We recently bought a Yaris as it was getting too expensive gas-wise to daily drive the Tundra as my commute vehicle. We put enough $$$'s as a down payment that our monthly payment including gas and insurance is LESS than fuel costs alone for the Tundra.
Here he is:
Compared to driving my lifted Tundra, it feels like my butt is dragging on the ground. It's a fun little car to drive! In fact at a dead stop, I can open the door and touch the road. I had the rear windows tinted by the dealer, so that was my first mod. I'm 6' 1" and fit just fine. It's slightly tight at the steering wheel as I wish it moved upwards another inch or so, but other than that, plenty of room. The trunk is even a decent size too. I'm still in the break-in period, so I'm being gentle, but the 1.5L VVT-i loves to go! The 'S' model comes with a tach and it's fun to watch it rev. This one is an automatic as I have a lot of stop and go driving in my commute and I just didn't feel like dealing with a stick shift. I'm getting used to the center dash and it actually works rather well. The car is very quiet at freeway speeds and feels quite stable. Handling through the corners feels pretty neutral. All in all, I'm quite happy with the little guy.
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My daily driver - 2008 Vios 'S' sedan. Tinted windows in the rear, TRD anti-sway bar for the rear, 17" rims - Samurai SC02 Hyper Black. TRD lowering springs. Megan Racing header.
My favorite ride - a 2001 SR5 4x4. With - RCD 6" lift, JBA Titanium coated headers, JBA y-pipe, Unichip PnP, ARB rd-129 air locker (rear), Camburg UCA's, custom front Sway-A-Way coilovers, custom Sway-A-Way's with remote reservoirs and billet mounts for the hind-quarters, PolyPerformance limit straps with adjustable clevis's, Stubbs Welding rock sliders and custom front skid plate, 315/75/16 Toyo Open Country M/T's, on all 4 corners wrapped around 16x8 MB Motoring Blitz rims, cryo'd 4.88's set up by Inchworm Gear, Trenz billet grill upper, T-Rex billet grill lower, on board VI-AIR aircompressor and 3 gallon air tank, AutoMeter A-pillar pod with trans temp gauge (sending unit in the tranny pan), Long Tru-Cool LPD tranny cooler, 10" Flex-a-Lite tranny cooler fan w/thermostat, TRD billet oil filler cap, TRD air filter, TRD dual exhaust, and TRD add-a-leaf rear springs. Superlift TruSpeed Speedo Recalibrator. Warn Trans4mer system with a 9.5ti winch running Amsteel Blue winch line. Budbuilt traction bar. Staun tyre deflators. Spitz Lift portable crane. Marlin Crawler 1.5" wheel spacers. Our home away from home, 2004 Outback 26RS travel trailer with 15" MB Motoring Blitz rims to match the Tundra.
Last edited by Herbicidal; 08-21-2009 at 08:10 PM.
Excellent! Glad to hear you are still happy with it. Just curious on what your mpg average is with 20K on the odometer? I'm real close to needing to fill it up for the first time. It looks like I will get over 400 miles on the first tank (dealer filled).
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My daily driver - 2008 Vios 'S' sedan. Tinted windows in the rear, TRD anti-sway bar for the rear, 17" rims - Samurai SC02 Hyper Black. TRD lowering springs. Megan Racing header.
My favorite ride - a 2001 SR5 4x4. With - RCD 6" lift, JBA Titanium coated headers, JBA y-pipe, Unichip PnP, ARB rd-129 air locker (rear), Camburg UCA's, custom front Sway-A-Way coilovers, custom Sway-A-Way's with remote reservoirs and billet mounts for the hind-quarters, PolyPerformance limit straps with adjustable clevis's, Stubbs Welding rock sliders and custom front skid plate, 315/75/16 Toyo Open Country M/T's, on all 4 corners wrapped around 16x8 MB Motoring Blitz rims, cryo'd 4.88's set up by Inchworm Gear, Trenz billet grill upper, T-Rex billet grill lower, on board VI-AIR aircompressor and 3 gallon air tank, AutoMeter A-pillar pod with trans temp gauge (sending unit in the tranny pan), Long Tru-Cool LPD tranny cooler, 10" Flex-a-Lite tranny cooler fan w/thermostat, TRD billet oil filler cap, TRD air filter, TRD dual exhaust, and TRD add-a-leaf rear springs. Superlift TruSpeed Speedo Recalibrator. Warn Trans4mer system with a 9.5ti winch running Amsteel Blue winch line. Budbuilt traction bar. Staun tyre deflators. Spitz Lift portable crane. Marlin Crawler 1.5" wheel spacers. Our home away from home, 2004 Outback 26RS travel trailer with 15" MB Motoring Blitz rims to match the Tundra.
