, best handling, fastest, most reliable car, best equipped the captain's tested.

It's probably also the only car he ever tested.....

 

[gaasc]

Nah he had a go in some of these.

I don't know how he found it.

As you can see in every single conceivable way the Yaris is better.

 

[captain_70s]

I've never driven any of those cars, but I do know somebody with an Austin 1100, another guy who has a Maxi and some Princess owners. :lol:

Anyhoos, I test drive a Yaris today, red 5-door. By god it was gutless, and the 3 cylinder sounded like a cement mixer, it was quite rolly-poly in the corners, the gearbox was slack, the biting point on the clutch was really high and the steering was massively overly assisted and devoid of any feel. It also feels irritatingly huge and fat from inside the car although the digi-dash seems to have been stolen from an Austin Maestro and is kind of retro in an early 80s way... Still, it was mechanically solid from what I could tell, younger and newer than the silver 3-door I was looking at and has only done 18,000 miles...
If I can get finance on it I'll be picking it up around Friday.

It isn't really what I want, far from it, but

Also it was the first time I've driven in over a year and Dad was next to me, I got up to 56mph on a looooooong straight and he started yelling at me to slow down. Then got really agitated when I started going around corners at 30mph that he takes in the Skoda at 50mph. I am never driving with him again...

 

[rickhamilton620]

I've never driven any of those cars, but I do know somebody with an Austin 1100, another guy who has a Maxi and some Princess owners. :lol:

Anyhoos, I test drive a Yaris today, red 5-door. By god it was gutless, and the 3 cylinder sounded like a cement mixer, it was quite rolly-poly in the corners, the gearbox was slack, the biting point on the clutch was really high and the steering was massively overly assisted and devoid of any feel. It also feels irritatingly huge and fat from inside the car although the digi-dash seems to have been stolen from an Austin Maestro and is kind of retro in an early 80s way... Still, it was mechanically solid from what I could tell, younger and newer than the silver 3-door I was looking at and has only done 18,000 miles...
If I can get finance on it I'll be picking it up around Friday.

It isn't really what I want, far from it, but

Also it was the first time I've driven in over a year and Dad was next to me, I got up to 56mph on a looooooong straight and he started yelling at me to slow down. Then got really agitated when I started going around corners at 30mph that he takes in the Skoda at 50mph. I am never driving with him again...

3 banger?! Damn... At least it'll be reliable transportation though

 

[katwalk]

Having had out quote of Yaris bashing, that's the newest, best handling, fastest, most reliable car, best equipped the captain's tested.

My car is all of those things in comparison to his usual choices as well, would you buy one?

 

[thevictor390]

I'd buy one over a 1.0 Yaris

You can barely even get a car with an engine like that over here.... maybe an old Geo Metro? Smart? My first car was a huge coupe with a 2.0 150 HP 4-banger that I thought was underpowered :?

 

[gaasc]

Please don't make me answer that.

<- lives in the only place that and the MX-5 aren't girl car

 

[biggie]

I'd buy one over a 1.0 Yaris

You can barely even get a car with an engine like that over here.... maybe an old Geo Metro? Smart? My first car was a huge coupe with a 2.0 150 HP 4-banger that I thought was underpowered :?

Hell, I've still got one NA 2.4L 155hp car that's underpowered, the 160ft/lb torque helps, but still not enough.

But the Versa I had with the 1.8L 122hp was still much more likable than the Yaris to me.

 

[prizrak]

Hell, I've still got one NA 2.4L 155hp car that's underpowered, the 160ft/lb torque helps, but still not enough.

But the Versa I had with the 1.8L 122hp was still much more likable than the Yaris to me.

Hell my 215hp turbo A4 was underpowered...

 

[katwalk]

I'd buy one over a 1.0 Yaris

You can barely even get a car with an engine like that over here.... maybe an old Geo Metro? Smart? My first car was a huge coupe with a 2.0 150 HP 4-banger that I thought was underpowered :?

Please don't make me answer that.

<- lives in the only place that and the MX-5 aren't girl car

My car wins at something

 

[Dr_Grip]

If I can get finance on it I'll be picking it up around Friday.

You're only a week out of unemployment and already think about getting a loan for a car? Buy a beater that you can afford instead of getting into debt. It's not like the economic prospects for Britain are like "there'll be plenty of jobs for everyone!".

 

[avanti]

what would this thing be called in German?

 

[Hbriz]

But we still get the Versa and the Kia.

I honestly could not justify buying a Toyota right now. Pretty much all of their offerings are worse than competition in one way or another. Hell in the Corolla/Sentra segment I couldn't justify anything but a Kia Optima because turbo!

I already mentioned the Rio. I know nothing of the Versa sedan, but the hatchback that Americans seem to love is actually considered bottom of the class here, even when it was new. It's not a great car.

