Toyota GR Yaris Used car buy??

[@darrenprior6339]

I own a 21 GR Yaris. Longest I've ever kept a car and would happily never sell it....Except damn Toyota have come out with an improved model. Bugger. One of the funnest cars you'll ever own. I often going out on drive days with mates in their Porsches, Ferraris, McLarens, Lambos etc and when I first turned up in this little Toyota I was scoffed at. I no longer get scoffed. A mate of mine owns a 992 GT3RS, 992GT3 and a just bought a new Yaris. He loves the Yaris more than the Porsches. As for brakes? PFFT. I've never thought to myself, "This car needs more brakes". Get a decent aftermarket exhaust, an Eventuri intake, mild tune. upgrade the torque, engine and gearbox mounts, fit some camber bolts, plus get a lower seat on it for it and you'll have a weapon. Just an outstanding car. BTW: in addition to the upgrades you've mentioned on the new GRY, the engine internals and gearbox have been strengthened and the body has additional welds and structural adhesive making the car even stiffer. Hard to apply that modification to the older car. Cheers

[@oneeleven9832]

Got a 2022 GR Yaris..had Litchfield tune, suspension, spacers, air intake & Acrapovic exhaust…i love it. Im 57 as well & never moded a car before..just buy one,use mine as a daily & got a Mclaren 570gt for the dry 👍..forgot..Recaro seats as well that drop height enough.

[@Challengetheroad]

Awesome 🙌 which recaros did you fit as only seen Cobras in them so far

[@oneeleven9832]

@@Challengetheroad Recaro Sportster CS Ambla Leather Black / Diamica Suede black 👍…ive spent about £15k on mods plus £37.5k on car..so if they have fixed the main issues..i reckon the new one is good value. Eventuri intake & Akrapovic exhaust & link pipe sorts the sound out.

[@dirklangenaken5831]

Hello, I made following changes to my Yaris GR (circuit). Mounted an eVenturi Carbon Airbox, Miltek ECE approved exhaust without changing OPF and mounted a Forge intercooler, and for the winter I put the car on Braid alloy wheels with winter tires. I also posses 2 aircooled Porsches and 1 McLaren 675 LT Spider. Man,man,man, this Yaris GR is incredible and punches way above it’s class. In damp and rainy weather and on B-roads it gives me so much pleasure that I truly find it one of the best cars I ever bought. I certainly would not change the current car to the newer one, because when it’s a question of power, almost nothing can beat the McLaren which is really an astonishing car too. But, perhaps it’s silly, but the current car wears proudly it’s WRC Homologation badge which the newer one doesn’t have. Moreover I really like the analogue cluster. The dashboard of the new one resembles to a Mercedes Benz sprinter van🙄🥹. If I could advice you … search the current one and enjoy it. Good luck and congrats with your channel.

[@kevinclarkson9611]

I had one 3 yrs now, best car ever 🚗💨

[@GRC316t]

From a GR Corolla owner, get it now I wish we had the GRY here

[@Cernunn0s90]

Circuit pack with an exhaust, stiffer lower torque mount from DNA Racing (to improve shifting), and an intake for the turbo noises, and you're absolutely golden. Had mine for a year, and it is brilliant, and really comes into its own with those mods. No need to remap with those mods alone, and it sounds quite great with them! I quite like the raspy 3cylinder sound to be honest. No idea why anyone are saying the brakes aren't great. I find mine absolutely awesome for street use, but the brake pedal requires a bit more force than in most cars, which makes it easier to modulate them. This has been done on purpose, but maybe someone is mistaking having to press the pedal harder for the brakes being weaker?? I love the brake feel in mine. I also have a seat lowering kit, which makes the driving position perfect for me. I think the changes for the MK2 are rather small all in all, and most are quite easily replicated with mods on the MK1. I also prefer how the MK1 looks.

[@normancrighton7622]

I have a 21 GR and there is nothing wrong with the brakes. I am getting older and have a couple of electric cars so the sound is not important to me now as I prefer the silence. I also have a Subaru Forester with Prodrive Performance Package that sounds great if I need an audible hit. If I was to change anything it would be to get a better suspension as it is a bit harsh for UK B roads which are 70% potholes.

