Yaris sedan launched

[THE ASH]

Hmm the Honda Jazz has some serious competition cant wait to see them at Jamboree head to head.

I can see the headlines now 'Sub 25 sec 0-400 pocket rockets'

If a 120Y can pull a 19, surely these fuckers can get an 18?

[goose]

Anyone got any comments to make about actually driving one of these centre-dash cars? Looking at them it looks like even just checking your speed would be an ordeal, are they really as bad as they look to be?

[vrmmmpshhh]

can you imagine a little bump setting off all those airbags and a normally 2grand fix up would write the car off..

[08ESE]

I mean we at PF happily accept the Honda Jazz

HAHAHA since when! :D


i reckon my jazz could pop a sub 20 second pass!!!

not too much difference between it and a stock auto vt over a distance of around 400m.

it wouldnt be in the 17s but it wouldnt be past 20!!!

and a 1.5 vtec jazz can go 16.9 easily enough.



That said, the dash quality in those pix of the yaris looks as good as it gets...

WHOOPS, I MEAN AS GOOD AS A GETZ

[Captiva Fan]

Anyone got any comments to make about actually driving one of these centre-dash cars?

The Tarago had a setup sorta like that, and while it takes a wee bit of getting used to, in the Tarago it meant you didn't change focus as much when glancing from the road down to the speedo & back to the road. In the Tarago at least you didn't need to move your head in order to look at the speedo; I'm assuming the Yaris (and also MINI?) is the same in that regard (although the less-change-of-focus effect wouldn't be as good, 'cos unlike the Tarago the middle of the dash isn't something like 5' away).

[hellsmurf]

I hate the styling - looks like they turned the wind tunnel up too high and the front end got streched...

and we can see how highly regarded the "echo" is when they discontinue the name for a relatively similar car...

[smellytofu]

Anyone got any comments to make about actually driving one of these centre-dash cars? Looking at them it looks like even just checking your speed would be an ordeal, are they really as bad as they look to be?

They aren't as bad as people put out them to be. Sure it's a little different but the analogue centre dials are better than the digital ones but the digital ones are less easier to notice what revs you're doing. However, I had no problems on the track with the digital dials and being able to pick what revs to shift up and down at. In fact it was easier coz it was more in the line of sight than regular dials.

[Ustasa]

All these types of 'cars' should be driven off the nearest cliff.

[aus9000T16]

Anyone got any comments to make about actually driving one of these centre-dash cars? Looking at them it looks like even just checking your speed would be an ordeal, are they really as bad as they look to be?

I read some ADR rules a while ago getting a car passed with relatin to mods of all sorts and I am certain there was rules about where the gauges had to be. There was reference to the line of sight and steering wheel for position, may have been an old copy of the ADR's etc but to have the Echo/Yaris passed they would have had to do some serious rewriting of the rules as they were. (or some serious greasing of palms by toy-yoda)

[Sturmovik]

Ive driven an Echo, it has a great big digital readout of the speed, which is easy to read, but you can bearly see the tacho (another stupid digital readout) and it doesnt have a temperature guage
Plus the plastic screen scratches easily and due to the angle can show up annoyingly.

Im not sure how conventional analog dials would be, but my guess is not to good.

[SuperMat]

Because our market for the Yaris sedan is quite small, we are getting another country's specification of vehicle. Thus, the analogue guages rather than the digital ones of the Yaris hatch. I'm a bit disappointed in that because the digital dash was a big selling point.

As for the comment about "how highly regarded the "echo" is when they discontinue the name for a relatively similar car..." - the Echo has always been called the Yaris overseas (Europe mainly). Australia was simply brought in to line with them.

As smellytofu said, the centre-mounted instruments do take a while to get used to, but after a while it becomes easier than reading normally-positioned analogue guages. It's like going from a car with indicators on the right and wipers on the left to a 'European' car with those controls reversed. It takes a while to adjust, but it's no big deal.

In my experience, the Echo sedan was generally bought by people whose budget didn't quite stretch to a Corolla sedan, or who don't need the larger engine of the Corolla.

Weirdly, we are now in a situation where the Yaris sedan will be higher-specced than the Corolla Ascent sedan, for several thousand dollars less, with the only significant difference being a 13kW less powerful motor. Size is comparable, the Yaris has power windows, dual airbags, ABS brakes with EBD and BA (none of which are standard on the Corolla Ascent), and it is a brand new model whereas the Corolla will probably be updated in about 12 months. For my money, I'd go for the Yaris.

[MickyD]

.......... (and also MINI?) is the same in that regard.....

oz-spec MINI's have the speedo on top of the steering column and the tacho in the centre.

[smellytofu]

I suspect that's for nostalgic purpose rather than any other purpose having the tacho in the middle.

[Asteroid]

I've driven an Echo quite extensively, and imo the centre digital dash is brilliant. Once you get used to looking in the centre instead of above the steering wheel (doesn't take long) you'll find it's much easier to have a glance at the speedo while watching the road. Unfortunately on the Echo the tacho is virtually useless as it's so difficult to see, and the lack of a temp guage is a bit disconcerting.

Overall though i reckon it's an excellent design.

Asteroid

[SuperMat]

On the lack of a temp guage: yeah, it's a little disconcerting, but hopefully you have seen the little temperature light come on (green-blue) when you start the car in the morning. Well, if the engine starts to get in to the "um, perhaps you might want to check it out" temperature, that little light will come on but in orange/red.