Yaris Vs Corolla

[Dummy]

Hi, 

I want to buy a used car and I can't make a decision about which one is the most suitable for me. I have more than 10 years of experience driving but this is going be the first car I'll fully own. 

My main usage is around 300 km/week mostly in country roads with a speed limit of 80km/h.  I'm located in Norway, so I will use winter tires half of the year.

I reduced my options to these 3:

• 2016 1.5 Yaris, 29000 km, 152 k nok (15K€) from a private owner (I would take the car for a revision before buying, that's 300€ more)
• 2018 1.5 Yaris, 57400 Km, 175k nok (15K€) from a used car dealership
• 2019 2.0 Hybrid, 59300 Km, 249k nok (21.3K€) from a Toyota dealership (certified plus)

I plan to use the car for, unless, 5 years without minor issues. I think any of these three could give me what I want. 

I did the budgets considering insurance, gas price, possible maintenance and buying price of the car. I calculated the total cost over 5 years and divided it by 60 to get an ownership monthly cost. The Yarises are going to need something 12-15% of my salary, while I will spend 16-20% on the the Corolla. 

After 5 years, the corolla will cost 100k nok (8.6k€) more than the 2018 Yaris.

Aside from the information I provided here, is there anything that should be considered when looking at one vs. the other? Should I get the Yaris and put the money I save somewhere else or is better to get the fancier Corolla?

Thank you!

[Mojo1010]

The 2.0 Corolla's boot is small, less than 30 litres bigger than the Yaris assuming it's same as UK size. Unless you require a corolla size car, my opinion is to get the gen4 Yaris from late 2020. Yes it cost more than what you planned, it's a much, much better car than the gen3 Yaris. 

 

[Dummy]

16 minutes ago, Mojo1010 said:

The 2.0 Corolla's boot is small, less than 30 litres bigger than the Yaris assuming it's same as UK size. Unless you require a corolla size car, my opinion is to get the gen4 Yaris from late 2020. Yes it cost more than what you planned, it's a much, much better car than the gen3 Yaris. 

 

I checked the difference. The 2020 Yaris and newer are clearly better but the price is almost like the Corolla I proposed. Does it really worth it? It's very tempting to get Corolla for the same price.

[Bper]

Hi, Angel,The Yaris is cheaper upfront, with lower running costs. It's reliable and good for basic needs, but it may lack the comfort on longer country drives. As a smaller, lighter car, it might struggle more in harsher winter conditions, but good winter tyres can help.It may depreciate faster than the Corolla, especially since it's a smaller and a less expensive model. The Corolla is more comfortable for longer drives and has better fuel efficiency, especially with its hybrid system. This could reduce fuel costs over time. Whilst heavier and more powerful, the Corolla should handle winter roads better.Though more expensive now, it’s likely to hold its value better and offer a better driving experience over the next 5 years.

Its ultimately your choice over lower upfront costs and a reliable car for basic transportation, the Yaris is a good choice. However, if you plan to drive frequently, value comfort, and are looking for a vehicle that performs better in winter and holds its value longer, the Corolla Hybrid would be IMO a better option.😃

[Mojo1010]

The corolla will use more fuel and cost more on insurance. So unless you want that power and size, the Yaris gen4 is better for lower cost compare to the corolla. I had MK3 Yaris and now mk4, it's a huge difference. The gen3 struggle to cope with fast country roads and long distance driving, the gen4 is great. 

The driving dynamics of the newer gen4 Yaris is so much better than gen3 and uses less fuel. Corolla is a very good car too, a size bigger. Basically I'm suggesting to not buy the gen3 Yaris for your fast country road driving, buy the mk4 or corolla. 

[Dummy]

36 minutes ago, Mojo1010 said:

The corolla will use more fuel and cost more on insurance. So unless you want that power and size, the Yaris gen4 is better for lower cost compare to the corolla. I had MK3 Yaris and now mk4, it's a huge difference. The gen3 struggle to cope with fast country roads and long distance driving, the gen4 is great. 

The driving dynamics of the newer gen4 Yaris is so much better than gen3 and uses less fuel. Corolla is a very good car too, a size bigger. Basically I'm suggesting to not buy the gen3 Yaris for your fast country road driving, buy the mk4 or corolla. 

I can't decide with just the description.  I will need to do a test drive of a Gen 4 to see it myself. Thanks for the advice!

[Mojo1010]

You may want to test drive the gen3 to compare the difference. Basically the gen3 doesn't handle fast country road well. Engine is more louder at fast acceleration even though it has 4 cylinders to the 3 of gen4. 

In the end if you still decide to get the gen3 Yaris then try to get the one with tyre size 195mm, that will help. 185mm/175mm struggle badly on 80kmh bends. 

[Dummy]

11 minutes ago, Mojo1010 said:

You may want to test drive the gen3 to compare the difference. Basically the gen3 doesn't handle fast country road well. Engine is more louder at fast acceleration even though it has 4 cylinders to the 3 of gen4. 

In the end if you still decide to get the gen3 Yaris then try to get the one with tyre size 195mm, that will help. 185mm/175mm struggle badly on 80kmh bends. 

I tested two, they are noisy once I push them over 80/90 kmh.

[Cyker]

Haha nobody understood why I paid so much for my fully-loaded Mk4 Yaris either, as I could have gotten a mid-range Corolla for what I paid!   

It depends what you want out of the car though - The main plus points of the Yaris Mk4 is it's extremely agile and responsive, and is probably the most real-world fuel-efficient car currently in existence. I'm averaging low-mid 70's in mine and can get it into the 80's if I try (Which is hard for me because I have a terrible habit of launching it from a stand-still   The car just pulls so hard like you wouldn't expect for something with a hybrid I can't help myself  ).

It's just so much fun to fling round country roads because they improved the handling so much compared to previous generations of Yaris; It's nearly as good as the Ford Fiesta, which typically set the bar for handling (Fords always seem to have bizarrely good handling).

If you don't need the extra space of the Corolla, the Mk4 Yaris is, IMHO, the better car. It's equally at home crawling through traffic as it is hooning along a fun road. There aren't many cars that can do both so well and still return such stupidly good mpg.

 

But if you're Norwegian, shouldn't you be looking at an EV???    (I'm mostly joking, but I hear you get a lot of tax breaks and perks like driving in bus lanes if you drive an EV there, plus your charging infrastructure is better than any other country in the world!)

 

[Dummy]

33 minutes ago, Cyker said:

Haha nobody understood why I paid so much for my fully-loaded Mk4 Yaris either, as I could have gotten a mid-range Corolla for what I paid!   

It depends what you want out of the car though - The main plus points of the Yaris Mk4 is it's extremely agile and responsive, and is probably the most real-world fuel-efficient car currently in existence. I'm averaging low-mid 70's in mine and can get it into the 80's if I try (Which is hard for me because I have a terrible habit of launching it from a stand-still   The car just pulls so hard like you wouldn't expect for something with a hybrid I can't help myself  ).

It's just so much fun to fling round country roads because they improved the handling so much compared to previous generations of Yaris; It's nearly as good as the Ford Fiesta, which typically set the bar for handling (Fords always seem to have bizarrely good handling).

If you don't need the extra space of the Corolla, the Mk4 Yaris is, IMHO, the better car. It's equally at home crawling through traffic as it is hooning along a fun road. There aren't many cars that can do both so well and still return such stupidly good mpg.

As I said, It´s very tempting going for the Corolla rather than the Yaris for similar price. Definitely, I will do a test drive to a Mk4 Yaris to feel the difference with the MK3. 

 

Quote

But if you're Norwegian, shouldn't you be looking at an EV???    (I'm mostly joking, but I hear you get a lot of tax breaks and perks like driving in bus lanes if you drive an EV there, plus your charging infrastructure is better than any other country in the world!)

Yes, there were a lot of incentives but not anymore. They are reducing them gradually as more and more cars on the road are EV. 

