Official 2011 Scion iQ Thread
04-02-2010, 04:21 AM
#61
I am tossed up on whether or not the iQ will sell.
On one hand, its supposedly gonna have great gas mileage and has lots of features standard that the Smart doesn't have standard.
One the other, its still more expensive than the Versa and is still small.
I am going to assume that most consumers will think "small car, small price" and be shocked when they find out that its 14k when the Versa is 10k and has more horsepower and is bigger.
I think that its a great competitor for the Smart Fortwo, but not sure the public is all bonkers over micro-sub-compacts unless the price is also micro-sub-compact. I haven't seen a ton of Fortwo's around here lately if thats any indication.
Maybe the MPG'll win them over though!
On one hand, its supposedly gonna have great gas mileage and has lots of features standard that the Smart doesn't have standard.
One the other, its still more expensive than the Versa and is still small.
I am going to assume that most consumers will think "small car, small price" and be shocked when they find out that its 14k when the Versa is 10k and has more horsepower and is bigger.
I think that its a great competitor for the Smart Fortwo, but not sure the public is all bonkers over micro-sub-compacts unless the price is also micro-sub-compact. I haven't seen a ton of Fortwo's around here lately if thats any indication.
Maybe the MPG'll win them over though!
04-02-2010, 06:14 AM
#63
Looking at the car from the outside I see a $14k price tag. But this week when I sat inside the car I immediately upped that number by 2-3 grand. The materials are very expensive feeling, the doors are solid and it huge inside. I've driven a Smart and I can tell you that car is a piece of crap. I think the iQ is more comparable to the Mini Cooper. This car will sell and will also be a model that will have lower production rates and a shorter lifespan than something like the tC. I think they did a good job with this one. Just my .02
04-02-2010, 02:33 PM
#65
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Looking at the car from the outside I see a $14k price tag. But this week when I sat inside the car I immediately upped that number by 2-3 grand. The materials are very expensive feeling, the doors are solid and it huge inside. I've driven a Smart and I can tell you that car is a piece of crap. I think the iQ is more comparable to the Mini Cooper. This car will sell and will also be a model that will have lower production rates and a shorter lifespan than something like the tC. I think they did a good job with this one. Just my .02
04-02-2010, 03:14 PM
#67
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Off to look at a Honda Fit
Since the IQ won't release until the glaciers melt (January? Seriously?
), and since it won't have a manual transmission option (Dammit, someone give me a push!
), I'm off to bargain with my local Honda dealer for a Honda Fit- Sport version.
Can't say I'm thrilled about parting with my '05 xA, since it's been so reliable. But, it has 75,000+ miles on it and no side airbags (T-bone collision=liquefied Otto
).
I'll still have an '06 xA in the corral, so I'm not totally done with Scion. Just disappointed.
), and since it won't have a manual transmission option (Dammit, someone give me a push!), I'm off to bargain with my local Honda dealer for a Honda Fit- Sport version. Can't say I'm thrilled about parting with my '05 xA, since it's been so reliable. But, it has 75,000+ miles on it and no side airbags (T-bone collision=liquefied Otto
).I'll still have an '06 xA in the corral, so I'm not totally done with Scion. Just disappointed.
04-03-2010, 01:07 AM
#69
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I am also a die-hard stick driver - I've never owned an automatic car in the 32 years I've been driving, and I really hate to drive an automatic when having to use someone else's car... they just suck. It takes all the fun out of driving...
I'll "stick" with my manual xD...
I'll "stick" with my manual xD...
04-03-2010, 02:33 AM
#72
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The Fiat 500 has this thing so beat it's not even funny, and it will release a few months before too. And the Abarth 500 will be even better.
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=182633
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=182633
04-03-2010, 04:36 PM
#74
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With that being said, no manual, no iQ for me.
The other interesting thing will be to see how sales do vs. the Smart. Smart is in the toilet.
04-04-2010, 02:41 AM
#76
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Given that the iQ is designed to be a city runabout, a manual transmission wouldn't make sense, especially with stop-and-go traffic being the norm in most cities. I have a manual xB, and I can't stand it when it's stop-and-go, because I'm constantly sawing away at the shifter. That, and a manual transmission doesn't really go with the whole "premium" vibe that is the iQ.
04-04-2010, 06:26 PM
#77
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Manual isn't premium?
...Given that the iQ is designed to be a city runabout, a manual transmission wouldn't make sense, especially with stop-and-go traffic being the norm in most cities. I have a manual xB, and I can't stand it when it's stop-and-go, because I'm constantly sawing away at the shifter. That, and a manual transmission doesn't really go with the whole "premium" vibe that is the iQ.
I agree that Americans are slowly turning into an auto-only nation. One reason is that it's hard to yammer away on one's cellphone while trying to shift gears. Another is that it's hard to eat while shifting. Americans will not be parted from their junk food.
