Intrepidation

You guys are flaming edmunds for the review, saying they are unfair and idiots and so on. Which, while I think their family sedan test was badly done, I think they are still good. They criticize the Lucerne on things that are deserving of it and compliment it on things that deserve such. Case in point: the handling. They say that the CXL handles lamely, like Buicks of yore, but they also say that the CXS with Magetic Ride Control handles a lot better. They complain about the loose headliner and the power steering failure...things that should not be an issue in a brand new car, especially a 35k one. They complimented the dash design, and didn't b1tch about the tach so much as simply point it out. Not having a tilt/teloscoping steering wheel or a Nav system in this segment is rediculous as well. The Ford Friggin' Focus has a tilt/telescoping steering wheel and you can get Nav systems on Civics. No excuses for a lack of those features. Besides, edmunds didn't exactly praise the new Yaris, so they don't just "bash domestics" as many of you seem to believe.

I have a friend who is like this, having contempt for American cars. He swares imports are far superior to Americans, we get into arguements all the time cuz he thhinks Dodges in particular are junk. He has an Accord and an old PoS sh1t-colored Volvo. The Volvo's power windows don't work, some of the interior lights don't work, the sunroof doesn't work, and that Acoord had a blown transmission (his is a 2002). My "unreliable" Dodge has it's original engine and tranny, and aside from having to replace the wiring harness that connects to the HVAC controls cuz it overheated from corrosion, it hasn't had much in the way of problems in years. Did I mention it is 17 years old with 207k miles on it? Who's got the unreliable PoS now b1tch?!

Maybe, but even so, considering the 4-door will basically be an extended version of the new Wrangler with a couple extra doors, the look can't be far off.

Or: "Our workforce is expendable and so is our cars!" Bet you could get a better car out of the junkyard

Those tailights looks pretty damn cool, as with the headlights, they have a complex and interesting design that is for more interesting and cool than most designs on cars. It's clear because many people who bought Eclipses in the past would swap out the stock tailights for clear "altezza" aftermarket ones. So Mitubishi just gave `em what they want. Wow reg, this has gotta be the first time I've seen you defend a car lol. I think the styling is great, it took the daring but kinda ugly concept and made it into a sexy production car. What I love about the Eclipse is that no matter where you look, something interesting, detailed, and expensive looking is going on.

Uh dude, before you call people morons, you should get your grammar right...because then it makes you look like a moron. However I do agree with you, either toyoguy is doing this to be a smartass or he really is an idiot.

Well I admit you have me their about not driving a Yaris, but I doubt I ever will, that gauge placement alone is enough to make me not want it. As for the Focus, it had recalls only in it's early life, and even then, a friend of mine has a 2001 and hasn't had any issues with it. Also, the fact the the Focus is older yet handles better and has more power proves how sad the Yaris is.

Well said.

Looks good. Like a manly version of a Liberty

That's the Avenger Concept from like 2003.

I don't care, that's still rediculous for a subcompact. You can get a nicely equiped Civic, Caliber, or Cobalt for that or less. You could get a top-of-the-line Focus too. More power and features, plus better handling and more fun to drive even if it's aging. And don't even factor in the Aveo or Accent or Rio, which top out a 3-4k less than the Yaris. You could get a base Malibu, Sonata, Fusion or Stratus too. The Fit is a better car with better drivetrain, more fun to drive and has the gauges in the right damn place, not to mention it tops out at 15k. (Prices looked up at Edmunds).

If nothing else, DCX can at least take heart in the fact that the factory that builds them is flexible and can shift production as demand (or lack thereof) shifts for it or the other platform-mates. Thankfully, Jeep seems to anticipated the Compass flopping and has the Patriot as backup.

Hmm, well this has become quite a thread. hah. Well, I could sit back and stop looking at it, but I guess throwing a little more imput in can't hurt. So here goes, I have 2 main points: 1.) As we've dicussed and more or less agreed on, the people bitching about the Caliber commercial need to lighten up and shut up, and that it didn't have anything to do with gay people, just cute things. So they must learn that the world doesn't revolve around them and not everything is in reference to them. I thought it was pretty clever/funny. 2.) The gay marrige stuff. I'm not gay, but at the same time I don't care if someone is or not. If they are, fine. For marrige itself...well I can see churches and stuff not wanting to grant married for whatever beliefs it may be going against (although considering they had the hold priest + child issue, gay marrige should be the least of their concerns). However I think the government should recognize and allow gay marrige in any state. Some people might not like, but most, like me, don't care. It's supposed to be a free country. Denying it is no than when women were denied the right to vote. It's discrimination and goes against our country's founding principles of freedom.

