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@Paul Blackman No one in the history of a car has missed a point more than you. Although that would be true for quite a lot of cars today, crossovers and SUVs mostly. It has to be said: this is NOT a Yaris. Since you are a marketing expert, I'm sure you would know exactly why. It shares almost no parts with the standart car. Most similarities are in the interior. Everything else, the WHOLE body, the suspension, the engine, all of this is completely unique to the GR. If you would actually take time to learn something instead of shouting in the comments, you would quickly learn how expensive that is to do and how it is even doable so cheaply. Manufacturer does lose money on selling cars like that. That is why even ordinary of the line hot hatches with some small changes (TrophyR, TCR GTI) rocket in price.
@Paul Blackman The point people are trying to drive home here is that the GRMN yaris is actually NOT a hot hatch, at least not in the classic sense. This is a homologation special. Account for inflation, this is good homologation value. What sets a homologation special apart from a classic hot hatch? Semi-bespoke chassis, bespoke monocoque, actual track ready brakes, race spec engine block (HKS is pushing 470 hp out of it ALREADY, from 1.6L, and the stock block can take it!) and a proper AWD system. Where a hot hatch starts from a mundane city or family car as base, this base is 50+% fresh performance engineering. That essentially is what you're paying for.
@Paul Blackman I'm not trying to be rude, but look, I will repeat this again, you do not get the point. It's okay, this is not your car, you don't have to buy it. Timed tests and they are absolutely meaningless. Such a small difference you would not feel and, with all due respect for Steve, it's within the drivers error margin. I hate timing on the tracks. In the real world, it means nothing because the driving style differs too much and tests like that push the manufacturers to make ridiculously overly grippy cars with too much power that have no feel.
Most car reviewers talk aload bollocks. They just repeat what one another says and don't say how the car feels and drives like from their own point of view. They drive them on closed, which the general public can never do. NEVER buy a car based on a "professional" car review. Test it for yourself.
This is by far the best review of the GR Yaris I’ve seen! Brilliant little car. I own a MK8 fiesta ST and have spent about £450 on an induction kit and a Revo stage 1 remap. The car has gone from 197bhp 290 nm torque to now producing 249bhp and 361nm torque! This has definitely delt with the problem you brought up in the video! Subscribed
I've driven both cars extensively and the review mirrors my own experience. The GR Yaris has tremendous grip but the chassis leans towards stability and safety. You can make it do crazy things on a track but that's not its natural attitude on the roads - regardless of the driving modes. The Fiesta slides around you, can do 3 wheeled hops in tight corners like an old Evo, and is more responsive and adjustable at road legal speeds, making it more fun and entertaining.
Had to re post this comment from my main channel, "Joe Achilles" comments have been made invisible for some reason; Another brilliant video Dan and Co 👌🏼Personally love the Yaris, but this makes a VERY good case for the Fiesta, especially when you can pick up a 12 month old delivery millage ST for half the money of a base GR.... Happy New Year and look forward to more content in 2021!
Yep I got a 2019 ST2 with performance pack for 16.5k months old and 8,000 miles and it’s awesome fun as well as economical. 200bhp is enough power to have fun on British roads anyway 👊
Because he subjectively preferred a different car? The Yaris is a good car, great when you consider we haven't had a decent light 4WD turbo since the early 2000s. However, on the road it is too planted, too precise, too stable...yes those are all subjective opinions commonly uttered by many who comment of its driving feel. The Yaris is a great car that exceeds the challenge of the road and needs a closed and a controlled area (circut) to truly enjoy its potential and be playful (fun). This is why the reviewer is saying for him, the fiesta is better as it doesn't need a circuit to do that.
Doubt the fiesta is better. Who here really likes a loose rear-end on real roads? I have a fiesta ST. And i have ordered a GR Yaris now. Reason: i drive like a mad man on the road. I want a car that works wt me.. not using trick electronics to make it spin around its pivot. It doesnt allow me to drive it at 99.9% of the limit. Wt the ST in real roads i go 85% cause i cant tell wat the rearend is up to. When i may need to suddenly steer opposite to counter a break at the rear. With pavements, bikers, cyclist, trucka and cars in close proximity,.. ST is not the final say in perfection that a well balance car gives.
@@hoomee7605 Well I'm the complete opposite, I love a very adjustable car with a playful rear end on the limit.. A real drivers car.. for me that is so much more enjoyable than something that is glued to the road.
@@hoomee7605 "Who here really likes a loose rear-end on real roads?" Anyone who drives fast on dry roads which may unexpectedly turn out to be wet, leafy and otherwise slippery past a blind apex....... Last thing you want then, is an excessively planted rear pushing your suddenly low/no traction front clear off the road, with nothing you can do about it........ Not saying anyone should drive like that on unknown roads, but street racing under such conditions is part of what the sport of drifting emerged from.
Great review. Nice to see someone review these cars who is a keen driver and knows what they are talking about. Also great to see a review on the road in real world situations, rather than on a track.
What a fantastic review. This is exactly how these cars will be used. No silly launch control and willy waving. Captured the detail and feeling of both cars. Well executed 👍
Agreed. Same thought went through my mind also. Seems an odd omission, even if it was to say that settings don't feel like they make a big difference... which ofcourse would cause uproar especially when every other GR Yaris video features them quite prominently and how much of a difference they make...
@@twoeyedbob Sport certainly makes it feel more rear bias, but it's still not going to get it skidding around on the road unless it's wet and you're being a tit.
I had the ST200 with some good tires on it and now I have the GR Yaris Circuit Pack. They are really not comparable. The Fiesta is fun in the way that it feels faster than it is and the lift off oversteer is great. The Yaris is as playful. You just need to go 30% faster. Unbelievable in the wet!
Fab - I'm so glad the Yaris exists: We need more petrol head obsessed car CEO's to produce crazy things for us to enjoy. But as a Fiesta ST fanboy (I adore my 2016 model) - I whooped for joy when I saw Prossers big grin 2 seconds into the ST part of the video. How can a Fiesta be this much fun!
I had a 2015 Mini JCW which was rapid and good on back roads but traded for a new ST with the Performance pack and I can tell you that despite losing 30hp in the process the Fiesta kicks its ass on a back road for handling and fun !!
Have you actually messed with the GR Yaris' drive modes? You can set the power distribution to 50-50 or 60-40 or even 70-30 afaik. I think you kinda missed the chance to really have "fun" with the GR Yaris.
You guys (not specifically you) over there kinda did it to yourselves 😂 Keep buying big unnecessary trucks and crossovers instead of hatchbacks, which is why I believe Ford stopped selling their Focus and Fiesta in North America and some other places.
The GR Yaris manufacturing plant at Motomachi Japan is already struggling to meet the demand and back orders in its existing European and Austral Asia markets, without having to introduce it into a huge new market like the US and Canada. I recently ordered one and am not expected to take delivery until November 2021. Perhaps Toyota should copy what Chevrolet are doing with the C8 Corvette and introduce a double shift in the production plant in order to build more of them faster.
When exactly did we move away from an Evo or WRX type plantedness to the road as a benchmark of true handling to this obsession the auto journalists have of defining a car as having 'good handling' if the back wheels can easily lose traction and slide the rear end out. Apart from people on car shows, no regular person in real life is seriously looking for that quality from a car. The more wheels firmly planted to the road the better in my book.
honestly grip is only fun on track. Unless if you live next to a race track a playful car is more enjoyable more of the time. Or if you drive like hell, but it's not all that wise or safe.
That's the difference between a drivers car and a mere performance car. If a car is over rubbered, glued to the road and you can't really play with its balance on the edge of grip its only ever good if you are not really a driving enthusiast who loves to explore a cars chassis.. or just have average car control.
You could've learned a lot more if they actually mentioned driving modes, which literally gives you like three different Yaris which handled completely differently, including Sport Mode which lets you slide out big time, he simply never used it, keeping it in Race Mode which is 50:50 balanced rather than the 30:70 rear bias
A time has come after 2 or 3 decades that Toyota has made a more "fun" and track oriented car than ford or any other brand at the segment of Yaris. Great review btw
As a 50+ driver I could never bring myself to buy the Fiesta but I have a GRY arriving in a week or so. The GRY is such an iconic car and one that we are unlikely to see again and I suspect the fact it’s a true homologation special is the reason its so popular with enthusiasts of all ages.
@@MrFister84 I've driven a GRY and imo it was soulless. Faster car than a FST but as much fun...i doubt it. For me a true hot hatch will always be a lightweight FWD. The gry is a rally rep, different type of car..
It a fake awd, has a 4wd on demand Jtek like any haldex, is as dumb as a gen 1 haldex, there is no 30/70... IS ADVERTISING ...there is no center diff just 1% longer final drive at rear... coupling has to slip all the time...
Hot hatches are meant to be fun for not much money, so based on that I’d have the fiesta st, less money and apparently more fun. If I wanted a fast awd rally car I’d buy a Impreza wrx sti prodrive.
It's amazing that the perks of small cars like the Yaris caught on in the WRC, but people still think the Impreza is more a road rally car than any other xD
@@tracktimevideos5164 dude. This is not up for debate your Subaru is old and outdated technology the Yaris has a smaller footprint and lighter weight giving the same power it will obliterate the Subaru there was no question about this the HKS Yaris GR even at 400 hp has set a lab record for the fastest car in Japan Destroying the GTR in every Subaru that has been around it before with only 400 hp this is not for up for the Debate Toyota has out rally the Subaru. This Toyota has even made car of the year so please no one wants to hear about your outdated unreliable Subaru.
I've drove it (Circuit Pack) and I can say great review, I wish it was more playful too. I understand the cool aspect of a wrc car for the road, but a tuned Fiesta will do for me on the street. I just want the thrills without driving like a maniac on a pubblic road
All said. I have a Mountune Fiesta ST. Little piece of brilliance, much much cheaper than the Yaris. I also don't drive like a maniac, you have a track for that, but I do enjoy some lift-off oversteer and boy is it fun and so easy to do. I just need these ford performance coilovers to have the perfect b-road car.
I don't own either of them, but I did test drive Fiesta (2 years ago) and Yaris (last week of Nov). I am glad I am not the only one wishing the Yaris to be more playful... tbh I even passed my reservation of the car. Not sure if this was a good idea, lol. Anyway, what I was going to say: finally I have a professional expertise in form of this video to start discussion with all the Yaris fans, as I was really questioning myself.
To have any sort of "thrills" on the road would mean to drive contrary to what the law allows. A Fiesta St with its very base model chassis loves to understeer; try understeer in front of a police officer no matter what the speed and see what reaction you get.
@@Migezz Yeah we all know how those modes work. but seems he doesn't. So probably he is driving in normal (60/40 as you said). So if he had changed mode to 30/70, it would have big effect on the characteristics of the car. it will change kind of FWD to a RWD biosed car. This won't change anything else! but the whole character of the car!
@@bahmanhatami2573 yes it will make it rwd biased but it doesn't stiffen the suspension or the steering. It doesn't make the car more responsive. But like you said these options should have been mentioned
Some of these journalists are biased. So yu can't always go by what the say. Unfortunately/fortunately we have to try for ourselves whilst we take what they say with just a smidgen more than a pinch of salt.
@@bahmanhatami2573 He did not mentioned them but Dan is perfectly aware of the modes and he was hammering it in the most rear biased setting (sport). He was discussing them a few times on Drivenation before even driving the circuit pack car. You are correct that it the modes change the character of the car but it does not become a different car. It changes the behaviour at certain situations but in no way it completely transforms this thing a fwd hatch or a rwd drift car. Think of it more like an adjustment for appropriate traction for the conditions. Regardless, it will always stay and behave as a 4WD car.
Never really get the “car is fun because it’s going to step out on me” thinking. His job is driving cars fast. Most people who watch this would end up in a tree. The Yaris has more grip - seems like the realistic choice for driving faster without an insurance claim.
Collecting my ST Edition tomorrow, simply cannot wait. I adore the GR Yaris, but the fact of the matter is you cannot purchase the GR Yaris on an Hire Contract policy and only on PCP which for several reasons wasn't for me.
@@rickrickboom5423 the Blue one is called the Edition (only 300 in the UK), and the Orange is called the Performance Edition (600 in the UK). I have now collected my Edition.
Doesn't take away that maximum stability =/= fun. WRC cars are set up to be as stable as possible at high speeds, but this hurts their low speed agility. Actually something they fine tune from rally location to location, stability vs agility. And generally more agile cars are more "exciting" to drive.
I found the Yaris a disappointment and cancelled my order. Tremendous engine, but didn’t feel special unless you are hammering it and the seating height wasn’t good for me. 2019 Mk8 STs are half the price and where my money would go.
I think the question is , Which car can you still have fun making better tweaking the performance, brakes and chassis and which car is meant to be bought and taken to Cars and Coffees and shown off?
Thanks for posting an honest and balanced review and not jumping on the GR band wagon. I was left a bit cold after my test drive of the GR. I haven’t driven the Fiesta ST but have owned other lightweight FWD hot hatches (R53 Mini GP works). The GR Yaris just didn’t feel that exciting or engaging at normal (ish) road speeds. The fake engine noise was really irritating, seating position is far too high (I’m 185cm) and the pedal box didn’t work for me. It’s fantastic that Toyota followed through with the concept (although this was part of the homologation requirement). I won’t be buying a Fiesta ST either but I’ve cancelled my Yaris GR order and will be looking on the used market for something genuinely exciting that makes a proper noise.
@@relentlesspursuit6894 you either click with a car or you don’t. It will be interesting to see what happens to the used prices once the hype dies down. For reference Boxster/ Cayman production is 29,000 units (25,000 for the GR) and those cars aren’t going up in value (apart from maybe the 981 GTS/GT4 variants)
@@james25999 Boxster / Cayman are just Sports cars, nothing new and nothing that we wont see again - The GR is a unique car, something we wont see again. 1750 set for the UK perhaps more in time who knows. If you didn't like it then you were right to cancel, plenty of choice out there so hope you found something that ticked all the boxes 👌
A shame you drove the Convenience Pack in the dry and the other two in the wet? Also you don't mention or seemingly evaluate the 3 different driving modes the Yaris has? I drove my ST down to the Toyota dealership then jumped straight into the ConPak GR and was frankly blown away by the difference, especially in engine performance, braking and the ability of the suspension to put the power down while soaking up the really ugly bumps we have on most roads here in Australia. The GR Yaris also has a stiffer body (which was immediately obvious) better overall steering and is a better car to live with on a day to day basis. It also feels larger and more comfortable inside. Also has that excellent Heads Up Display and radar cruise. Regardless of what you think of the GR's looks, no one could deny it has more road presence than the ST with its massive grille, super wide stance with those flared arches, drooping rear roof line and those crazy big brakes. Also consider the "exotic" additions you get with the GR such as aluminium bonnet, hatch and doors, carbon roof, ball bearing turbo, double wishbone rear suspension with ball bearings etc etc. And don't forget you are getting a rally sorted AWD system as well as an extra 53kW and 80Nm. Then factor in the Toyota reliability, lower fixed servicing prices and after sales service and you have, IMHO enough reasons to spend the extra on the GR. I did.
@@twoeyedbob Also the Fiesta ST Performance Edition has the coil overs, still you can get an ST3 with the Limited slip diff and decent standard suspension. Adjustable suspension is really only useful if your on track a lot and know what your doing to get it setup, so for most people it's a "nice to have" but won't affect them unless it goes wrong from wear and tear, which they'll have x4 times the price to fix it. Even so most track people would replace suspension to their own preference of brand or whatever fits and functions best. Not bashing the Yaris as its an outstanding car for what they've created, it dually deserves its respect.
Most automotive journalist have a certain amount of bias, personally I see no competition between these two cars as one is just too good. Owned my ST for three years and test drove the Yaris it's night and day difference, the yaris is better in every respect and even feels special from the get go.
