Toyota Etios [2013-2014] User Reviews

HI everyone,

I traveled around 90 kms from my place to TOYOTA showroom to see the new ETIOS eagerly, I made a test drive too for about 2 Kms, Initially my plan is to have a test drive and book this ETIOS VX, I test drove the top end version VX model.THE Silver colour Etios looked stunning, The explanation is below.

Exterior On my first view When I entered the show room I could appreciate the look department, Quite amazing Stunning looks. Good Master piece from Toyota I thought. but still i didnt go near the car because the car was under test drive process for the customer who came before me.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) When i went near i was very much disappointed about the car. I opened the door and closed again .The sound of the car door does not seems good. I was very much disappointed hearing the noise..The door material is not very strong.this reduces the car weight which will help increase the fuel economy of the car.I had lot of questions inside me Is this a TOYOTA car? As my view toyota always produces a good quality car which fails here in Toyota ETIOS. Then the door handles are also not so good compared to other cars in this price range. Then next is music system.The four speakers are present on the front side and i didnt like that. The sound quality also didnt impress me.But yet you get a DVD Player installed in it. Plastics quite ok. Feels like can manage with that. Lightings in the pannel also doesnt impress me.In the same way for cost cutting they reduced two wipers in to one. I dont know how it is going to be Effective Same way I didnt even like the cable operated head light adjuster which is very down market.

The AC vent is excellent.good throw.I enjoyed that...clapps to toyota ETIOS for the good throw of A/C vents which directly hit the back seaters. NOW to the back seats. Two People can sit on the(FLOOR) leg room space and have lunch. That much Leg room Space then ETIOS have.BUT lacks Lateral support.You will feel uncomfortable if you want to go for a long journey. Next is coming to the door it lacks rubber insulation on the door sides. This makes the door vibrate when i operated the power windows(Back Door)But didnt try in other doors. It made me unhappy at one point of time. BOOT space is the best ever compared to all cars. Two people can sleep inside. Enormous space (595 ltrs).

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Good stunning responsive engine.Pick up is awesome even at third gear....Inside the city traffic it is the rock star.Because it will make the driver quite easy to drive.Braking no doubt. very good....Toyota People say you will get a fuel economy around 16 per litre.Lets hope for the best. Next is gear shift. Gear shift is good.But the knock from the gear was not very much impressing me.But still good.

 

Ride Quality & Handling Coming to the handling departments its the best. Good responsive steering. Sporty shaped and good looking. BUT the turning radius is more.But it is satisfactory. Road visibility is the best in class.Till now I didnt see any vehicle having this much road presence. I have drove several cars with in price range of 25 lakhs in which i was not able to have a road presence like this ETIOS. Good work by the Toyota people in ride quality and Handling department.

 

Final Words Overall the car is ok but it is not up to standard of TYOTAS BRAND VALUE......openly saying i did not book the Etios. Overall you need to take the decision based on the usage of the car.If you are frequently user think twice before you buy. If you use only occasionally ETIOS will satisfy your needs.Good city car..But i was quite disappointed and came out without booking..Just have a look with TATA INDIDGO MANZA and MARUTI SWIFT DZIRE before you book..IF you can spend another 50000 rs have a look with vw vento trendline which is worth for money...The choice is YOURS.

 

Areas of improvement INSULATION PART SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF.ABLE TO HEAR THE ROAD NOISE.IMPROVEMENT IN DISTANCE BETWEEN THE WHEEL AND THE BODY(A LONG GAP IS SEEN).Please do improvement in door latch areas.

 

looks,steering response,road visibility,AC ventInsulation on all areas should be strictly improved,gap between the wheel and the body,door latch...

 

I booked my Swift Dzire, which was due fro delivey in Jan.
But after seeing this beauty, I instantaneosuly calncelled my booking, and opted to go for this.

Exterior The front looks like a camry, and the rear like a corolla. Its a fresh refreshment from the Swift Dzire, which looked ugly sometimes.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) It has a cooled glove box, and 7 bottle holders. Rear leg room is above its class. Better than its competitors - Dzire, manza, ford.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Haven't driven it, so can't comment on this aspect. But as Toyota's repoutation goes, engine must be good. Fuel economy which comapny is claiming is 17.6Kmpl. I think it would easill give around 14kmpl in city driving.

 

Ride Quality & Handling Can't comment.

 

Final Words Go for it. It simply value for money. 1.5L engine in 5.4L on-road price delhi. You gotta be kidding me!

 

Areas of improvement None. Toyota hats off to you.

 

Space, Comfort, Boot Space, Engine capcity 1.5L, Power, Torque, Rear Leg room, Cooled Glove BoxNone

 

I got delivery in Jan 31, prompt delivery and nice response. Already driven 2000+ Kms, and very much satisfied in its performance. Toyota's no depreciation insurance policy helps me from all the worries about maintenance. I am wondering how they managed to get this big boot space and leg room. Only less than Rs 2000 per 10000 kms for oil changing and maintenance cost, and for my maruti it was Rs. 4500. Upto 2 lakh kms no maintenance will come. The steering response, road visibility, AC vent are also very good.

Good nice responsive engine. Very good pick up even at 4th gear. Very good for the city traffic. It will make the driver easy to drive. Brakes even with out ABS I am feeling very good.

Its 4.9 M turning radius is best in its class. Easy to take u turns. Road visibility is awesome , the rear view mirrors are designed perfectly.   

 

Power, space , comfortInterior look must improve

 

 

Exterior A simple no nonsense car. I understand its really not a beauty contest winner, but who cares. its got a rugged feel overall, and is not a sticking thumb. side profile is good, grille is good, boot is integrated and feels smooth. looks a bit like logan, but i dont have a problem with that. A car for me is more like point A to point B, but with comfort and ride quality, Etios fits the bill there perfectly.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Hmm.. a bit cheesy plastic interior, i accept, AC is good, seats are thin but are comfy. floor space is awesome. my family of four + my labrador are very happy travelling together with least of problems. power windows are good, and since rear are not fully down, my dog cant jump out, which is good. the rear tray is also good for magazines. only setback is no rear speakers.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine (i am in love with it, being a mechanical engineer myself..!!) i fully utilize my high torque in gurgaon traffic. gearbox is robust and clearly laid out slots. Have not experienced a single mis alignment of gear or stuck gear till now. (1700 KM on odometer). Fuel economy is a bit low that ARAI figure, (around 13.5-14.5) in gurgaon city full on office rush hour and extended jams (no highway driving till now).

 

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is good, even on bumpy roads and potholes. Although i think rear shocks need to be more sturdy, as my car did bumped on speed breakers a few times (especially rear end. i drive a swift, santro and a city too, which have approx same ground clearance, but never bumped on those damn speed breakers ever), Handeling is superb. I say its par and effortless as a city, better than dzire and swift. I like the responsive steering and effortless EPS. the steering makes the car a pleasure in traffic heavy situation, as well as roads wwith twists and turns.

 

Final Words Honestly speaking, I believe a car is associated with your personality. and etios projets mine. I am happy I waited for it. I am satisfied and believe it is a value for money in its price tag. I have also used a corolla, but while spending approx half the money I am getiing at least 85% of a corolla. I am happy with my decision. And yes, i had a under body protection, the cabin noice reduced a bit, now ok levels.

 

Areas of improvement If possible, I would like to have a driver seat height adjustment and possibly electrical OVRMs.

 

 

FUEL EFFICIENCY, SPACE AND COMFORT, TOYOTA QUALITY AND ASSURANCE, Exteriors.Nothing really !!!

 

Exterior Exterior of Etios is definitely not like a space age veh. Its practical, decent and sober. A perfect gentleman design. Many ppl have commented that it some how looks like Logan, but its narrower , shorter and longer than Logan thus giving a perfect sedan look, not a fat box look. We have accepted Dezire's look( it being the market leader today). So I dont see any reason why Etios shouldn't be liked. Probably only thing common with Logan is Etios rear light panel which is triangular, but it definitely goes  well with the over all fall and shape.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Its spacious, very comfortable seating with perfect inclination and adequate cushioning. The top end variant has almost everything what one looks forward to in a family sedan.  quality of plastic or absence of a driver's arm rest or rear arm rest are really not an issue. Anycase who needs those arm rests? Plastic quality is definitely better than DZIRE,MANZA and i20. So where is the problem? Only thing I didnt like was the red markings on even the steering wheel.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox 90 BHP might sound less, but look at the weight also. Just 930 kg!! So 90 bhp is simply good enough. You feel the weight is just too less ?? Remember Maruti 800 days and those comments on weight to power ratio. So be assured , 930 kg is good enough to remain stable. It offers excellent ride quality, least requirement to change gears too often in city driving. Hats off TOYOTA.

 

Ride Quality & Handling Simply superb.

 

Final Words Go for the top end version, for about 7,50,000/- you getting an TOYOTA sedan with nothing to worry in particular. What else you need man??

 

Areas of improvement May be the rear portion or that red on steering wheel.

 

FUEL EFFICIENCY, SPACE AND COMFORT, TOYOTA QUALITY AND ASSURANCEEXTERNAL LOOKS

 

Exterior When you see the pictures first it does not give a "Wow" feeling and in this aspect , Toyota disappoints. Toyota engineers have played it safe on the looks and wanted to satisfy everyone and has done a very conservative styling.

Front of the car looks like the innova with the Customary Toyota SMILE grille, but the headlamps looks very small ( but i have not checked the effectiveness of the same). Also single blade wiper looks an innovative concept but it shows on the heavy cost cutting they have done on design.

Side skirts are available only on the VX model and they give classy look to the car.

Rear view, im not the first to tell, but i need to reiterate was a huge ... huge disappointment as it looks very similar to the Poorly styled logan. If i would have been given an option, i could have shifted the number plate zone from the rear bumper to the rear bonnet becasue the rear bonnet looks very plain and simple.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Because of the value engineering Toyota engineers have done, first of all it does not have the Traditional class look of any other toyota car, interiors looks comparable / or incrementally better to the Dzire, Manza and Logan where the pricing of Etios is also fixed. If your budget is 1.5 /2 lakhs more you could go for a Linea or a Verna or a Vento or a City. Toyota etios interiors are not like the aforesaid cars.

Features like ABS and Airbags are there in the intermediate variant ( GO) itself and its a smart move by Toyota, you need not shell out 1 lakh more if you are a safety savvy guy.

595 litres boot space is a very good option. This is not available even in the high end cars which are in the price bracket of 10 to 12 lakhs. Glove box is also huge - 13 litre with cooling option. Toyota have clearly understood Indian customers thinking.

As regard to comfort --Arm rest option, Driver height adjustment facility are not available. Also the rear seat look like a bench providing scope for 3 persons to sit easily, but when it comes to comfort there are no curves on the rear seat so that 2 persons can feel the luxury of seating. Toyota have made a genuine 5 seater car at the cost of comfort level.

The hump what you generally have in the rear seat in the center area is not there and it helps greatly the 3rd person to sit comfortably.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine is 1.5 litre meaning more power 90 hp ad high torque 132 Nm. Point to be noted is that this torque comes at 3000rpm of the engine compared to the Dzire which reaches the desired torque level only above 4000 rpm.

Gear shifting is as smooth like cutting butter with sharp knife. Q class shows here

17.64 kmpl mileage is really good, but this needs to be ascertained by varied users / drivers/ customers

Kerb weight 930kgs is less and this i think would contribute to the fuel efficiency.

 

Ride Quality & Handling Not tried but point to be mentioned is 170mm Ground clearance can clear majority of the pot holes what we encounter, When i saw the video, the ridequality and handling looks good, but this again needs to be ascertained.

 

Final Words If you are are family man with a budget of 5 to 7 .5 lakhs and overall kms usage within 10,000kms / year, go for it without any hesitation.

 

Areas of improvement J variant - should also have power steering, nowadays power steering is not a luxury it has become a necessity especially on a 3 box sedan. Towards cost engineering you can cut the FAT but not the MUSCLE.

VX variant should have Driver height adjustment, Rear seat should have arm rest option helpful for long runs and also a class feel.

Shift the number plate on the rear from Bumper to rear boot area as this would improve the aesthetics to a large extent and exhorcise the logan feeling from etios.

Single wiper - I hate it , please do something about it

Red colour seats for VX gives an unpleasant look and distracts the eyes. All might not like.

Dashboard centrally located resembles Indica vista and looks cheap, I think Toyota have done that to have standardisation with LH and RH drive models.

Climate control option to be given in VX variant atleast.

