Toyota Etios [2013-2014] User Reviews

This is my first car and the only other cars I have driven are the Swift and Indica. I have been driving only for about a couple of months (including my training) so I cannot give a comparitive review of this car in relation to other cars.

I bought my Etios less than a month ago and have driven about 700 km on it so far. My experiences are based on various city drives within Pune and Mumbai and one trip from Pune to Mumbai and back.

Exterior The car looks quite elegant from the front and side. The back is plain but not too bad looking either, especially compared to the cars in its segment, i.e. Manza and Dezire. It is definitely the best looking car in this segment.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) There is a lot of leg room in the car, which is one of the selling points of the car.The glove box is cooled and there are plenty of little crevices to keep bottles and other stuff. The music system is basic, so get something from outside if you want better value for the money you're spending on it. The look of the interiors however is strictly average. The top end model looks a little better.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The pickup and power output of the car is absolutely amazing. Because of the fact that the car is extremely light, it literally takes off when you accelerate. Gears shift delightfully easily anything is better than an Indica I guess, but it felt better than a swift too.

The engine is a little noisy, especially during ignition; it almost sounds like a diesel engine. It is not that bad during the drive however.

I have got an average of about 13 kmpl so far with a mix of city and highway driving. Since I am a new driver, my first couple of hundred km were pretty shoddy and mostly in the lower gears with lots of stalling at signals and on inclines. I expect this number to improve vastly over time.

Ride Quality & Handling Noise leves are generally higher than normal. Vibration is also a little higher in the body. I had tried attaching a suction-held mapping device and it kept falling off because of the vibration. The vibration is not very evident when the car is in motion; most of the noise and vibration is during idling. Also, you won't feel the vibration on the steering wheel.

The car handles beautifully in heavy traffic as well as in high speeds. The steering is very light. If you're used to hydraulic power steering, you have to get used to turning the steering wheel a little more to make sharper turns. This seems to be a common thing about electric power steering. Surprisingly, despite its very light weight, the car is extremely stable at high speeds -- I have gone up to 160 km/h without even realizing it.

Final Words Overall, it is a beautiful value for money car. It has a few little niggles that a car afficionado may not exactly like, but personally for me it is not something I miss sorely because I have what I really want from a car -- superb reliability, lovely power and pickup. The servicing schedule also seems economical compared to other options, but the verdict is still out on that one for me.

Areas of improvement The NVH levels are certainly one area that needs to be improved. I'm going to get that looked at during my first servicing. Will post an update after that.

superb power and pickup, light steering, great leg room and boot spaceinteriors, noise and vibration during idling

Exterior Plain smooth lines, nothing to talk about, just a no-nonsense car with straight lines and the legendary smile on the front hood and the promosing Toyota badging. Brings in the confidence that u r driving something that is built to last.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Well the interiors again very basic the centre speedometer which has been a hot topic of discussion, which initially even I thought is going to be an eye sore and irritating but eventually after having driven the car the first 500kms I realised its actually not that bad infact its kind of placed at the right place, less disturbing and a clear view of the road and also a small tweak of the eye and u can maintain speeds without having to look too hard.

Also the speedometer is way too basic. Even a basic temperature gauge is missing (could be. Toyota is confident that the car is never gonna overheat....;) ) altogether very basic with no jing bang.

Space: Best in class amazing space for the rear seat passengers flat floor is an added advantage, comfortably seats 3, good lumbar support for the front rows and comfortable seats even for a guy like me who is 6 feet tall.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine Top notch and that what Toyota does best just cannot go wrong on that does growl a little but the growl is a promising one telling you to stretch it press the pedal and it wont let u down all in all a zippy, reponsive engine keeps the smile on ur face :)

Fuel economy Unexpected I culd not believe that a car with a 1500 cc engine giving an output of 90 bhp culd do that well in the milage part But having done 2500kms on the odometer the mileage has never gone below the 16 mark and clocking upto 18.25 thatswhen i am  behaving well with the car but a sure shot winner again the smile :)

Gearbox: slick , precise and smooth, no extra effort in that section, just goes where it shuld go without trying too hard. But mind it having driven marutis all my life (4 of them) I had started to compromise in that area. But not anymore and also u have to get used to the fact that u want have to use it too much because of the excellent torque that the engine delivers trust me it has taken me time to get used to this fact as the car just does not ask for any gear changes. going as low to a speed of 30kmph on the 5th gear it just picks up back so smoothly. slaute to the Toyota engineers.