Watching the video, personally, seeing the fiesta twitch itself down the road and into the bends would get annoying after a while. Full send down a proper road and that yaris is the car to have, planted, 100% predictable, maximum traction. 'playful' is all good untill it goes to far or when your don't expect it, by the time you'd gathered half of those slides up in the vidwo the yaris would be several car lengths down the road already.
Great video and the Fiesta looks a good car, even though I've got a GR Yaris arriving next year. I'm also on board with what was said about the GR Yaris models, that's why I'm not wasting money getting the Circuit Pack.
Thanks for the Video....looking forward to upgrade my ST180 to the GR Yaris...In my opinion, you don't get more fun for less money than the Fiesta ST can give to you
Controversial! I suspect many will dismiss your real world conclusion just because it’s a Fiesta but as an ST owner, I’ll remain smug when I remember that I’m probably having the same amount of fun and I’ve still got £10k in the bank!
@@relentlesspursuit6894 You’re missing the point - I might arrive after the Yaris but I’ll still be smiling... ‘Special’ cars aren’t necessarily the fastest over the ground.
@@colingreen2320 I think you are missing the point - not only is the GR faster it is also very unique. The Fiesta is just a Fiesta with some sporty bits added to it, the GR is a ground up bespoke product, thus making it "special" and far more special than a Fiesta
@@relentlesspursuit6894 ua-cam.com/video/1ueqrR0LKSg/v-deo.html&ab_channel=JDMMasters try watching soem other videos that say the same, that the gr doesn't have the exciting on the limit handling that one would expect. Its more like an audi tt. Lets get real ,don't believe the hype about the story of the GR.. The yaris may have some bespoke engineering (and the accompanying weight and width) but its no lancer evo in terms of on the limit 4wd handling. It's set up for boring understeer, it may as well be an audi tdi. No ability for the driver to alter the yaw, so whats the point in driving it quickly apart from simply to go fast. It's bespoke sure that doesn't matter if the set up makes it more boring, it doesn't oversteer as much as this well set up lighter fwd car. You don't need a special layout or unique engineering to make a good handling car, it just has to be quite light and have equal levels of grip front and rear with the driver having the ability to tune the balance front and rear with steering throttle and break. you just need to tune it accordingly and Toyota didn't tune it properly. Not matter what you do with the steering brake or throttle with Yaris it will never rotate as willingly as this fwd car, plus it isn't as sensitive to those inputs. There are tonnes of cars with bespoke engineering, wider track, funny diffs etc when what ultimately matters is having proper dampers, decent steering and the ability to manipulate the yaw accurately in the corners with not just the steering, this is "special" and surprisingly rare in the car world. Only genuine enthusiasts understand this, like the guy in the video. I think too many get caught up in the idea of this car rather than the reality of the final execution.
@@relentlesspursuit6894 I've driven a 300bhp mk7 fiesta st and it was an absolute rocket, you can buy a tune a fiesta for the fraction of the price and its unbelievable fun . Not everybody cares about exclusivity and looks people just want to have fun driving.
If you want the Yaris to be more "playful" because sliding around in a hatch is your idea of fun its a pretty easy fix, just chuck some really cheap and crap tyres on there and you'll be sliding around in no time like the Fiesta.
I think you are in track mode with that yaris. If you want more fun put it in to sports mode and make it 70/30 rear wheel bias rather than 50/50 power split.
ST a super little car and great fun to drive but to be honest it's still a fiesta. The GR is a relatively low volume hand built full Japanese Homologation that's got serious engineering going on with HUGE potential for much more. I have to wait ten months for mine and I wasn't even looking for a hot hatch but when a little car can flow through B roads like it does I had to have it. This is a car that we probably won't ever see again unfortunately; I care for the earth as it's our home but will definitely miss these combustion cars with character.
As the Yaris was initially designed for the Rally circuit the 4wd and super grip would be needed. Are the Subarus Evos Celica Gt4s playfull...these cars are built to stick to the road. So really depends what you’re preference is.
The yaris gr is a real hot hatch car, even if the Interieur isn't perfect, but the effort in the development that creates such a good car should be honored.That makes it outstanding in compareisson to other manufactures. Great review, without stupid music, I like that!!👍
The Fiesta is good as a "hot hatch" but the Yaris is definitely in another league. The Fiesta is good if you're coming from a base level car into a sports vehicle but is terrible if dropping down from faster machinery whereas the yaris can be enjoyed by all.
Lol, that's why lots of race car/rally drivers own and love fiestas? Stop being a hater. Raw, nut busting horsepower isnt always the top priority for everybody.
@@noremac0575 Jeremy Clarkson, Matt Farah, and Jonny Lieberman all owned fiesta ST’s. ““I spend most of my life whizzing hither and thither in exotica made from platinum and rhodium and fitted with engines that roar and bellow and spit fire. And all I want on the way home is a Ford Fiesta ST” -Jeremy Clarkson
I have just been informed ( July 20th 2021) by my local Toyota dealer that there are NO MORE ORDERS FOR 2021 - 2022 so if l decide to order one it’s going to be 2023 !!! Haven’t test driven one yet (£1,000 returnable deposit) but when they get their crashed demonstrator back lm in line - it will have to blow me away for me to wait 1.5 YEARS MINIMUM 😢
I came from a more powerful Mini JCW to the new ST with performance pack, it’s a better handling car than the mini and you can use the power to its full potential on a B road! It’s sensational to drive !!
I would totally have considered the Yaris if it was available in North America but, the Fiesta ST is way more than enough fun for me to drive. I wish I had your roads though!
On dry, paved, roads, the FiST is utterly brilliant fun. On wet roads as well, I suppose, for those conditioned to not simply become bummed and depressed when the weather sucks. Even on faster roads, FiST manages the magic of feeling playful and a bit loose, without feeling lairy and unsettled the way a hopped up Fiat does. Endless, straight, undulating Nevada backroads can be driven with the throttle pinned for minutes on end, and is more fun, while remaining "safe," and controlled, in the FiST, than in pretty much any bigger car. Get on gravel roads, though, and there's just not enough of neither travel, physical room for the tires to move, nor ability of the suspension to resist heat buildup. You really feel like you are destroying he car, attempting to maintain almost any sort of pace on anything but the very smoothest of gravel. Add snow, and the FiST is probably one of the worst cars on offer anywhere. On snow tires, traction is fine, but there is NO space between wheels and fenders, even with the smallest snow wheels/tires which will wrap the brakes. Spend some time in the cold, and the heat of driving will melt snow under the fenders, where it will then, unless you park every night in a heated garage, later freeze. Then, any little bump will bang up and dent inside fenders. Badly. To the point of destroying the car (Or at least $4K worth of it after one snowy trip, per my repair tab..). Although I haven't driven the GRY on snow or dirt, I can't help but assume its awd rally roots, design-and-test involvement by people from the land the Ice Age never left Finland, visibly better tire clearance and underhood space for taller aftermarket suspension, will make it more suitable for off pavement and winter use. Even for just basic transportation excursions which most FWD hatches can handle perfectly fine if on snow tires, like a few weeks of chasing powder in Canada or in the Alps. Heck, the GRY may even make the normally boring transport days on such outings playful fun, as opposed to something to suffer through in a more "suitable" vehicle like a Rav4.
I suspect that fun isn't as fast as planted, and the GRY was designed to be fast rather than fun, Archie Hamilton has a video up of his mate driving his GRY at a Brands Hatch track day in slippery conditions and they are chewing through everything, it isn't for everyone but I wonder if 25,000 will be enough to fill demand.
Engage "Sport Mode"mF-30% : 70%-R drive will let the rear slide out plenty, Racing Mode only gives you 50:50 balanced grip drive., then there's the regular mode IIRC is like 60% to the front wheels and only 40% to the rear. Simply use Sport mode of you want to Hoon around rather than be either fast or save fuel respectively..
Felt a sinking feeling during the opening sentences on the Fiesta ST, glad to see it stood its own against the Yaris. All I can say is make sure you don't pay the RRP on it, the ST-3 PP can be found for £20-21k brand new off the factory
@@stevenmcgeorge1983 But... how many times are you gonna visit the track? If you only seek laptimes get a cupra or a type R. For thrills the fiesta ST is the best out there, the yaris on snowy roads or damp circuits must be so fun to drive too.