[@Kamavagadoo]

I have a ‘21 GR Yaris which I bought used last year. The brakes are very effective but not heavily servoed which is why some people think they are a bit lacking. However, they are easy to modulate and really stop you well. Overall it’s a phenomenal car which I use for weekend drives and road trips.

[@elmexicano6724]

I have a GR Yaris and I love it, I have asked about the new one, my dealer has just told me all cars will be via a lottery only, open to those that had bought the car, or were on the waiting list in up to 2022, it is a fantastic car, for the smiles per mile it gives me, just like my Superbikes use to give to me, when I was younger.

[@Challengetheroad]

I was almost going to drive over to the Toyota dealer on my way home! 🏠 Got to be the best value used car Rally special!

[@daleswainston1978]

45 grand for the new one

[@octane_adventureroca9581]

I have a 21 gr Yaris driven over 27 thousand mile in it, mines totally standard, the brakes are phenomenal, for circuit work you might want a better pad. My car has been faultless i run it alongside my Elise and caterham and it’s just as fun as either of those. I would be tempted by an exhaust just for more drama and the eventuri air box. I’ve driven it on long driving days with mclarens and Porsche and m product BMWs and the Yaris covers ground much faster than them in mixed conditions. It’s a great car and have kept it much longer than most of my other cars.

[@mikejoseph425]

I’m back again. I decided to buy a GR Yaris for what was good value @ 28.5k one owner FSH 9,500 miles. Went by train with a pre organised insurance to drive it back from Clapham Junction to Hertfordshire and money in my account. Got there, nice shiny red and then my heart sank as 3 panels with small body damaged and 4 wheels curbed. A bit angry as car described as immaculate and even though the guy said “make me an offer” I was very concerned about matching the red colour and my instinct told me to walk. I had previously sold my I Pace and bought a Toyota C-HR Plug in which is a great car, quite fast, very economical and very comfortable, but I have a desire for something with soul. I also have a Daihatsu Copen which is great fun to drive and I am not sure that with all the speed restrictions I should be content with Copen for letting off steam and continue with the C-HR for general sensible driving. You may laugh about the Copen but I don’t know if I am chasing rainbows with the GR Yaris and the last thing is if I need to buy a GR Yaris should I wait and see if I can get the 8 speed auto

[@Challengetheroad]

Hi Mike, you are best getting the best GR Yaris as lots for sale and sometimes best to walk away. I would have a used gen 1 and just do a few upgrades

[@strangebloke7]

My son bought a GR Yaris Circuit Pack brand new back in July 2022 and it’s recently suffered catastrophic engine failure with under 11,000 miles on the clock. It’s never been on a track and is only occasionally given “the beans”. It may well be a fault that Toyota know about and are trying to cover up or they’re saying the dealer may have put the wrong oil in at the last service back in October. The dealer denies this and apparently has evidence to the contrary. Sadly, Toyota voided the warranty as there was some confusion over the service interval. My son understood it was every 10,000 miles however it turns out it’s every 10,000 km or 6,213 miles. Thus, he overshot his his 6,213 mile service service by about 2,500 miles / 3 months. Service was due in July 2023 but didn’t happen until the October. The dealer is currently carrying out a strip down of the engine, however on removing the sump a couple of weeks ago they found debris and the big ends are shot. Other damage may become apparent as the dismantling proceeds. We suspect an oil pump failure but unsure as yet. We’ve also booked an independent engineer to take a look once strip down is complete. Internet searches on Yaris GR forums have thrown up some info but not loads at present. We are now embarking on legal proceedings under The Sale Of Goods Act as the Warranty is apparently void. Just wanted to let you know that there’s a possible issue with these cars. The car was superb until a trip to The Lake District in early February where it simply died during normal driving.

[@dunklespelipper]

Go and post that stuff up over at the GR-Zoo Forums. This is valuable information that owners like me are interested in. From what I gather there is no known issue concerning what you've described. Most issues stem from the valce train when overrevving or running a different oil from stock with no proper LSPI protection. Yours could be a one off, there could of course also be an actual weak point that the community doesn't know about so far.

[@easyonenow]

Richard dont hesitate. Mk1 For what you get its a bargain. On a wet day (UK 😂😂) nothing can keep up until you get to monster GT3s. And thats 10 times the cost and they are Police finders😂!😅! I know which one i'd rather put in a hedge. Though obviously hope not too. As so many i dont think it will be an investment for a long time (think celica gt4). But cant imajine life without it. It is so much fun. Leave the exhaust standard, unless you are under 20; Means brisk early Sunday morning drives dont upset anyone. Its stealth. If you must boy racer it and I fully understand why. Just please drive a standard one for three month first. I know lots of guys with mega plans (I was one) But its just not needed. Visability, I drop the passenger seatback right down. For 45° side roads looking out rear left window and overtaking. The brakes are fab been to ring twice. Still on originals. Ask an M3 driver! Ive taken the back seats out and its a litle noisier inside And a lighweight battery, GRMN steering wheel and knob. Thats it. (The GRMN is Japan only special of mk1, I follow them in japan. Its £100,000 plus landed here (31% tax). More if you want the very special and very good looking gunmetal grey colour, only 50 made, even more expensive) Factory mods. Rear seat delete, adjustable bilsteins, ratios in box changed, bit more torque between 3 and 4. Better balanced pistons and better clutch. Carbon bonnet, bigger carbon spoiler and the roof is normal carbon weave rather than forged and sticker. All match and very expensive from Toyota as parts. 15mm wheel spacers. Much better bucket seats. Alcantara wheel and knob. GRMN dash. Intetesting fact the MN in GRMN stands for Masters of Nurburgring ❤

[@robsx4280]

Great info, off to look at one Monday 😊

[@randalltan1311]

The pedel feel is typical of Japanese cars, meaning if you depress the pedal slightly, you'll get light braking. I came from a vw that had a more twitchy brake pedal so you had to modulate the pedal more (that's probably where the feedback came from). If you stomp on the pedal, it will bring all that braking force to the forth. Definitely not lacking in braking ability.

[@Topazman]

I'm awaiting a jdm yaris rz high performance which has all the options of the circuit and convivence packs, it has upgraded hks coilover suspension and hks exhaust system along with trd spolier kit front side and rear and other little mods. car is pearl white. I will cost me close to a one in my country but with the extras it will be still worth it. heated seats and steering wheel also

[@jonathancollard3710]

Toyota actually now selling the GR Yaris at the price it SHOULD have always been. They have been losing money on every one sold. Completely agree, “Series 1” car prices will now firm. Can’t say I like S2 dashboard at all, but along with minor complaints of seat height and letterbox view on S1, it’s a little like getting Claudia Schiffer into bed and then moaning about her German accent… 🤪

[@Kwieczor]

Your sentence with Claudia Schiffer made my day :)

[@kevinmcg6747]

I missed the original car offering and was keenly anticipating the update as a future purchase. My good friend has an original one and it's just amazing fun, he fitted the Toyota 'authorised' aftermarket exhaust and it sounded,....'different', specifically on start up its a tad loud and not very tuneful but fine after that. However, I've ended up being swayed by another car so the GR may have to wait a few years - I had an Alpine A110S itch that has had to be scratched first :) Good luck with hopefully a future purchase, you can't go wrong.

[@micsub]

