Full-blown enthusiast cars aside, there is no finer tool for surfing through congested urban traffic than Toyota‘s smallest sedan. The Yaris takes up where the Spartan, low-priced Echo left off--in fact, they‘re the same car; the Echo has always been known as the Yaris in Europe and Asia. Whatever its name, this subcompact all-new for 2007, and it‘s not a moment too soon because new entry-level competitors from Honda and Nissan are just about to dive out of the sun and enter the fray. The new Yaris hits the streets with flyweight dimensions, a modern design and a new-to-the-U.S. two-door hatchback model.
The Yaris‘ design is standard modern-school Toyota, with body-colored bumpers, mirrors and grille. The stubby hood and tail exaggerate the Yaris‘ apparent height. Toyota has done a good job of letting the Yaris "grow up" with its new design. The stubby face bears a strong resemblance to big brother Corolla, and the dimensions are similar to the larger car. The Yaris is short, tall and narrow however, giving it a slightly gawky look on the road, although from a distance it looks like a Corolla, and that isn‘t a bad thing. The new hatchback model is a benchmark of econo-cute, with big happy headlights and a bubble-shaped silhouette.
Drivers familiar with the friendly little Echo will feel immediately at home in the Yaris. The high roof makes for a spacious cabin that will seat four with ease, and the front seats are upright with an unusually small pedal box that will require long-legged drivers to sit with their knees out. It‘s not uncomfortable, just different. Also falling into that category is the centrally-mounted instrument panel. Sound deadening is improved, as are the materials and upholstery inside. The radio display has been modernized, with a large LCD screen that unfortunately washes out easily in direct sunlight. Trunk space is decent too; the Yaris will swallow two weeks‘ worth of groceries without complaint. Unlike many entry-level cars, the Yaris isn‘t stripped bare in basic form, either; air conditioning, interval wipers and tinted windows are standard equipment.
Short overhangs at both ends make the Yaris easy to maneuver through traffic and park. The suspension consists of L-arm MacPherson struts up front and torsion beams at the rear. A hydroformed torsion beam in the rear suspension helps to decrease body roll without the addition of a separate (and heavy) anti-roll bar. It‘s not fancy, and just right for maneuvering through traffic. Push it into a corner hard and the Yaris protests mightily, of course, but within its limits it‘s a responsive and agreeable companion.
Power is basically the same as last year, with a 1.5 liter four-cylinder engine under the hood. Similar to the engine that powers the Scion xA and xB models, the variable valve timing-equipped four makes 106 horsepower. That‘s less than half of the grunt churned out by the new RAV4 compact SUV, but remember, there‘s not much of the Yaris to move around and it has no problem keeping up with challengers in the rush hour dogfight. Power deliver has been improved as well. There‘s less of a sense of "flogging" the car to get it up to speed, thanks to improved variable valve timing. The choice of manual or automatic transmissions is no longer a choice between being able to get out of your own way or not; the four-speed automatic Yaris we drove had plenty of get up and go. Best of all, the Yaris is pushing 40 mpg on the freeway, a huge bonus in the face of rising gas prices.
Spending small bucks on a small car doesn‘t mean you have to cut back on safety, either. Side airbags, side-curtain airbags and anti-lock brakes are available.
Yaris sedan pricing starts at $11,825. Top of the line is the well-equipped Yaris S sedan which hits the streets for $14,050 with an automatic transmission. Entry-level is the Yaris hatchback which can be had for as little as $10,050. Let the subcompact dogfight begin.
Specificiations:
All specs are for the 2007 Toyota Yaris.
Length: 169.3 in.
Width: 66.5 in.
Height: 56.7 in.
Wheelbase: 100.4 in.
Curb weight: 2326 lb.
Cargo space: 12.9 cu.ft.
Base price:
Engine: 1.5 liter four-cylinder
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive
Horsepower: 106 @6000
Torque: 103 @ 4200
Fuel capacity: 11.1 gal.
Est. mileage: 34/39