Fantastic review... fun is what it all comes down to for me. So I'd have the Fiesta too. That said, I still want a GR4 in white with the Castrol livery :)
Dan's reviews are fantastic and are exactly what enthusiasts want to know about these cars. As for this pair, a couple of years ago I was tempted by the Fiesta to replace my current Audi S1, but I'm now waiting the Hyundai i20N
I think it's less about the bias but more of the torsen diff not sending as much torque to outside to induce rotation as effect as GKN's twinster in Focus RS or Evo's AYC
But very possibly not at a price Audi would need to sell it for, to make a business case for it... No idea how Toyota does it, nor if there's some clever cost shifting involved in the accounting, but they do claim they make money on the GRY, despite its low volume, bespokeness and labor intensiveness. If that really is the case, IOW if Toyota's processes really are that tight, efficient and well honed by now; I bet that is something which scares competing OEMs more, than any prospect they may lose some comparison test among niche, corner case cars like this. Assuming this really is a profitable car, not just a limited production "halo" justified as a "brand builder," this GRY may be a bit like the original Prius: Toyota flexing its relentless process focus, to profitably be able to build and sell a vehicle which really ought not to be profitably buildable given current constraints.
Rally cars are not meant to be playful isn’t that what the Toyota Yaris GR is? A rally special car made to work on the road. Not a fiesta designed to only work on the road?
I don't see the comparison Toyota have spent God knows how much to make an all weather pocket rocket,and yet you wish it moved around more☹️ Send the fiestas power through a 4WD system,and I bet you would complain it was slow.
I love that he’s saying that Yaris should feel more like a rwd car, but hasn’t discovered that yaris can shift it’s power to the back if the driver changes the driving mode. 😂
I test drove this car briefly, and the hype is real, this is a really fun car (which is very hard to find in this time of the believe it or not) that also has proper performance credentials. We are very lucky something like this has come along, can only mean the competition will have to step up their game and hopefully a new era of hot hatches.
For most people on public roads the convenience pack makes more sense, sat nav reverse camera better sound system hud, unless you regularly drive on circuits or are going to drive like an idiot on public roads.
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Did you try the Yaris in Sport mode on that road?
The fact that the circuit pack is £4,000 more than the standard car but the wheels alone are £1,600 each makes it great value for money.
@Paul Blackman But that's not fair because if you put it that way, £30,000 isn't great for a Civic, Focus, Megane or i30 either...
@Paul Blackman No one in the history of a car has missed a point more than you.
Although that would be true for quite a lot of cars today, crossovers and SUVs mostly.
It has to be said: this is NOT a Yaris. Since you are a marketing expert, I'm sure you would know exactly why. It shares almost no parts with the standart car. Most similarities are in the interior. Everything else, the WHOLE body, the suspension, the engine, all of this is completely unique to the GR. If you would actually take time to learn something instead of shouting in the comments, you would quickly learn how expensive that is to do and how it is even doable so cheaply. Manufacturer does lose money on selling cars like that. That is why even ordinary of the line hot hatches with some small changes (TrophyR, TCR GTI) rocket in price.
@Paul Blackman The point people are trying to drive home here is that the GRMN yaris is actually NOT a hot hatch, at least not in the classic sense. This is a homologation special. Account for inflation, this is good homologation value. What sets a homologation special apart from a classic hot hatch? Semi-bespoke chassis, bespoke monocoque, actual track ready brakes, race spec engine block (HKS is pushing 470 hp out of it ALREADY, from 1.6L, and the stock block can take it!) and a proper AWD system. Where a hot hatch starts from a mundane city or family car as base, this base is 50+% fresh performance engineering. That essentially is what you're paying for.
@Paul Blackman I'm not trying to be rude, but look, I will repeat this again, you do not get the point. It's okay, this is not your car, you don't have to buy it.
Timed tests and they are absolutely meaningless. Such a small difference you would not feel and, with all due respect for Steve, it's within the drivers error margin.
I hate timing on the tracks. In the real world, it means nothing because the driving style differs too much and tests like that push the manufacturers to make ridiculously overly grippy cars with too much power that have no feel.
@@kristisrb Spot on.
Professional car revieewers: like it more playful
Mass majority of drivers on the road: the rear steps out suddenly resulting a massive crash and burn
Precisely what I was thinking when I heard that line.
Most car reviewers talk aload bollocks. They just repeat what one another says and don't say how the car feels and drives like from their own point of view. They drive them on closed, which the general public can never do. NEVER buy a car based on a "professional" car review. Test it for yourself.
@@jimmyjt16 but i bet if they say what you think then be correct but not if you don't
Truth
I swear Toyota can't win.
This is by far the best review of the GR Yaris I’ve seen! Brilliant little car. I own a MK8 fiesta ST and have spent about £450 on an induction kit and a Revo stage 1 remap. The car has gone from 197bhp 290 nm torque to now producing 249bhp and 361nm torque! This has definitely delt with the problem you brought up in the video! Subscribed
I’m sure that if you put the GR in the sports setting with 70/30 rear You would have just as much fun or even more then the Ford!
Definitely more!
You kinda miss the point though.
@@marccastle8249 I've seen that car going around corners sideways. I guess it's the driver.
I'm sorry, but if you think the only thing fun about cars is powerslides, then you haven't truly experienced them.
70:30 rear?
Why?
This guy has stepped up since his first Evo Magazine review. Way better. I watched it it the end. Great review and well done.
I've driven both cars extensively and the review mirrors my own experience. The GR Yaris has tremendous grip but the chassis leans towards stability and safety. You can make it do crazy things on a track but that's not its natural attitude on the roads - regardless of the driving modes. The Fiesta slides around you, can do 3 wheeled hops in tight corners like an old Evo, and is more responsive and adjustable at road legal speeds, making it more fun and entertaining.
Road legal sounds like a pretty boring way to live life - the GR wipes the floor with the Suped up Fiesta
@@relentlesspursuit6894 If you want to keep your license and still drive on the road.
I'd rather the Yaris any day, sliding around in a fwd car is no where near as fun as drifting a rwd car.
@@albertt7784 it's not rwd, buy a gt86 and it's the most fun of all
Sure its more “fun” if youre the only one on the road
Had to re post this comment from my main channel, "Joe Achilles" comments have been made invisible for some reason;
Another brilliant video Dan and Co 👌🏼Personally love the Yaris, but this makes a VERY good case for the Fiesta, especially when you can pick up a 12 month old delivery millage ST for half the money of a base GR.... Happy New Year and look forward to more content in 2021!
Yep I got a 2019 ST2 with performance pack for 16.5k months old and 8,000 miles and it’s awesome fun as well as economical. 200bhp is enough power to have fun on British roads anyway 👊
The rear view mirror on the GR Yaris is double hinged and can adjust out of your eyeline if it's in the way.
Wow! I really should have read the owners manual hey.
I hate when they don't mention that they direct customers away from the car not giving it its fair share
@@JamesDyer90 are you enjoying the car?
Yup, if that's not enough for you, there are already a couple of adaptors on the market to shift it even more.
If you like the yaris people give it a thumbs-up 👍
No real comparison between these two car's the Toyota is in a different league Engineering Wise, bit of a missed opportunity this this review.
Because he subjectively preferred a different car? The Yaris is a good car, great when you consider we haven't had a decent light 4WD turbo since the early 2000s. However, on the road it is too planted, too precise, too stable...yes those are all subjective opinions commonly uttered by many who comment of its driving feel. The Yaris is a great car that exceeds the challenge of the road and needs a closed and a controlled area (circut) to truly enjoy its potential and be playful (fun). This is why the reviewer is saying for him, the fiesta is better as it doesn't need a circuit to do that.
Doubt the fiesta is better. Who here really likes a loose rear-end on real roads? I have a fiesta ST. And i have ordered a GR Yaris now. Reason: i drive like a mad man on the road. I want a car that works wt me.. not using trick electronics to make it spin around its pivot. It doesnt allow me to drive it at 99.9% of the limit. Wt the ST in real roads i go 85% cause i cant tell wat the rearend is up to. When i may need to suddenly steer opposite to counter a break at the rear. With pavements, bikers, cyclist, trucka and cars in close proximity,.. ST is not the final say in perfection that a well balance car gives.
@@hoomee7605 If you drive like a mad man on the road you want to take a look at yourself ! Regardless of your love for cars !
@@hoomee7605 Well I'm the complete opposite, I love a very adjustable car with a playful rear end on the limit.. A real drivers car.. for me that is so much more enjoyable than something that is glued to the road.
@@hoomee7605 "Who here really likes a loose rear-end on real roads?"
Anyone who drives fast on dry roads which may unexpectedly turn out to be wet, leafy and otherwise slippery past a blind apex....... Last thing you want then, is an excessively planted rear pushing your suddenly low/no traction front clear off the road, with nothing you can do about it........
Not saying anyone should drive like that on unknown roads, but street racing under such conditions is part of what the sport of drifting emerged from.
Great review. Nice to see someone review these cars who is a keen driver and knows what they are talking about. Also great to see a review on the road in real world situations, rather than on a track.
What a fantastic review. This is exactly how these cars will be used. No silly launch control and willy waving. Captured the detail and feeling of both cars. Well executed 👍
Chris Martin has a real knack for car reviews!
surprised at the lack of driving mode talk and going through the different modes
All this talk of not enough rear bias and not a single mention of the button that does exactly that 🤷♂️
Very odd
Agreed. Same thought went through my mind also. Seems an odd omission, even if it was to say that settings don't feel like they make a big difference... which ofcourse would cause uproar especially when every other GR Yaris video features them quite prominently and how much of a difference they make...
@@twoeyedbob Sport certainly makes it feel more rear bias, but it's still not going to get it skidding around on the road unless it's wet and you're being a tit.
I had the ST200 with some good tires on it and now I have the GR Yaris Circuit Pack. They are really not comparable. The Fiesta is fun in the way that it feels faster than it is and the lift off oversteer is great. The Yaris is as playful. You just need to go 30% faster. Unbelievable in the wet!
But they’re not comparable one is more expensive much more powerful four-wheel-drive and cost a Fortune to ensure
Fab - I'm so glad the Yaris exists: We need more petrol head obsessed car CEO's to produce crazy things for us to enjoy.
But as a Fiesta ST fanboy (I adore my 2016 model) - I whooped for joy when I saw Prossers big grin 2 seconds into the ST part of the video. How can a Fiesta be this much fun!
@Paul Blackman If I had a million quid - I would resto mod a Lotus Elan with tiny tyres!
Great review but why not change the drive mode on the Yaris to get it a bit more playful?
I had a 2015 Mini JCW which was rapid and good on back roads but traded for a new ST with the Performance pack and I can tell you that despite losing 30hp in the process the Fiesta kicks its ass on a back road for handling and fun !!
Had an ST3 for over a year now, Love it. One of the most fun cars I've driven.
Have you actually messed with the GR Yaris' drive modes? You can set the power distribution to 50-50 or 60-40 or even 70-30 afaik. I think you kinda missed the chance to really have "fun" with the GR Yaris.
Toyota if you’re reading this or my multiple emails please bring this car to Canada
And the states. Please.
We don't want a bigger, heavier watered down Corolla.
and the U.S. as well!
Canada hey?
You guys (not specifically you) over there kinda did it to yourselves 😂
Keep buying big unnecessary trucks and crossovers instead of hatchbacks, which is why I believe Ford stopped selling their Focus and Fiesta in North America and some other places.
The GR Yaris manufacturing plant at Motomachi Japan is already struggling to meet the demand and back orders in its existing European and Austral Asia markets, without having to introduce it into a huge new market like the US and Canada. I recently ordered one and am not expected to take delivery until November 2021. Perhaps Toyota should copy what Chevrolet are doing with the C8 Corvette and introduce a double shift in the production plant in order to build more of them faster.
When exactly did we move away from an Evo or WRX type plantedness to the road as a benchmark of true handling to this obsession the auto journalists have of defining a car as having 'good handling' if the back wheels can easily lose traction and slide the rear end out. Apart from people on car shows, no regular person in real life is seriously looking for that quality from a car. The more wheels firmly planted to the road the better in my book.
Totally agree. If you are going to drive a car like a madman on normal roads,.. the ST isnt the best choice.
The WRX type of plantedness is also what led to the inherent understeer. The early Evo’s rotated quite a bit so I’m not sure what your referring to.
Dude with the playfulness, it is a car derived from rally series! If it is pinned to the road it is freakin' perfection
Focus RS was also pinned to the road, but most people who have driven both say that the Mk7 Fiesta ST was more fun to drive...
honestly grip is only fun on track. Unless if you live next to a race track a playful car is more enjoyable more of the time.
Or if you drive like hell, but it's not all that wise or safe.
That's the difference between a drivers car and a mere performance car.
If a car is over rubbered, glued to the road and you can't really play with its balance on the edge of grip its only ever good if you are not really a driving enthusiast who loves to explore a cars chassis.. or just have average car control.
Great video, Dan. Learned more from this than any of the other GR Yaris reviews on UA-cam.
You could've learned a lot more if they actually mentioned driving modes, which literally gives you like three different Yaris which handled completely differently, including Sport Mode which lets you slide out big time, he simply never used it, keeping it in Race Mode which is 50:50 balanced rather than the 30:70 rear bias
A time has come after 2 or 3 decades that Toyota has made a more "fun" and track oriented car than ford or any other brand at the segment of Yaris.
Great review btw
As a 50+ driver I could never bring myself to buy the Fiesta but I have a GRY arriving in a week or so. The GRY is such an iconic car and one that we are unlikely to see again and I suspect the fact it’s a true homologation special is the reason its so popular with enthusiasts of all ages.
I'm a 50+ driver and just willingly chose to buy a Fiesta ST, does that put me into some sort of category?
@@billybob1773 Yes... slower.
@@MrFister84 Good answer! but I think you missed my point.
@@MrFister84 I've driven a GRY and imo it was soulless. Faster car than a FST but as much fun...i doubt it. For me a true hot hatch will always be a lightweight FWD. The gry is a rally rep, different type of car..
@@MrFister84 no, into the "more fun more of the time category"
If he wanted the back to come out put it in a different mode 30 :70 split mode if he wants rear to move.
It's not all that playful in 30:70
Yes but that wouldn't help our economy, remember the yaris is built in Japan so take the video with a pinch of salt
It a fake awd, has a 4wd on demand Jtek like any haldex, is as dumb as a gen 1 haldex, there is no 30/70... IS ADVERTISING ...there is no center diff just 1% longer final drive at rear... coupling has to slip all the time...
@@claudiumxg1 oh dear
@@claudiumxg1 durrrrr
trying to convince me that a 27k fiesta is good value is mental car prices have got ridiculous now
Hot hatches are meant to be fun for not much money, so based on that I’d have the fiesta st, less money and apparently more fun. If I wanted a fast awd rally car I’d buy a Impreza wrx sti prodrive.
It's amazing that the perks of small cars like the Yaris caught on in the WRC, but people still think the Impreza is more a road rally car than any other xD
When aftermarket tunes this Yaris it will obliterate any Subaru because of its size and powertrain
@@Toyota4Life How much more can a 3cyl handle reliably,not much more I suspect.
@@andyhunt457 it’s Toyota so I trust it. I don’t trust the Overrated unreliable Subaru
@@tracktimevideos5164 dude. This is not up for debate your Subaru is old and outdated technology the Yaris has a smaller footprint and lighter weight giving the same power it will obliterate the Subaru there was no question about this the HKS Yaris GR even at 400 hp has set a lab record for the fastest car in Japan Destroying the GTR in every Subaru that has been around it before with only 400 hp this is not for up for the Debate Toyota has out rally the Subaru. This Toyota has even made car of the year so please no one wants to hear about your outdated unreliable Subaru.
MK8 vs MK2 mm refined fiesta vs new entry and high class engineering. It’s a hard one, but my MK7 ST is a love weapon 😂
I'm in the US, and this video makes me cry. :( 2 awesome cars we can't have!
True, but they would be wasted on 99% of the roads.
we did have the FiST but its discontinued
@@mountjoy23 Incorrect.
@@thepassionofthegoose5472 you’re probably right, it’s more like 99.5%
@@mountjoy23 How would the fiesta, a car that feels fast going 60 km, be wasted on most roads?
I've drove it (Circuit Pack) and I can say great review, I wish it was more playful too.
I understand the cool aspect of a wrc car for the road, but a tuned Fiesta will do for me on the street.
I just want the thrills without driving like a maniac on a pubblic road
All said. I have a Mountune Fiesta ST. Little piece of brilliance, much much cheaper than the Yaris. I also don't drive like a maniac, you have a track for that, but I do enjoy some lift-off oversteer and boy is it fun and so easy to do. I just need these ford performance coilovers to have the perfect b-road car.
I don't own either of them, but I did test drive Fiesta (2 years ago) and Yaris (last week of Nov). I am glad I am not the only one wishing the Yaris to be more playful... tbh I even passed my reservation of the car. Not sure if this was a good idea, lol. Anyway, what I was going to say: finally I have a professional expertise in form of this video to start discussion with all the Yaris fans, as I was really questioning myself.
To have any sort of "thrills" on the road would mean to drive contrary to what the law allows. A Fiesta St with its very base model chassis loves to understeer; try understeer in front of a police officer no matter what the speed and see what reaction you get.
@@masrali4696 the explanation is in the video above
@@masrali4696 Do you own one? In 4 years I've never had a ticket and I have lots of fun, never drive like an idiot.
You didn't even mentioned "Modes" on the Yaris!!!
Seriously? did you ever knew about existing of them? I am really disappointed 😥
They are just modes for the 4wd. Sport(30/70), normal(60/40) and track50/50). Doesn't affect anything else.
@@Migezz Yeah we all know how those modes work. but seems he doesn't. So probably he is driving in normal (60/40 as you said). So if he had changed mode to 30/70, it would have big effect on the characteristics of the car. it will change kind of FWD to a RWD biosed car.
This won't change anything else! but the whole character of the car!
@@bahmanhatami2573 yes it will make it rwd biased but it doesn't stiffen the suspension or the steering. It doesn't make the car more responsive. But like you said these options should have been mentioned
Some of these journalists are biased. So yu can't always go by what the say. Unfortunately/fortunately we have to try for ourselves whilst we take what they say with just a smidgen more than a pinch of salt.
@@bahmanhatami2573 He did not mentioned them but Dan is perfectly aware of the modes and he was hammering it in the most rear biased setting (sport). He was discussing them a few times on Drivenation before even driving the circuit pack car.
You are correct that it the modes change the character of the car but it does not become a different car. It changes the behaviour at certain situations but in no way it completely transforms this thing a fwd hatch or a rwd drift car. Think of it more like an adjustment for appropriate traction for the conditions. Regardless, it will always stay and behave as a 4WD car.
Never really get the “car is fun because it’s going to step out on me” thinking. His job is driving cars fast. Most people who watch this would end up in a tree. The Yaris has more grip - seems like the realistic choice for driving faster without an insurance claim.
Collecting my ST Edition tomorrow, simply cannot wait. I adore the GR Yaris, but the fact of the matter is you cannot purchase the GR Yaris on an Hire Contract policy and only on PCP which for several reasons wasn't for me.
The one in the video, or the orange one? Got a mk8 st at the moment. Would love to trade it in for an Edition
@@rickrickboom5423 the Blue one is called the Edition (only 300 in the UK), and the Orange is called the Performance Edition (600 in the UK). I have now collected my Edition.
@@palethorpe01 oh. Had no idea it was out. I've had Ford calling me this week, wanting me to trade in my car. Was hoping for an Edition.
You need to have another chat with Toyota. It might have changed of course, but I was offered HCP
The basic ST is just as good it shouldn’t really be put up against the GR, that shows you how good the ST really is they’re special little cars
Great video! I love everything about this new GR Yaris, a proper piece of kit for sure. That Fiesta looks great with a wheel cocked mid-corner too!
You can always go with the sport mode to give the back wheels more power and a bit more slide-y
The yaris is a brilliant little car
Ever thought that the Yaris was designed to give maximum grip, you know, a bit like a WRC car?
Doesn't take away that maximum stability =/= fun. WRC cars are set up to be as stable as possible at high speeds, but this hurts their low speed agility. Actually something they fine tune from rally location to location, stability vs agility. And generally more agile cars are more "exciting" to drive.
@@dragbag1616 well said
I found the Yaris a disappointment and cancelled my order. Tremendous engine, but didn’t feel special unless you are hammering it and the seating height wasn’t good for me. 2019 Mk8 STs are half the price and where my money would go.
Great choice. I own one myself. But might exchange it with the coming i20N, not sure yet.
It is for Asians people ☺️
Finally an objective review - well done Dan as I’m over the hype yet agree whilst its a great car the ST Fiesta is a great piece of kit for the £
I think the question is , Which car can you still have fun making better tweaking the performance, brakes and chassis and which car is meant to be bought and taken to Cars and Coffees and shown off?
Well, wasn't expecting that..Nice one Dan and PH. Great vid 👍🏻
I take yaris over st nearly every day of the week. Apart from shopping day.
You realize the fiesta is the underdog in this review.....Its not supposed to be the superior car. And he still had more fun in it.
do you have to have the stereo switched on to hear the exhaust sound?
You need to do another review of the Yaris using the other modes, then you'll get the "Playful feeling" that's needed to make a car better...
Thanks for posting an honest and balanced review and not jumping on the GR band wagon. I was left a bit cold after my test drive of the GR. I haven’t driven the Fiesta ST but have owned other lightweight FWD hot hatches (R53 Mini GP works). The GR Yaris just didn’t feel that exciting or engaging at normal (ish) road speeds. The fake engine noise was really irritating, seating position is far too high (I’m 185cm) and the pedal box didn’t work for me. It’s fantastic that Toyota followed through with the concept (although this was part of the homologation requirement). I won’t be buying a Fiesta ST either but I’ve cancelled my Yaris GR order and will be looking on the used market for something genuinely exciting that makes a proper noise.
Cancelled your GR order 🙈 hope you dont regret it
@@relentlesspursuit6894 you either click with a car or you don’t. It will be interesting to see what happens to the used prices once the hype dies down. For reference Boxster/ Cayman production is 29,000 units (25,000 for the GR) and those cars aren’t going up in value (apart from maybe the 981 GTS/GT4 variants)
@@james25999 Boxster / Cayman are just Sports cars, nothing new and nothing that we wont see again - The GR is a unique car, something we wont see again. 1750 set for the UK perhaps more in time who knows. If you didn't like it then you were right to cancel, plenty of choice out there so hope you found something that ticked all the boxes 👌
A shame you drove the Convenience Pack in the dry and the other two in the wet? Also you don't mention or seemingly evaluate the 3 different driving modes the Yaris has? I drove my ST down to the Toyota dealership then jumped straight into the ConPak GR and was frankly blown away by the difference, especially in engine performance, braking and the ability of the suspension to put the power down while soaking up the really ugly bumps we have on most roads here in Australia. The GR Yaris also has a stiffer body (which was immediately obvious) better overall steering and is a better car to live with on a day to day basis. It also feels larger and more comfortable inside. Also has that excellent Heads Up Display and radar cruise. Regardless of what you think of the GR's looks, no one could deny it has more road presence than the ST with its massive grille, super wide stance with those flared arches, drooping rear roof line and those crazy big brakes. Also consider the "exotic" additions you get with the GR such as aluminium bonnet, hatch and doors, carbon roof, ball bearing turbo, double wishbone rear suspension with ball bearings etc etc. And don't forget you are getting a rally sorted AWD system as well as an extra 53kW and 80Nm. Then factor in the Toyota reliability, lower fixed servicing prices and after sales service and you have, IMHO enough reasons to spend the extra on the GR. I did.