Lol you can rip that thing, it's not a nice looking car inside or out. Although the next one could be promising... I reserve final judgement until I can see it all, but so far it looks pretty good. my only compaint thus far is that I wish the character line ran parallel ro the windows instead of curving down. But it may look fine once we see the whole car. But at any rate, you're free to bash the current one

17 6 11 3 16

ANd it can't even do that right. Note the 17k sticker.

It just goes to show you that Edmunds isn't an import humper after all Toyota doesn't seem to know how to build a good small car anymore (aside from the tC)...I wonder if the next Corolla will end up sucking too.

I saw 2 Commanders right next to each other at a stoplight in Boston yesterday. they look alright.

Wasn't this originally about a Caliber ad? lol

Cute Not so cute.

They're not praising all the cars. They burned the Yaris they just tested pretty good. I'm looking forward to a shootout between the Mazdaspeed3 and the Caliber SRT-4

Toyota fails to build a better Corolla By Ed Hellwig Email Date posted: 04-06-2006 Ten years ago an inexpensive, comfortable, well-built car like the 2007 Toyota Yaris would have been a slam dunk. In fact, it was a slam dunk. It was called the Corolla and it was one of the best-selling compact sedans of its time. But over the last decade, compact sedan buyers got greedy. They asked for more room, better features and increased horsepower. Toyota listened, building a larger Corolla with more standard features and a bigger engine. Now with gas prices at nearly $3 a gallon, those same buyers suddenly have a conscience. They've joined Greenpeace, bought hemp socks and started looking for smaller, cheaper and more fuel-efficient sedans. Cars like the Yaris. Not always inexpensive As the cheapest machine in Toyota's lineup, the Yaris competes with other new subcompacts like the 2007 Honda Fit and 2007 Nissan Versa, as well as the Hyundai Accent and Chevrolet Aveo. There are two body styles — a slightly cheaper three-door Yaris hatchback and the four-door Yaris sedan — but only the sedan offers an upgraded "S" model. Yeah, even subcompacts get the sport treatment these days. A Yaris S sedan, like our test car, gets extra body cladding, bigger 15-inch wheels and a CD stereo with an auxiliary input jack. With the optional four-speed automatic, the Yaris S starts at $14,050, but equipped with nearly every available option like our test car, the price tops out at $17,045. The extra $3 grand added the Power package with antilock brakes; power windows, locks and mirrors; cruise control; a tachometer; and upgraded interior trim, along with stand-alone options like side curtain airbags, foglamps and keyless entry. 21st-century Corolla Despite its subcompact label, the Yaris is longer, wider and heavier than the Echo it replaces and about the same size as that best-selling Corolla from a decade ago. It also has a longer wheelbase, which is why the Yaris doesn't feel like a subcompact from inside. In fact, the Yaris has more front legroom than a current-generation Corolla and the Yaris is only half an inch shy of its bigger brother in the headroom department. Shoulder room, however, is 2 inches tighter compared to the Corolla. Passenger room in back is surprisingly good, with slightly more rear legroom than the Corolla. With the driver seat adjusted for a 6-footer there's enough space behind the seat for an average-sized adult to sit without bumping his head or knees. There's good toe room under the front seats as well. Classing it up Toyota calls the Yaris' interior design "class-up" styling, and at first glance it looks a little more stylish than your average econobox. Surely, the optional metallic trim on our test car helped. The V-shaped center stack uses a pedestal design, which looks interesting, but with no room for cupholders it's not very practical. All the controls on the stack itself are well organized, and the center-mounted gauges that sit on top look to be Camry-grade stuff. Putting the gauges in the middle isn't our preferred setup, but in a car with 106 horsepower you don't spend much time worrying about your speed. Standard height-adjustable front seats and a tilt steering wheel are unexpected features for this segment. If you're tall the driver seat still doesn't adjust low enough, however, and the vinyl steering wheel feels cheap no matter how perfectly you adjust it. Trunk space is about average at 12.9 cubic feet. The hatchback versions of the Yaris and the Fit offer more cargo