Topic: Yaris or Corolla

[jambo101]

After 5 trouble free years its time to trade the 2001 Echo.A new Yaris is at the top of the list but the Corolla is second on the list.I'm presuming the Yaris is as bulletproof a daily driver as the Echo but the Corolla looks like it has more trunk room and a bit roomier on the inside.anyone have any experience or points i should ponder? thanks

[RunsinLight]

I would be very intested in purchasing a Yaris myself if it wasn't for the centre of the dash gauges. That's the only reason I would pick a Corolla

[PJungnitsch]

A lot of safety features will be standard in the new 2009 Corolla (ABS/ESP/SAB) that are extra cost or unavailable in the Yaris, as Toyota catches up with modern safety features.

As the Yaris has no side air bags in Canada it doesn't do very well in side impacts, and is rated 'poor' by CR. Skull fracture and other damage likely. Watch the dummies head bounce off that pickup bumper here:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/safety-recalls/carcrashtest/crashtestvideo.htm?loginMethod=auto

[Cortina]

After 5 trouble free years its time to trade the 2001 Echo.A new Yaris is at the top of the list but the Corolla is second on the list.I'm presuming the Yaris is as bulletproof a daily driver as the Echo but the Corolla looks like it has more trunk room and a bit roomier on the inside.anyone have any experience or points i should ponder? thanks

I would go with the Corolla. The Corolla would drink about the same amout of gas. The Corolla is bigger and there is also a brand new model coming out feb. So they will be selling of the last gen Corolla's at discount prices. These Last Gen Corolla's are bulletproof.

Before you decide. You must have ago in a 8th Gen Honda Civic and Honda Fit.

[carlos_da_fig]

Yaris may start out looking cheap, but the price rises quickly with options.  I test drove all the small cars out on the market now (except Aveo) and the Yaris was last on my list.  I ended up buying a Vibe, which is the same as the Matrix.  The Vibe worked out to be less then even the cheaper cars due to the insentives and the 0% financing.

[Leviathan]

Sounds like a choice between dry white toast and dry brown toast    A lot of the cabs in Vancouver are now Corollas so they presumably are pretty reliable but I wouldn't exactly call it roomy.

[KRS]

 One thing to consider is what type of driving your doing. If most of your driving is in towns and cities the yaris is better on mileage, but for highway mileage the corolla gets a better rating.
  If your driving outside urban areas the larger space and better highway mileage make the corolla an easy choice. If your mainly in the city the better in town mileage and ease of maneuvering the Yaris make it a better choice if your not needed the extra trunk space.
 There are a lot of other great small cars now as well. Unless your Toyota dealer has gone the extra mile to earn your loyalty there are other cars well worth a look

[ArticSteve]

Sounds like a choice between dry white toast and dry brown toast    A lot of the cabs in Vancouver are now Corollas so they presumably are pretty reliable but I wouldn't exactly call it roomy.

Apparently there is no mileage limit for Vancouver cabs.  I got into a Yellow Cab Corolla, owner/operator type and it had 400k km on the clock.  Auto tranny was shifting perfectly and the guy was aggressive with it. 

Between the Yaris and current Corolla and money not the big issue, I'd get the Corolla.  If you don't need to finance, then I'd wait and get the new Corolla. 

[avtoller]

I picked up my Yaris hatch the first day they were available (17 October 2005) and now have about 31k on it, the vast majority in-town and very short (<6 km) drives. It has been utterly bulletproof just as one would expect with a son-of-Echo. Even with a slushbox it is peppy in the driving conditions I face, and the overall fuel has been excellent considering all of the hills and rain in Port Alberni. I would be hard pressed to find another car that would suit my needs as well. 

[jambo101]

I usually just drive around town but spend three weeks every Christmas down in Florida and doing it in the Echo with the wife and two kids makes for a tight fit after the car is loaded.This summer after we trade in the Echo on the new vehicle  the wife has a five week trip across Canada in the planning stage   .One of the reasons a Honda Fit is out of the question is that with four people in the car there is no room for much else.
Thanks for the replies and i think the Corolla just moved to number 1

[jww]

I recently had my Sonata in for some body work as a result of a minor fender-bender a few weeks back. I asked for a Yaris specifically because I wanted to compare it to our 07 Accent. I was sorely disappointed with the Yaris for the most part. Very 'tinny' feeling, and less solid, in side-by-side tests with my wife's Accent which included things like opening and closing doors, trunks, etc. On the road it was adequate, but with an automatic was very slow to get  up to speed. Interior noise level was about equal to the Accent, but there was more wind noise. The Yaris was a sedan and the Accent a hatch - and that may be the explanation for heavier wind noise. Gas consumption was the same as the Accent.