The Kia Optima is much, much bigger than a Corolla. Optima competes with the Camry, in fact it's even larger than the Camry.
Corolla sedan: 4545mm long, 1760mm wide, 1310kg. Optima: 4845mm long, 1830mm wide, 1551kg. Camry: 4815mm long, 1825mm wide, 1465kg.

 

[captain_70s]

You're only a week out of unemployment and already think about getting a loan for a car? Buy a beater that you can afford instead of getting into debt. It's not like the economic prospects for Britain are like "there'll be plenty of jobs for everyone!".

My parents won't allow it, I don't really have a choice.
If I buy a car for a large sum of long term debt right now and they will help me with the down-payment until I get paid, if I buy a beater I have to do it out of my own pocket.

The thing is my work is only accessible by car so Dad is having to drive me in and out, he is about to go away for a few days and then will be at work again so it isn't going to work in the long term. To save up enough money for a beater will take at least two months, Dad can't keep driving me in over that period and I have no other transport outside of getting a taxi there and back which would cut in to my car saving fund.

To be honest I was aiming for a old Micra or 106 (Triumph Acclaim if I was going for classic insurance), but Dad says a car is fucked after 6 years/50k and that it will spend more time being fixed than on the road. Obviously he is wrong but he won't change his mind. The best bit? I am on a trial, I might not even have a job in 3 months, but mum and dad are of the opinion I can "just walk out the door and find another", in their own words.

Lets face it I don't want a Yaris, it is the polar opposite of everything I look for and enjoy about cars. But it is my only real option.

 

[rickhamilton620]

I already mentioned the Rio. I know nothing of the Versa sedan, but the hatchback that Americans seem to love is actually considered bottom of the class here, even when it was new. It's not a great car.

The Kia Optima is much, much bigger than a Corolla. Optima competes with the Camry, in fact it's even larger than the Camry.
Corolla sedan: 4545mm long, 1760mm wide, 1310kg. Optima: 4845mm long, 1830mm wide, 1551kg. Camry: 4815mm long, 1825mm wide, 1465kg.

The first gen Versa we got/get (in hatchback only form this year) was the first successful attempt at selling the concept of a "premium subcompact" here. On uplevel SL trims, the interior materials and fit & finished rivals some mid-size cars, and IMO obliterates the Fiesta's supposedly high quality interior in terms of ergonomics and "completeness" of its interior trim.

Another advantage of the first gen car was big car space, features, and ride quality: It's technically classified as a mid-size car here because of just how roomy it is, that's attractive for a lot of Americans because it came out around the start of the recession & high gas prices, families could get a fairly compact car for low cost that still had the space of larger vehicles. The available technology options were unheard of on a mainstream subcompact car before the Versa: Proximity key, navigation, bluetooth...

The ride quality also resembled a mid-size in terms of polish from behind the wheel. Is it as tossable as a 2? God no, but as a highway cruiser or going down potholed city streets, it's a great small car option.

It was America's best selling subcompact for years, I dunno what the numbers are now that Nissan's lost the plot on the new "Versa" sedan (which is a rebadged Chinese market Sunny...and it shows with the lack of features and horrible interior/build quality) and hasn't presented a redesigned hatchback yet.

CR Review of the outgoing car: They tested a S w/ Power Package: SL sedans (and all hatches) had folding rear seats. All sedans had the 4 speed AT.

CR review of the "New" Versa Sedan:

It irritates me when companies "go backwards" when a next gen. car debuts.

 

[NooDle]

srsly, don't get a Yaris. Get some weird 1970s car you seem to love so much.
Sure it'll be a lot less reliable, but it'll have character. Something the Yaris is trying to avoid at all cost.

 

[gaasc]

While I'd normally agree with that. the captain has a tight budget, insurance premiums up the ass and since his workplace is only accessible by cars. for what he wants he might find a Granada or something. But for what he needs, on the conditions presented, you could do far worse than the yaris.

 

[captain_70s]

srsly, don't get a Yaris. Get some weird 1970s car you seem to love so much.
Sure it'll be a lot less reliable, but it'll have character. Something the Yaris is trying to avoid at all cost.

I dunno' to be honest the 3 cylinder engine gives it some charm, in the fact it sounds like a cement mixer which I find endearing. And the "I can't believe its not 1984" digi-dash is quite amusing. I looked at some Vauxhalls and Fiats and such but they were all tattier and had bits falling off!

Although my parents have said if I get this they'll give me the garage for whatever sort of car I want to shove in there, and if it isn't a daily driver I don't have to worry so much about economy/parts availability, not to mention it only has to be on the road for half the year if I don't have the money... Would be far easier to have an old car as a hobby than as a car! :lol: