2003 Toyota Vios - Let’s human face upward it—we’re going to live tardily again. Rushing through a mid-afternoon’s Metro traffic, our humble Toyota Echo zipped betwixt bigger motor vehicles. The 1.3-liter engine was clearly given a thrashing every bit the responsive four-speed auto ‘box gave us much needed accelerating power. We subjected ourselves to a slightly sore backside for the sake of motoring journalism.
There’s no amend agency to examination the novel infant Toyota, nosotros thought, than to practise a back-to-back drive of the European-designed Echo in addition to the cousin it presently gave life to, the Vios. Upon arriving at the venue, nosotros already had our doubts. With the Echo in addition to the Vios sharing the same set-up of Independent MacPherson Struts upward front end in addition to an ETA beam amongst stabilizer bar at the near, nosotros straight off concluded than the Vios in addition to the Echo would portion the same mutual faults: a harsh ride, an engine that buzzes throughout the cabin in addition to overall mediocre driving comfort.
Boy, were nosotros proven wrong.
Despite starting off amongst the same ingredients, the Echo in addition to the Vios are 2 different bananas. The old represents the mold, if you lot will, for the novel generation of Toyotas that are every bit fun to drive every bit they are reliable. The latter, is inwards simplest terms, the fruit of Toyota’s efforts to choose this novel philosophy to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations market. The Vios is the start of the novel historic current of sub-compact sedans—where styling, practicality in addition to driving dynamics are closely associated amongst the Toyota badge.
However, this is non to live confused amongst ‘radical’, dissimilar its head-to-head competitor, the novel Honda City. In fact, it is a condom bet inwards whatever aspect—whether it live inwards its design, concept or fifty-fifty its mechanicals. The most obvious proof of which is the Vios’ styling cues.
Looking similar a Corolla Altis inwards 80-percent scale, the Vios borrows its bigger brother’s curvaceous front end end, dominant mesh-type radiator grille, high beltline, pull-type door handles in addition to tall-boy looks. More in addition to therefore is the handling of the front end light clusters—something that tin brand ane easily fault the Vios for an Altis when viewed from a distance. Now, don’t instruct us wrong. There’s nix actually to abhor nearly the Vios’ looks. In fact, it easily grows on you lot faster than does the Honda City's. Unfortunately, the Toyota only doesn’t stand upward out—and mayhap that could live every bit of import for some every bit quoting acceleration or mileage figures.
Stepping within the Vios’ cabin brings a fighting of nostalgia amongst its center-mounted instrumentation in addition to dominating center-console. Yup, it feels in addition to therefore much similar the Echo inwards here. Fortunately, Toyota has taken the same formula to greater heights past times plumbing equipment the Vios amongst much amend fabrics in addition to materials. However, the Vios’ budget-conscious execution is notwithstanding rattling much evident. Overall, difficult plastic is notwithstanding abundant, the tackiest of which is shiny ane that surrounds the center-mounted instrumentation binnacle.
The major controls in addition to ergonomics tin also crusade a spell of déjà vu to anyone that’s familiar amongst the Echo. The basic location for every command from ventilation to jeopardy to fifty-fifty the agency the parking brake is obnoxiously far below the driver are all the same. One major improvement though: the placement of the sound unit—it’s been moved upward for amend reach.
Speaking of the sound unit, the 2-DIN Fujitsu caused a mixed-bag reaction. Some complained that it was tacky, sighting the differences inwards the hue of the argent bring down used to work the interior in addition to the radio. Others constitute it wonderful, for it combined both cassette in addition to in-dash CD thespian functions—quite a rare sight inwards cars nowadays. In whatever case, the radio was relatively slow to exercise in addition to understand, spell the sound character is surprisingly good, considering the car’s yell for price.
The fluorescent gauges were discontenting at first—giving the feeling of looking into oblivion, but they are slow to adjust to. Though most of the data are easily decipherable, the blueprint ends upward existence also cluttered in addition to some data such every bit the speedometer locomote roughly useless.
