Yaris T Sport Questions - Before Buying

[iconic]

Hi,

Just stumbled across this forum recently....and what a great resource it is!

I want to ask the distinguished members of this forum a few questions...seems like there are few fair of you on here :D

I am looking to buy a Yaris T Sport 1.5 and having read thru most of the 26 pages of the T Sport sub-forum, I have a few queries! I currently drive a Yaris 1.0 GS, so I'm looking at this buy as an upgrade.

I'll keep my questions as short as possible.

Here goes..

A. What should I be looking for when buying the TS...low mileage? A particular year of build (i.e 01, 05, etc)?

B. I have come across the terms Phase 1 & Phase 2...what is the difference in terms of features? I am aware of the aesthetic difference, just want to know about the bits you can't see :)

C. Then, which phase (1 or 2) should I be going for?

D. I will be doing a fair bit of motorway driving. Is this then a good buy as I have heard the comfort is affected due to the stiffer sportier suspension?

E. As I commute to and from Uni during the holidays..about 120 miles on the motorway to home...I need to load the car up to the maximum with all my stuff...would this is be an issue in terms of tyre rubbing (as the car is quite low + the load is heavy)?

And finally (phew..)

F. I currently use a cassette adapter to listen to my mp3 player thru my current Yaris' cassette deck... however the TS only has a cd player...can this be changed and replaced with a cassette deck?

--I am looking at a black TS (05 plate) with 8000 miles on the clock at £8000... too much? Would be part-exchanging it with my current Yaris.

Many thanks in advance for any responses and apologies for the long post!

R

[kimi]

Welcome to the club

i'll try answer a few of your Qs

A- Full service history,low mileage ,the newer the better , no real problems apart from stone chips on front end.

B - The phase 2 has better crash testing, drivers seat has memory,better handle to move back seats,

chrome around air vents/gearstick, better trip computer,

C- its a personnal preference p1 or p2, buy the one you like the most,

p1 ended around the end of 2003, a 2005 model will be a phase 2

D- if its on standard t sport suspension, its very comfy motorways will not be a problem,

mine has Tein coilovers on and i drive to cornwall a fair bit, its still fine no back ache when i get there.

E-no problem on standard suspenson, only becomes an issue if you lower the car

F- Yes alot of people change the standard unit

And the 05 plate your looking at sounds a good price to me.

[armoredfist2002]

phase 1 & 2 only difference is the body work, I don't think there's anything major they changed mechanically they are pretty much the same.

Year of build is up to you, whichever you prefer, and depends on how much money you have to spend, make sure it's got full service history, but higher mileage shouldn't be a problem.

Motorway driving may be a bit noisier as the t-sport revs a touch higher than the lower models.

Suspension will not cause you any problems, it should be the same as on your car now, only the chassis is 20mm lower than yours, shocks & springs shouldn't be stiffer, as far as I am aware.

And yes if you do find a cassette player on eBay it will switch straight over, don't forget oval buttons for the phase 1 and square buttons for the phase 2, depending on which car you get.

[T V O R]

phase 1 & 2 only difference is the body work, I don't think there's anything major they changed mechanically they are pretty much the same.

There a lot of differences between the two.

The phase 2 has extra reinforcement that has been added to the sills and A-pillars to reduce cabin intrusion in the event of a crash. I think I read somewhere the engine has been tweaked on the phase 2 as well.

Anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution are standard across the range

Passenger and side bags are standard and three-point seat belts are fitted to every seat.

In the event of a frontal impact, the brake pedal dislocates from its fixings.

A: New as possible with a fill Toyota service history.

B: See above

C: Phase 2

D: As long as it hasn’t been molested and kept standard there will be no problems.

E: No rubbing if standard

F: There might be an easier way to listen to your mp3 player than changing the whole unit.

You will love the T Sport

[iconic]

Kimi, armoredfist & TVOR, thanks very much for that very useful input.

I think then, my mind is made up!

I shall be contacting the dealership I have seen the TS at and should hopefully have it by next week!

When I do get it, I'll be sure to come back and report my findings, excitement...and if you're lucky, some pics :D

--- Two more questions if you will, do the 3dr and 5dr versions have the same dimensions? Or is the 3dr smaller in terms of length with a smaller back seat and boot? I ask because I may have 4 adult passenger occupancy frequently.

Also, the cassette deck after install...Toyota have offered to do this for me at a cost of £150 I believe. As I'm not very knowledgeable in these things, I am willing to pay the cost. However, would a DIY jobby be simple? Wouldn't mind saving some cash :)

Once again, thank you all for your kind help, this forum is ace! :D

R

[kimi]

yaris how to's

take a look here ^ it may help you decide if you want to do the install yourself.

As for the size seeing the 2 side by side, they look the same but i cant be 100% on it.

someone will be along soon to tell you.

i have the 3 door and on the rare ocassion i take 4 passengers ,they fit fine.

i normally choose to throw them in & out the passenger side to save me moving

[Blue84]

Hiya, sounds like a good price to me too.

Have you thought about connecting your MP3 player another way to the cd player? As I know that if I was looking for another car I'd look for a CD player and would choose a car with cd over cassette anyday so thinking about it in terms of resale (as and when of course) cd might be more preferable?

I don't know what MP3 player you have either but I have an Ipod Nano and I use a Belkin FM transmitter which plugs into the cigarette lighter, also acts as a cradle for the I-pod and broadcasts through 101.1 fm at the mo :P

At the end of the day we all know it is personal choice, but just wanted to add my two pence worth :)

Good luck with the purchase and show us photo's when you get it.

[T V O R]

Three and five doors are the same dimensions.

However! The T Sport is 20mm longer and 15mm lower (bumpers and suspension).

On a five door the door frame is further forward due to the rear doors.

[iconic]

Hiya, sounds like a good price to me too.

Have you thought about connecting your MP3 player another way to the cd player? As I know that if I was looking for another car I'd look for a CD player and would choose a car with cd over cassette anyday so thinking about it in terms of resale (as and when of course) cd might be more preferable?

I don't know what MP3 player you have either but I have an Ipod Nano and I use a Belkin FM transmitter which plugs into the cigarette lighter, also acts as a cradle for the I-pod and broadcasts through 101.1 fm at the mo :P

At the end of the day we all know it is personal choice, but just wanted to add my two pence worth :)

Good luck with the purchase and show us photo's when you get it.

Hi Blue,

Thank you for that. Yes, you're very right...looking at the long term it would be more desirable to have cd player instead of the casstte...I however lack the foresight to consider such things, so cheers mate

As for my mp3 player, I have an Iriver. I use the line-out connection and plug the cassette adapter into there. The fm transmitter idea...I live in london and finding a free frequency is often quite difficult..I also find the cassette adapter method gives me much better quality sound (comparative to a cd I'd say).

---Kimi...cheers for that, I'll look into in and decide whether I should attempt it myself...although if I do you might see me on these boards more frequently ha, so probably not :P

[yazburner]

hey, your inthe same sitiation as me! driving a GS but wanting a T-sport...

can i make a suggesting regarding your MP3s? rather than whacking a tape deck in your tsport, itd be better (and cheaper) to buy an FM transmitter for your MP3, then listen to your songs through the radio.

its like having your own little radio station

AND its much better quality than those tape adaptors, ive got one and its :censor:

anyway, hope you find your perfect T-sport soon ;)

[iconic]

Hey there,

I've explained above why I prefer the cassette deck, not really a big fan of the FM transmitters. Having said that, there is a space under the cd player anyway...maybe having both may be feasible?

[gar]

Hey there,

I've explained above why I prefer the cassette deck, not really a big fan of the FM transmitters. Having said that, there is a space under the cd player anyway...maybe having both may be feasible?

The Yaris range has an aftermarket 6 cd player that fits in hole under dash. you might be able to fit cassette, then the 6 cd player. Best of both worlds, I think!

The lengh of 3 and 5 door is the same, the front doors are longer on 3 door to help rear passengers get out.

The 5 door T-sport is quite a rare animal though, if you see one, get it! Re-sale should be better and much more convenient.

that said, some people prefer 3 door vehicles, they think they look sportier! Personally, I would opt for 5 door, every time!

Good luck. Gar.

[Husky]

For (D): I find the only drawback on Tsport motorway driving is the gear ratios. At 70mph its doing something like 3000rpm and can be annoying. It is a great deterrent for speeding tho or just an opportunity to turn the music up. :) Ive started avoiding motorways and going for the back roads, it just seems more natural for the car.

hope this helps.

I wonder if anyone knows if you can fit an Aux in cable to the cd player?

[olobolo]

For (D): I find the only drawback on Tsport motorway driving is the gear ratios. At 70mph its doing something like 3000rpm and can be annoying....

Mine is pretty quiet at 70mph at 3000 rpm -- the noise really increases above 70mph and can be really annoying.

As far as P1 and P2 differences are concerned YTS P2 has VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) which was not aviable in P1.

P2 may also have Traction control but i'm not quite sure.