Hi Richard. I hope to welcome you to the GR-4 community soon ! It is a difficult choice to have to decide between a well looked after MK1 and the new MK2. But as you say, you can still enjoy a MK1 do a few mods to your liking and budget. There are still some MK1 new unsold ones in France, I don't know about UK, Australia or South Africa or even Japan to have a "wrong side of the road steering" one ! I have loved Rally since the Group B period and seen all these homologation specials being produced without even dreaming of owning one, but with time things changed till the GR-4 came out. I am an ex-Subaru WRX and WRX STi owner, and have had my GRY since May 2021. Hardly modified it until now, and all the little things done are completely reversible. Full PPF on day 1, bought a set of WedsSport wheels to preserve the OEM BBS pristine in case I sell it one day, and concentrated on improving cooling at first (Vented Engine under tray, Titanium brake pad shims to preserve the caliper dust boots from melting, Wrapped the exhaust tube around the rear diff area with DEI Titanium bandage, and planning soon to install an Hel Oil cooler). On the engine, nothing much, except for a K&N air filter in the original Air Box, and got a 3D printed intake "snorkel" from a chap in Australia that increases slightly the cool air intake capacity. Might consider a larger intercooler later, but collecting data on taht point first. A good thing to do, but I'm not going to do it because it is irreversible, is to install Rally-2 bonnet vents to reduce high speed lift and improve hot air evacuation. I replaced the OEM catalyser by an HJS sport Euro-6 approved one, increases flow, reduces back-pressure, thus heat generation on the turbo. After that, it's time to take care of the handling, and planning on Wiborg front lower control arms at first, and maybe then go for a set of BOS Road & track coilovers. BOS are the WRC Rally 1 & 2 suspension suppliers, they do know a thing or two about Yaris setup. They are the only ones providing a coilover kit with spring rate no higher than OEM, but vastly improved hydraulics in their shocks. They also can provide a proper track kit with higher spring rate and a full blown gravel kit. There are plenty of guys on You Tube who modify, test, upgrade etc, I follow three serious guys about this car who are really into at different levels. Phil of Rotheli Racing, deeply modified his for German Time Attack, Scara73 who proposes different custom stages of modification for road use, and Adriano of AJS Clubsport who concentrates more on mods for road usability and occasional track use. Then there is that really nice forum all based on GR models, a must, mountains of information there from people of all horizons passionate about the same car : www.gr-zoo.com/forums/gr-yaris.135/ A lot of videos to watch, a lot of websites to visit for parts & advice etc... to help make up your mind. Enjoy ! Greetings from France, where we drive on the right side of the road, obviously !

[@jonathancollard3710]

I have McLaren 570 and Ferrari California T, together with GR Yaris…. The Yaris is by far the most fun on track if for nothing else I’m not worried about binning it into a barrier. An “off” in the Macca will cost the same as a new Yaris 🙃. For sure it’s not as quick on the straights but I let my two sons drive it, so it’s a ‘family affair’ on track days.

[@simonhouldsworth6513]

Richard - you mentioned Warrender! I think they were in Bolton? I bought my first Caterham and TVR from them. Absolute nightmare: sent shivers down my spine...

[@Challengetheroad]

That’s the one in Bolton 👍

[@williamsimpson8115]

Love this car

[@mikejoseph425]

You have said a used gen 1 is half the price of a gen 2 which is £45k. I have been looking and a 21 with 15k miles is £28ish so can you point me in direction of a £23k car and I would be very appreciative

[@bigdhav]

Brake complaints are from the brake hoses/lines. Upgrade to braided lines and some proper rbf brake fluid. My GR Yaris has a custom exhaust from ATP Cars and it's way better than the farty Akras or Millteks.

[@GRfourfun]

You know my thoughts but you need to get one. This for me is the time to buy the original and another point to sway you the homologated badge is not in the new one 😉

[@Challengetheroad]

I really do! How do you find the brakes as we had no problems on the road test we done

[@GRfourfun]

@@Challengetheroad Phenomenal, they are bigger than the GR Supra too.

[@SimonCarrier-r4n]

Have you considered buying the Rally2 version of the GR Yaris? It's a serious motorsport machine so not a daily driver, but I think it also has long term investment potential. I could put you in touch with the right people to talk to.

[@Challengetheroad]

Yes please 🙏 I am very interested

[@v4skunk739]

How much? Like £300k?

[@mrmorizofan7001]

as GR specials, there is GRMN Yaris, but only in japan, but special model indeed with trick lsd etc.