Ride Quality & Handling U will love the steering response, so smooth yet so precise and trust me parking in those tight corners is a dream, and when on the road it is just as reponsive as the engine, also the steering feels great, good grip and a perfect diameter.

Final Words All in a perfect value for money car with the Toyota confidence minus all the gadgetery fun. But end of the day bring a smile to ur face. You have not made a bad choice. Keep smiling :)

Areas of improvement Add the gadgets cause the young boys love to play around with there car ;)

Excellent fuel economy, Super handling, superb power to weight ratioPlastics could have been better, more information on the display panel :(

Exterior Very glamours in red& black, very stylish & a beautiful sedan. IVE G model in petrol of this car in red & bought in october 2011.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Very lss features only power steeering,adjustble& windows,  no airbgs,&ABS atleast 1 of them should be provided, else ctrls are approachable, very spacy, comfy seats. big trunk 594 liters.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Excllent performance, 17 kmpl, smooth gearing, less noisy, very gud pick up, excellent braking- ive pressed brakes at the speed of 70km and just stoped at the spot only.

Ride Quality & Handling Very smooth, light in wght bt still stable, turning is smoooth and quick, ive driven at the speed of 140km till on agra-gwalior highway & it was beautiful experience. the speedometer is  centrally placed & I didnt even felt that im riding at 140kmph. steeriing ctrl is amazing even w/o ABS the braking is gud, I had passed many turns on flyovers the cAR didnt suffer any toss.

Final Words Very gud technology, it is value for money. it is economical in terms of fuel,maintainnace. gud response of the service centers. bt in trms of safety i suggest u to go for higher versions in both varients though the car is excellent. G is  the most appropriate model AS IT HAS ALL BASIC features except ABS & BAGS.

Areas of improvement Fuses are of less AMPERE, bring more safety to 1st two ends ie. J &G MODELS.

excllent mlage 17kmpl, gud road grip, spacy, 90bhp excllent pick up, smooth drive,grnd clrnce xclentvery less safety in 1st 2 end, smooth bt quite unstable.

Exterior

Looks a proper sedan not like tail pasted on pieces like Dzire and Manza or even Vento and Rapid

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

Not up to Totyota Standards but when u pay less u get less

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

Great Pick up and throttle response. Excellent fuel economy which puts many celebrated hatchbacks to shame

Ride Quality & Handling

Very good handling and cornering, responsive steering. Noise creeps in at higher speeds but if you get an under body coating things improve considerably. Never driven the vehicle without ac so dont know how the external noise ll affect the paseengers if windows are kept open.

Final Words

Have been owning Etios from March 2011. Driven a few thousand kms. It is an amazing car and no nonsence vehicle. Toyota Service Experience has been excellent.

This is my fourth car. My old cars being padmini way back in eighties, maruti zen and  maruti esteem. It is more value for money than esteem as its bigger, better to drive and more fuel efficient. Pick up is also much higher.

Areas of improvement  

Quality of interiors and nhv levels need attention of the company.

 

Great engine, devastating pick up which could shatter competitionQuality of plastics but do u ride on them?????

