My 16:th Toyota - but first Yaris

[Nizzehult]

I live in Sweden. Just bought a Yaris MK1, 1.3l -00, 5 doors, 5 speed. Has AC, remote key and power windows in front doors. About 15k miles. Since I’m in Sweden there could be quite different factory installed options in my car compared to yours. 

First impression: quick and smooth in city driving and not as noisy as I expected on the highway 
Very good fuel economy, well low expenses in general 
Quite roomy for being a small car. Smart and flexible luggage room! 
No cam belt 
Very good heat! 

Downside: crappy stereo (and speakers), difficult to get AUX or bluetooth connection to a fair price 
Pay attention to rust, especially underneath 
Difficult getting used to the centre dashboard

[Drew Peacock]

Hi. where in sweden you live? i live near uppsala.

no you dont want a car with a cambelt here. the costs of having a car worked on is astronimical. hedin bil uppsala charge 5000kr and hour 🤣

[Nizzehult]

Umeå. Have had a lot of Corollas but Corollas isn't a compact car any more. I do all repairs myself (almost). Drives a Lexus myself. 

[Cyker]

5 hours ago, Nizzehult said:

Difficult getting used to the centre dashboard

Amusingly I had the opposite problem - I drove a Mk1 Yaris for so long I can't get used to normal dashboards now, so much so I had to get the HUD option for my Mk4   I still almost never look at the dash as it's so far out of my eye-line!

The Yaris one just makes so much more sense to me - It's not obscured by the steering wheel, it's collimated so you don't have to change focal distance as much (That's why the display looks like it's in the engine bay) which greatly reduces eye strain, and the tunnel stops it getting washed out by the sun.

I never even had to look at it much as it was in my eye-line and I could just glance at it.

By comparison, normal car dashboards have much worse usability - You have to look away from the road and change focal distance from far to near, which is fatiguing if you actually check your speed as regularly as you're supposed to (Which nobody does), but Toyota relented and switched back to the conventional boring dash design in the Mk3 onward because they thought it put too many people off the cars.

Personally I feel they should have stuck to their guns with it, as well as the 'puck' gear selector in the hybrids instead of going to the functionally worse but more conventional PRND slide shifter, as they are just *better* once you get over the initial unfamiliarity.

 

[Bper]

Hi Nisse, Welcome lots of good advice when you need it and always welcome when you give it.😀

[Rhymes with Paris]

The centre dashboard/instrument cluster on the MK1, you get used to it, and in my case prefer it.

It is a more natural eyeline to the centre for me,than peering behind the steering wheel,on mine it is analogue instruments rather than digital, but even so still easier to use.

[Nizzehult]

On 1/26/2024 at 9:34 PM, Bper said:

Hi Nisse, Welcome lots of good advice when you need it and always welcome when you give it.😀

Thank you. Well, I do usuall both share my own expereinces when I fix something and also write guides. And give feedback. 

Just found out that my Yaris is japanese and not french so the rear viper arm differs.