The front seats were absolutely outstanding with very substantial bolstered padding on either side of the buckets to hold you in place as you drove. My wife commented specifically on that. The steering was good as well - as it felt quite connected to the road for such a small car. But again - it wasn't any better than the Accent.

Of course the Accent wins hands-down on equipment levels. Admittedly, this was a rental, so we had a bottom-end basic vehicle with manual windows and locks (boy that was weird to get used to).

Oh - BTW - the centre stack felt a bit weird - and we didn't have it long enough to get used to it. My wife liked being able to see how fast I was driving - I prefer not to have that information available for all in the car to see 

Don't get me wrong - I do not think the Yaris is a bad car - quite the opposite really. All I am saying is that I don't think that it's any better than the Accent either. I know that many may disagree, and there is always the argument of resale value - which may or may not be an issue for some people. Overall, having driven the Accent now for just shy of a year (by about a week or two) I don't regret passing on the less-available and more expensive Yaris at the time we bought the Accent.

[UmroAyyar]

If you can wait a bit, wait for the 2009 Corolla (watch the financing part though, usually high rates for the first year), quite nicely anointed with standard safety and auxiliary features even in base form. Yaris is good for driving around town but gets pricey easily when you start stacking up options.

You'd appreciate the space for 4 people. I had the 2002 Corolla and travelled with the giant stroller, medium size suitcase and two bags.

[dr_spock]

I would choose Corolla if you plan to use the car for a road trip across Canada.   You'll probably need the trunk space.   If your kids are still small, they'll fit in anything. 

[keithb]

I've had a 2003 Corolla for nearly 5 years and my Yaris for just over 2 years - I got it a couple of months after AVToller. Both have been trouble free except the Corolla did need a front shock replaced and I have been very pleased with both. My take has always been that should I have to shrink the fleet (delusions of grandeur ) to a single vehicle then the Yaris would be the vehicle I would keep. That is ,however, based on my specific situation i.e mostly urban driving with 1 or 2 people on board and minimal cargo. Should the percentage of highway driving significantly increase then the Corolla would likely be the choice as it is the better highway vehicle. Having said all of that, you need to be prepared to lose some of the "fun" factor -the Corolla feels like an old Chevy  compared to the Yaris i.e. muted feel to everything from steering to handling to brakes. There is little  to choose between the two in gas mileage but the Yaris does have a slight edge in around-town summer driving.
Given your description of your need then I think the Corolla is likely the right choice but sadly just not as much fun.

[avtoller]

Nice to see that you still visit at least occasionally. It's been a while keithb. 

[Arctic_White]

A lot of safety features will be standard in the new 2009 Corolla (ABS/ESP/SAB) that are extra cost or unavailable in the Yaris, as Toyota catches up with modern safety features.

As the Yaris has no side air bags in Canada it doesn't do very well in side impacts, and is rated 'poor' by CR. Skull fracture and other damage likely. Watch the dummies head bounce off that pickup bumper here:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/safety-recalls/carcrashtest/crashtestvideo.htm?loginMethod=auto

That's incorrect.

My brother recently purchased a 2008 Yaris which has side/side-curtain airbags.

He was in the same dilemma; Corolla or the Yaris?  At the end, he went with an automatic Yaris as 1) cheaper to buy, 2) $1,000 rebate from Gov't for being fuel-efficient (Corolla in automatic transmission doesn't get the rebate), 3) Side/side-curtain airbags available (without paying $24,000!), and 4) cheaper to insure and better on gas.

Good luck. 

[Mitlov]

Both the current Corolla and the Yaris are absolutely bulletproof and they sip fuel at shockingly low rates.  Between the two, you'll have to test-drive them.  The differences are primarily subjective.

If safety is a priority, the new Corolla is a step up from either.  However, it doesn't have the proven reliability history of either the current Corolla or the Yaris.

[PJungnitsch]

My brother recently purchased a 2008 Yaris which has side/side-curtain airbags.

Good catch, you are right. My parents didn't find a Yaris with SAB (one thing that got them into a Versa eventually) , but they were looking at the Yaris hatchback. I see that side airbags are available with the sedan, although in only one package.

[Arctic_White]

My brother recently purchased a 2008 Yaris which has side/side-curtain airbags.

Good catch, you are right. My parents didn't find a Yaris with SAB (one thing that got them into a Versa eventually) , but they were looking at the Yaris hatchback. I see that side airbags are available with the sedan, although in only one package.

And I see that the Yaris hatchback doesn't have SAB, even as an option. 

[safristi]

..Yaris ??........Corolla???....which wan has tha bigger HORN???