I’ll preface by saying this is a first world “problem” -
I owned a Toyota Yaris for 11 years. I loved every single thing about it. Especially the sub-compact size.
2 years ago I splurged, sold it and bought a Corolla. (I’m a Toyota fan) - I financed 1/3 of the cost for 3 years (super low payments). I didn’t like it from the first week. It feels too big (it’s just me with an occasional friend or 2), I “commute” 7 miles each way to work, and it just never felt right.
I started thinking I might like to go back to a Yaris, so went to the web…my heart sunk. 2019 is the last year they’re making it As far as I can tell they’re not replacing it with a different sub-compact.
Tooled around online checking this site and that, and basically if I sell the Corolla for $15k I eat about $4k (ouch) if I put myself into a 2019 Yaris (and I would again finance 1/3 for 2-3 years, super low payments…which I can handle).
I’m one of those who has driven a car for 10+ years, never really financed more than about 1/3, and average around 10k mileage a year. I don’t want to lease, no way, no how (did it once and hated not owning the car - it’s not my style).
I want to be talked into switching to the Yaris but I also think I’m out of my mind. I’m overthinking for sure (I excel at overthinking!).
Thoughts? Ideas? Please don’t suggest a lease, I really (REALLY!) know I don’t want to do that. I’m afraid if I dilly-dally too long the Yaris’s will be gone and I’ll be bummed.
If you have the money (not putting you into deep debt or having to worry about how other things are getting paid - nice emergency fund stocked away), then get what you like. Life is way too short to let finances rule our choices when one doesn’t have to.
With all of our choices we win some and lose some. This is life in action. No sense sweating the small stuff.
Not sure what you mean. There is currently a similarly small car that now has the Toyota Yaris name, though it is really a rebadged Mazda 2 (was previously sold as the Toyota Yaris iA and Scion iA). For 2019, it is only available as a sedan, but there will be a hatchback version for 2020.
@ucbalumnus - sorry no hatchback for me and I don’t drive enough to make a hybrid worth it (to me) -
In a way I really feel the way @Creekland has described. I made a mistake 2 years ago (getting the Corolla) and I really don’t want to live with it for another 8+ years (my average length of car ownership).
Life IS too short! You learned a valuable lesson - that a Corolla is not for you - so go get the car you want! It doesn’t sound like finances are an issue, and think of all the time you will save yourself from thinking over and over, “Ugh, I wish I had my Yaris back.”
So it looks like you can buy a new Toyota Yaris (the Mazda 2 based one) sedan now, if that is what you are thinking. Since you do not want the hatchback version, you do not have to wait until the 2020 model year.
Of course, if you want to wait until several years from now to buy a new car, it is hard to predict what will be available from Toyota or other companies.
Get the car you really want. I bought a Honda Pilot 6 yrs ago and I have hated it for that long. I need to figure out how to get into something I actually like too.
I am in the regret but stuck with it camp as well. I loved my last vehicle but when it came time to replace it after 12 years the new models had grown so much larger that it wouldn’t fit in my garage (tight with the old one but manageable with no issues). I purchased a different brand and I have hated it every day since. I knew within the first week that I had made a mistake. I am halfway through the 4th year with it and figure I have at least 5-6 more to go before I can get rid of it. I am too practical to eat the cost but it is something that bothers me daily. I wish I had decided to turn it in after 2 years while it was worth more and in better shape. Since your Corolla is still valuable, I would recommend turning it in and getting the car you love.
My sister-in-law, who is much better off financially than we are, hemmed and hawed when she was unhappy with her bigger car. After almost two years, she decided it was time to get something she would be happy with. She test-drove a few different cars, and made it down to two different finalists - yet she couldn’t decide. When she asked me to come test drive one with her (and she had driven it herself at least 3 times), while we were heading back from MIL’s, I said sure, it would be fun. The dealer, who clearly remembered her prior visits, came up with a great suggestion for her. While my own vehicle needed work, he arranged to let me get a “loaner” from their service dept - it was a 2 year old, lease-turn in, but pretty much the very same model she was looking at. And if I dropped my car off on a Friday afternoon, I could get the loaner for the whole weekend, add her as a driver, so she could drive it, I could drive her car.
She was so delighted with getting to test drive for a longer evaluation period, and she fell in love with it, ended up trading in her 2 year old car for the smaller one. At the time, I remember her saying “I am at the point where I just don’t want to be mad at myself for not doing something to make me happier”. Sounds like you’re there, too @JustaMom
I bought a small car after our kids were finally launched. The only thing I actually liked was the ease of parking. Dh insisted that I replace it after about a year. I felt guilty briefly, then I appreciated the new vehicle’s power liftgate and other features missing from the little car so much that I got over it.
I didn’t look into it but Google like sister cars as mentioned above. Most cars have some sort of “sister” car that is basically the same car. Also… Most Toyotas have great resell value. Check out selling to a person not car company.
@3puppies - these are the real-life stories I needed to read about to help me realize that I’m not nuts for thinking and feeling the way I do. Thank you!
As far as I can tell they’re not replacing it with a different sub-compact.