A110 vs Yaris GR
Discussion
Reading about the updated Yaris GR has started me thinking. I’ve had my PE since new in October 18 and love it but wonder whether an updated GR would be a good move or whether I’m likely to be disappointed. I have a 7 and 12 year old so wonder if it would be more usable? Has anyone had experience of both?
Thanks alll
Thanks alll
hmm will a car with back seats be more usable with kids than a two seater 
its a fun car. Not too keen on the squared off radical new dashboard design but can appreciate the intent to make more of a driver cockpit. It will also be bulletproof. Not really a looker, is it, But a bit of a weapon.
its a fun car. Not too keen on the squared off radical new dashboard design but can appreciate the intent to make more of a driver cockpit. It will also be bulletproof. Not really a looker, is it, But a bit of a weapon.
I guess you are not alone contemplating about getting a GRY
I've had a chance to drive it a couple of times on street and track. My biggest gripe is it drives like a good FWD car most of the time. I guess it is a rally thing - stable/understeery experience for speedy fast roads with and potentially some handbrake turns in tighter hairpins. Personally, I much prefer the experience of porsche AWD, which drivers most of the time as RWD with more grip.
Also compared to the a110, it lacks sense of occassion outside and inside (oldschool japan plastic) - it is semi-exotic sports car vs a hot-hatch, so not apples to apples comparison.
But there's also a lot to like! There's nothing like it on the market, especially if you want to experience AWD in lightweight form. Engine is very punchy and revy (but I dislike rev hang), I think slightly less lag than a110 1.8t. The fact that it is manual is a big plus, it really keeps you busy in daily driving - alpine can be a bit unentertaining, except it looks pretty.
Stance of the car is also amazing with those front/rear arches. Brakes are very good for oem street car, also very nice forged bbs rims. Practicality is definitely a plus with 4 seats and a proper boot.
Overall GRY is a very very different car compared to A110. I think a great addition to the garage, but would not have it as a substitute for any rear-wheel driving experience.
I've had a chance to drive it a couple of times on street and track. My biggest gripe is it drives like a good FWD car most of the time. I guess it is a rally thing - stable/understeery experience for speedy fast roads with and potentially some handbrake turns in tighter hairpins. Personally, I much prefer the experience of porsche AWD, which drivers most of the time as RWD with more grip.
Also compared to the a110, it lacks sense of occassion outside and inside (oldschool japan plastic) - it is semi-exotic sports car vs a hot-hatch, so not apples to apples comparison.
But there's also a lot to like! There's nothing like it on the market, especially if you want to experience AWD in lightweight form. Engine is very punchy and revy (but I dislike rev hang), I think slightly less lag than a110 1.8t. The fact that it is manual is a big plus, it really keeps you busy in daily driving - alpine can be a bit unentertaining, except it looks pretty
.Stance of the car is also amazing with those front/rear arches. Brakes are very good for oem street car, also very nice forged bbs rims. Practicality is definitely a plus with 4 seats and a proper boot.
Overall GRY is a very very different car compared to A110. I think a great addition to the garage, but would not have it as a substitute for any rear-wheel driving experience.
Yaris GR is a very different car to the Alpine.
The Yaris is easy to control under most circumstances, it has a much longer wheelbase and a nose heavy weight balance. It is inherently stable, it wants to go straight again.
The A110 is not an easy car to throw around. Short wheelbase, and rearward weight distribution.
The Yaris is easy to control under most circumstances, it has a much longer wheelbase and a nose heavy weight balance. It is inherently stable, it wants to go straight again.
The A110 is not an easy car to throw around. Short wheelbase, and rearward weight distribution.
I owned a GR Yaris before the Alpine & you can't really compare them. All of the yaris reviews make it sound like the messiah but in reality it's a 'fun for 5 mins' sort of car. Engine, brakes and grip are impressive but It was disappointing to drive at anything less than flat out (it is still a Yaris after all).
LarJammer said:
I owned a GR Yaris before the Alpine & you can't really compare them. All of the yaris reviews make it sound like the messiah but in reality it's a 'fun for 5 mins' sort of car. Engine, brakes and grip are impressive but It was disappointing to drive at anything less than flat out (it is still a Yaris after all).
I drove the Mk1 and was disappointed - great when going really fast (too fast for your licence) but uninspiring the rest of the time. Engine only comes alive approaching 4000rpm - lots of lag much below that. On the plus side the (fake) engine noise sounds better to my ears than the A110's - and the engine is much keener to get to the red line. The A110 is significantly more refined and (luggage space apart) a much better long distance car.It was one of only a couple of cars that I considered as an A110 replacement - the other was a GR86. Both fell a long way short for my requirement as an every day do everything fun car.
