The Yaris for Long Distance

wtfchinaman

Hi Folks,

I'm getting a used car, budget being approx 4000.

I initially thought of a nissan almera, but have some hesitations after reading the various problems, timing belt, gear box etc.

I am now looking at a Yaris, a Micra or a Ford Fiesta.

I mainly use it in Waterford city, but will travel up to dublin weekly. Anyone have experience how the above cars perform on longer distance drives on motorways? Any problems with the above cars? Any recommendations?

Cheers

Cabaal

Drive a Hyundai Getz 1.1, it wouldn't be far off the Yaris engine/car/build wise. (I think they new eqivelent from Hyundai is the i10)

I do about 400miles a week on it, since new Waterford motorway is in I drive that now as well. It'll do 100km/hour no bother but once you start hitting 120km/hour plus the steering wheel will vibrate a fair abit.

After 2 years and in excess of 65k miles I've not had a bother with my Getz, though I always get it serviced when its due to be.

How often are you looking at going to Dublin in it, once twice a week?

colm_mcm

Cabaal wrote: »

I drive that now as well. It'll do 100km/hour no bother but once you start hitting 120km/hour plus the steering wheel will vibrate a fair abit.

Sounds like you need to get your tracking done.

Cabaal

colm_mcm wrote: »

Sounds like you need to get your tracking done.

Was pretty sure I needed to alright,

rebel.ranter

@Cabaal:
Your tracking is probably OK, a more likely cause is your front wheels need balancing. This should cost about €5-10 per wheel (€10 IMO would be a rip off).
@wtfchinaman:
Most if not all modern cars are capable of doing 120km/hr without issue.

All cars have some sort of achilles heel when it comes to potential problems, knowing what they are is half the battle, proper maintenance is the other half.

A friend of mine regularly took the Cork-Dublin trip in a Yaris without issue & with very good economy. However it very likely could have been more comfortable in a larger more powerful car. Larger & more powerful normally means more expensive, so your running budget plays an important part in your choice of car.

hoodie6029

I regularly run my yaris on long distances, motorways and national roads, no problem at all, it's comfortable and quiet. Do the same journey in Micras and not half as good. As already mentioned it would be more comfortable in a bigger car but if you're no a budget the yaris is grand

wtfchinaman

hoodie6029 wrote: »

I regularly run my yaris on long distances, motorways and national roads, no problem at all, it's comfortable and quiet. Do the same journey in Micras and not half as good. As already mentioned it would be more comfortable in a bigger car but if you're no a budget the yaris is grand

Seems to be the Yaris is quite alright for long distance, comfort is really not a matter, i really just don't want it to break down half way.


In what way is the Micra not as good?

hoodie6029

wtfchinaman wrote: »

Seems to be the Yaris is quite alright for long distance, comfort is really not a matter, i really just don't want it to break down half way.


In what way is the Micra not as good?

Don't get me wrong the Mirca (it was an 08 I had hired) is a good car. I found it noisy on the motorway, the rear seat did not move forward to make the boot larger.

It didn't fell as sturdy or well built as my Yaris (2000) but I suppose this point is a matter of opinion.

I bought my Yaris off my sister who hadn't serviced it in about 10,000 miles and waited another 1,000 before doing anything and it ran really well. My neighbour had a Yaris for 6 years and the only thing that went on it was the washer motor.

Random

I've driven a Yaris to Limerick, Mayo, Belfast, Glasgow. No complaints from me.

EPM

My girlfriend drives a Yaris and I find 't quite noisey to be honest. It's a mark 1. The radio will drown that out I suppose plus it's a miser on juice. What I couldn't face is the handling. If you're on the road a lot you will appreciate a more capable car. I'm not talking about thrashing around in the car, even at moderate speeds its horrid

kazul

wtfchinaman wrote: »

I initially thought of a nissan almera, but have some hesitations after reading the various problems, timing belt, gear box etc.

Almeras have chains not belts AFAIK and I never heard of them giving gearbox problems.
FWIW I would rate the fiesta much higher than the yaris

-Corkie-

kazul wrote: »

Almeras have chains not belts AFAIK and I never heard of them giving gearbox problems.
FWIW I would rate the fiesta much higher than the yaris

Yes kazul your spot on and they would be more cumfy than a yaris. But op do not buy a big car for 4k as your choice will be limited enough and you have more running costs more so than a yaris/almera

ninty9er

A 1.2 Corsa would probably be a better option than the Yaris as it will feel more "planted" on the road. However, of the 3 you mention, the Fiesta is by far the better car for motorway, assuming you're looking at the 1.25/1.4 03-08 Model

bongi69

Would you consider a Polo?
The 1.2 3 cylinder engine has some poke in it and can cope well with motorway speeds. Its also quite light on petrol.
I owned an 02 Seat Ibiza (derived from the polo) with the same engine, and the engine remained reliable while the rest of the car fell apart around it. The Polo would be significantly better built, Hanz in the VW factory being a little less lazy than Pedro in the SEAT factory.

Gophur

wtfchinaman wrote: »

Seems to be the Yaris is quite alright for long distance, comfort is really not a matter, i really just don't want it to break down half way.


In what way is the Micra not as good?

What about Safety? A car the size of Yaris is only safe in urban areas. Any impact at speeds above urban speed limits and you are history.
If you will be travelling large distances, get something safe, something bigger than a Yaris.

wtfchinaman

Hi guys thanks for all your posts and opinions,

Went to the car dealers yesterday Test drived many cars, decided on the Ford Fiesta, just liked the way it drives. Also read many reviews that it is reliable and energy efficient. Well hope its true.

Thanks guys, your opinions really helped!

af_thefragile

My friend has a 03 Yaris and he drives down to Athlone and back from Dublin a few times every week and has been doing this for the past year. Never really gave him any problem.

Its a comfortable enough car for that price range. Its surely not a big saloon but its better than a Micra and quite a bit more comfortable than my Ford Puma (though not as fun).

He regularly drives it on the motorway on the way to Athlone at around 120-140 and it does it without any problem. Though driving it at those speeds will significantly affect the fuel consumption of the 1l engine.

The Yaris is a very reliable car. I'll advice it if you want a good run around which won't give you any troubles. You'll also get a lot back in residuals.

Just make sure to look after it, as in check the oil and coolant regularly.

wtfchinaman wrote: »

Hi guys thanks for all your posts and opinions,

Went to the car dealers yesterday Test drived many cars, decided on the Ford Fiesta, just liked the way it drives. Also read many reviews that it is reliable and energy efficient. Well hope its true.

Thanks guys, your opinions really helped!

I drive a Ford Puma which is basically a slightly hardened Fiesta and it is extremely fun to drive. Its a very engaging and responsive drive. I've spend about a grand on repairs so far and still have a few repairs left on it but i even bought it very cheap so its not bad.

I'ld say a Yaris is more comfortable and reliable than the Fiesta. But the Fiesta is definitely a better car to drive.

colm_mcm

Gophur wrote: »

What about Safety? A car the size of Yaris is only safe in urban areas. Any impact at speeds above urban speed limits and you are history.
If you will be travelling large distances, get something safe, something bigger than a Yaris.

Yaris's have a 4 star NCAP rating. many bigger cars from the same year don't.