[clevermax]

Originally Posted by GTO

No dead pedal and no space on the left to rest your foot either. You will have to park your left foot under, or ahead of, the clutch on long highway drives:

Isn't the plastic over the foot well bent? The foot well looks unfinished.

[Abhi_Automobile]

@ GTO specific query:

GTO, do you think that it actually will take 8 months to deliver an Etios as Toyota dealers are speculating? My father in law wants to buy the car, but the waiting period has scared him to the fullest.

Is it better for him to go for the Fiesta then? (since it is available for pretty much the same cost after all the discounts are factored in)

[Rohit Tripathi]

GTO Fantastic incisive review goes without saying., Although from an entusiasts point of view I may not like the product however I do admire this company, what a well researched product!!! I personally think this will hit the sweet spot for the Indian buyer. Maruti will have to raise their game. I am sure they will.

[9thsphinx]

@ GTO: Excellent Review. Crisp, clear, and to the point.

Say, someone in the family is looking for a 'big' car and apparently after reading your Etios review has 2 options. A Honda Jazz Select or a Toyota Etios VX? What do you think they should go for? Don't bother answering a Why. Thanks.

[Minardi]

Excellent review as always! Etios seems to be a typically boring car the masses would love to have and t-bhpians would love to skip. The antipode to a Fiat Linea

[invidious]

Originally Posted by kalpeshc

@GTO - If boot is not to be considered, would you consider Etios (ABS + airbags) a good buy at 6.7L versus an i20 Asta petrol? I know for sure that I am not going to use the boot for 90% of the times even though I would be traveling mostly on the highways. The i20's boot is enough for my luggage needs. I am sure there'd be others too who would be in similar situations where they have shortlisted the i20 but with Etios being launched are seriously giving it second thoughts.

The i20 was always designed for a European market and was to be manufactured here. Hyundai itself was taken aback by the success of the i20 and only later on added the cheaper Era trims to cash in on the success of the i20. The fit and finish of the i20 will be significantly superior to those of the Etios which is specifically designed for the Indian market.

[Slick]

Wow! Brilliant review GTO, Most detailed, Logged in just to give a 5 star, The write up compelled me,

This is the first time Toyota will be dealing with Maruti like numbers (In India) , Do they have the network to handle these many extra vehicles? most probably yes and more likely their cars dont breakdown very often.

But a very nice car indeed and I feel it will eat into Dsire/Manza business as well as the likes of i-20 and maybe Linea(non- existent) and City as well.

[WhiteKnight]

Thank you for the much awaited review.

Originally Posted by GTO

The 5th gear isn’t too tall. Actually, all of the gear ratios seem to be tuned short for city driveability.

Would be great if you could share the max speed on each gear.

Originally Posted by GTO

On the highway at 120 kph, the revv needle is hovering over 3,000 rpm. If you are a regular expressway tripper, you’d probably want a taller 5th gear, or miss a 6th.

For me that is a tall enough 5th gear. Among the current crop of C seg sedans, not many could do 120 Kph in 5th @ 3000 rpm or less. I know Linea Tjet and Cedia does it.

Cars like Fiesta, SX4 and ANHC all does ~<100 Kph @ 3000 rpm in 5th

[invidious]

If it were not for the Toyota badge and someone showed me the interior pics. I would honestly have thought that this was the sedan version of the Tata Nano. Let's see I have 6.5 lakhs to spend on a sedan and my options are Manza, Etios, Dzire. I would say that I would definitely pick the Manza and the Dzire over the Etios. Heck, I might even pick the Accent over the Etios.

[RoadTiger]

GTO's comment about Toyota philosophy about getting somethings really right, some others right and not getting anything wrong (or something to this effect) prompted me to attempt a comparo of the Etios with the Dzire and the Manza on some of the general attributes that an average buyer would look for, in this class (C-segment sedan).

To keep things simple, there are no weightages for attributes.

The ratings are from 3 (highest or best) to 1 (lowest), relative to its class (C-segment sedan). Same ratings indicate equally good/ poor perception on that attribute.

Ratings are based on GTO's review of the Etios and a general impression (based on first-hand/ second-hand experience) of the Dzire and Manza - petrol models only.

Gurus - would look for your expert opinion.

[tj123]

5 Star review as always GTO ...It is clear that Toyota has concentrated on producing a practical & functional car with average looks.

I was quite disappointed to see the sloppy paint job on the gear knob may be Toyota will sort it out in the production version.
But surely I don’t like the cluttered tachometer/ speedo combination, absence of a multifunction display is also a let down, almost all B + segment cars have such features these days .

But on all other count Etios seems to be winner, certainly production contraints will keep this car away from its customers for quite some time.

[madhukar_n]

Has run into 6 pages already !!!
Nice review. I guess the waiting period is the key. If maruti throws in a few "Deals" then a 1 or 2 month waiting period is better than 6-8 months. Also need to know how much dzire sells in diesel and how much petrol.

drivabilty wise - vento petrol and etios is almost same. a very family oriented car. no nonsense car. so need to see how many of those transfer from vento to etios. both have similar waiting periods though.

however the car is toyota just sells. people wont even test drive if it is a toyota(i know a couple like that)

[rohan_iitr]

Another ace review from GTO.

When are the diesel and hatch variants arriving ?

While I can digest everything else in the name of cost-cutting, the single wiper and center console remind me of cost cutting measures in the Nano. While these may be acceptable in a 1L small car, these are not acceptable in a 5L sedan.

Originally Posted by GTO

...although the meter placement in the middle of the dash isn’t to my taste. What’s wrong with conventional placement anyway?

My thoughts exactly. What's wrong with the conventional placement ? This is purely a cost cutting arrangement which is being marketed as an engineering marvel. When will the car companies realise that the meter console belongs to the driver, not to the middle passenger in the rear seat.

These "flap type" door handles went out of fashion a decade back. Instead, the Etios ought to wear the "pull type" grab handles that are commonplace with modern cars:

Why are pull type handles better than flap type ?

Rohan

[tanwaramit]

Excellent review GTO.

Thanks for the video roundup Rehaan.

The car is good, I was expecting AT version, which I dont think will come in next 3 years, or not at all.

The plastic paint quality on the gear knob was a sad part, along with cost cutting without alloys on spare tyre.

Altis still gives alloys (on spare tyre) as compared to Honda, which doesnt gives it on civic.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

My thoughts exactly. What's wrong with the conventional placement ? This is purely a cost cutting arrangement which is being marketed as an engineering marvel. When will the car companies realise that the meter console belongs to the driver, not to the middle passenger in the rear seat.

Rohan

Maybe thats the Toyota way for smal cars. I remember seeing the same meter console setup in Toyota Vios (City's competition in SE Asia)