[@markos8400]

Imho, GRY is more special than most EVOs and STis, dedicated chassis for homologation is something that made me buy it. And, of course, the whole story behind it going way back to 2014 when Tommi drove Akio in GT86 during WRC Finland. There is a Mk1 special edition - GRMN. You can easily upgrade mk1 to mk2 spec (apart from chassis upgrades, which 99% owners wont be able to recognize) and still got money left. Stock brakes are very good, just need braided brake lines. I've got 50ish minor upgrades on my GRY, everyone who tried it, told me I did well. Also, rather stick to softer mk1 spring rates for b-road. To get spotted more, add a subtle wing and nice lip kit and it's gorgeous. Rather buy other Recaro seat than seat lowering kit - not sure how they do in a crash. P.S. try go get '23 or late '22 model if buy used one, many revised parts on them.

[@Challengetheroad]

Booked a run against the 22b for April 🙌

[@v4skunk739]

But Mitsubishi were going to WRC under Group-A rules in the WRC era. Evo I-VII are literally race cars for the road. It's why an Evo costs more than a Subaru of the same year. The top Subarus are from the 90's before they raced under WRC rules.

[@mavsfr]

Buyers market now, everything they say thats wrong with the original car is easily changeable... Seat lowering kits available roughly £500 for the pair, mirror riser about £45/50 pound... As for the new cars car's coming soon a lot of people will not be getting an allocation, they will be disappointed, they are literally limited numbers on the normal cars nevermind the special editions, a lot of people thinking they will getting an allocation will soon be disappointed... Me including..👍

[@andybakr]

I’ve Owned from new, the improvements are all valid but get a mk1 Yaris now.

[@kimgreenway824]

I have a 2021 gr yaris and a subaru impreza wr1 ,the gr is the only car I have tested and got out ,thought I want one ,I've owned the wr1 for 15 years,get a gr you won't regret it ,however the new one is expensive 😢

[@tolosac]

how do you know the price of the new car?, It has not yet been officially launched and Toyota tells me they do not know dates or prices yet 🤔

[@Challengetheroad]

Autocar review had pricing

[@tolosac]

Yes I see that in UK Toyota already released the prices. Here in Spain we don’t have any information yet, but looking at the prices in the UK we should expect an increase of about €10,000 - €11,000 here in Spain (the previous one with CP cost €42,500)

[@Birmingham_racing]

I do like the gr but wouldn't pick one over a Subaru sti or evo 9

[@Challengetheroad]

We are putting against Subaru 22b next 🙌

[@5218201a]

Gen1 Yaris looks a lot better. I’ve got it, with eventuri and akrapovic. It sounded fantastic. I’m not gonna touch anything else coz it drives epic on backroads. None of the Supercars can come close.in the mod department, if you wanna go crazy there’s a lot options too

[@MrAndrewChung]

3:38 there is the grmn yaris

[@boristabacsplatt6609]

The 2034 Yaris GR is the one to go for. Better driver ergonomics, beefed up engine and chassis and a tad more power. Matt Watson did a good review of the changes, and preferred the new car to his older model. .Well worth watching before you buy.

[@Becausefamilycar]

There will be limited ones at £60k I didn’t like um personally

[@Mattceeee]

I’ll go against the grain here… I didn’t really like the Yaris. Got mine quite early and sold it after 2k miles. I guess all my previous cars were paddle shift/DCT etc and just hated the manual if I’m honest. At least I made a little profit on it even though it wasn’t planned that way.

[@JohnnyEscobar1]

You literally own a Tesla. No gears there. My GR is the most fun performance car I’ve owned in years regardless of cost.

[@Mattceeee]

@@JohnnyEscobar1 I do yeah but thats my company car (tax perks etc). Previous cars and current other one such as R35 GT-R, C63 AMG (W205/W205) etc have all only been available as auto/DCT so I guess I'm just used to driving with manually with paddles for the last 15 years or so. Manual cars just don't do it for me anymore and manufacturers seem to know this too - hence why the new GR comes in auto now.

[@kevinclarkson9611]

The new one will not be 20k better.