Thanks for the info. I didn't quite make it to 400 miles on my first tank, instead it was 360. Took exactly 10 gallons. Almost 3x better than my Tundra! Not bad for combined city/highway and not even broken in yet.
I'll have to check out that web site.
__________________
My daily driver - 2008 Vios 'S' sedan. Tinted windows in the rear, TRD anti-sway bar for the rear, 17" rims - Samurai SC02 Hyper Black. TRD lowering springs. Megan Racing header.
My favorite ride - a 2001 SR5 4x4. With - RCD 6" lift, JBA Titanium coated headers, JBA y-pipe, Unichip PnP, ARB rd-129 air locker (rear), Camburg UCA's, custom front Sway-A-Way coilovers, custom Sway-A-Way's with remote reservoirs and billet mounts for the hind-quarters, PolyPerformance limit straps with adjustable clevis's, Stubbs Welding rock sliders and custom front skid plate, 315/75/16 Toyo Open Country M/T's, on all 4 corners wrapped around 16x8 MB Motoring Blitz rims, cryo'd 4.88's set up by Inchworm Gear, Trenz billet grill upper, T-Rex billet grill lower, on board VI-AIR aircompressor and 3 gallon air tank, AutoMeter A-pillar pod with trans temp gauge (sending unit in the tranny pan), Long Tru-Cool LPD tranny cooler, 10" Flex-a-Lite tranny cooler fan w/thermostat, TRD billet oil filler cap, TRD air filter, TRD dual exhaust, and TRD add-a-leaf rear springs. Superlift TruSpeed Speedo Recalibrator. Warn Trans4mer system with a 9.5ti winch running Amsteel Blue winch line. Budbuilt traction bar. Staun tyre deflators. Spitz Lift portable crane. Marlin Crawler 1.5" wheel spacers. Our home away from home, 2004 Outback 26RS travel trailer with 15" MB Motoring Blitz rims to match the Tundra.
***2nd mod is on it's way! First was the window tint for the rear windows. I just placed my order for a TRD rear anti-sway bar through Carson Toyota. I should have it later this week and I'll install it this weekend. I can hardly wait. On my old 1980 Honda Accord, a rear anti-sway bar made a HUGE difference in handling for a front wheel driver.
***Now I'm thinking about what my 3rd mod will be...perhaps some cool rims. Close to a body color match. Maybe a matte black. Something like this Konig Feather. ($87 per rim at Americas Tire Co fits my budget and I won't cry too hard if they get dinged):
On another note, the last tank of gas I pushed him a bit harder (now with 1,700 miles on the odo). Hit near the redline a few times, pushed it a bit off the line and recorded a measly 34.5 mpg overall. Oh DARN!!!! I'm havin' a blast in this car.
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My daily driver - 2008 Vios 'S' sedan. Tinted windows in the rear, TRD anti-sway bar for the rear, 17" rims - Samurai SC02 Hyper Black. TRD lowering springs. Megan Racing header.
