Toyota Yaris

[Plus]

I had driven one for a few days last week, it's an amazing run-around car, about ten years old and still doesn't miss a beat, happy to run and run and run.

Run, run, run is exactly what i'd be doing if faced with driving a Soluna! Toyota should be ashamed at the way they continued year after year of foisting such an old and decrepit car on the Thai public. Thank goodness Thailand is now getting the cars it deserves, like most of the rest of the world.

It was Thailand bestseller model for many years, but what do all these customers know, right?

In which way it was decrepit? It used a platform developed in mid 80-ies, so what? Toyota, or anyone else, didn't have any better alternatives in that segment when it was introduced here in the 90-ies.

We had Yaris for a day, once, there wasn't really that much difference, certainly not enough to make a lot of fuss on the discussion board.

[rixalex]

I had driven one for a few days last week, it's an amazing run-around car, about ten years old and still doesn't miss a beat, happy to run and run and run.

Run, run, run is exactly what i'd be doing if faced with driving a Soluna! Toyota should be ashamed at the way they continued year after year of foisting such an old and decrepit car on the Thai public. Thank goodness Thailand is now getting the cars it deserves, like most of the rest of the world.

It was Thailand bestseller model for many years, but what do all these customers know, right?

In which way it was decrepit? It used a platform developed in mid 80-ies, so what? Toyota, or anyone else, didn't have any better alternatives in that segment when it was introduced here in the 90-ies.

We had Yaris for a day, once, there wasn't really that much difference, certainly not enough to make a lot of fuss on the discussion board.

Wasn't making a fuss, just making a point. I take it from your defensive reaction you either work for Toyota or own a Soluna?

The point is they were selling the Soluna right up until about 2002. Now compare what Toyota were offering to other markets around the world at that time. They were being lazy and the only reason why it sold well here was because of the Toyota badge and the fact that the other brands were equally as lazy.

[Plus]

Now compare what Toyota were offering to other markets around the world at that time.

Ok, please tell me - what? Did they have another model in that segment that they were hiding from Thais for years, or was it in the reasonable time frame to set a new production line with mandatory 90+% of local content?

Actually first generation Vios, Thailand's most sucessful car of all times, was still based on the same platform as old Soluna, it even kept the same name - Soluna Vios.

I've never heard it being called old and decrepit and behind the rest of the world, can you tell me why you think that?

[Kees5]

I bought a Yaris. Would you really go out on Thai roads without a SPARE wheel??? - 'cause the new Honda Jazz has no spare wheel - that's why there's more space.

?????????????????????????

My new Jazz does have a spare wheel, be it a 175 instead of a 185, so what.

And on my first run i did about 15 km /l, mixed open rd and round town, be it with soft foot. Round town I think i can get about 13 km/l

[rixalex]

Now compare what Toyota were offering to other markets around the world at that time.

Ok, please tell me - what? Did they have another model in that segment that they were hiding from Thais for years, or was it in the reasonable time frame to set a new production line with mandatory 90+% of local content?

Actually first generation Vios, Thailand's most sucessful car of all times, was still based on the same platform as old Soluna, it even kept the same name - Soluna Vios.

I've never heard it being called old and decrepit and behind the rest of the world, can you tell me why you think that?

Hey, it's just my opinion - i'm not telling you you have to agree.

In the UK the equivalent offering in the 90s was the Corolla. I guess that under the skin it was probably similar to the Soluna, but some effort had been put into the styling of the thing. It had slightly quirky looks with round headlights. I can't say it was my favourite motor, but at least it wasn't as dull and bland as the Soluna.

Looking at some of the other offerings from Toyota in the UK around this time, we had the Avensis in 1997, which was a good all round family car. Again, not the greatest, but in design terms it was far better than what Toyota was offering the Thai people in 1997. Still it seems that Plus you were happy, so who am i to argue?

By the way, you didn't mention whether you are a proud Toyota employee, or just a proud Toyota Soluna owner. Which is it?

[PETERTHEEATER]

Some years ago I had a meeting with Toyota managers and chief engineers to discuss the equipment they wanted to buy from me. They of course asked me what car I had.

I had a soluna at that time and told them that..they asked me the hel_l I would buy such a bad car?????? I asked them if they were so bad why did they make them. They just replied if you want a good and safe car buy a big one.

I followed their advise and bought a 5 serie.

A 5 series Toyota. Wow!

[Plus]

In the UK the equivalent offering in the 90s was the Corolla.

Thais had Corolla in the 90s, too, it was one class above Soluna, there are still plenty of them around. They were bigger and had 1.6 and 1.8l engines, and cost 200-300 thousand more.

