I’m thinking about buying a new yaris. I like it because it doesn’t have all the gadgets. I especially like the manual windows. (I hate power windows.) However, I would like the safety features of antilock brakes. The salesmen I’ve talked with say that if I get antilock brakes, it has to be part of a bigger package that includes power windows.
What’s going on here? Is this discrimination against Luddites, or is this for real?
Also–how important are the anti-lock brakes anyway?
Check the Toyota website to find out what option packages are available on the Yaris. Don’t take the salesperson’s word.
Many of us drove for years without ABS, and lived to tell about it. You could drive for a long time and never activate the Anti-lock feature. Others may disagree, but I would not make ABS a make-or-break issue when buying a car.
forget the yaris andjump up to a corrola
Just for your info, the Hyundai Accent costs about $2000 or so less than a Yaris, has similar relibility, power and fuel efficiency, and comes with manual windows. I believe, as well, that Hyundai has ABS as a stand-alone option, but don’t quote me on that.
I have a Yaris with manual windows. Mine even came without a radio.
I bought the liftback model. I don’t like the sedan as much. The liftback seats four people more comfortably than the sedan. I love it.
I can’t think of a good reason for antilock brakes on a Yaris, but to each his own.
remember…ABS brakes stop you straighter but not necessarily any faster…and of course everything depends on the condition of your tires, brakes and road.
you can actually fit 4 people in a yaris?! Do these people work at a chocolate factory, and have orange skin? I seen one of those 3 door models the other day and wondered how the person got in it. I mean, my shoes look bigger than this thing.
Its been proven over and over that an ABS car stops quicker from 70MPH and 60MPH than a non-abs equipped car on dry and wet pavement which is the vast majority of conditions.
I think stability control becomes mandated in 2012. With that, I suspect ABS would be part of it.
“you can actually fit 4 people in a yaris?! Do these people work at a chocolate factory, and have orange skin? I seen one of those 3 door models the other day and wondered how the person got in it. I mean, my shoes look bigger than this thing.”
You obviously have extra large feet and have never sat in a Yaris.
There’s more to it than meets the eye.
Antilock brakes are a ripoff. They don’t do enough good to bother with and they will be more trouble than they are worth in the long run. Experience is the only thing that prevents accidents anyway. The accidents I avoided in winter were from my own experience or the skill of the other driver in recognizing a hazard. You won’t miss them.
You obviously have extra large feet and have never sat in a Yaris.
There’s more to it than meets the eye.
size 13 EEEE actually. 
I don’t doubt they got more room than they let on, but they’re not my thing. I can’t sit in a Mazda 6 series with a sunroof without my head touching the ceiling and the 3 series doesn’t have enough leg room.
I have a 2008 Yaris Liftback “no frills” five speed, crank windows, steel wheels. Air conitioner and CD-radio are the only frills. It’s pretty roomy inside. Four people, no problem. I’m six ft tall and I could probably wear a tophat inside the car if I wanted to.
The EPA rating is 29/36 but I have yet to get less than 40 mpg so far in mixed driving. Maybe it’s because I refuse to accelerate towards red lights.
You don’t need antilock brakes. It’s a malfunction waiting to happen. Part of the unit is usually underneath the car and has a lot of steel lines connected to it. If anything hits a unit like that, you have no brakes. A no-frills Yaris will stop alright. The two door small one will probably stop well. SORRY. i JUST NOTICED THAT I POSTED TWICE ON THE SAME ONE.
Anti-lock brakes are not all that important, but they are a safety feature when you have to make a panic stop, and especially useful for those who stop at the possible moment.
Manufacturers group options together in packages, and assume most people want antilock brakes when they buy more than the standard package. My Corolla has the C package and it has power windows, cruise, remote door locks, but no antilock brakes; that came with the next higher package, which was just fine with me.
There is nothing Luddite about this; cars made in Japan and shipped over here cannot be custom built. If you want manual windows with antilock brakes, I’m sure there is some car made with those options. Personally, I went out of my way to avoid antilock brakes, but wanted power windows, since my wife is slighty arthritic.
Check it out on Edmunds.com or cars.com. The Yaris does not have an option package with ABS. It is a single option. As the salesman to show you a car with ABS and read the price sticker on the window. The ABS will be listed alone. They may only have the Yaris with other options on their lot, but there is no package that includes the ABS.
Actually, you don’t even have to go back in. Go to the dealer’s web site and look at his stock of new cars. You can find all the Yaris’s with ABS and choose one ahead of time. You can check other another dealer’s stock on line, too.
how important are the anti-lock brakes anyway?
It depends on where you live. Do you live where it snows and freezes?
I hate power windows too. I had a couple cars that had power windows and they were always breaking. Also, extras depreciate faster than the car itself. However, Toyota’s power windows are a lot more reliable than they used to be and without them the car will be harder to sell. The thing that is getting you is that instead of adding options, car manufacturers are offering package deals. After all, there are not that many people like us who would want ABS without power windows. Toyota saves a lot of money by only having a select set of optional packages and they really only alienate a few of us. It makes sense on a large scale to do what they do and all manufacturers do it now.
My advice is to get the ABS and the power windows. These power windows won’t give you problems like the ones that troubled you in the past.
And you probably play hell with the fuel mileage!
and those packages are what keep me from buying Toyota. If I wanted a blue Tacoma, I would have package D, E or F to choose from, not a, b or c
In one respect I can understand bundling things in packages to adds value/savings. But making one have to buy a bunch of luxury crap in order to get a simple safety feature is just wrong. I simply would look elsewhere.