Reviews vs reality: GR Yaris 2021
Discussion
Test driven Circuit pack twice when the demonstrators just appeared back in December 2020.
Cancelled even though was due to receive the car several days later.
I could not stand the restricted visibility and also the wobbly feel. And certainly not good for long journeys.
My 15 years old 987 pretty much murdered Yaris GR for me on all levels and senses, so I got a 981s instead.
Waiting for the new GT86.
Cancelled even though was due to receive the car several days later.
I could not stand the restricted visibility and also the wobbly feel. And certainly not good for long journeys.
My 15 years old 987 pretty much murdered Yaris GR for me on all levels and senses, so I got a 981s instead.
Waiting for the new GT86.
I picked up my black GR in November. The dealer sold me their showroom demonstrated and got into hot water with Toyota
as a result. My previous car was a 997 GTS Cab. The Yaris is more fun and feels just as fast up to 80. It’s terrific fun in all weather and I would recommend to anyone after guaranteed smiles per mile.
as a result. My previous car was a 997 GTS Cab. The Yaris is more fun and feels just as fast up to 80. It’s terrific fun in all weather and I would recommend to anyone after guaranteed smiles per mile.
stewieyan said:
Test driven Circuit pack twice when the demonstrators just appeared back in December 2020.
Cancelled even though was due to receive the car several days later.
I could not stand the restricted visibility and also the wobbly feel. And certainly not good for long journeys.
My 15 years old 987 pretty much murdered Yaris GR for me on all levels and senses, so I got a 981s instead.
Waiting for the new GT86.
Had a 981 Boxster for two years and must say the whole Porsche thing was so disappointing, I thought the Boxster was only an average car despite the hype. The steering was poor, the car was really noisy, roof up or down and I constantly had reliability concerns. Porsche dealerships are so arrogant, and the whole ownership thing was poor, you couldn’t even fit grills to prevent condenser damage because it invalidated the warranty.Cancelled even though was due to receive the car several days later.
I could not stand the restricted visibility and also the wobbly feel. And certainly not good for long journeys.
My 15 years old 987 pretty much murdered Yaris GR for me on all levels and senses, so I got a 981s instead.
Waiting for the new GT86.
Even though the GR has its issues, I’m sure I’m going to enjoy it, and the other owners of GRs are a fine bunch of enthusiasts....
Holgate86 said:
Had a 981 Boxster for two years and must say the whole Porsche thing was so disappointing, I thought the Boxster was only an average car despite the hype. The steering was poor, the car was really noisy, roof up or down and I constantly had reliability concerns. Porsche dealerships are so arrogant, and the whole ownership thing was poor, you couldn’t even fit grills to prevent condenser damage because it invalidated the warranty.
Even though the GR has its issues, I’m sure I’m going to enjoy it, and the other owners of GRs are a fine bunch of enthusiasts....
That point about the grills is wrong. Porsche dealers happily sell cars with grills fitted, & warranted, been a number of threads about it now. Confirmed by Porsche U.K., its been a couple of dealers getting it wrong. There, like all makes, are good and bad dealers. A shame you didn’t gell with the 981. I had a Boxster S. with no issues, they’re brilliant, same for the CGTS I also had, both with fitted grills. Same as my 911. No issues at all with the dealers. None.Even though the GR has its issues, I’m sure I’m going to enjoy it, and the other owners of GRs are a fine bunch of enthusiasts....
I had one over the weekend and thought it was 10x better than my old golf r. The suspension couldnt keep up on the bumpy b roads i like to drive with my golf and the front end would push out too easily and brakes weren't good.
None of this with the Yaris, it was mega. I found it quite an effort to drive it fast and also really involving, which i loved. It's no golf r for doing the mundane type driving but i could live with that for the b road hooning abilities!
None of this with the Yaris, it was mega. I found it quite an effort to drive it fast and also really involving, which i loved. It's no golf r for doing the mundane type driving but i could live with that for the b road hooning abilities!
ellroy said:
Holgate86 said:
Had a 981 Boxster for two years and must say the whole Porsche thing was so disappointing, I thought the Boxster was only an average car despite the hype. The steering was poor, the car was really noisy, roof up or down and I constantly had reliability concerns. Porsche dealerships are so arrogant, and the whole ownership thing was poor, you couldn’t even fit grills to prevent condenser damage because it invalidated the warranty.