Understood the price from Coimbatore dealer

 Variant - Showroom - On road - main feature

J             4.84 lakhs   5.46 lakhs   Only AC, no Power windows, no Power steeing, R14 wheels

G            5.33 lakhs   6.02 lakhs  Power steering and power windows

GS           5.84 lakhs   6.59 lakhs ABS and Air bags available

V             6.29 lakhs   7.10 lakhs  Music system with R15 alloy wheels

VX            6.74 lakhs   7.61 lakhs  DVD music system, side skirt design and Stg control audio

 

Low end torque of the engine is good, not a traditional toyota pricing ( very aggressively priced),Does give the "Wow" feeling when you see it first, Driver height adjustment not available even in VX

 

I had a Maruti Swift Zxi (2007 model) with a 1.3 lt engine after which I changed to the Etios V model. The Swift was doing perfectly fine, however I needed a car with greater space and luggage carrying capacity within a budget. The only choices I had were the Dzire, Manza and Etios. I did not consider the Manza as I don’t think Tata cars are good to drive. The Dzire’s interiors look exactly like the Swift and hence that was also ruled out leaving only the Etios and hence the choice. The V model offered most of what I wanted like ABS, Alloy wheels etc. I did not like the red interiors of the VX model and hence did not consider that. Since a lot has been written about the Etios, I will just give a users opinion of the differences I felt between the Swift Zxi (2007 model) and Etios V model having now used this car for around 4 months (driven about 6000kms).

Exterior Looks are a subjective matter and I would like to say I liked both the Swift and Etios. The Swift had very sporty looks while the Etios has a very non-offensive family car look. It is well proportioned and does not look like a hatch with a boot fitted. Its smiley face is pleasant to look at though not in any way a beauty!

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The interiors of the Swift looked good with climate control and the looks of interior plastic. In the Etios, quality is not bad, but does not give a very up market feel. Fit is better in Etios, but Swift plastics look better. Quality may be comparable though. I did not like the gear knob in the Etios and got this changed to one with a grey finish with chrome along with a chrome bezel which appeared to greatly improve the looks. For a short heighted person, the seat height adjustment was a very useful feature in the Swift. The Etios does not have this, however has a steering column adjustment which served the purpose. Thus visibility is not an issue in the Etios and is very good even for a short heighted person.Passenger space is a great plus point in the Etios, 5 adults can sit very comfortably which was an issue in the Swift. Leg room is also very good even with the front seats fully pulled back.Seats, although thin are comfortable in the Etios. I have been on 2 long journeys and found them fairly comfortable without any feeling of fatigue. Both cars compare equally good in terms of seat comfort.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox This is where the Etios scores much better than the Swift. It has a larger engine with better torque resulting in a much better pulling power. In the Swift, it pulls and performs well with 3 adults. More than that and it starts to take effort to pull. The Etios is able to pull very well even with 5 adults and I was able to attain triple digit figures even with a full load. The greater torque also results in lesser gear changes in the city which is a plus. For fuel economy, the Swift gave me around 12.5 kms/lt in Banglore city traffic with the A/C on all the time. The Etios gives around 11.5 kms/lt under the same conditions. This appears acceptable given that the Etios has a 1.5 lt engine against the 1.3 lt engine of the Swift. The gearbox of the Etios is smoother than the Swift although the Swift was not bad at all.

Ride Quality & Handling On the Swift, the suspension was a bit on the stiffer side, good for the driver since it gave a very good control but not very good for rear seat passengers. Handling was excellent on the Swift and I really enjoyed driving that car! On the Etios, the suspension is on the softer side, gives smooth ride for both driver and passenger. This however meant it cannot be thrown around as the Swift. It has a very comfortable and relaxed ride. Handling is very good although due to its light weight, it is does not give a lot of confidence at very high speeds. Doing triple digit speeds, I did not feel very comfortable at curves. Straight line drives were fine. The Swift could easily jump over humps when lightly loaded, but the Etios needs to be driven slowly since the suspension make a loud thump if driven too fast over these. Ground clearance is comparable on both cars and I felt is better in the Etios on a full load. When fully loaded, the Swift did touch a few humps, but the Etios could clear most of these if driven carefully.

Final Words Maruti is very good at customer service and I did not have any issues most of the time. Toyota has a very friendly staff that is willing to help. The issue they have is they are not used to handling volumes and that shows in the time they take to service. Overall, the Swift is a very good car for a small family. It is a pleasure to drive and does not have any maintenance issues. This is a pure thrill car for the driver. The Etios is a very good car for a large family. Has lots of space in the rear seat and luggage space is very generous. More practical car for an average Indian family while also being low on maintenance for a car of this size.