Spot on
Also the fact there was only 300 examples of the coil over fiesta st being made
So a car no one can buy 🤷♂️
@@twoeyedbob Also the Fiesta ST Performance Edition has the coil overs, still you can get an ST3 with the Limited slip diff and decent standard suspension. Adjustable suspension is really only useful if your on track a lot and know what your doing to get it setup, so for most people it's a "nice to have" but won't affect them unless it goes wrong from wear and tear, which they'll have x4 times the price to fix it. Even so most track people would replace suspension to their own preference of brand or whatever fits and functions best.
Not bashing the Yaris as its an outstanding car for what they've created, it dually deserves its respect.
Most automotive journalist have a certain amount of bias, personally I see no competition between these two cars as one is just too good. Owned my ST for three years and test drove the Yaris it's night and day difference, the yaris is better in every respect and even feels special from the get go.
A great Review. The Ford looks like fun, but it has to be the Toyota for me.
Watching the video, personally, seeing the fiesta twitch itself down the road and into the bends would get annoying after a while. Full send down a proper road and that yaris is the car to have, planted, 100% predictable, maximum traction. 'playful' is all good untill it goes to far or when your don't expect it, by the time you'd gathered half of those slides up in the vidwo the yaris would be several car lengths down the road already.
Exactly
Add the Mountune engine upgrade to the Fiesta and then test these two cars again.
It’s just a stock comparison though. When you tune a car. You changing the character of the car as intended when out the factory
You’re also invalidating a 3 year warranty and putting extra wear on the engine potentially! This ST has enough power in Stock to have a good time !
@@KING0SISQO I know this is a really old comment but the Yaris isn’t comparable to the ST anyway really is it?
For those wanting a GR Yaris if you pay your deposit today 27/2/21 you can expect delivery some time in May 2022 they are sold out that far ahead.
Great video and the Fiesta looks a good car, even though I've got a GR Yaris arriving next year. I'm also on board with what was said about the GR Yaris models, that's why I'm not wasting money getting the Circuit Pack.
Error, the circuit pack will be priced more.
All about that Talbot Sunbeam reference 👌🏻 a tune on that ST (it’s a hot Ford!) and you’d be laughing
Would you say the same for older STs or just this 'ultimate' model?
Thanks for the Video....looking forward to upgrade my ST180 to the GR Yaris...In my opinion, you don't get more fun for less money than the Fiesta ST can give to you
Things have come a long way since the xr2 and mr2 mk1...... but by the sound of it the funs still there 👍🏻
Controversial! I suspect many will dismiss your real world conclusion just because it’s a Fiesta but as an ST owner, I’ll remain smug when I remember that I’m probably having the same amount of fun and I’ve still got £10k in the bank!
But you will feel like a right wally when the GR leave's you behind never to be seen again, spend the extra 10k and get a special car
@@relentlesspursuit6894 You’re missing the point - I might arrive after the Yaris but I’ll still be smiling... ‘Special’ cars aren’t necessarily the fastest over the ground.
@@colingreen2320 I think you are missing the point - not only is the GR faster it is also very unique. The Fiesta is just a Fiesta with some sporty bits added to it, the GR is a ground up bespoke product, thus making it "special" and far more special than a Fiesta
@@relentlesspursuit6894 ua-cam.com/video/1ueqrR0LKSg/v-deo.html&ab_channel=JDMMasters try watching soem other videos that say the same, that the gr doesn't have the exciting on the limit handling that one would expect. Its more like an audi tt.
Lets get real ,don't believe the hype about the story of the GR.. The yaris may have some bespoke engineering (and the accompanying weight and width) but its no lancer evo in terms of on the limit 4wd handling. It's set up for boring understeer, it may as well be an audi tdi. No ability for the driver to alter the yaw, so whats the point in driving it quickly apart from simply to go fast.
It's bespoke sure that doesn't matter if the set up makes it more boring, it doesn't oversteer as much as this well set up lighter fwd car. You don't need a special layout or unique engineering to make a good handling car, it just has to be quite light and have equal levels of grip front and rear with the driver having the ability to tune the balance front and rear with steering throttle and break. you just need to tune it accordingly and Toyota didn't tune it properly. Not matter what you do with the steering brake or throttle with Yaris it will never rotate as willingly as this fwd car, plus it isn't as sensitive to those inputs.
There are tonnes of cars with bespoke engineering, wider track, funny diffs etc when what ultimately matters is having proper dampers, decent steering and the ability to manipulate the yaw accurately in the corners with not just the steering, this is "special" and surprisingly rare in the car world. Only genuine enthusiasts understand this, like the guy in the video. I think too many get caught up in the idea of this car rather than the reality of the final execution.
@@relentlesspursuit6894 I've driven a 300bhp mk7 fiesta st and it was an absolute rocket, you can buy a tune a fiesta for the fraction of the price and its unbelievable fun . Not everybody cares about exclusivity and looks people just want to have fun driving.
If you want the Yaris to be more "playful" because sliding around in a hatch is your idea of fun its a pretty easy fix, just chuck some really cheap and crap tyres on there and you'll be sliding around in no time like the Fiesta.
Your knowlege is pure like
shit pants.
@@christianpotaczaa2897 lol you sound like someone high on drugs as what you just wrote makes no sense.
Matt Watson was drifting one at
I think you are in track mode with that yaris. If you want more fun put it in to sports mode and make it 70/30 rear wheel bias rather than 50/50 power split.
ST a super little car and great fun to drive but to be honest it's still a fiesta. The GR is a relatively low volume hand built full Japanese Homologation that's got serious engineering going on with HUGE potential for much more. I have to wait ten months for mine and I wasn't even looking for a hot hatch but when a little car can flow through B roads like it does I had to have it. This is a car that we probably won't ever see again unfortunately; I care for the earth as it's our home but will definitely miss these combustion cars with character.
I would buy the GR over the st any time...lucky you :-)
Hes face says it all yars gr4 is great but fiesta st is fantastic i I like these honast reviews
As the Yaris was initially designed for the Rally circuit the 4wd and super grip would be needed. Are the Subarus Evos Celica Gt4s playfull...these cars are built to stick to the road. So really depends what you’re preference is.
@@tracktimevideos5164 it is a 3 cylinder engine lol so going sideways wasn’t really the preferred way of driving. The 4wd is switchable on the Yaris.
I'd like to see the Yaris against a 2005 WIDETRACK STI with the prodrive pack to see if there is a big difference.
Do you drive a 2005 Widetrack STI by any chance?
The yaris gr is a real hot hatch car, even if the Interieur isn't perfect, but the effort in the development that creates such a good car should be honored.That makes it outstanding in compareisson to other manufactures. Great review, without stupid music, I like that!!👍
The Fiesta is good as a "hot hatch" but the Yaris is definitely in another league. The Fiesta is good if you're coming from a base level car into a sports vehicle but is terrible if dropping down from faster machinery whereas the yaris can be enjoyed by all.
Nah, it's great regardless.
Lol, that's why lots of race car/rally drivers own and love fiestas? Stop being a hater. Raw, nut busting horsepower isnt always the top priority for everybody.
@@noremac0575 Jeremy Clarkson, Matt Farah, and Jonny Lieberman all owned fiesta ST’s.
““I spend most of my life whizzing hither and thither in exotica made from platinum and rhodium and fitted with engines that roar and bellow and spit fire. And all I want on the way home is a Ford Fiesta ST” -Jeremy Clarkson
We won't get the yarisGR in the US sadly.. How is the GR VS the outgoing Focus RS?
I have just been informed ( July 20th 2021) by my local Toyota dealer that there are NO MORE ORDERS FOR 2021 - 2022 so if l decide to order one it’s going to be 2023 !!! Haven’t test driven one yet (£1,000 returnable deposit) but when they get their crashed demonstrator back lm in line - it will have to blow me away for me to wait 1.5 YEARS MINIMUM 😢
Absolutely love the GR Yaris but since I can only afford the fiesta st, I'll have to go with that. Both of them are fantastic pieces of kit though.
