Hi guys,
I registered to be a part of the self-help group "How long can we accept waiting and will we be still alive when our cars arrive". My Yaris was ordered on 2nd of June 2021, and I did the mistake to order it in Germany at my local dealer. So I am still waiting with no feedback from the dealer or Toyota itself.
If the car wasn't holding its value so well, I would be tempted to cancel my order. But after over two years of waiting, I think I can manage the remaining months. Having grown up in Western Germany, I am more impatient than our compatriots who ordered a Trabant in Eastern Germany and had to wait ten years for their beauties to arrive, but I will manage because in the end even the GR Yaris "is just a car".
Of course it is not "just a car", damn it. It is Japanese engineering and sporty spirit, it is nimble, it is agile, it has a manual transmission, it has the most entertaining and capable three-cylinder apart from Koenigsegg, it only weighs 1,280 kilos, it has the handbrake which decouples the rear axle, and in its B-road performance it is unmatched in its class and above.
As soon as I get a production start update from MyToyota, I will post in this thread.
@GRunt I totally understand where you are coming from. For me also, street cars are on the edge of "becoming to fast" on the public roads for safe and fun exploration of their capabilities. The MX-5 is always an entertaining choice, so let me list a few pros and cons:
Pros:
- Open roof: If you like a cabriolet, than you have more sensorial experiences: The smell of the nature, the noises, the wind above your hair or your bold skull. I appreciate that.
- Lightweight: even lighter than the Yaris by around 250 kg. You will feel the difference in driving. And it keeps maintenance relatively cheap. I assume an MX-5 is noticeably cheaper to run than the GR Yaris.
- Eager revving: The 184 hp engine has a nice top end rush up until 7,5k, and if you were to tune it (at a significant 8 grand more), you could get a new red line at 8k with 220 hp. Together with a shorter final drive, this car will feel very speedy. Unfortunately, this brings the car beyond 40k.
- Good infotainment controls: no touchscreen-only solution, but buttons. BUTTONS! Which you can use without having to look away from the road.
Cons:
- Suspension setup: To my liking, even with the Bilstein suspension, there is far too much body roll when you really push the car. I have no idea, how much "after-market upgrade" will be necessary to fix this. Please note this is my personal taste.
- Numb steering: This was the biggest drawback when I test drove an ND with the 184 hp engine. You steer, the car reacts, but I got no feeling for what the front wheels are doing at that moment in the corner. And I have no clue how this could be fixed after-market. Nobody will build in a hydraulic steering, and I doubt there will be someone reprogramming the electric steering.
- In comparison to the Yaris less space: Very obvious of course. But when you like to buy two crates of beer and a crate of cola for personal taste or a small party with friends, then the capacities of the MX-5 are very limited. If you live a life like me meaning staying mostly away from other people, the MX-5 still has enough space. Unfortunately and fortunately at the same time, my "misery" is accompanied by a beloved dog of moderate size (knee-high), and the ND MX-5 does not have enough space for her because the dashboard reaches too much into the cabin.
Verdict:
You will have great fun in the MX-5 also. It is a totally different driving experience to the Yaris. I wish you could afford both, but don't get into financial trouble because of cars! If you decide for one option, please keep in mind if (one of) the cons I mentioned are or might become an issue for you during ownership.
I registered to be a part of the self-help group "How long can we accept waiting and will we be still alive when our cars arrive". My Yaris was ordered on 2nd of June 2021, and I did the mistake to order it in Germany at my local dealer. So I am still waiting with no feedback from the dealer or Toyota itself.
If the car wasn't holding its value so well, I would be tempted to cancel my order. But after over two years of waiting, I think I can manage the remaining months. Having grown up in Western Germany, I am more impatient than our compatriots who ordered a Trabant in Eastern Germany and had to wait ten years for their beauties to arrive, but I will manage because in the end even the GR Yaris "is just a car".
Of course it is not "just a car", damn it. It is Japanese engineering and sporty spirit, it is nimble, it is agile, it has a manual transmission, it has the most entertaining and capable three-cylinder apart from Koenigsegg, it only weighs 1,280 kilos, it has the handbrake which decouples the rear axle, and in its B-road performance it is unmatched in its class and above.
As soon as I get a production start update from MyToyota, I will post in this thread.
@GRunt I totally understand where you are coming from. For me also, street cars are on the edge of "becoming to fast" on the public roads for safe and fun exploration of their capabilities. The MX-5 is always an entertaining choice, so let me list a few pros and cons:
Pros:
- Open roof: If you like a cabriolet, than you have more sensorial experiences: The smell of the nature, the noises, the wind above your hair or your bold skull. I appreciate that.
- Lightweight: even lighter than the Yaris by around 250 kg. You will feel the difference in driving. And it keeps maintenance relatively cheap. I assume an MX-5 is noticeably cheaper to run than the GR Yaris.
- Eager revving: The 184 hp engine has a nice top end rush up until 7,5k, and if you were to tune it (at a significant 8 grand more), you could get a new red line at 8k with 220 hp. Together with a shorter final drive, this car will feel very speedy. Unfortunately, this brings the car beyond 40k.
- Good infotainment controls: no touchscreen-only solution, but buttons. BUTTONS! Which you can use without having to look away from the road.
Cons:
- Suspension setup: To my liking, even with the Bilstein suspension, there is far too much body roll when you really push the car. I have no idea, how much "after-market upgrade" will be necessary to fix this. Please note this is my personal taste.
- Numb steering: This was the biggest drawback when I test drove an ND with the 184 hp engine. You steer, the car reacts, but I got no feeling for what the front wheels are doing at that moment in the corner. And I have no clue how this could be fixed after-market. Nobody will build in a hydraulic steering, and I doubt there will be someone reprogramming the electric steering.
- In comparison to the Yaris less space: Very obvious of course. But when you like to buy two crates of beer and a crate of cola for personal taste or a small party with friends, then the capacities of the MX-5 are very limited. If you live a life like me meaning staying mostly away from other people, the MX-5 still has enough space. Unfortunately and fortunately at the same time, my "misery" is accompanied by a beloved dog of moderate size (knee-high), and the ND MX-5 does not have enough space for her because the dashboard reaches too much into the cabin.
Verdict:
You will have great fun in the MX-5 also. It is a totally different driving experience to the Yaris. I wish you could afford both, but don't get into financial trouble because of cars! If you decide for one option, please keep in mind if (one of) the cons I mentioned are or might become an issue for you during ownership.
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Not sure if I ever wrote about it here but I test drove an MX5 (~3 months ago) too!
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