Even though the GR has its issues, I’m sure I’m going to enjoy it, and the other owners of GRs are a fine bunch of enthusiasts....
That point about the grills is wrong. Porsche dealers happily sell cars with grills fitted, & warranted, been a number of threads about it now. Confirmed by Porsche U.K., its been a couple of dealers getting it wrong. There, like all makes, are good and bad dealers. A shame you didn’t gell with the 981. I had a Boxster S. with no issues, they’re brilliant, same for the CGTS I also had, both with fitted grills. Same as my 911. No issues at all with the dealers. None.Even though the GR has its issues, I’m sure I’m going to enjoy it, and the other owners of GRs are a fine bunch of enthusiasts....
As for the OPC's ... judging by the comments I hear and read there are some proper problems out there ... their view of tyres / batteries / trim for the purpose of extended warranties ... and their view of long standing loyal Porsche customers who simply aren't good enough for them to be allocated the one car they want to replace the five or six year old car that they bought new from them.
I have had better service from my Toyota main dealer that my Porsche main dealer ... and if your Toyota is serviced within the main dealer network you are rewarded with the 100,000 mile warranty being extended from 5 to 10 years. And I'll bet they don't insist on N rated tyres ...
For example Michelin Pilot Super Sports are only N rated on the Carrera GT ... fit them to your GT3 and the OPC warranty can't be extended at any price without juggling wheels. MPSC2's that will be unfaithful friends in the cold and wet are fine. Why ?
I know who I think deserves my business ...
Had my black CP since yesterday and done about 12 miles just coming back from the dealer. All pretty gentle but first impressions (coming from an F80 M3):
- The road noise is even louder than imagined
- the seating position is okay. I’m 6’2” and the general visibility (other than back through tiny rear window) is great due to it being high, yes I’d drop it if I could but actually there’s nothing wrong with it.
- The rear view mirror does need to be looked around at junctions etc but when driving the forward field of view is not restricted. So, to reiterate only when manoeuvring tight junctions is it in the way so far but I’ve only done a few miles, there may be more situations when it’s a pain.
- It feels really punchy. I was being gentle, but the car wants to fly! Been said before but feels like a bigger engine. It’s definitely got pace :-)
- The suspension is really great. It’s firm but also incredibly supple and comfortable. Will be amazing at pace.
- The grip, whilst not exploited is immediately evident. It’s going to be a brilliant car.
- 3 miles on the motorway... Adaptive cruise and lane keep assist all great. Plenty of nice tech.
- The road noise is even louder than imagined
- the seating position is okay. I’m 6’2” and the general visibility (other than back through tiny rear window) is great due to it being high, yes I’d drop it if I could but actually there’s nothing wrong with it.
- The rear view mirror does need to be looked around at junctions etc but when driving the forward field of view is not restricted. So, to reiterate only when manoeuvring tight junctions is it in the way so far but I’ve only done a few miles, there may be more situations when it’s a pain.
- It feels really punchy. I was being gentle, but the car wants to fly! Been said before but feels like a bigger engine. It’s definitely got pace :-)
- The suspension is really great. It’s firm but also incredibly supple and comfortable. Will be amazing at pace.
- The grip, whilst not exploited is immediately evident. It’s going to be a brilliant car.
- 3 miles on the motorway... Adaptive cruise and lane keep assist all great. Plenty of nice tech.
Mr_Creosote said:
Had my black CP since yesterday and done about 12 miles just coming back from the dealer. All pretty gentle but first impressions (coming from an F80 M3):
- The road noise is even louder than imagined
- the seating position is okay. I’m 6’2” and the general visibility (other than back through tiny rear window) is great due to it being high, yes I’d drop it if I could but actually there’s nothing wrong with it.
