When it first leaked out that the 2012 Scion iQ would be priced at $15,995, the internet was not happy. Throwback said, "The Fiat 500 will give this car a hard time." Moparbad said, "When Yaris is $13,915 and Corolla is advertised for between $15 to $16K on sale then Scion iQ is priced too high." and Toyota said something to the tune of "Hey, that's not an official number! We haven't released pricing yet."
Well, now they have. And it's still $15,995. Navigation is extra. A 94 horsepower 1.3-liter is the only engine option and it propels the iQ to 60 in a Toyota-estimated 11.8 seconds. Fuel economy is listed at 36/37.
hfv6 says:
10:37 AM, 07/20/11
why so much? mileage is just OK for such a tiny car. You can get 29/40 in an Elantra along with more power and more space for only slightly more money.
kyolml says:
10:45 AM, 07/20/11
Just tell me why I don't buy the yaris instead from toyota
Seriously, is that really much smaller than 500 for the price?
greenpony says:
12:09 PM, 07/20/11
"mileage is just OK for such a tiny car. You can get 29/40 in an Elantra along with more power and more space for only slightly more money."
People tend to focus too much on the highway estimate. "This microcar gets only 37 mpg when, ooooh, the bigger Elantra gets 40! Mileage is mediocre." What is exceptional here is that this car gets a whopping 36 mpg in city driving. 36! Compared to the Elantra's 29, this is impressive. Name one new non-hybrid car that can match or exceed that.
blueguydotcom says:
12:52 PM, 07/20/11
Horrible pricing. This will not sell well at that price.
saturn95 says:
12:59 PM, 07/20/11
I'm not impressed by the iQ. Although it's better than a Smart, I can't see why you would buy one over a Fiat or MINI.
rsholland says:
03:15 PM, 07/20/11
You guys just don't get it. You're paying for "coolness," at least in the eye of the buyers. You can rationalize this all you want, as to why it's a bad value—but people will buy it because it's different, fun and cool (can't use those adjectives when describing a Yaris or Elantra). Same can be said of buying a (impractical) coupe or convertible over a (practical) sedan.
Before you all jump all over me, I'm just playing the devil's advocate here... :)
rsholland says:
03:25 PM, 07/20/11
^ Forgot to add "cute" as an adjective.
lostboyz says:
03:34 AM, 07/21/11
@rsholland, I think people get that, but its no more cool, cute, or practical than a mini or fiat 500 which are just slightly more expensive.
autojunkie2 says:
05:20 AM, 07/21/11
They're asking WAY too much for this stupid little car...
Again, Toyota manages to overprice and underdeliver, but somehow this will end up being the best-selling small car in the US. Go figure...
hfv6 says:
05:21 AM, 07/21/11
people dont even buy the smart, so why would they buy this? I could understand if there was any proven demand for this kind of car- but there isn't. This isn't Europe.
rsholland says:
06:09 AM, 07/21/11
@lostboyz: No doubt the Fiat is another cool/cute/etc. choice in that price range.
csubowtie says:
11:53 AM, 07/21/11
Since they are already going out on a limb with this car, why didn't Toyota drop in a 1.3 diesel? Would get even better MPG's, and maybe even better performance.
b_boy_007 says:
08:22 AM, 07/24/11
Remember, the Aston Martin Cygnet is just one of these with a fancy interior. I can't wait for you guys' reactions when they release the price for that!