My favorite ride - a 2001 SR5 4x4. With - RCD 6" lift, JBA Titanium coated headers, JBA y-pipe, Unichip PnP, ARB rd-129 air locker (rear), Camburg UCA's, custom front Sway-A-Way coilovers, custom Sway-A-Way's with remote reservoirs and billet mounts for the hind-quarters, PolyPerformance limit straps with adjustable clevis's, Stubbs Welding rock sliders and custom front skid plate, 315/75/16 Toyo Open Country M/T's, on all 4 corners wrapped around 16x8 MB Motoring Blitz rims, cryo'd 4.88's set up by Inchworm Gear, Trenz billet grill upper, T-Rex billet grill lower, on board VI-AIR aircompressor and 3 gallon air tank, AutoMeter A-pillar pod with trans temp gauge (sending unit in the tranny pan), Long Tru-Cool LPD tranny cooler, 10" Flex-a-Lite tranny cooler fan w/thermostat, TRD billet oil filler cap, TRD air filter, TRD dual exhaust, and TRD add-a-leaf rear springs. Superlift TruSpeed Speedo Recalibrator. Warn Trans4mer system with a 9.5ti winch running Amsteel Blue winch line. Budbuilt traction bar. Staun tyre deflators. Spitz Lift portable crane. Marlin Crawler 1.5" wheel spacers. Our home away from home, 2004 Outback 26RS travel trailer with 15" MB Motoring Blitz rims to match the Tundra.
According to UPS's web site, my TRD rear anti-sway bar is at my home! I should be able to find some time this weekend to install it and post a pic or two. I'll also post some comments regarding the change in handling.
New wheel possibility. I like this one the best so far (it's a little more at $125 per rim and it's a 17"). Of course I would need new tires too. Still dreaming!
__________________
My daily driver - 2008 Vios 'S' sedan. Tinted windows in the rear, TRD anti-sway bar for the rear, 17" rims - Samurai SC02 Hyper Black. TRD lowering springs. Megan Racing header.
My favorite ride - a 2001 SR5 4x4. With - RCD 6" lift, JBA Titanium coated headers, JBA y-pipe, Unichip PnP, ARB rd-129 air locker (rear), Camburg UCA's, custom front Sway-A-Way coilovers, custom Sway-A-Way's with remote reservoirs and billet mounts for the hind-quarters, PolyPerformance limit straps with adjustable clevis's, Stubbs Welding rock sliders and custom front skid plate, 315/75/16 Toyo Open Country M/T's, on all 4 corners wrapped around 16x8 MB Motoring Blitz rims, cryo'd 4.88's set up by Inchworm Gear, Trenz billet grill upper, T-Rex billet grill lower, on board VI-AIR aircompressor and 3 gallon air tank, AutoMeter A-pillar pod with trans temp gauge (sending unit in the tranny pan), Long Tru-Cool LPD tranny cooler, 10" Flex-a-Lite tranny cooler fan w/thermostat, TRD billet oil filler cap, TRD air filter, TRD dual exhaust, and TRD add-a-leaf rear springs. Superlift TruSpeed Speedo Recalibrator. Warn Trans4mer system with a 9.5ti winch running Amsteel Blue winch line. Budbuilt traction bar. Staun tyre deflators. Spitz Lift portable crane. Marlin Crawler 1.5" wheel spacers. Our home away from home, 2004 Outback 26RS travel trailer with 15" MB Motoring Blitz rims to match the Tundra.
I installed the TRD anti-sway bar and it definitely tightened up the handling and it corners nice and flat. The rear end now tracks perfectly with the front. If you like to take corners any higher than the 'recommended' speed, this is a worthwhile mod! Pure bolt on, no drilling. The longest part of the whole process was figuring out where to safely jack up the rear end, and where to place the jack stands. After that, it was loosening up the lower shock mounts, slide the bar over the extended lower shock bolts, insert one additional bolt per side and tighten everything up with a torque wrench. Torque specs included in the install sheet.
The anti-sway bar tucks way up and under the car, virtually nothing hanging down except at the very end near the lower shock mounting location.
Bar before installing:
Bar after installation:
__________________
My daily driver - 2008 Vios 'S' sedan. Tinted windows in the rear, TRD anti-sway bar for the rear, 17" rims - Samurai SC02 Hyper Black. TRD lowering springs. Megan Racing header.