- The rear view mirror does need to be looked around at junctions etc but when driving the forward field of view is not restricted. So, to reiterate only when manoeuvring tight junctions is it in the way so far but I’ve only done a few miles, there may be more situations when it’s a pain.
- It feels really punchy. I was being gentle, but the car wants to fly! Been said before but feels like a bigger engine. It’s definitely got pace :-)
- The suspension is really great. It’s firm but also incredibly supple and comfortable. Will be amazing at pace.
- The grip, whilst not exploited is immediately evident. It’s going to be a brilliant car.
- 3 miles on the motorway... Adaptive cruise and lane keep assist all great. Plenty of nice tech.
I am convinced, an owner that can write this many words after only doing 12 miles, the car must be truly awesome.... can't wait to get mine and can honestly say will never write that many words about it, but salute you sir!!- The road noise is even louder than imagined
- the seating position is okay. I’m 6’2” and the general visibility (other than back through tiny rear window) is great due to it being high, yes I’d drop it if I could but actually there’s nothing wrong with it.
- The rear view mirror does need to be looked around at junctions etc but when driving the forward field of view is not restricted. So, to reiterate only when manoeuvring tight junctions is it in the way so far but I’ve only done a few miles, there may be more situations when it’s a pain.
- It feels really punchy. I was being gentle, but the car wants to fly! Been said before but feels like a bigger engine. It’s definitely got pace :-)
- The suspension is really great. It’s firm but also incredibly supple and comfortable. Will be amazing at pace.
- The grip, whilst not exploited is immediately evident. It’s going to be a brilliant car.
- 3 miles on the motorway... Adaptive cruise and lane keep assist all great. Plenty of nice tech.
It's really interesting to see the views of drivers who could have been sitting in much more expensive machinery.
Doesn't this make the car something of a folk hero ?
I just hope Toyota can keep on manufacturing them to satisfy on-going demand ... they are hand-made and take four times as long to make as those on a normally automated production line ... and the good stuff must be expensive.
Yes there is always faster, but what we are all looking for is fun ... mine might just arrive next week ...
Doesn't this make the car something of a folk hero ?
I just hope Toyota can keep on manufacturing them to satisfy on-going demand ... they are hand-made and take four times as long to make as those on a normally automated production line ... and the good stuff must be expensive.
Yes there is always faster, but what we are all looking for is fun ... mine might just arrive next week ...
MannyLon said:
The car appears to be appealing to the older aged drivers, many of whom used to drive scoobies and mitsus back in the day. The Yaris has taken that ethic and produced a modern interpretation.
I agree.When I first read about the Yaris I thought they'd made another old time great.
Interesting perspectives from people saying it's not good for long journeys, I did 2,000km last week in it, driving from Switzerland, through France to the UK, across a variety of roads with a road bike, turbo trainer and other luggage in the back, what totally fine to me, surprisingly so. A bit of tram-lining on the M25 and M1, but otherwise it was fine.
Nardies said:
Interesting perspectives from people saying it's not good for long journeys, I did 2,000km last week in it, driving from Switzerland, through France to the UK, across a variety of roads with a road bike, turbo trainer and other luggage in the back, what totally fine to me, surprisingly so. A bit of tram-lining on the M25 and M1, but otherwise it was fine.
I guess it depends what you're used to, but to me it seems perfectly fine too!We have a VW T-Roc family car and I've come from a Porsche 996 and MX5, and whilst I didn't find those that big an issue over distance either, the GR is significantly plusher and more comfortable than the sports cars and not that far off the VW.
The radar cruise is great and makes driving in traffic much more relaxing (although it's bizzare you can shift gears and the cruise stays active - I've never had that before!). I find the seats really comfortable - I like sitting higher for reducing back pain and at 5'10" the mirror/dash screen isn't an issue, and the air-con seems to keep the cabin at a really constant comfortable temperature and humidity too on Auto, which I don't always find the case even on modern systems.
The stereo is also pretty damn good for a standard system. Far better than the standard ones I've heard in BMWs, Mercs and VWs, that's for sure, and with the phone plugged in all the Android auto stuff means I can listen to podcasts and navigate with ease.
identti said:
I guess it depends what you're used to, but to me it seems perfectly fine too!