Jimbobc said:
Reading about the updated Yaris GR has started me thinking. I’ve had my PE since new in October 18 and love it but wonder whether an updated GR would be a good move or whether I’m likely to be disappointed. I have a 7 and 12 year old so wonder if it would be more usable? Has anyone had experience of both?
Thanks alll
1st thing I would do is go check the back seats, if you are looking for practicality !! Thanks alll
A500leroy said:
Never really noticed the A110 before, having a look at them on AT they look decent value, by my, there's an awful lot of my Clio in that cabin.
I had a Clio courtesy car last time my A110 was serviced at the main dealer, and couldn't work out where all these shared bits were. 
Sporky said:
I had a Clio courtesy car last time my A110 was serviced at the main dealer, and couldn't work out where all these shared bits were.
The A110 is coming up to 10 years old in not too long remember, so any shared switch gear was mostly shared with cars of the same age. As we all know the engine was shared with the Megane RS III, then much of the switch gear was essentially the same as the Clio RS IV. The 296mm discs are also shared across a few models, which makes them vastly cheaper to replace in comparison to the bespoke 320mm discs. A fun fact is the air filter goes all the way back to the Clio V6! I don't necessarily think all of this is a bad thing as Renault Sport have always made brilliant affordable sport cars, which has now carried over to the A110. It also means most of the gear has stood the test of time and is relatively cheap to replace should it go wrong.
Edited by 7en on Sunday 14th January 19:47
worldwidewebs said:
It was launched at the Geneva show in March 2017 I think, I certainly remember seeing it there
First deliveries didn't occur until well into 2018. I think they delivered the odd one or two in March or April, but it was some time later before they were delivered in numbers on the Continent and August before the PE came here.worldwidewebs said:
Sporky said:
7en said:
The A110 is coming up to 10 years old in not too long remember,
I thought the PE came out six years ago? I’d love an Alpine, but also have an Elise S1 which is under-used and two young-ish children, so I went with the Yaris, though I would still love an Alpine in the future, having enjoyed a few passenger rides in one.
Where an Alpine would sit gathering dust at the weekend, the Yaris is really usable and as my wife and I are below average height there is loads of room in the back for a 9 and 13 year old. Legroom is really good, it’s headroom which is an issue for taller adults in the back due to the sloping roofline.
Proper boot……errrr, not really! It’s tiny and smaller than my wife’s F56 Mini JCW, but we did (somehow) manage 4 days in Cornwall last summer, 4 up! No surfboards or bikes, obviously!
I always have a slightly different view of the driving experience depending where I go. Sometimes it feels absolutely awesome (and really is when driven hard), but then it can feel (and sound) very ordinary at normal speeds. But then, this makes it a very usable car day to day and it’s a huge bonus for me that I can use it with my family. It can cruise like a normal car for hundreds of miles, or keep up with a Supercar down a B road if you want, The engine surprises me every time, it’s really punchy and loves to be revved. Chassis is brilliant, brakes are very strong and although steering feel is pretty numb, it’s very direct and you can feel the grip through the chassis, giving a lot of confidence. I also love the gearbox.
I think you either live or hate the looks - I really love it from most angles. It’s also a bonus to me that very few people seem to know what it is, but if you meet someone who does, they always seem pretty excited to see one and say hello.
It’s given me a major headache about how I could replace it as I don’t think there’s anything like it for the price.
Go and find one to drive and see what you think!
Where an Alpine would sit gathering dust at the weekend, the Yaris is really usable and as my wife and I are below average height there is loads of room in the back for a 9 and 13 year old. Legroom is really good, it’s headroom which is an issue for taller adults in the back due to the sloping roofline.
Proper boot……errrr, not really! It’s tiny and smaller than my wife’s F56 Mini JCW, but we did (somehow) manage 4 days in Cornwall last summer, 4 up! No surfboards or bikes, obviously!
I always have a slightly different view of the driving experience depending where I go. Sometimes it feels absolutely awesome (and really is when driven hard), but then it can feel (and sound) very ordinary at normal speeds. But then, this makes it a very usable car day to day and it’s a huge bonus for me that I can use it with my family. It can cruise like a normal car for hundreds of miles, or keep up with a Supercar down a B road if you want, The engine surprises me every time, it’s really punchy and loves to be revved. Chassis is brilliant, brakes are very strong and although steering feel is pretty numb, it’s very direct and you can feel the grip through the chassis, giving a lot of confidence. I also love the gearbox.
I think you either live or hate the looks - I really love it from most angles. It’s also a bonus to me that very few people seem to know what it is, but if you meet someone who does, they always seem pretty excited to see one and say hello.
It’s given me a major headache about how I could replace it as I don’t think there’s anything like it for the price.
Go and find one to drive and see what you think!
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