My favorite ride - a 2001 SR5 4x4. With - RCD 6" lift, JBA Titanium coated headers, JBA y-pipe, Unichip PnP, ARB rd-129 air locker (rear), Camburg UCA's, custom front Sway-A-Way coilovers, custom Sway-A-Way's with remote reservoirs and billet mounts for the hind-quarters, PolyPerformance limit straps with adjustable clevis's, Stubbs Welding rock sliders and custom front skid plate, 315/75/16 Toyo Open Country M/T's, on all 4 corners wrapped around 16x8 MB Motoring Blitz rims, cryo'd 4.88's set up by Inchworm Gear, Trenz billet grill upper, T-Rex billet grill lower, on board VI-AIR aircompressor and 3 gallon air tank, AutoMeter A-pillar pod with trans temp gauge (sending unit in the tranny pan), Long Tru-Cool LPD tranny cooler, 10" Flex-a-Lite tranny cooler fan w/thermostat, TRD billet oil filler cap, TRD air filter, TRD dual exhaust, and TRD add-a-leaf rear springs. Superlift TruSpeed Speedo Recalibrator. Warn Trans4mer system with a 9.5ti winch running Amsteel Blue winch line. Budbuilt traction bar. Staun tyre deflators. Spitz Lift portable crane. Marlin Crawler 1.5" wheel spacers. Our home away from home, 2004 Outback 26RS travel trailer with 15" MB Motoring Blitz rims to match the Tundra.
Last edited by Herbicidal; 08-21-2009 at 08:12 PM.
Reason: Broken picture link
Interesting. I haven't done any mods, but new wheels have been tempting. I guess I wouldn't have much use for an anti-sway bar since I drive like an old granny most of the time. I drive like a maniac at work. I work for FedEx. Then I get in my car and relax...
Interesting. I haven't done any mods, but new wheels have been tempting. I guess I wouldn't have much use for an anti-sway bar since I drive like an old granny most of the time. I drive like a maniac at work. I work for FedEx. Then I get in my car and relax...
Maybe see if TRD makes a rear anti-sway bar for your work truck! I hear you, but I'm kind of the opposite. With my Tundra (not my work truck) I tend to just cruise around, then hopping into the Yaris I want to zip about and zoom through the corners! All the things that my Tundra is not good at. The Tundra is lifted, the Yaris will be lowered.
The last set of rims that I posted with the red center cap is what I will get. I'm going to go with a 17" rim with a 215/40/17 tire. Compared to stock (185/60/15), my speedo will be 0.125% too slow. Perfectly acceptable. There's a very good tire size calculator on Tires & Wheels - 1010tires.com the absolute tire and wheel authority that allows you to enter your stock tire size then experiment with up to 4 different sizes.
I'm still researching tires and possibly a set of lowering springs (without sacrificing the ride quality too much). A little firmer would be OK. If I drop it about 1", the new tires/wheels will fill in the wheel well real nice. I'm going along the lines of a few subtle red accents. The red TRD rear sway bar is almost invisible, then with the red center caps on the rims and then I'm thinking of red lowering springs and painting the front brake calipers red too. Nothing too 'ricey' just light touches to keep a clean look to it. I think the red works well with the Flint Mica paint color. Gotta have fun, right?
Lowering springs:
__________________
My daily driver - 2008 Vios 'S' sedan. Tinted windows in the rear, TRD anti-sway bar for the rear, 17" rims - Samurai SC02 Hyper Black. TRD lowering springs. Megan Racing header.
My favorite ride - a 2001 SR5 4x4. With - RCD 6" lift, JBA Titanium coated headers, JBA y-pipe, Unichip PnP, ARB rd-129 air locker (rear), Camburg UCA's, custom front Sway-A-Way coilovers, custom Sway-A-Way's with remote reservoirs and billet mounts for the hind-quarters, PolyPerformance limit straps with adjustable clevis's, Stubbs Welding rock sliders and custom front skid plate, 315/75/16 Toyo Open Country M/T's, on all 4 corners wrapped around 16x8 MB Motoring Blitz rims, cryo'd 4.88's set up by Inchworm Gear, Trenz billet grill upper, T-Rex billet grill lower, on board VI-AIR aircompressor and 3 gallon air tank, AutoMeter A-pillar pod with trans temp gauge (sending unit in the tranny pan), Long Tru-Cool LPD tranny cooler, 10" Flex-a-Lite tranny cooler fan w/thermostat, TRD billet oil filler cap, TRD air filter, TRD dual exhaust, and TRD add-a-leaf rear springs. Superlift TruSpeed Speedo Recalibrator. Warn Trans4mer system with a 9.5ti winch running Amsteel Blue winch line. Budbuilt traction bar. Staun tyre deflators. Spitz Lift portable crane. Marlin Crawler 1.5" wheel spacers. Our home away from home, 2004 Outback 26RS travel trailer with 15" MB Motoring Blitz rims to match the Tundra.