Exterior Looks great. Good painting, stylish looks.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Spaaacious, nicely thought out features, great leg room for rear seat, large boot space. It comforably seats three adulst in the rear seat. Poor in-built music system with no fade control and no support for USB or SD card. The seats are not very soft. Has bottle holder and magazine holder in each door. Can cool bottles kept inside dashboard, a very nice feature for summer.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine is good except for sluggish initial pick up. For crossing humps one has to come down to first gear. From third gear, it is smooth and revving. I get 16 kmpl in city. Clutch and gear combination needs to be improved. I feel my Maruti 800 is better in this aspect.

Ride Quality & Handling Highly responsive steering. The shock absorbers are not up to the mark. The road bumpiness gets transferred to your body. Very good on highways or expressways.

Final Words If they improve the shocks and gear, it is a great vehicle to own.

Areas of improvement Gear shift, shock absorbers, music system.

Space, fuel efficiency, road visibility, steeringGear shift, clutch, struggle maneuvering over humps, poor initial pick up

Well I bought etios without any home work and just on the brand name toyota and lemme tell every one its perhahps the best car I would have bought if I would have given 5.67 lac again and again and again, evry time.

Exterior Are decent enough and i m sure one looking for quali is not dissapppointed.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Very sapcy, good boot space,leg space,and awsome drive xperince.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Has a very duarble and toyota worth trustful engine,i had personally had 17.8 km highway and smthing 15+ city mileage. what else one wants.

Ride Quality & Handling An awsome ride and u have to drive it too feel the comfort its steering gives.

Final Words Well I bought etios without any home work and just on the brand name toyota and lemme tell every one its perhahps the best car i would have bought if i would have given 5.67 lac again and again and again, evry time.

Areas of improvement Interiors can be improved.

Toyota zero dep cap, ac, steering,good fuel economy,pricingInteriors could be better

After sales service This is BRILLIANT! A MAJOR REASON to buy. Infact, this is what prompted me to come online and review. A mind wandering me, while replacing the tire forgot to jam the wheels or put hand brake. Also, the car was on a slope so it rolled off the jack when I took off the wheel, damaging my inner brake disc. Also, prior to this I had damaged my tire rim while driving to Pondicherry as the roads were TERRIBLE!

With these problems, I drove to the service center.. I was given immediate attention, a service engineer took me for a small drive to review the problem with me, then they told me they needed a couple of hours, so I may head home and they will try dropping the car to my residence.... so here is what I got:

a) A new brake disc

b) A new rim for my car

c) The tubeless tyre puncture repaired

d) A free home drop of my car on the same evening....

What was the bill? Rs. 1, 126/-... in case you think there is a typo : One thousand, one hundred and twenty six! MAN! I was sure, I am losing atleast 7-8k if they're reasonable, and if it were a Honda... haha!
I could've thought of a new motorcycle!
Also, I was tense as to what all might they slap on as being damaged... because they could well say, shafts are bent due to the fall, etc. etc. as there was a grating noise of the wheel with the tyre... I kept calling the center every 2 hours to know progress at this time and each time I got a calm response giving me a status update. Really great! Interestingly as I was writing this review I have even received a follow up service quality call. Really impressed!

Exterior Typical Toyota grille. I like it. In a sedan, it gives it a commanding look. The other frontage I like is the VW Vento.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Features - decent with the cup holder space being deep enough to put all the keys, mobiles etc, which are in the hand. I put my lunchbox in it en route to office.

Leg space! : I am 6'2" and my dad 6'. We can sit in the same line and still feel we have all the space we need. The only other car I find like this is the Nissan Sunny (also a lovely, powerful car, but the mileage of the Sunny I find lower)

Comfort : Very comfortable... Some complain that car is light and may feel unsteady. No such thing. All that depends on the design and aerodynamics, else there is no way in hell a Bugatti could've sustained speed 400+! ... I drive my Etios on highway avg. 160 kmh.. and everyone is very comfortable inside and the control is mindblowing.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Haha. it is a Toyota. great performance.. economy is 12.2 km/l in Bangalore where signals kill the average and 15 on highways.. decent for this segment of petrol cars. Gearbox is super super smooth ..