You wont feel like it's a compromise, trust me.
Won't go wrong with the ST, it's a better road car than the GR , better looking, cheaper to buy, win win.
I came from a more powerful Mini JCW to the new ST with performance pack, it’s a better handling car than the mini and you can use the power to its full potential on a B road! It’s sensational to drive !!
Another Yaris GR road comparison test with the Focus RS, Type R and the 300HP Mini Clubman JCW would be much appreciated:)
I would totally have considered the Yaris if it was available in North America but, the Fiesta ST is way more than enough fun for me to drive. I wish I had your roads though!
Yaris GR is the best car on sale right now and probably ever be
No
@@philhill7973 yep
@@philhill7973 yep
Yep
so the upcoming t50 by Gordon Murray, v12 NA on 900kg will be worse ok
So why didn’t you put the Yaris in Sport Mode to make it 30:70 Front/rear balance to make it more fun and rotatey under power?
On dry, paved, roads, the FiST is utterly brilliant fun. On wet roads as well, I suppose, for those conditioned to not simply become bummed and depressed when the weather sucks. Even on faster roads, FiST manages the magic of feeling playful and a bit loose, without feeling lairy and unsettled the way a hopped up Fiat does. Endless, straight, undulating Nevada backroads can be driven with the throttle pinned for minutes on end, and is more fun, while remaining "safe," and controlled, in the FiST, than in pretty much any bigger car.
Get on gravel roads, though, and there's just not enough of neither travel, physical room for the tires to move, nor ability of the suspension to resist heat buildup. You really feel like you are destroying he car, attempting to maintain almost any sort of pace on anything but the very smoothest of gravel.
Add snow, and the FiST is probably one of the worst cars on offer anywhere. On snow tires, traction is fine, but there is NO space between wheels and fenders, even with the smallest snow wheels/tires which will wrap the brakes. Spend some time in the cold, and the heat of driving will melt snow under the fenders, where it will then, unless you park every night in a heated garage, later freeze. Then, any little bump will bang up and dent inside fenders. Badly. To the point of destroying the car (Or at least $4K worth of it after one snowy trip, per my repair tab..).
Although I haven't driven the GRY on snow or dirt, I can't help but assume its awd rally roots, design-and-test involvement by people from the land the Ice Age never left Finland, visibly better tire clearance and underhood space for taller aftermarket suspension, will make it more suitable for off pavement and winter use. Even for just basic transportation excursions which most FWD hatches can handle perfectly fine if on snow tires, like a few weeks of chasing powder in Canada or in the Alps. Heck, the GRY may even make the normally boring transport days on such outings playful fun, as opposed to something to suffer through in a more "suitable" vehicle like a Rav4.
I suspect that fun isn't as fast as planted, and the GRY was designed to be fast rather than fun, Archie Hamilton has a video up of his mate driving his GRY at a Brands Hatch track day in slippery conditions and they are chewing through everything, it isn't for everyone but I wonder if 25,000 will be enough to fill demand.
The answer is no, which is why Toyota are building more than 25,000 GR Yaris to meet the demand worldwide.
Engage "Sport Mode"mF-30% : 70%-R drive will let the rear slide out plenty,
Racing Mode only gives you 50:50 balanced grip drive., then there's the regular mode IIRC is like 60% to the front wheels and only 40% to the rear.
Simply use Sport mode of you want to Hoon around rather than be either fast or save fuel respectively..
Felt a sinking feeling during the opening sentences on the Fiesta ST, glad to see it stood its own against the Yaris. All I can say is make sure you don't pay the RRP on it, the ST-3 PP can be found for £20-21k brand new off the factory
Stood its own against the Yaris in what regard? The Yaris destroys it in every way possible.
@@stevenmcgeorge1983 he literally said the fiesta is more fun to drive so it stood its own, even being down on power
"It's more fun to drive" doesn't win drag races or help lap times.
@@stevenmcgeorge1983 But... how many times are you gonna visit the track? If you only seek laptimes get a cupra or a type R.
For thrills the fiesta ST is the best out there, the yaris on snowy roads or damp circuits must be so fun to drive too.
@@stevenmcgeorge1983 well, you're in the wrong club then if you care about lap times and straight line. these cars are not built or meant for that.
Fantastic review... fun is what it all comes down to for me. So I'd have the Fiesta too. That said, I still want a GR4 in white with the Castrol livery :)
Dan's reviews are fantastic and are exactly what enthusiasts want to know about these cars. As for this pair, a couple of years ago I was tempted by the Fiesta to replace my current Audi S1, but I'm now waiting the Hyundai i20N
Dont bother waiting for an I20n - the GR is as good as it gets
You do realise there is a button in the yaris for adjusting bias front/rear ?
🤷♂️
It makes almost no difference when driving at road speeds. The rear stays glued.
I think it's less about the bias but more of the torsen diff not sending as much torque to outside to induce rotation as effect as GKN's twinster in Focus RS or Evo's AYC
thank you Toyota for pushing other manufacturers to improve their products imagine RS1 from Audi, with 300-350 ps.. That would sell like hotcakes 👌⚡🚄
But very possibly not at a price Audi would need to sell it for, to make a business case for it...
No idea how Toyota does it, nor if there's some clever cost shifting involved in the accounting, but they do claim they make money on the GRY, despite its low volume, bespokeness and labor intensiveness. If that really is the case, IOW if Toyota's processes really are that tight, efficient and well honed by now; I bet that is something which scares competing OEMs more, than any prospect they may lose some comparison test among niche, corner case cars like this.
Assuming this really is a profitable car, not just a limited production "halo" justified as a "brand builder," this GRY may be a bit like the original Prius: Toyota flexing its relentless process focus, to profitably be able to build and sell a vehicle which really ought not to be profitably buildable given current constraints.
Just ordered mine looking at December for delivery 😲
Rally cars are not meant to be playful isn’t that what the Toyota Yaris GR is? A rally special car made to work on the road. Not a fiesta designed to only work on the road?
I think you need to consider depreciation costs also, there is no way on earth with the current rep the Yaris is getting that it will depreciate much.
It's a Toyota, and with that price difference and the fact that the GR is in a totally other league, the st seems way more expensive imho
Sorry I’ll stick with Yaris... I prefer my car not to step sideways!! The worlds gone mad
Agreed.
Yeah..and they don't break down too
Brilliant v Fun is the same as Apples and Oranges. Just say which you'd rather own! Surely the Yaris...
I don't see the comparison
Toyota have spent God knows how much to make an all weather pocket rocket,and yet you wish it moved around more☹️
Send the fiestas power through a 4WD system,and I bet you would complain it was slow.
What do you mean slide? This thing has sport mode and a handbrake which you didn't even use or mention. Very poor review.
I love that he’s saying that Yaris should feel more like a rwd car, but hasn’t discovered that yaris can shift it’s power to the back if the driver changes the driving mode. 😂
I test drove this car briefly, and the hype is real, this is a really fun car (which is very hard to find in this time of the believe it or not) that also has proper performance credentials. We are very lucky something like this has come along, can only mean the competition will have to step up their game and hopefully a new era of hot hatches.
which car are you talking about? Please specify next time.
@@Bryan-jj3if Toyota Lancruiser mate
Jesus, why can't we get the new fiesta ST in the US😑
@@tracktimevideos5164 Ahahahaha...This is true.
Solid review. Get your name on the videos Dan, you're doing great work.
For most people on public roads the convenience pack makes more sense, sat nav reverse camera better sound system hud, unless you regularly drive on circuits or are going to drive like an idiot on public roads.
Joe Achilles sent me to this video!
Haha thanks guys! I can reply with this account ;-)
1:16 The rear view mirror..Well its simple.. Just adjust the height of the rear view mirror by moving it up and down......
Keep the Ford, now throw me the keys to that Yaris GR-Four. 😍😍
For me the st feels way more expensive than the GR..GR is more value for money in the end - way more !
I'm in the US, but picked up a FiST for around $15k. It just can't be beat at that price.
I love my 16' FiST with a tune