Damn! You caught me! What I'm saving is GAS money! I've got the 'mod' fever and the only cure is to keep on modding. Fortunately, the Yaris is a lot less expensive to personalize than the Tundra...so far...
__________________
My daily driver - 2008 Vios 'S' sedan. Tinted windows in the rear, TRD anti-sway bar for the rear, 17" rims - Samurai SC02 Hyper Black. TRD lowering springs. Megan Racing header.
My favorite ride - a 2001 SR5 4x4. With - RCD 6" lift, JBA Titanium coated headers, JBA y-pipe, Unichip PnP, ARB rd-129 air locker (rear), Camburg UCA's, custom front Sway-A-Way coilovers, custom Sway-A-Way's with remote reservoirs and billet mounts for the hind-quarters, PolyPerformance limit straps with adjustable clevis's, Stubbs Welding rock sliders and custom front skid plate, 315/75/16 Toyo Open Country M/T's, on all 4 corners wrapped around 16x8 MB Motoring Blitz rims, cryo'd 4.88's set up by Inchworm Gear, Trenz billet grill upper, T-Rex billet grill lower, on board VI-AIR aircompressor and 3 gallon air tank, AutoMeter A-pillar pod with trans temp gauge (sending unit in the tranny pan), Long Tru-Cool LPD tranny cooler, 10" Flex-a-Lite tranny cooler fan w/thermostat, TRD billet oil filler cap, TRD air filter, TRD dual exhaust, and TRD add-a-leaf rear springs. Superlift TruSpeed Speedo Recalibrator. Warn Trans4mer system with a 9.5ti winch running Amsteel Blue winch line. Budbuilt traction bar. Staun tyre deflators. Spitz Lift portable crane. Marlin Crawler 1.5" wheel spacers. Our home away from home, 2004 Outback 26RS travel trailer with 15" MB Motoring Blitz rims to match the Tundra.
The last set of rims I posted a picture of are on their way! They are 17" Samurai SC02 Hyper Black. I'll be running 205/40/17's (most likely BFG G-Force Sport's - $89/tire). That size tire won't affect my speedometer by any noticeable amount. I should have them this week and perhaps on the car by next weekend. I'm stoked!
__________________
My daily driver - 2008 Vios 'S' sedan. Tinted windows in the rear, TRD anti-sway bar for the rear, 17" rims - Samurai SC02 Hyper Black. TRD lowering springs. Megan Racing header.
My favorite ride - a 2001 SR5 4x4. With - RCD 6" lift, JBA Titanium coated headers, JBA y-pipe, Unichip PnP, ARB rd-129 air locker (rear), Camburg UCA's, custom front Sway-A-Way coilovers, custom Sway-A-Way's with remote reservoirs and billet mounts for the hind-quarters, PolyPerformance limit straps with adjustable clevis's, Stubbs Welding rock sliders and custom front skid plate, 315/75/16 Toyo Open Country M/T's, on all 4 corners wrapped around 16x8 MB Motoring Blitz rims, cryo'd 4.88's set up by Inchworm Gear, Trenz billet grill upper, T-Rex billet grill lower, on board VI-AIR aircompressor and 3 gallon air tank, AutoMeter A-pillar pod with trans temp gauge (sending unit in the tranny pan), Long Tru-Cool LPD tranny cooler, 10" Flex-a-Lite tranny cooler fan w/thermostat, TRD billet oil filler cap, TRD air filter, TRD dual exhaust, and TRD add-a-leaf rear springs. Superlift TruSpeed Speedo Recalibrator. Warn Trans4mer system with a 9.5ti winch running Amsteel Blue winch line. Budbuilt traction bar. Staun tyre deflators. Spitz Lift portable crane. Marlin Crawler 1.5" wheel spacers. Our home away from home, 2004 Outback 26RS travel trailer with 15" MB Motoring Blitz rims to match the Tundra.