Not a competition to Soluna, not the same segment.

[sibeymai]

Why does nobody mention the CVT gearbox in the Jazz with the 7 speed "tiptronic" gear selection when comparing Jazz and Yaris ? I understand the Yaris is a convention manual or auto gearbox. Assume the new Jazz has the same CVT and tiptronic option. This has got to be the biggest difference between the two vehicles.

The Jazz is extremely quick with the tiptronic. Certainly a Vios, Yaris or even Altis will have trouble catching it.

Edited July 21, 2008 by sibeymai

[culicine]

The Jazz is extremely quick with the tiptronic. Certainly a Vios, Yaris or even Altis will have trouble catching it.

I think the new jazz has the 5 speed auto with paddle shifters (not the CVT anymore). And actually this new gearbox is supposed to return (slightly) better mileage than a manual. I'm not surew why the cvt was ditched - though there were some issues with it in the honda city.

[snowflake]

The new jazz has the 5 speed auto. The CVT was taken away for some strange reason... I still like it and it is very smooth.

[Plus]

CVT had reliability issues.

[rixalex]

In the UK the equivalent offering in the 90s was the Corolla.

Thais had Corolla in the 90s, too, it was one class above Soluna, there are still plenty of them around. They were bigger and had 1.6 and 1.8l engines, and cost 200-300 thousand more.

Not a competition to Soluna, not the same segment.

I was aware that the Corolla sold here in Thailand in the 90s was marketed above the Soluna (although it always baffled me the way Toyota did that as the Soluna looked about the same size as the Corolla, but that's by the by).

My point was that Toyota Thailand and Toyota Europe were not producing the same models in the 90s, and that in my opinion (just my opinion Plus), the models on offer in Europe were more interesting, more modern (in appearance anyway) and just better cars than what Thailand was getting at that time. Take a look at the Thailand's Corolla and UK's Corolla at that time to get some idea what i'm talking about. UK's Corolla might not have been that pretty but it wasn't as down-right boring and uninspiring as what the Thai public were getting.

[lardy]

To get back on topic I was told today there is a new update coming in September for the Yaris so maybe better to wait for that, personally I think the Yaris looks good inside and out but prefer the Jazz's room and the new ones better than the old.

[Plus]

Soluna was an Asian only model, as far as I know, and Thai specs have been, are, and always will be lower for nearly all brands, not just Toyota.

Corolla was substantially bigger than Soluna, we owned both once.

[ongcuunon]

I like the Jazz. A lot. Per consensus with my wife, we recently bought a Yaris. I have no regrets, even though I still sometimes long for the Jazz. We live in the city and rarely travel beyond, so we sold our 5 series. Life is full of compromises, and the 5 had more space than we needed, but the Yaris has less space than we often want. Our fuel bill is, however, now about half than what it was with the 5 (interestingly, insurance costs the same). The 5 was great when driving outside of the city, but the Yaris is the more practical choice for the city. The Yaris is a fine car. It beats the Jazz in some respects, and falls short of the Jazz in other respects. I think the comments validate that, as well as your choice. In the end, which car to buy is a personal decision.

[Kees5]

Still very happy with my new Jazz. 2500 km so far, 60% around town, 40% open road long distance, average fuel consumption 14 km/ L. Long distance only at least 16km/l.

[stingray]

That must be the stupidest thing I have ever hear, "The honda looks like something my grandma would be driving".

Well I guess that your grandma has a bigger brain than you...

Go to Toyota and look at the Yaris... Picture stuff for the kid in the back there... Good LUCK...

Go to Honda and look at the Jazz, now compare what you could put in the back there...

I had a yaris, then the new jazz came and I just had to have one... Much more space...

Say hello to your grandma and tell her that she is a wonderful woman but her grandchild is a moron...

You will buy a car for the baby yes??? YOU NEED SPACE, not looks...

Ps. for the record... The yaris is a brilliant car but the Jazz is so much better... You could also look at the nissan if you do not care about burning money...

Doesn't matter which one. I think both are ugly, Jazz and Yaris, but everybody have a different taste. I would prefere a vios or new altis

[snowflake]

I agree, some people might think the Jazz/Yaris are ugly and that is ok. Some people thinks that a ferrari looks ugly, up to them. Buying a car should be something subjective.

A few years ago I listened to my friends, I wanted to by a C200 2001, I listened to them and ended up with a Triton.

Think what you need the car for, then see if it will fit for that purpose and then pick the one that YOU like the most.