Consumer Reports Trash-Talks 2012 Scion iQ, While Toyota Expresses "Surprise"

[ifcar]

I don't know if I mentioned this before but a few weeks ago I was having dinner at a downtown restaurant with some friends and afterwards, when I decided to walk off my dinner, I noticed the Toyota dealership about a block away from the restaurant was still open.  So, having some time to kill, I popped inside to check out the new 'Yotas.  In the middle of the showroom was an iQ and I probably spent a good fifteen minutes poking and prodding and having a good nose round the thing.  I agree with CR about the back seat, it is a joke, even behind the front passenger seat where there's more room.  When I started comparing window stickers between the iQ and the Yaris, I began to wonder just what the point of the iQ was.

Why would anyone buy an iQ when, for the same money, you can get a Yaris?  The Yaris has a real back seat, more cargo space, gets around the same highway mileage and costs about the same.  I'm also guessing the Yaris rides much better, too, thanks to it's longer wheelbase.  I could see the iQ making a case for itself if it cost substantially less, or got much better fuel economy than the Yaris.  But the iQ does neither of these things.

Interestingly, the whole time I was in there (probably close to half an hour) not one single person greeted me or even said hello.  I assume it was because it was getting late and everyone working there wanted to go home?  There was a young couple sitting at a table, doing a deal with a salesperson and one or two other employees milling about but I was really surprised that nobody seemed to notice me at all.  Weird!

Niche city car. The rear seat is more usable than a Smart's, in that if you really needed to you could use it. It's designed for the front passenger to have room to move the seat forward to make more space behind him; they call it a 3+1 rather than a four-seater.

[Soup DeVille]

Niche city car. The rear seat is more usable than a Smart's, in that if you really needed to you could use it. It's designed for the front passenger to have room to move the seat forward to make more space behind him; they call it a 3+1 rather than a four-seater.

Still, his point stands: what can it do that a similarly priced Yaris can't do better? The iQ is a fashion statement the same way the Smart is.

[ifcar]

Still, his point stands: what can it do that a similarly priced Yaris can't do better? The iQ is a fashion statement the same way the Smart is.

It's better for parking in a crowded city. There are people in neighborhoods not far from me for whom a car this size would almost daily be the difference between finding a parking space within a block of their house and having to walk much farther.

Obviously, that's a small niche, but this market is not nonexistent.

[cawimmer430]

Oh well, maybe if I work really REALLY hard, then someday I can be one of the privileged few who are lucky enough to own something as magnificent as a Toyota Yaris!

[Madman]

It's better for parking in a crowded city. There are people in neighborhoods not far from me for whom a car this size would almost daily be the difference between finding a parking space within a block of their house and having to walk much farther.

Obviously, that's a small niche, but this market is not nonexistent.

One area where the Smart trumps the iQ is that clever sideways parking trick.  You can really squeeze a Smart into places where even an iQ would never fit.  The iQ takes up almost as much space as a normal small car, so there's really no advantage when it comes to finding a parking space.

[Soup DeVille]

One area where the Smart trumps the iQ is that clever sideways parking trick.  You can really squeeze a Smart into places where even an iQ would never fit.  The iQ takes up almost as much space as a normal small car, so there's really no advantage when it comes to finding a parking space.

The only way you can do that is that if you effectively block in the cars to either side of you.

Call me a pessimist, but that doesn't seem like a good recipe for making sure your car is in one piece when you get back to it.

[ifcar]

One area where the Smart trumps the iQ is that clever sideways parking trick.  You can really squeeze a Smart into places where even an iQ would never fit.  The iQ takes up almost as much space as a normal small car, so there's really no advantage when it comes to finding a parking space.

Umm, no, the Yaris is nearly three feet longer than the iQ. That's the same difference as between the Yaris and a Camry.

[Madman]

Umm, no, the Yaris is nearly three feet longer than the iQ. That's the same difference as between the Yaris and a Camry.

Maybe so, but the iQ is still too long to park sideways at the side of the road.  The iQ is 14 inches longer than the Smart, meaning the iQ will stick more than a foot out into passing traffic.  Even the current MK II Smart, at nearly nine feet long, is almost too long to park sideways.  The shorter MK I Smart (never officially sold here, although ZAP did import a few into the US) was much easier to park sideways.

[ifcar]

Maybe so, but the iQ is still too long to park sideways at the side of the road.  The iQ is 14 inches longer than the Smart, meaning the iQ will stick more than a foot out into passing traffic.  Even the current MK II Smart, at nearly nine feet long, is almost too long to park sideways.  The shorter MK I Smart (never officially sold here, although ZAP did import a few into the US) was much easier to park sideways.

Right, no doubt about it -- you can't park sideways. I doubt it would be legal anyway; I see Smarts all the time in D.C. but never parked sideways.

But three feet is still a major size difference for some people, for whom the Yaris having more space isn't nearly as useful on a daily basis.

[2o6]

IIRC, the new generation smart is still too long to park in the way you describe, Madman.

[Soup DeVille]

Right, no doubt about it -- you can't park sideways. I doubt it would be legal anyway; I see Smarts all the time in D.C. but never parked sideways.

But three feet is still a major size difference for some people, for whom the Yaris having more space isn't nearly as useful on a daily basis.

Being able to park sideways in a single spot might make sense for Manhattanites who pay exorbitant fees for one parking garage spot and yet want two cars.


But again, how big of a market does that really make?

[2o6]

Being able to park sideways in a single spot might make sense for Manhattanites who pay exorbitant fees for one parking garage spot and yet want two cars.


But again, how big of a market does that really make?

The Smart and iQ are novelty cars only purchased by the rich because they're so funky to look at. No one actually needs these things.

[Soup DeVille]

The Smart and iQ are novelty cars only purchased by the rich because they're so funky to look at. No one actually needs these things.

My point exactly! If they cost 8 grand, it'd be an entirely different story.

[2o6]

My point exactly! If they cost 8 grand, it'd be an entirely different story.

Well, Toyota says the iQ will form the basis of pretty much every new Toyota B-segment vehicle. The rear seat is 'spacious' considering how long the car is.

[ifcar]

Being able to park sideways in a single spot might make sense for Manhattanites who pay exorbitant fees for one parking garage spot and yet want two cars.


But again, how big of a market does that really make?

If that's what they're looking for, the iQ wouldn't work. It's if you want to squeeze into the last spot on your block in any crowded urban neighborhood where you don't have off-street parking.

[LonghornTX]

CR is sh*t. Not even starting on how irrelevant I think their reviews are, or the self reporting bias of their "reliability" measures, I will just tell everyone that they are unfortunately so powerful with the unwashed masses that automakers have staff devoted to figuring out how to design cars to perform well in their tests. Models that calculate what type of rating a proposed model will receive.

Anyways, with that said, I actually agree with them on this. The iQ just seems to be outclassed by so many other cars, unless your number one concern is footprint.