The new 2009 Yaris models will all have side airbags and ABS and there will be a model we've seen around LA here that's strictly Canadian or Mexico-sold - a 5-door hatchback.
Anyone looking to park their Tundra or Sequoia or 4Runner and have a Yaris for a daily driver, reach me for great pricing! I have a few 2008's still left ... not many but enough!
Hi Herb!!
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Dianne Whitmire
Fleet & Internet Manager
Manhattan Beach Toyota|Scion
1500 N Sepulveda
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 dianne@earthlink.net
310 939 7801 ofc
949 689 0717 cel
Well HELLO Dianne! Good to hear from you! As you can see the Tundra I bought from you back in what, Oct. 2000? (oh my gawd! ) is still running great! Just a little too thirsty at the pump with current gas prices. I'm keeping her for doing 'truck' duties, but no so much as the daily driver. Although I do get a lot more 'respect' on the road!
I love the Yaris and as you can see the mods have started already. When are the 2009's scheduled to start arriving?
The rims arrive today and I've changed my mind on the tires. I'm going with Les Schwab's Federal ss595's @ $70/tire. They get good reviews from the 'drifting' crowd. Hmmmmm.....
__________________
My daily driver - 2008 Vios 'S' sedan. Tinted windows in the rear, TRD anti-sway bar for the rear, 17" rims - Samurai SC02 Hyper Black. TRD lowering springs. Megan Racing header.
My favorite ride - a 2001 SR5 4x4. With - RCD 6" lift, JBA Titanium coated headers, JBA y-pipe, Unichip PnP, ARB rd-129 air locker (rear), Camburg UCA's, custom front Sway-A-Way coilovers, custom Sway-A-Way's with remote reservoirs and billet mounts for the hind-quarters, PolyPerformance limit straps with adjustable clevis's, Stubbs Welding rock sliders and custom front skid plate, 315/75/16 Toyo Open Country M/T's, on all 4 corners wrapped around 16x8 MB Motoring Blitz rims, cryo'd 4.88's set up by Inchworm Gear, Trenz billet grill upper, T-Rex billet grill lower, on board VI-AIR aircompressor and 3 gallon air tank, AutoMeter A-pillar pod with trans temp gauge (sending unit in the tranny pan), Long Tru-Cool LPD tranny cooler, 10" Flex-a-Lite tranny cooler fan w/thermostat, TRD billet oil filler cap, TRD air filter, TRD dual exhaust, and TRD add-a-leaf rear springs. Superlift TruSpeed Speedo Recalibrator. Warn Trans4mer system with a 9.5ti winch running Amsteel Blue winch line. Budbuilt traction bar. Staun tyre deflators. Spitz Lift portable crane. Marlin Crawler 1.5" wheel spacers. Our home away from home, 2004 Outback 26RS travel trailer with 15" MB Motoring Blitz rims to match the Tundra.
Our new 2008 Yaris 'S' sedan.
It's a fun little car to drive! In fact at a dead stop, I can open the door and touch the road. I had the rear windows tinted by the dealer, so that was my first mod. I'm 6' 1" and fit just fine. It's slightly tight at the steering wheel as I wish it moved upwards another inch or so, but other than that, plenty of room. The trunk is even a decent size too. I'm still in the break-in period, so I'm being gentle, but the 1.5L VVT-i loves to go! The 'S' model comes with a tach and it's fun to watch it rev. This one is an automatic as I have a lot of stop and go driving in my commute and I just didn't feel like dealing with a stick shift. I'm getting used to the center dash and it actually works rather well. The car is very quiet at freeway speeds and feels quite stable. Handling through the corners feels pretty neutral. All in all, I'm quite happy with the little guy. 
Re: Our new 2008 Yaris 'S' sedan.
After that, it was loosening up the lower shock mounts, slide the bar over the extended lower shock bolts, insert one additional bolt per side and tighten everything up with a torque wrench. Torque specs included in the install sheet.
Fortunately, the Yaris is a lot less expensive to personalize than the Tundra...so far... 
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