I had a few hours to kill after work yesterday before I had to return for a faculty meeting, so I contacted my Toyota/Scion dealer and made an appointment to take the iQ for a test drive. I was pretty impressed. The car felt quite solid and handled well. The turning circle is amazing. I think I'd be able to do a u-turn on the city street in front of my house. The car was quieter than my Yaris, and has a much more upscale look and feel in the interior. The "base" stereo had lots of features that I'm not used to in the Yaris, or the Miata, for that matter. I liked the high seating position and the big doors. Very easy to get in and out of. With the rear seats folded there is more cargo space than either of my cars, plus it is finished off much nicer. The instant read mpg meter said I was getting over 70 mpg as I cruised along at 40 mph. I'd be very curious to see what it averages on a commute like mine.
It is not perfect. I wish there was an armrest between the front seats, and cruise control would be nice for those occasions I'd take it out of the city. Still, optioned up the way I'd like it with the alloy wheels, nice stereo, mats, it came out for less than I payed for the Yaris almost three years ago. Not bad.
(Full disclosure - For those who don't know, I'm not a smart owner. I choose a Toyota Yaris 5-door over the smart back in 2009. Never been certain if that was the right decision. I also own a 1996 Mazda Miata and my partner has a Ford Explorer.)
The REAL conversation should be about efficiency, not the chosen mode of on-board energy storage.
Today
Linear Mode