I can only afford a used car right now and I don´t trust the second hand EV from the first generations. That´s why I´m looking for an Hybrid, and Toyota make really good ones :) 

[Flatcoat]

If you go for a Corolla, from my reading of road tests go for the smallest size wheel if possible. Much better ride quality. Otherwise (and again from reading) the latest Yaris has excellent ‘real world’ economy. However I have occasionally had one as a courtesy car and found rear passenger space incredibly tight and the boot looked pretty minimal to me. 

[Dummy]

I kept looking and I found two other suitable cars:

- 2016 Auris 1.8 hybrid, 88000 km, 169k nok (14.5k€)

- 2017 Prius 1.8 active , 68000 km, 199k nok (17k€)

Both from two different Toyota dealers, that gives me some extra trust.

Does any of them are better deals than the one I proposed first? 

The auris is better looking than the Prius in my opinion. But the Prius looks better on paper.

[Flatcoat]

I would always go for the most recent car you can stretch your budget to. Those will be getting long in the tooth when you come to sell. 

[Dummy]

17 hours ago, Flatcoat said:

I would always go for the most recent car you can stretch your budget to. Those will be getting long in the tooth when you come to sell. 

If you could choose between a 2020 Yaris and the 2017 Prius for the same price. Would you get the Yaris?

[Mojo1010]

If you decide not to get the mk4 Yaris or corolla, then the auris hybrid would be the one to get I think. It will be a lot better handling for the roads you travel than the MK3 Yaris, it also has more power so less loud engine sound when push. 

[Dummy]

8 minutes ago, Mojo1010 said:

If you decide not to get the mk4 Yaris or corolla, then the auris hybrid would be the one to get I think. It will be a lot better handling for the roads you travel than the MK3 Yaris, it also has more power so less loud engine sound when push. 

Unfortunately the auris is sold already. The car was published yesterday and it lasted 3 hours in the market. I couldn’t even get the chance to call for a test drive.

[Flatcoat]

2 hours ago, Dummy said:

If you could choose between a 2020 Yaris and the 2017 Prius for the same price. Would you get the Yaris?

They are in such different size categories it is comparing chalk with cheese. 

[Mojo1010]

Test drive the auris and Mk4 Yaris when you can. It sounds you are a little undecided, if you dont need the prius size then leave it out. 

MK3 Yaris must get the one with 195mm tyres or you will regret it, in the UK i think that was 2017/18 in the higher spec. I talk from experience of having it for 5 years, mine came with 175mm tyres it was awful. Put 185mm on and it was better, but still bad for fast bends. 

[Mushu84]

A few recommendations when buying cars:

1.Think about your daily usage, a smaller car always has the benefit of lower cost, but if you very often use it for travels with 3+ people in the car is better to have a bigger car 

2.Cars are NEVER an investment.

3.How many kilometers you do a year, where you travel yearly, for longer journeys a bigger car is more comfortable 

4.Plans to have a baby, or if you have kids.

5.Don't trust Toyota dealers blindly, check the car properly. If the car is privately owned check it at a dealer or trusted garage, is better to pay 100 euro's to check then to be sorry.  Make sure you have 2 keys, all the service history, Hybrid check was done, no rust under the car, check for any paint repairs, any investments needed

6.Always negotiate the car price even on a second hand car from dealers/private (500-2000 euros)

7.Make sure the car has a service (if dealer) or service it yourself for pace and quiet if needed 

8.Do a hybrid check they are not expensive (at the dealer)

 

On a personal note I had the same choice as you, I want for a better year Yaris MK4 then a Corolla or CHR, but in my situation is just myself and my wife, I do a lot of city driving with occasional long journeys, the 1.5 engine is more then enough for me, the cost are low, great fuel economy with normal driving.  

 

Hope this helps.

 

[Dummy]

Hi!

I had to postpone it for a little while but I finally bought a car. I found a Yaris mk3 2018 in a Toyota dealership.

The car is a bit underpower when compared to the Yaris mk4, but it´s enough for me and it´s within my budget.

Thank you all for your help!

[Cyker]

Thanks for coming back and letting us know what happened!

[Mojo1010]

Budget usually is the major factor. I had 5 years Toyota reliability on this car, just servicing, no repairs in that time. The handling isn't as good as the mk4, you probably know that already by now. Well it's still a decent car with good fuel economy enjoy.