D4D Or 1.33?

[Confused_Cheese]

Hiya :)

Off the back of my other post, i'm now having a hard time deciding between a diesel d4d or a 1.33. I do about 13-14k a year so I need something fairly cheap to run.

My last 3 cars have been diesels, but i'm after something cheapish to maintain. Excitement and kit take second place to reliability and overall cheapness :D.

Always been slightly concerned with diesels as most have turbos that can cause problems plus they cost more and the fuels more expensive these days.

Any advice/help?

[Madasafish]

New/old?

Price?

I drive a diesel and nothing has gone wrong... I've seen diesel yaris with 120k on original engine and turbo..

Servicing is all.

[Confused_Cheese]

Would be about 2-3 years old, 20k on the clock (have roughly 7-8k to spend). I do about 13-15k a year down national speed limit roads to work, so the diesel would work out marginally cheaper to run but cost more to buy.

Would definitely hope a yaris with 120k on the clock would still have the original engine :D

[alfiejts]

If you're looking at 2-3 years old, you're not going to get a 1.33, only a 1.3. They are completely different engine and gearboxes.

Nothing wrong with a 1.3, we have one, but you need to be aware.

The 1.33 is a new engine (100bhp approx)with a new 6 speed geearbox and very high gear ratios that means it drives at much lower revs at motorway speeds and really helps the fuel consumption.

The 1.3 is 86bhp and has a traditional 5-speed gearbox so its doing about 3500-4000 rpm at motorway cruising speeds, compared to the 2500 of a diesel.

We had the same decision - the diesel is actually more powerful and faster than the 1.3 and more economical - but the 1.3 is a gem of a smooth engine.

I drive an Audi A3 2.0TDi with the DSG geearbox, so was well aware of the benefits of motorway cruising in a low revving diesel and the extra torque.

I thought my wife would prefer the diesel because of the extra "oomph" from the torque and because she doesn't drive at "high revs" in eachg gear.

I fancied the diesel over the 1.3 because it had lower road tax, better economy, more power and was faster - but it cost more to buy and because of the deal we could get on a 1.3, it was an even bigger difference in price than just the list price difference.

I worked out that even taking everything into account, we'd have to cover 50000 miles in the diesel just to break even and recover the extra purchase cost...

Anyway - my wife went out in both and decided she preferred the driving characteristics of the 1.3 over the diesel - so we bought that. I must admit I love the engine. Its lovely and smooth and even though its not that powerful, its fun to drive and much better on the ears than my Audi TDi....

Find a Toyota dealer with both and try them both to see which you prefer....

Unless you are really tight for cash and a few quid a year makes a major difference, pick the one you prefer to drive...

[Confused_Cheese]

Thanks for the reply :) You're right! Looking on Toyota's site, I was actually looking at a 2009 1.33 for the same price as a 58-57 d4d.

I haven't looked at the normal 1.3 yet as I thought the 1.33 might be better. Looking at several online reviews they recommend the 1.33 over other engines.

[alfiejts]

You also mention enjoyment and kit....

You need to be aware that Toyota UK have really played around with the trim levels and versions over the past few years.

Apart from an entry level 1.0 T2, there is now basically just one trim level (TR), so if you buy a later model car, you have little choice of kit.

In 2007 and 2008 (and early 2009) there was a range of models. T2 was basic, T3 had all the essentials, TR was a T3 with alloys, SR was sporty trim and T-Spirit was luxury trim.

But in 2009 it ws all rationalised and even though the different trim levels continued, they had different standard fittings, so you need to be very careful when choosing a particular car that it actually has the features you want.

We have a 2008 SR. Its a great trim level - 16" alloys, roof spoiler, lowered suspension, built in tomtom sat nav, bluetooth phone kit, USB MP3 player, alloy gear knob.

The 2009 SR lost all that but has darkened rear glass instead.

At one time all Yarises came with nine airbags (and a 5* NCAP safety rating), but for some months in 2009, the TR model lost its alloy wheels. Then later in 2009 it got the alloys back but lost its curtain and knee airbags (and its 5* safety rating), then in 2010 it got all the airbags back again...

The thing to be carefiul of when buying a "recent" used Yaris is to make sure you don't assume that all models of the same "trim name" have the same trim. Make sure that you check that the car you choose has the kit you want and don't just assume that "because its an SR, it will be the same as the other SR I saw last week..."

[alfiejts]

These are the major equipment variables:

Manual air conditioning - Standard on T3 and above

Automatic climate control - T-Spirit and 2007 SR models

Keyless entry and "Engine Start" button - T Spirit

15" alloy wheels - Most TRs, SR & T Spirit

Front fog lights - varies by model year, but basically some have them and some don't...

Rear roof spoiler - 2007 & 2008 SR

16" alloys, lowered suspension, built in satnav, bluetooth phone kit, USB MP3 input - 2008 SR

Darkened rear glass and smoked headlight surrounds - 2009 SR

All the above trim levels were available with either the 1.3 petrol or 1.4 diesel engines.

I'm not sure when the 1.33 engine was introduced and whether you could stil get the various trims with that or whether it was only available with the current single "TR" trim level.

[reece]

I'm not sure when the 1.33 engine was introduced

With the 'New Yaris' in 2009 (January)

[Parts-King]

The 1.33 Yaris is a class winner all round, the 6 speed box and stop start technology is not found on any of its direct competitors, and thats where it wins on overall economy. It was also joint first in the JD Power 2010 survey (The Yaris in general) I'm just about to write an article for our website comparing Yaris to all its direct competitiors

JD Power Survey results for Yaris

Kingo

[alfiejts]

The 1.33 Yaris is a class winner all round, the 6 speed box and stop start technology is not found on any of its direct competitors, and thats where it wins on overall economy. It was also joint first in the JD Power 2010 survey (The Yaris in general) I'm just about to write an article for our website comparing Yaris to all its direct competitiors

JD Power Survey results for Yaris

Kingo

Sure the new powertrain is good - but its now just got one boring trim spec and there's no excitement in the range any more to temp people below the age of retirement.