We have a VW T-Roc family car and I've come from a Porsche 996 and MX5, and whilst I didn't find those that big an issue over distance either, the GR is significantly plusher and more comfortable than the sports cars and not that far off the VW.
The radar cruise is great and makes driving in traffic much more relaxing (although it's bizzare you can shift gears and the cruise stays active - I've never had that before!). I find the seats really comfortable - I like sitting higher for reducing back pain and at 5'10" the mirror/dash screen isn't an issue, and the air-con seems to keep the cabin at a really constant comfortable temperature and humidity too on Auto, which I don't always find the case even on modern systems.
The stereo is also pretty damn good for a standard system. Far better than the standard ones I've heard in BMWs, Mercs and VWs, that's for sure, and with the phone plugged in all the Android auto stuff means I can listen to podcasts and navigate with ease.
Agreed! My previous cars have been VAG products and it's doesn't feel far off them TBH, slightly lesser quality plastics, but I don't care really. My Mrs has the latest gen A Class with all the bells and whistles, and that's a nice comfortable cruiser, and the GR isn't far off that comfort-wise. We have a VW T-Roc family car and I've come from a Porsche 996 and MX5, and whilst I didn't find those that big an issue over distance either, the GR is significantly plusher and more comfortable than the sports cars and not that far off the VW.
The radar cruise is great and makes driving in traffic much more relaxing (although it's bizzare you can shift gears and the cruise stays active - I've never had that before!). I find the seats really comfortable - I like sitting higher for reducing back pain and at 5'10" the mirror/dash screen isn't an issue, and the air-con seems to keep the cabin at a really constant comfortable temperature and humidity too on Auto, which I don't always find the case even on modern systems.
The stereo is also pretty damn good for a standard system. Far better than the standard ones I've heard in BMWs, Mercs and VWs, that's for sure, and with the phone plugged in all the Android auto stuff means I can listen to podcasts and navigate with ease.
That all said, I don't think anyone is buying a GR for that, the chassis, 4WD system, gearbox, engine and steering make the car. I even enjoy the stupidity of it, it sort of looks like the chassis and wheelbase was designed first and they just stretched everything in terms of body to fill the wide track, hence the haunches and boxiness. I also like the sloping roofline making the rear seats all but redundant.
Test drive a GR with Circuit Pack and liked it very much !
Only had 40 mins so I’m going to try and find a dealer who will allow longer.
Thought the engine was great and liked the (fake) noise especially towards the red line.
Not sure the steering is as sweet as a Fiesta though ! Went to test drive an ST afterwards but my local dealer didn’t have any - new or second hand !
Would like to try the standard GR Yaris to see how much better the ride is. I won’t be taking the car on a track so not sure I would really make use of the CP on the road.
Only had 40 mins so I’m going to try and find a dealer who will allow longer.
Thought the engine was great and liked the (fake) noise especially towards the red line.
Not sure the steering is as sweet as a Fiesta though ! Went to test drive an ST afterwards but my local dealer didn’t have any - new or second hand !
Would like to try the standard GR Yaris to see how much better the ride is. I won’t be taking the car on a track so not sure I would really make use of the CP on the road.
sorrento205 said:
I have a standard GR, its pretty stiff, probably a tad harsher than the Megane Rs Trophy I've just changed for it. My Circuit pack test drive was in Dec so cant compare between the models.
Really?! I’ve not driven the Trophy but always presumed from the many articles I’ve read that it’s the hardest riding RS Megane, and even the standard (Cup chassis) ones are often criticised for their compromised and slightly harsh ride. As with the 275 Cup-S vs. FK8 Type-R article I’ve just read.What attracted me to the GRY was the compliant ride on my test drive (a CP car). On the route out from the dealership I went through a speed bumped village and was really surprised and impressed with the way it soaked them up. I figured this was due to the ‘Rally car’ ethos and it not being set up for track times. And the standard GRY has 10% lower spring rates and thinner ARB I thought, so should be less harsh.
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