Hello! I’m looking into buying a new car in the near future, and wondering what people think of the Toyota Yaris! Good? Bad? Thanks!
I’ve heard nothing but bad things, but none of those comments were recent.
The most common complaints I’ve heard is that the ride is too stiff and the braking distance is too long, but I think Toyota has fixed the brake issue on recent models.
Have you test driven one? What did you think of it?
My personal take is that a car that small should get better than 30 MPG in city driving. Sure, the highway EPA rating is 38 MPG, but nobody ever drives on just highways, and of those who do, most won’t squeeze 38 MPG out of it. On a car that size, I would want at least 32 MPG (maybe even 34) in stop-and-go traffic, not 30.
Yaris is a purely economy car best utilized in urban areas. I like the Rav4 better.
The Yaris is new for 2012, Car and Driver gave the SE a surprisingly positive review, looks like they improved it a lot. It was 3rd out of 6, behind the new Chevy Spark and Honda Fit (1st).
Renting both recent models (not 2012 Yaris) the $2k extra for a Corolla is money really well spent.
I believe the MPG penalty is pretty small to go to much more substantial car IMHO.
Go drive the new Yaris and see for yourself. The only review that counts is yours if you are thinking about buying the car.
US New ranks the Yaris 33 put of 35 small cars. That’s not very encouraging.
“The automotive press says the Yaris’ greatest disappointment is its underpowered, outdated 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that barely has any pep, even with the sportier SE trim’s enhancements… Overall, the Yaris has improved, but just a little too late. Competitors can do everything the Yaris can, but they do it better.”
See their full report here:
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Toyota_Yaris/
I put more faith in these reports than I do a test drive. Taking a car around the block for ten minutes won’t really tell you very much beyond legroom and visibility. If you are currently driving a clunker, any new car will seem heavenly by comparison. You are wise to find out what others have to say.
It’s the most reliable small car on the US market. The old models were not sophisticated driver cars, and Consumer Reports rated them “not acceptable”. My son’s fiancee, an outdoors type, has one and swears by it. She takes it everywhere in the mountains in the worst kind of weather.
It’s one of those maligned cars with a heart of gold.
The Stuff Myths Are Made Of :
“It’s the most reliable small car on the US market.”
“It’s one of those maligned cars with a heart of gold.”
CSA
I tried a Yaris out a 2010 a short time ago drive. Good drive train and decent overall performance. But, I hated driving the car. It seemed disjointed with peddles and steering wheel misplaced and seats that felt very uncomfortable for me. Tried it out on friend’s advice who owned and liked his. I suggest you take one for a very long, long, long drive to make sure you could live with it…I couldn’t. If the new has been improved…try it out for a long , long drive too. Regardless of the mythological dependability (CSA) of them, you will have to drive it. I agree that the Corolla is a much better buy. That may be an “(un)common(ly) sense(less) answer.”
One of my cars is a 2007 Toyota Yaris Liftback.
It is reliable, fun to drive and very inexpensive to maintain. I’ve had absolutely no problems with it and the only expenses I’ve had to date are regular maintenance costs.
Drive one. If you like driving it, based on available data (even from Consumer
Reports magazine), you will have an inexpensive and reliable car. Other people’s opinions don’t really matter.
If it’s comfortable for you, go for it. It’s a good car.
Drive one. If you like it, you may want to buy it. I would also look at other, similar small cars: Honda Fit, Mazda3, Ford Fiesta, and Chevrolet Sonic. The base price for the Fit and Fiesta are $1000 more than the Yaris, but you need to check standard equipment to make the cars comparable. The Sonic base price is similar to the Yaris. Drive them all, compare features, and make an informed decision. They will all provide years of reliable service as long as you maintain them by the book.
I have always suspected that Toyota designed the Yaris as a marketing tool to up sale you to a Prius once your at the dealer. Having said that the Hyundai Elantra gets great reviews, but dealers are price gouging, adding $2000.00 to the sticker by adding things like mud flaps and pin stripping. The Kia Forte is a cousin to the Elantra, and may not be subject to price gouging. The ford Focus and Chevy Cruze are domestic vehicles that get great gas mileage, and have gotten good reviews.
A colleague of mine has one and uses it for her commute to work . . which is mostly highway. She swears by it and reports 45 mpg highway for her commute. I was in it once or twice and thought the seats were a bit uncomfortable. She has it almost two years and never has had a problem. It’s also not as small on the inside as you might imagine, I’m over 6 foot and it was plenty big enough for me (front seat passenger). It is obviously an economy car and it was what I expected . . . for the 12 or 13 thousand dollar sticker. Rocketman
Why Are You Considering One ? Please Explain.
Is it to save money ?
These cars are too little to be on the roads and mix in traffic with full-size trucks, SUVs, pick-up trucks, large passenger cars.
The savings is silly if you get creamed and don’t think it can’t happen if you drive carefully. You can’t rely on crash test data for an indication of safety. The tests indicate how one of these little econobxes would hold up in a crash with another little econobox, not a regular vehicle.
You can thank me later,
CSA
How are you going to use the Yaris? If this is going to be a car to be used around town this is one thing. If this is a car to be used for highway travel, this is another issue. Evaluate your needs. The Toyota has a good record for reliability and a good repair record. However, if it is uncomfortable for the type of driving you do, it is no bargain. I once owned a Ford Maverick. It rode like a wheelbarrow, had an interior that made the inside of a schoolbus seem luxurious, but was cheap to maintain and as reliable as booze at an Irish wake. I traded the car when I found I was spending more on Preparation-H than upkeep on the Maverick.
Camry vs Yaris crash compatibility
I have a 2009 5-speed Yaris and it now has 70,000 miles on it. The WORST gas mileage I ever got was 38 mpg on a highway trip against a brutal north wind. The EPA rates it at 29/36 which makes me wonder if they ever caught the thief who was siphoning gas out of their test car.
I usually get between 40 and 45 mpg with 43 being the most common.
So far, completely reliable, nothing but scheduled maintenance.
It is what it is, a bare bone basic transportation compact car. The road noise is a little high but the engine is pretty quiet.
The Toyota Yaris is produced in several countries and sold all over the world as a family car. This is not an entry level me-too cheap car to get you into the showroom, the way the Chevy Vega and the Ford Pinto were.There is nothing mythical about the reliability and durability of a Yaris either. The old model just happened to be uncomfortable for the average driver.
The Ford Fiesta, Honda Jazz (Fit), Mazda 2, and other Japanese and Korean subcompacts (American definition) are the bread an butter cars outside the US. Having said that, you have to decide whether the small price difference here between one of these and the next size up (Corolla) is worth it. Outside of North America with high gas prices, and a road tax based on vehicle weight and engine size, these cars are indispensable affordable family transportation. They are also very PROFITABLE for the manufacturers.
Contrary to Americar`s observation, Toyota wants you to buy lots of these, since the ever tightening CAFE standards mean that every manufacturer has to sell a large number of small cars to avoid the penalties of not meeting the average. For every Tundra pickup Toyota sells, they also have to sell at least one Yaris.
Doc. I agree Toyota wants people to but them…then tire of the ride and trade up shortly. It’s designed to answer all the really basic needs of transportation but not so well many want to keep it. That is left to the Corollas. We had three of them.