Back to topic, new pics of the 07 Yaris in both hatchback and sedan, with sedan getting S trim level only.

http://www.japanesecarfans.com/photo.../toyota/1.html

Read more about the US debut here:

http://www.japanesecarfans.com/news..../toyota/1.html

 

USA Today did an online review w audio commentary today - they said it may be the usual Toyota pyramid / accessory scam on pricing.
The truly base model doesn't even have a radio!

!

 

http://www.informador.com.mx/informa/05au01a.htm

Fit vs. Yaris

Bable fish needed to read in English....

 

The Fit should get better MPG than the Yaris, but Honda might downgrade the fit to be comparable in MPG to the Yaris so that it doesn't eat into the sells of the Honda Civic. Only Honda in the US is paranoid about new models destroying the sells of their other models. If the Fit were to get 50 - 60 MPG like it should, more people might buy the fit instead of the Honda Civic and the Civic Hybrid model. Remember Honda wants this car to be at the bottom of the line below the civic and not kill the civic. If they pull this stunt I will never buy a Honda again, even though I now own my 5th Honda and I have sworn to buy Honda's only, but not if they pull that crap on us Americans. We should have the same efficient Fit that is sold on the other side of the world, or I and others will boycott Honda.

 

In a way that is not that bad, If I were to be able to order a toyota with what options I wanted and not get the ones I didn't want that would be great. I would not even mind waiting for my car to be built. Radio is a good example, because I'll just be taking it out and putting my own in anyhow.

My issue tho is that is NOT the case, All you get is option 'packages' locking you into certan things, and it's controled by the regonal dealer network... so an option package I might actually go for might be sold in California, but here in Maine I can't get it. It's stupid and is the reason I won't buy a Toyota. (unless a dealer is willing to get me what I want, even if it means trucking a car over here from the other side of the country... But I find that to be highly unlikely)

 

Yeah but Toyota does option packages requiring you to get for example a sunroof if you want essential safety features like ABS brakes. There is nothing good about essential safety features being an option, especially when they can't even be purchased by themselves.

A great example of Toyota optioning is the Toyota Tarago (minivan) which when fully optioned even on the top Ultima model ends up costing around A$80,000. Compare this to the Japanese Honda Odyessey sold in Australia which has most nearly all these options standard and then some extra but costs A$50,000. Yet the base model price of the Toyota is a lot less than the Honda to get the suckers in the door and start ticking the boxes. The base model Toyota doesn't even have central locking or air conditioning things you today find standard on a A$14,000 Hyundai Getz.

Its significantly cheaper for a car manufacturer to build a large batch of cars to a specification than build every vehicle to custom order. Toyota even uses this argument for why option packs have to be bundled.

If it was a Toyota fridge, the freezer section would be an option, let alone wanting shelves and a couple of ice trays. Oh then theres the egg holders, vegetible crisper, butter conditioner. Meanwhile LG includes a LCD TV on the door, internet connectivity and ducted refrigeration through the door for less. Even if you don't want the TV its still cheaper at the end of the day.

 

Honda is not going to nobble a production run of 60,000 Fits for the US market in some great big conspiracy theory of fuel consumption. They are going to make as little changes as necessary to meet US regulators requirements, try to shift there product and assess whether it is worth producing Fits locally (will they sell enough). The car is being made in Japan, Honda USA does not and cannot dictate to the parent company. Honda Japan wants the car to do as well as possible in the US market - end of bs stories.

 

What non hybrid, non electric, non diesel, mass produced safe car developing 100hp or more gives 60 MPG anywhere in the world? Yet you expect the Fit to and its a failure if it doesn't.

 

I have to strongly disagree on that! Given that the last mid-model change (MMC) released on December 8, 2005 in Japan was mostly engine improvements to improve fuel economy and lower exhaust emissions for the most part, that tells me Honda has gotten the L15A VTEC engine (the engine we'll get on the US-market car) to probably offer 36 mpg city, 42 mpg highway EPA rating with the "conventional" CVT automatic and meet ULEV Level-2 emissions certification. Besides, even in US-market trim I expect the Fit to be around 475-500 pounds lighter than the current four-door Civic sedan, so by definition fuel economy on the Fit should be good.

 

I, too, am frustrated by the lower fuel economy of Honda's U.S. FIT. I'm looking more fondly now at my '90 Civic hatchback, thinking of maybe replacing the struts and seat covers to restore some of its new car feel. It still gets 40 mpg, and I can double that by carpooling to work. Chances are I can squeeze a few more years from it while the auto industry adjusts itself. However, when I do need a new car, I will buy the most efficient and useful car that I can afford at the time. At the moment, even the U.S. FIT ranks high on my list.