spwolf

it does, but dont be fooled - toyota isnt. They know that on paper, old engine doesnt look good (even if it works fine in real life), and pricing is too much for its features.

Luckily for us in Europe, we get all of the negative points removed from Yaris - it has more adjustable steering, better sound insulation and of course, top of the class engines.

Pricing is also tops :-)

mmarshall

Well, my guess is that, with all of the local/national taxes and tariffs in Europe, and variations in the Euro-Yen-Dollar-exchange-rate, you could end up paying substantially more for a Yaris there than here in the U.S. The higher-equipment content of the Euro-market Yaris models probably doesn't do much to keep prices down, either.

Kostamojen

It would be hard for me to buy any of these over the Sonic cause you can get that 1.4 turbo with the 6-speed for $16k and get HUGE amount of power out of that motor with very little effort:

spwolf

we do... it is premium priced here in europe, but also has A LOT of equipment... literally base equipment is what they sell as top in US.

spwolf

basically we pay the same as you guys do (compared to competition) but at the same time, we get top of the class engines and much more equipment (half leather seats, panoramic roof, etc, are all reasonably priced).

so it is priced high but you get a lot of car too.

-J-P-L-

And as you know, Europeans are very accustom to paying big money for small cars. Americans are not, and will not pay mid-size car prices for sub-compact cars. Therefore, we don't get the upscale trims.

Our top trims equaling Europe's base trims, only sell at best about 20% of total model volume in the US. Base and mid levels are always the vast majority sold. $16K USD for a sub-compact is already getting too steep for most buyers.

scgt652

According to the sales data for September, the Versa outsold the Fit, Yaris, and Accent combined:

Versa (11,800) > Fit (4,734) + Accent (4,525) + Yaris (1,602).

More proof that C&D is out of touch with the needs of real buyers.

-J-P-L-

Well, those Yaris sales don't yet reflect what the new Yaris will sell (not on sale in September). And there's barely any 2011 stock left.

Also, most Versa sales are for the current hatchback which is going another year. The car in this test is the new sedan which was barely out as well. So we don't yet know how this will sell. The previous sedan sold poorly, hence why it was replaced first.

Besides that though, C&D's ratings aren't going to put the most weight on what is the cheapest, which the Versa was designed to be. Or even what is simply the roomiest. Yes, these are important to buyers, but doesn't describe the best car in the segment.

A lot of people go shopping and ask...what is the biggest car I can get for the lowest price? The Versa wins at that game.

Kostamojen

More like how many stupid people there are in the world, LOL!

84Cressida

I think around 41% of the Versa's sales are rental fleets.

However, I do think that buyers in this class don't care that much about all the fancy new gadgets many others have. If you're going to get nav, leather, etc in a subcompact, you might as well move up to a compact. The buyers in this class care about price and MPG.

superchan7

As long as the US continues to have low-density cities, small cars will have difficulty getting market share. People in crowded communities appreciate the value of a well-packaged car that is easy to maneuver and park, and gets great fuel economy.

joshthorsc

I think the the new yaris looks great! However, my only concern, according to C&D, is that it requires premium fuel? I hope that is a typo, cause it might turn off a lot of buyers.

84Cressida

Has to be a typo. There's nothing mechanically different about the 1NZ from other Yaris models.

scgt652

I was in Vegas this past weekend, and there were quite a few Versas at the rental car lot. Lots of Jettas and Chrysler products too.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

Honda Fit always remain on top of CD's pick since day one, even against new comers. Prop to them.
I like the new Yaris design, less feminine so hopefully more male buyers. Wish they put in more powerful engine though, 125HP sounds good. ( should use the one from Scion XD)