I am surprised that people find engine sound a hindrance... Till date, while driving through the city, I have not been able to hear a thing of my engine... neither with my music, nor with the sound of outside cars. YES... on solitary mornings, when you idle the car, you can hear the engine, but it is much less than my older Maruti 800 / Nano, also it's very mild to pay any attention to. Lastly, for the extra-sensitive in hearing.. you have the option of damping... that is something EVERY audio system fitter anyways recommends for their sound audiophile customers... its a mat sort of thing they put to cut out sounds from outside.. even if you include the minimal cost of this damping, the car is a steal..

Ride Quality & Handling As said above. I ride reasonable speeds. highways 160 km/h... and 80 avg in the city. The car feels like a small car in traffic. Awesome turning radius with a super cool power steering.. it slices through easily

Final Words Go for it.

Areas of improvement Seat: Does not recline fully. In long drives, the co-passenger may complain or if you stop on the side for a while for a nap, then the driver too may complain. Window: Rear window does not roll down fully, so for someone who wants to rest their hand there, nono!!

Space, cost, SERVICESeat does not recline 180 deg., rear windows do not roll down 100%

Exterior Before I bought the car about 3 months ago, I was not very excited about the exterior look and colours available. However, after buying the builsh silver one, now I am in love with the exterior. The chrome looks good. 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Features - I would have loved some features like electronic mirror adjustment and climate control. However, practically you use the mirror adjustment just once. 

Space - I keep on wondering how did Toyota manage to create such a huge cabin and boot space. My children love the space. 

Comfort - I have driven with my family a couple of longish tours...no one complains. 

Driving Comfort - No wonder the steering wheel has been considered as the best in the segment. 

I had some doubts about various displays at the centre, since I was used to the conventional placing. I didn't need any time to adjust to the centre placement. Another feature used to make me think a lot about utility was one single wiper, which is not a concern at all. 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Fuel (Petrol) economy in Mumbai traffic with AC is between 12.5 to 13. On expressways - not checked exactly, however, it is more than 16.5 for sure. Very happy with the fuel economy. 

Power - I am fully satisfied with the power and pick-up in all gears. 

Final Words Go for it. Don't think about missing features and plastic quality - you don't need anything more than what is provided in Vx model. 

Areas of improvement Suspensions are strong, however, there is potential to be a little more smooth. 

 

Space. Power. Fuel economy.Less (unwanted) features.

Exterior ITS EXTERIOR IS SIMPLY SUPERB THAN ANY CAR IN ITS RANGE, ITS TOPEND LOOKS BEST WITH ALLOY WHEELS AND BODY COLOURED MIRRORS.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) I HAVE 2 AGREE THIS TING EVEN I LIKE ETIOS SO MUCH ITS INTERIOR R NOT UP TO WORTH FR EVEN 8.50LAC CAR BUT IF U CAN CHANGE D MUSIC SYSTEM IT WOULD BE D BEST CAR IN ITS INTERIOR N SO MUCH PLACE EVEN 5 CAN TRAVELL COMFORTLY. THIS IS D BEST THING.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox ENGINE PERFORMANCE IS SIMPLY SUPERB IT DOESNT LOOSE ITS PICK UP EVEN IN ITS LAST GEAR, GEAR BOX IS SO SMOOTH THAN ANY CAR IN ITS RANGE. ANY ONE WHO GO FR TOP END DOESNT SEE ITS MILAGE.

Ride Quality & Handling HANDLING IS EXTREMELY GOOD AND VISIBILITY IS FENTASTIC WICH COULD NT FOUND EVEN FR A 25 LAC CAR.

Final Words FINAlLY IF U WANT 2 BUY ETIOS GO FR ITS TOPEND.

Areas of improvement INTERIOR SHOULD IMPROVE AS MUCH AS DEY CAN.

EXCELLENT EXTERIOR ,GEAR SHIFTING IS SO SMOOTHINTERIOR IS NOT UP TO TOYOTA BRAND