Toyota Etios

cbrunsdonza said:
Must say my Indian built i10 came in handy when we had some flooding in my suburb (Somerset West) as it was one of the few cars to be able to navigate the street and survive due to its lack of electronics. :)
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LOL - that's about the only time it would be a Plus! :p

I am not impressed with the finish on the Indian cars that I have driven and looked at.
 
Rouxenator said:
Overpriced. Brio is a better buy - but only the sedan cause Brio hatch is the ugliest car ever.
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Brio hatch > Brio sedan in the looks department. But that's like saying I'll take the sister that looks like a wart instead of the sister that looks like a turd.

My advice would be to avoid these entry level cars as much as possible. The SO has a Brio (against my own advice, really wanted her to get a second hand Jazz instead of a new Brio but got outvoted) and I can honestly say the finish leaves a lot to be desired. It feels cheap and poorly built next to a proper car.

I bought my Accord for slightly less than she paid for the Brio, and instead of a nailed together entry level hatch, I got a solid, Japanese large sedan in near mint nick with low mileage (just ticked over 105,000kms, low for a 2006 model). This included the next service as well as a 2 year unlimited mileage warranty. Maintenance costs are higher obviously, and so is fuel consumption, but mine is a vehicle many classes above entry level.

If I were looking for a small town runabout, instead of an Etios/Brio I'd get a second hand, low mileage Auris/Jazz.

Fazda said:
I am not impressed with the finish on the Indian cars that I have driven and looked at.
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This about sums it up really.
 
Apart from the Renault Vel Satis and some Ssangyongs I do not think any car looks as ugly as the Brio hatch from behind. It is a total deal breaker.

Indian and Mexican built cars are not bad at all. I have driven a few Ballades (Mexican built) and an Indian built i10 1.2 GLS HS with no issues.

The Etios, well its in the name "it' tos" because it is tos, like an Atos, and lets not forget "wie wou" (Vivo) ou Polo hê?
 
A relative bought a brand new rental Etios around for a few days a few months back. With just a few hundred kms on the clock, it already had a list of issues.

What a horrendous piece of @$%&. There should be a photo of an Etios in the dictionary, under the word 'cheap'. It's nailed together in a sweatshop somewhere in India, for probably no more than a buck-fifty per panel.

Avoid. At all costs.

I have no experience with the low-end Hondas, although I did find the Jazz to be a bit nasty, as a passenger.

Low-end Kias are generally good cars and are well worthy of consideration.

Hyundai offerings in this segment are built decently, but their steering was lifted from a WWII U-boat.

A Vivo is based upon a tested platform. Dull, but reliable.
 
I went to have a look at the Etios Sedan and must say it doesn't look that cheap? Apparently they have recently redesigned the car and there is a new interior, additional noise protection and a lot of added features? Going to take it for a test drive though!
 
Here is quick rule of thumb. Does it have a center mounted speedo binnacle? Yes = too cheap to concider as an option.
 
Malasius said:
I went to have a look at the Etios Sedan and must say it doesn't look that cheap? Apparently they have recently redesigned the car and there is a new interior, additional noise protection and a lot of added features? Going to take it for a test drive though!
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Recently redesigned, my foot! :rolleyes:

They have possibly added some extra felt sound deadening under the very crappy carpets and called it a re-design!!

Added features?? What do they now supply the aerial without charging you?? I kid you not, the aerial was an extra charge item on the cars when I sold them. Does it have a real radio yet?
 
Rouxenator said:
Here is quick rule of thumb. Does it have a center mounted speedo binnacle? Yes = too cheap to concider as an option.
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orly?

McLarenF1_Int1.jpg
 
The McLaren F1 is the only exception, you sit in the middle - it is the ultimate car in the universe (bar '91 Monza GSi)
 
I suspect Toyota were paid brazillions by a conglomerate of Chinese manufacturers for it to sell the Etios, thereby instantly making several Chinese-built cars seem better than a Toyota. The honest gist of the matter is that it's a horrid little ****-box, and people who buy them are dumb.
 
I love the Citroen set-up. :)

I actually don't mind a centrally mounted speedo, as what happens is that the speedo is naturally within your line of sight, and you don't need to glance down and away from the road.

All that being said, the speedo on the Etios definitely rates as the tackiest pice of rubbish I have ever seen mounted on a dash! Add to that the fact that the fuse box is hidden below the bloody thing, and it has to be removed if you pop a fuse is quite amazingly stupid.
 
Fully agree with Fazda. Perhaps not all center mounted speedo binnacles are bad, but the one in the Etios, Spark Lite and pre-facelift X-trail really was horrible. It is done as a cost saving exercise and it shows.
 
Drove the hatch back version, absolutely no power, had to drop down gears to over take people.... Hyundai i20 ftw.....
 
Vengeful said:
Drove the hatch back version, absolutely no power, had to drop down gears to over take people.... Hyundai i20 ftw.....
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Was that up on the Reef?

The one and only positive about this poor little excuse of a car is that it performs fairly well down at the coast.
 
I know a fleet manager who bought a bunch of them (Etios) and he claims its the biggest mistake he ever made. They are very poor quality which is fairly shocking considering its Toyota. Rather go i20 or Brio.
 
Fazda said:
LOL - that's about the only time it would be a Plus! :p

I am not impressed with the finish on the Indian cars that I have driven and looked at.
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And that is their weakness. I found loose bolts under the passenger seat (spare bolts thank goodness). My bonnet is skew and still needs to be aligned correctly. The finish is just cheap and its always the small things. Its a great car for its price but its not a BMW.
 
IMHO I've never liked the etios, looks like they rear ended a Yaris while building it and then sold it like that instead of fixing it and putting the rest of the pieces (features) back on.

Would rather go for a Polo Vivo than the Etios....and that to some is saying alot.
 
Cius said:
I know a fleet manager who bought a bunch of them (Etios) and he claims its the biggest mistake he ever made. They are very poor quality which is fairly shocking considering its Toyota. Rather go i20 or Brio.
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Made in India :erm:

Personally, I'd go for a used Corolla. Those engines can go up to 450 000 km. Even the Yaris is prone to break down quicker.
 
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