Despite the Vios’ tall stature, ane affair that could receive got been improved farther is the agency the interior infinite was utilized. Though front end spot leg in addition to caput room are bordering on the excellent, the shoulder room is severely lacking—often leading to unwanted shoulder rubbing amongst the front end spot passenger, peculiarly when yanking the manus brake. The raise bench on the other manus is solely skilful for two, fifty-fifty on brusk metropolis trips.
With all the similarities betwixt the Echo, Vios in addition to the much bigger Altis, the solely way, in addition to mayhap the best way, to differ the 3 is inwards driving dynamics. Though nosotros could solely receive got the Vios through a looped course of didactics prepared past times the folks at Toyota Motor Philippines, the divergence inwards the agency the Vios behaves is evident.
The lighter 900-kilogram Echo is clearly the winner of the three, displaying the best corner plough inwards in addition to most predicable manners. The torso gyre is kept tight in addition to the steering is instantaneous, acting almost inwards unison amongst the punchy throttle; it gives the Echo the most exhilarating experience. On the other hand, the Altis is the softest in addition to most grown-up. Safe in addition to predictable, it leans towards the understeer spell giving bang-up route vibrations isolation in addition to bump absorption. The Vios is somewhere inwards the middle.
Enjoying a 22-bhp payoff over the smaller engined Echo, it’s surprising that the Vios ends upward amongst a to a greater extent than relaxed grapheme despite both having similar curb weights in addition to existence equipped amongst a four-speed automatic gearbox amongst Toyota’s Super ECT technology. The cabin vibrations is neatly muffled in addition to subdued. There were solely slightest hints of the VVTi powerplant’s buzzy grapheme intruding into the cabin. Acceleration is brisk, amongst the speedometer hitting the seventy km/h on a relatively brusk slice of road.
Those who bask picayune pursuit would regime annotation that the 1.5-liter powerplant residing underneath the Vios is the same every bit the Japanese marketplace Corolla. With its reputation preceding it, the 1NZ-FE engine is mayhap ane of the most refined engines always fitted into a pocket-size car.
Though the four-speed auto box is skilful for the repose of us, functioning junkies may rejoice every bit going for the sum monty is possible on the Vios. The dominion of pocket-rocket functioning applies here: small-bodied, lightweight auto amongst a moderately powerful engine mated to a manual gearbox. Though it notwithstanding feels a fighting notchy compared to say, the Honda Civic, the shifting machinery has gone through considerable improvement since the Altis. Couple that amongst an slow to modulate clutch, the Vios tin easily squeal off the distance inwards a blaze of haze in addition to tire smoke.
The stretched wheelbase in addition to longer length of the sedan torso makes the Vios absorb potholes in addition to uneven route surfaces amongst much to a greater extent than dignity than the Echo. However, the European handling wasn’t given a backseat every bit the Vios tin notwithstanding entertain when pushed to the limit. In fact, it behaves clinically through the circuit amongst controlled torso lean, snapping into over steer when provoked. It admittedly feels a fighting to a greater extent than sluggish when judged against the Echo.
Despite the absence of anti-lock brakes, the Vios stops surefooted into a corner—just don’t overcook it.
After having an afternoon’s spin within the Vios, we’ve idea that we’ve judged the battle of the sub-compacts agency also soon. Before, nosotros idea that the City, amongst all its advancements in addition to radical engineering scientific discipline would receive got easily trampled the Vios. However, it seems that past times playing it safe, Toyota has served upward some skilful aces: a bang-up powerplant, well-balanced dynamics in addition to a quicker delivery fourth dimension (the Honda City has over a calendar month long waiting list, spell Toyota has sold over 300 Vios already).
The battle is at nowadays dead-even. With the ball over at Honda’s court, they’ve got ane large hurdle to overcome.
Car Review First Drive - 2003 Toyota Vios 1.5G M/T As Well As A/T Features & Specifications
4/
5
Oleh
Lucy