room, but the trunk in the Hyundai Accent sedan is slightly smaller. Style comes at a price As slick as the Yaris looks on the inside, the design botches simple things like decent cupholders. Instead of putting them between the seats where they should be, Toyota placed one on each side of the dashboard. They're not only poorly placed; they're too shallow to hold big cups and too high to trust with a hot cup of coffee. Storage space is a problem, too, as the only accessible bins sit behind the base of the center stack. Try fishing your Razr phone out of there a few times and the cool pedestal design suddenly seems as dumb as the cupholders you can't reach. Those bins house the auxiliary plug for the stereo, however, so they are useful for holding your iPod. Sound quality from the upgraded MP3-capable stereo is decent, but with black numbers on a dull green background the faceplate isn't always easy to see. Efficient power Only one engine is offered: a 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder with Toyota's latest VVT-i technology. It produces 106 hp at 6,000 rpm and 103 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. Decent numbers for the segment, but the engine is loud at full throttle and with so little power you find yourself digging into the gas often. The good news is that it's easy on the gas card. We averaged 32.9 mpg over a week of daily driving. Shifts from the four-speed automatic are reasonably quick and the gearing feels about right. At the track, our Yaris turned in a 0-60 time of 10.8 seconds. A Honda Fit with a manual will do the same in 9.2. The quarter-mile takes 17.8 seconds in the Yaris; the Fit does it in 16.7. Like the Fit, the Yaris has excellent brakes. Its best stop from 60 mph was 122 feet. Imported, from Europe Although the Yaris has been on sale in Europe since 1999, the U.S. version is an all-new vehicle built on a unique chassis. Toyota claims its MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion bar rear suspension result in better handling, less interior noise and a smoother ride. It got part of it right. The Yaris blew through our slalom at 65.9 mph, slower than the Fit (67.5) but faster than a Pontiac Solstice. Despite that athleticism, the Yaris S isn't much fun to toss around due to its substantial body roll and minimal steering feedback. Ride quality on the highway is much improved over the Echo. You don't feel every crack in the pavement and wind gusts no longer redirect you into the next lane. There's less road noise, too. When you're driving the Yaris around town, the word "competent" often comes to mind. Not "refined" or "sporty" or "fun": just "competent." The steering is light for easy parking maneuvers and the turning circle is tighter than the Fit by 2 feet. Basically it feels secure and comfortable, nothing more. Some are more valuable than others Ten years ago the Corolla was the standard against which every other subcompact was measured. These days, however, it's clear the competition has looked to a higher standard than the Yaris. For $2 grand less than the price of our test car, you could get a similarly equipped Hyundai Accent with a better warranty, an equally spacious interior and decent cupholders. Or for $16K you could go with the loaded Honda Fit Sport, which is more fun to drive and has a better stereo, superior ergonomics and a more flexible interior. Any way you look at it, the 2007 Toyota Yaris is average. And when you're trying to save the world, average doesn't cut it. Even people who wear hemp socks know that.

People seem to be, once again, bashing the Azera. Ok, look: it's faster than the Lucerne V8...how sad is that? It handles better than the Lucernce at all levels except CXS with magnetic ride control equiped, otherwise, as noted in the recent road test at Edmunds, it sucks for handling, and as they mentioned, it's slower than the Azera/Avalon even with the V8, demands premium fuel and gets worse mileage. What's all this about Hyundai copying styles? They get ideas from other cars, but a lotta car companies do. Pick a Toyota except maybe the newest ones, pick the current LS, previous IS, pick the Ford 500 and they all borrow/steal ideas from other cars. So bashing the Azera for that is bull$h!. Like I said, The rear end of it could be better, but it's not horrible and far better than the Avalon. The Lucerne looks nicer but isn't so hot when stacked against either cars.

I dunno about the power stuff but A/C is an otion...but if you get it that only tacks like 800 bucks (mmaybe less) onto the price tag.