[@ricchrono5907]

Yea I have been kinda itchy on swapping to the new one since it was announced, but after the official price tag has been released, I don't really think I would. The new one is without a doubt a better car, yet trading mine away I reckon I would still have to top up another 15k to 20k I guess, that doesn't make much sense to me. Also the 1st gen has been a lot of fun, best car I have ever owned. I am not sure the 2nd gen can do that much better with an extra 50 odd% cost of the the original. 1 extra point, I wonder why the 2nd gen no longer bears the badge of World rally homologation badge 🤔

[@kevinclarkson9611]

Well happy with mine, I recon the valves of the original homoligation, Will go up in price second hand.🚗💨

[@th3b0untyhunter]

Wtf is zouping up a car ???? 😂😅😂😢😂 Soup up Souping it up Not zoup/zouping lol 😅😂😅

[@Challengetheroad]

It’s a new word 🤣🤣

[@Stringwar]

Toyota has betrayed UK buyers with the new car pricing. Forcing the "loyal" customer base to pay for all options and no option to spec it under £40k. The forged wheels are £3k which would have reduced the price significantly

[@sultanoftippoo3857]

Not sure what the forced options you are referring to? The v1 GRY only came in two versions convenience pack - very few sold in the UK with this spec, and the circuit pack which is the one most people opted for. The v2 GRY dispenses with the convenience pack and the option is whether you want manual or CVT auto in the circuit config. Also I could be wrong but don’t both versions the GR Yaris use the same forged BBS alloys? I know if I dink one of mine the cost from Toyota for a new one is around £1,600. Re: pricing, it’s widely reported that Toyota lost money on every one of the original GRY they sold so pricing for the 2024 model is probably in line with charging for a hand built car like both versions of the GR Yaris are. Edit: incorrect info on the Auto option. Wikipedia is wrong and apparently the 2024 GRY doesn’t use CVT technology.

[@Stringwar]

@@sultanoftippoo3857 That's a typical you tube comment response. If you took some time to research you'd know that the convenience pack elements are a £1,500 option in other countries. The V2 will be standard with this pack ( based on the list price of £44k for the Manual). The forged alloys are a €3k option in Europe. You only simply need to walk back the pricing options to see that the car would have fallen under £40k without those two options. Toyota obviously know there is a tax issue at £40k and they know people wont have any of the options pushing it over £40k hence the forcing of the options onto the buyer. Have you not even looked at the other European V2 brochures. Anyway I have a convenience pack so last laugh is mine when I fit the diffs.

[@sultanoftippoo3857]

@@Stringwar “have you not even looked at the other European v2 brochures?” Er, no because your comment referred to UK buyers (which I am one since 2021). You seem very defensive (especially about which version of GRY you own). Who are you having the last laugh on, certainly not me. I applaud you for owning a GRY, which version you opted for is your business and no one else’s. Seriously you talk about mine being a “typical KZbin comment response” when I was genuinely interested in what options you were referring to and you jump down my throat believing I’m somehow criticising your post (which was absolutely the opposite of what I intended). It’s a pity it’s so difficult to have a dialogue with anyone online anymore. I hope you continue to enjoy your GRY as I will with mine. Good bye.

[@Stringwar]

@@sultanoftippoo3857 You don't seem to know much about the original models. Three models were offered in the UK, base, convenience and circuit. The base and convenience comes with Enkei cast alloys which personally I really like, and circuit with BBS forged alloys. The new V2 comes with a manual or Torque converter auto not a CVT. I don't think it's a difficult observation to see that they have loaded the prices of the UK model to push buyers into a choice. They are profiteering on the forged alloys and convenience pack options which is a £3k and £1k option in France, Poland etc , they've also avoided bringing out a Brochure which would show that. No paint prices released, are all colours free? No transparency from Toyota, just ripping off the country that bought the most. Now they want us, the first buyers to pay an over inflated price compared to the rest of Europe.

[@sultanoftippoo3857]

@@Stringwar “you don’t seem to know much about the original models” Obviously nowhere near as much as you but I like to think if someone asked me a respectful question I wouldn’t answer with condescending and aggressive responses as you have. Fortunately most car enthusiasts on YT (especially fellow GRY owners in my experience) are more engaging and polite. Once again good bye.

[@jonfoz1379]

For anyone concerned with the seat height on the OG Yaris then check out the VBD lowering kits designed to work with standard seats 💺 😊

[@Challengetheroad]

That’s sounds a great option