I assume that the idea is that people wanting something a bit more individual will buy other models in the range instead with higher profit margins like the urban cruiser - but I think Toyota UK have lost the plot removing all the variety of different models that attracted different types of buyers.

We got rung by the garage that sold us our 2008 SR this week, offering a new Yaris at cost price "by invitation only". We told them no thanks. If there was a model in the range like the 2008 SR with the new powertrain, I could well have been tempted to change - but there's no equivalent model any more, so there's no way we're ditching our beloved roof spoiler, 16" alloys, satnav, bluetooth, etc, etc just to get the new powertrain. I'm afraid that after owning Yarii since 2000, we'll probably be looking elsewhere when its time to replace this one. Not because there's anything wrong with our car or Toyota, its wonderful, but they don't have a model to replace it with....

YOu can still buy a variety of models in other EU countries, so they must be being made in the French factory - it must just be Toyota UK who decides that they don't want to have the variety in the range....

[Parts-King]

I was responding to the OP about the 6 speed G/Box and running costs, including the "Customer" reviews in the JD Power survey. The fact that you think the trim is drab is a point relevent to you personally. The OP made no reference to the availability of various trim options but wanted

My last 3 cars have been diesels, but i'm after something cheapish to maintain. Excitement and kit take second place to reliability and overall cheapness

No one country will ever take the full range of options available to them, it would confuse the life out of customers and have a bad effect on availability and production. Each country decides what specs they want a long time in advance so that production is planned in a controlled way, you often get models such as the SR being created once they get here in this country, they would have started life as a lower spec car, imported into the UK and then have alloys, spoilers or whatever added here to save time in production

Kingo

[Cyker]

The fact that there's only a T2 and TR kinda sucks; Even the Aygo has a better range.

You don't even get a digital dash in the Yaris TR :( (I love my digital dash )

I'm hoping they bring back more options, and maybe even... a sunroof! :o

[Parts-King]

Yes it is very limited

Kingo

[alfiejts]

You're right Kingo - I thought our new friend said he wanted "excitement and kit" but I've just reread the post and that's the lower priority - so my post explaining the various kit options was a waste of time... Oh well...

I never mentioned drab - I think the Yaris and its trim is great and I'm a great supporter of the car having had Yarii for ten years - I just wish the range hadn't been narrowed down as much...

When we bought our last one, we were going into the showroom to buy a TR (which proves that we thought that there's nothing wrong with it) when my wife saw the SR and fell in love with the wheels & roof spoiler - so the garage got a much better sale and more money. That won't happen any more...

If they did a similar spec model now, I'd be tempted to change to get the new (excellent) 1.33 powertrain - but they don't so we'll keep our existing car and Toyota is losing a potential sale because of the narrower trim range.

So whilst this isn't the thread to talk about equipment, cos our new friend isn't too bothered, I still have the regret that Toyota must be losing sales because there aren't a wider range of trim levels to attract different sorts of customers and to temp those of us with SR, TS or T-Spirit models into changing...

Its like watching your favourite football team selling its best players - you wonder where its all going to end.

I've been a great proponent of the Yaris for the past decade and think its a shame that "my little car", that I want to see do well, is being sidelined into a one model range...

ANyway, I'll shut up now cos as you've pointed out, I've gone "off thread", even if it` was by accident...

[Parts-King]

Yes apologies, you didnt mention drab, it was my interpretation of poor level of specification

Yaris is Toyota's flagship in terms of bread and butter sales, so I am suprised too that there are only two levels of spec, there must be a logical reason for them taking this stance, I just don't know what it is

I dont think you went off topic, we just swerved, applied the VSC and ABS a little and got back inline :D:

Kingo

[alfiejts]

Don't mention VSC - that's my other gripe - that its only available as a factory order on the Yaris so no one bothers....

Oh how I would have loved to pay Toyota more money for VSC (and rear disks) but that wasn't a realistic option either without waiting an extra three months for delivery and losing out on the discounts being offered for an in-stock car as well...

We did an Alfa track day at Oulton Park and they had a course around the paddock where you deliberately drove the cars like a looney to get them out of control so that you could feel how the VSC kicked in and brought the car back under control.

Helped demonstrate how clever and life-saving that facility is and why many EU countries insist that its fitted as standard - just a shame that the UK doesn't.

I'm still convinced it probably saved me from a very serious incident when I hit a patch of diesel on the road and went off Snake Pass backwards in my old Alfa 156....

[reece]

Yaris is Toyota's flagship in terms of bread and butter sales, so I am suprised too that there are only two levels of spec, there must be a logical reason for them taking this stance, I just don't know what it is

It’s due to a new Yaris coming out next year.

Don't mention VSC - that's my other gripe -

Helped demonstrate how clever and life-saving that facility is and why many EU countries insist that its fitted as standard - just a shame that the UK doesn't.

VSC will be compulsory in vehicles within a couple of years in the UK (like ABS is now) and by 2012 in the States.

[Confused_Cheese]

Thanks for all the replies guys :) Been posting on forum's for years, and I love how they always go off topic haha :D

Was mainly posting to find out whether you guys would recommend either the diesel or the new petrol 1.33... will probably be going with the diesel though

Have the issues with the head gasket been sorted in the later models? Just been reading the mini forums are omg, scary repair costs!