That being said, woe unto any poor driver in a car with marginal acceleration (pretty much anything with an automatic that doesn't have a massive engine) who tries to merge onto an urban expressway with short-to-non-existent merge lanes. A manual transmission can make up for a small-ish engine because you can wind it out far more than any automatic would dare to.
Full disclosure- I took up manual transmission late in life because my family never had anything other than automatics, thanks to my Mom's aversion to them (why do women hate these?). For the last 20 years, though, I haven't bought anything but manual (except for my wife, who shares my Mom's sentiments).
I always prefer a small car, because I think they are more flexible in terms of parking, more maneuverable on the road, and more fuel-efficient. But, they typically come with engines that are mildly peppy, at best. That requires a little something extra to give you a car that can survive in the world beyond the stop-and-go of city streets. For that, you must have a stick-shift.
04-04-2010, 11:43 PM
#78
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If a manual transmission is somehow downmarket, would that mean that you would consider a Porsche with a stick to be downmarket?
I agree that Americans are slowly turning into an auto-only nation. One reason is that it's hard to yammer away on one's cellphone while trying to shift gears. Another is that it's hard to eat while shifting. Americans will not be parted from their junk food.
That being said, woe unto any poor driver in a car with marginal acceleration (pretty much anything with an automatic that doesn't have a massive engine) who tries to merge onto an urban expressway with short-to-non-existent merge lanes. A manual transmission can make up for a small-ish engine because you can wind it out far more than any automatic would dare to.
Full disclosure- I took up manual transmission late in life because my family never had anything other than automatics, thanks to my Mom's aversion to them (why do women hate these?). For the last 20 years, though, I haven't bought anything but manual (except for my wife, who shares my Mom's sentiments).
I always prefer a small car, because I think they are more flexible in terms of parking, more maneuverable on the road, and more fuel-efficient. But, they typically come with engines that are mildly peppy, at best. That requires a little something extra to give you a car that can survive in the world beyond the stop-and-go of city streets. For that, you must have a stick-shift.
I agree that Americans are slowly turning into an auto-only nation. One reason is that it's hard to yammer away on one's cellphone while trying to shift gears. Another is that it's hard to eat while shifting. Americans will not be parted from their junk food.
That being said, woe unto any poor driver in a car with marginal acceleration (pretty much anything with an automatic that doesn't have a massive engine) who tries to merge onto an urban expressway with short-to-non-existent merge lanes. A manual transmission can make up for a small-ish engine because you can wind it out far more than any automatic would dare to.
Full disclosure- I took up manual transmission late in life because my family never had anything other than automatics, thanks to my Mom's aversion to them (why do women hate these?). For the last 20 years, though, I haven't bought anything but manual (except for my wife, who shares my Mom's sentiments).
I always prefer a small car, because I think they are more flexible in terms of parking, more maneuverable on the road, and more fuel-efficient. But, they typically come with engines that are mildly peppy, at best. That requires a little something extra to give you a car that can survive in the world beyond the stop-and-go of city streets. For that, you must have a stick-shift.
I've only driven one car with a CVT (a '10 Nissan Cube SL), and I found that it used the engine's available power quite well. I live in Maine, and freeway on-ramps are very short. I stood on the gas, the CVT promptly adjusted to my demands, and I felt that it squeezed every drop of performance out of the 1.8 and performed very well. However, in big cities, I expect that merging onto the highway in this thing will be a hair-raising experience, manual or CVT.
I choose small cars for the same reasons you do, and I usually prefer manual transmissions for that same reason. However, the concept of a CVT is really growing on me, and I hope it works for the iQ. Only a test drive will tell whether or not the CVT in the iQ is worth anything, and whether or not one will end up in my garage come January 2011.
04-05-2010, 03:35 PM
#79
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Anyone notice the S for Sport mode next to D? I am assuming the B is for engine braking for grades. THe Honda Fit has a 1.3l engine 88hp 88lb tq and cvt. I have the fit motor and cvt in my insight and its strange to not hear it shift. It is great as the power band can be anywhere and the tranny matches it for speed. Ever have a situation in the xa where 3 was too high and 2nd too low? THe cvt eliminates that.
Cant speak for the iq, but my insight does 3500 in sport mode at highway speeds, like the xa. 1600 in drive at highway speed.
Id test drive one, would consider down the road.
Cant speak for the iq, but my insight does 3500 in sport mode at highway speeds, like the xa. 1600 in drive at highway speed.
Id test drive one, would consider down the road.
04-05-2010, 04:47 PM
#80
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However, in the U.S., Toyota must've decided there wouldn't be enough takers.
This happened with the Yaris five-door in 2009, too. However, either there was enough _____ing or Toyota simply decided on its own to make a manual transmission available in 2010. Maybe the same will happen with the iQ. Then again, Smart never offered a manual. Then again, they're not exactly a good example to follow.