Areas of improvement For the Etios, the interiors could be made better and more appealing. I would suggest changing the gear knob, adding a USB/AUX input cable for the CD player and changing the headlights to a more powerful one. Should not be compared to other Toyota cars that are much higher up the price range.

Great space, performace, fuel economyInteriors need to improve

 

Exterior Seems good.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)  Top model has REd and Black combination which looks good..

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox  Just fair. Something extra was expected from Toyota. 

Ride Quality & Handling Electric assisted steering available only in TOP model. That mean no assistnce at Rs.6Lac. This is not acceptable.

 

Final Words PS@RPM is 90/5500 (too low) for Dzire it is 95@6000 not impresive considering dzire as 1200cc and Etios as 1500cc engine, surely dzire will give better milage with almost same power.

Torque is 132Nm@3000 rpm wheras Logan has 160Nm@2000 rpm.

Wats good in this Engine....???? something wrong...surely not enough work done on engine.

Areas of improvement Power for sure.  tachometer atleast for top models, Width  almost same as dezire. Etios's height is less, which is good for sedan look.

Surprsing factor is weight which is just around 950kg. Will it have good stablity on high speeds??? and how about ride on rough roads? They have saved cost and metal too : )

Top models of Dzire and Etios has diffrence of just Rs.40,000/- . Etios being higher .

In all low end it is just a competitor of logan and indigo and high end of dzire, fiesta. Low end models will be seen soon on road as radio cab which is surely target. Who else will drive 6lac car without power assisted steering.

I'll wait for diesel model and toyota is superb in diesel segment.

Who should buy: young executives, for family, cab company. In all value for what u spend but offcrse sedan factor still missing. Low end model is surely not a decent car. 

Please no comparision with Sedans...and yes Y not buy fiesta@6.1L limited edition....i think fiesta is better choice...          but for diesel I want Etios to Rock. I despirately want diesel engine above 1400cc for this car...let c wat they have in there mind.....

but yes much hipe is already there which is obivous...we all want to shift to sedan and expecting miracle at low price ; )

similar happended when logan, linea, manza were intoduced for diffrnt segment nano, cruze came but we all know wat happened to these car..

we appriciate attempt but competetion is not so easy....its difficult to understand us Indians......

 

 

Family car , developed as sedan (not like dzire) from excellent Auto companyOnly Top model worth buying, lower end will used as taxi

 

Exterior A simple no nonsense car. I understand its really not a beauty contest winner, but who cares. its got a rugged feel overall, and is not a sticking thumb. side profile is good, grille is good, boot is integrated and feels smooth. looks a bit like logan, but i dont have a problem with that. A car for me is more like point A to point B, but with comfort and ride quality, Etios fits the bill there perfectly.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Hmm.. a bit cheesy plastic interior, i accept, AC is good, seats are thin but are comfy. floor space is awesome. my family of four + my labrador are very happy travelling together with least of problems. power windows are good, and since rear are not fully down, my dog cant jump out, which is good. the rear tray is also good for magazines. only setback is no rear speakers.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine (i am in love with it, being a mechanical engineer myself..!!) i fully utilize my high torque in gurgaon traffic. gearbox is robust and clearly laid out slots. Have not experienced a single mis alignment of gear or stuck gear till now. (1700 KM on odometer). Fuel economy is a bit low that ARAI figure, (around 13.5-14.5) in gurgaon city full on office rush hour and extended jams (no highway driving till now).

 

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is good, even on bumpy roads and potholes. Although i think rear shocks need to be more sturdy, as my car did bumped on speed breakers a few times (especially rear end. i drive a swift, santro and a city too, which have approx same ground clearance, but never bumped on those damn speed breakers ever), Handeling is superb. I say its par and effortless as a city, better than dzire and swift. I like the responsive steering and effortless EPS. the steering makes the car a pleasure in traffic heavy situation, as well as roads wwith twists and turns.

 

Final Words Honestly speaking, i believe a car is associated with your personality . and etios projets mine. i am happy i waited for it. i am satisfied and believe it is a value for money in its price tag. I have also used a corolla, but while spending approx half the money i am getiing at least 85% of a corolla. I am happy with my decision. And yes, i had a under body protection, the cabin noice reduced a bit, now ok levels.

 

Areas of improvement If possible, I would like to have a driver seat height adjustment and possibly electrical OVRMs.

 

Drivability, handling, low fatigue in long distances, fuel economynothing really !!!