Yaris Beware!

I don't know, a starting price of 18k versus a starting price of 15k is a big price difference for that segment,. For that reason and for the Hybrid fear factor I tend to believe Yaris will still be viable.

 

In the outline drawings I saw, the C was essentially the same size as the Yaris. The biggest stumbling block to siphoning off Yaris sales would be price, but for potential Yaris buyers that are looking at an Yaris for reasons other than it being the cheapest US available Toyota I agree with you.

That said, I think most Yaris buyers are buying it because it's the cheapest US available Toyota.

 

Toyota website shows a $5k difference. Even with low 2.9% factory financing (youth maybe not?), that's about $120 more a month over a 4 year note. The C's fuel savings is only $45/month as per fueleconomy.gov

 

feature for feature it is $3k...

... electric me - toyota probably researched enough to see that yaris and prius c might not have same type of buyers... those sophisticated young buyers might be buying some other cars right now, not yaris.

 

This is a segment of the car buying public that is incredibly price sensitive. The base price of the new Yaris is just over $14k. The base price of the C is a touch under $19k - a difference of almost $5k.

To me the bigger comparisons are the % and the payments for someone financing. The C costs over 35% more than the Yaris and if you were financing it the payment would be close to $100 a month more (60 months, $1k down and 4.5%).

I know that now I could afford either but back when I was young the choice would have been absolutely cut and dry - the C would not have stood a chance.

Last thing - keep in mind that Toyota has completely redone the Yaris. I always though the old one was just hideous - the new one looks pretty good and from the reviews is a much more competitive car now. In the past I wondered how any were sold - put the Yaris next to the Honda Fit and why would you get the Yaris?

 

unless for smaller than Yaris, I can guarantee you that Toyota Europe will have almost all cars with hybrid version.

Right now it is Yaris HSD, Auris HSD, Prius, Prius v... they will add Rav4 when it gets redesigned this year, and probably Avensis eventually because it is due in redesign in 2 years.

They will have their core lineup then as hybrids (Aygo, Yaris, Auris, Verso, Avensis, Rav4 are considered 6 core models for TME)... Aygo is too small and cheap for hybrid and Verso is already Prius v in disguise (well vice versa actually ).

We already know Avalon hybrid is coming this year, as well as ES hybrid.

So lets sum this up, for USA, they will have: Prius,c, Prius v, Prius, Camry Hybrid, Avalon Hybrid, Rav4 Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, CT200h, ESh, RXh, GSh, LSh, by the end of the year... i say thats a lot of hybrid models .

As to the Auris Hybrid, for some weird reason, Auris Hybrid outsold Prius in Europe for 2011. With proper pricing, Yaris HSD will sell pretty well in Europe.

 

I think the Prius C is close enough to an actual Yaris that the debate about whether it is a competitor to it and/or it cannibalises its sales is almost irrelevant.

 

keep in mind that in Europe, it is perfectly fine to have many engines on sellection... For instance, Avensis sells with 1.6l, 1.8l, 2.0l petrols and 2.0l, 2.2l, 2.2 180HP diesels. 3 of these also come with automatics. And it is low volume car.

 

The Auris Hybrid is a fairly solid seller (I think it doubled its initial sales expectations). A colleague has recently bought one, and I doubt he'd have entertained a Prius; given its reputation. All these models that Toyota are bringing out are options - they seem to be getting at least some people into a Hybrid that maybe wouldn't have gone for the Prius with the 'baggage' it brings.

 

well nothing to be ashamed of, most of these are new and coming to market, or are too expensive to be relavant .

But I think by the end of the year, Toyota will have many hybrids that sell well.

 

Do you have figures for a european hybrid take rate. There seems to be well published figures in the US and Japan, but I can't find much on the EU.

 

Some are still afraid of hybrids altogether, and will go to the Yaris for that reason alone . . .but I agree with others that the 5K price difference is the main reason that those who are very price-conscious will go with a Yaris.

Speaking as someone who loved his 2009 Yaris for 66,000 miles until my daughter totaled her car and inherited it from me, I now have a wonderful Prius and can speak to the differences in attitude about purchasing each car. I think that $5,000 price difference is still a big deal for any buyer but expecially a yong one. Also, when I boought that Yaris I knew that I didnt have to worry about an expensive battery replacement or other mysterious possibilities that went along with a hybrid purchase. Now it is 2012 and we know that the myths about expensive battery replacements on the immediate horizon are just that--myths--but not everyone is easily convined of this. Yaris will fill a niche.

 

With collateral that says its a car, tco has to be the main reason, not fun to drive or saves the planet. There are also a number that are toyota fans, and its the cheapest cost of entry.

Let us drill down to tco a little. Many have short term outlooks, and expect to do better in 5 years, so we should look at

monthly cost
5 year loan
gasoline
maintenance
insurance

These are going to be less expensive on the yaris, but if someone likes the other features, or values low gas use more than the cost of gas, they will go for the prius c. I would expect the c to cannibalize some portion of yaris sales in japan and the us, but not much in the rest of the world. Let's face it though, toyota gets a higher asp and profit margin on the yaris, so they win for every converted sale. They would much rather move people from other cars into a prius c though.

battery and purchase price kind of really go away if you talk about monthly expenses. Would you pay $50/month more for a prius c for the first 5 years, then after that its less expensive.

For some its important, for most of the crowd its going to be the monthly costs that are more of the problem. The prius c, shrinks the hybrid premium, but there is still some there.