I’d say that this is an apt commentary on the car, but a co-worker has one of these (in the sedan version) and it is a surprisingly roomy and powerful runabout.
It is scenarios that caused us to start parking the white car close to where the chickens roost versus the darker one. The choice is chickens (free ranging) or clean cars.
True, but do those better competitors have the same Toyota reliability/longevity? In this class of bottom-feeder, penalty-box small car where none of them are all that spectacular, that’s a huge factor. All many buyers of these cars want are seats, steering wheel, and the best reliability, low maintenance and fuel economy they can afford. On just those counts, the Yaris is a prime contender.
Yes the Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio. Both are more comfortable to drive. Look better inside and come with a 10 year warranty and actually honor that warranty without a song and dance unlike Toyota(yes I am jaded, Toyota screwed me over with warranty issues)
Although they’ve made great strides, Hyundai and Kia are still a little iffy on the reliability front. And, as others have pointed out, while the Fit is the leader in this class of car, you’ll really have to pay to get one.
Even though the Yaris trails in just about every other category, that magic Toyota nameplate means, for the money, it will at least start and drive with the most certainty. For those with limited funds in the first place, that assurance means a lot.
Brandon
Posted April 13, 2015 at 4:45 PM
“Magic” Toyota nameplate? A Toyota will fall apart just like any other vehicle from lack of maintenance. A lot of so-called reliability issues are merely lack of maintenance issues.
I’ve owned one since ’08. If the Honda Fit had been in decent supply I’d have gotten one of those but I was quoted a two-month wait for a base manual Fit, at list price of course and with no choice of color (“we have a black one coming in March”)
After driving the Yaris, I ended up with the Honda Fit. This was ’10, so the Fit was not in short supply. With only 11hp difference, the Yaris felt a lot slower.
These Yarises do alright on New York’s dirt roads and pockmarked roads than other vehicles, but Beetles and Metros can take more of a beating. Not sure about the tires on this Yarns, they might get chewed to bits.
Good on you Brendan for pointing out the obvious; that’s one damn ugly car that got what it deserved. Heading should be “Oh Good” Don!
My car sometimes looks like this after a weekend’s parking. At home!
In neighbouring Macau, galvanized but rusty tin roofs/shades are predominate, and I’ve seen cars heavily and extensively stained with rust leaching out from these roofs during the rainy season.
If this was taken in downtown Rochester Minn., then probably it was the Ravens (crows really) that were a problem. If you have seen the Hitchcock movie, The Birds, that is pretty close to what downtown Rochester was like. Best to park in patient parking lowest (underground) level.
I like the looks of the Yaris, but mechanically and dynamically they are horrible. It amazes me that Japanese car companies, specialists in small cars, produce dreck like the Yaris and the previous generation of Sentra.
44 PSI in the tires makes a huge difference dynamically. It makes it like an old French car – buckets o’ body lean but it hangs on tight.
Not sure about the mechanical issues other than it took a while to get used to the drive-by-wire throttle lag. Toyota never should’ve shipped manual cars without a tach), and I wouldn’t touch an automatic with a ten-foot pole.
I have driven a car with a drive by wire throttle since 2001 and have never noticed any lag at all in throttle response. In fact I notice that it seems quicker than the old drive by cable systems that I have driven in the past. Is this perhaps just a comment on the Toyota system?
If I were shopping for a B-segment hatchback then the choice would definitely be between
a Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TSI, a Renault Clio 1.2 TCe or a Peugeot 208 1.6 VTi.
Oh, what the heck. Get me the one with the lion and the biggest engine.
Definitely in town so no trees around. However, a lot of nesting material on the ground. A family of crows could do that over a week at least. I have dealt with crow’s nests in the past on in the tall mast of a ship by throwing it overboard. Seagulls couldn’t do this as they don’t overnight inland. Now if you have ever been under a tree where 20 or so California vultures have taken up residence at night you don’t want to see the morning aftermath.
I was making fun of a classmate in college who was looking at the Toyota website when these first came out. Then my friend stepped in and defended the guy because the “cute” little hatchback was a real gas saver. It is also supposed to be reliable and cheap to own. I preferred the look of the sedan to it which is now discontinued, and I’ve maybe seen only 3 to 4 guys ever driving the older generation hatchback. The latest Yaris actually looks and feels like a real car with plenty of room inside and the gauges aren’t in the centre of the dash. These cars don’t come that cheap and they retain most of their resale value, so even used ones seem pricey.
Oh boy. Better hope that paint job had some wax on there as a protective layer.
One another note, why is there so much negative talk about the Yaris? For a person that wants a small car with “no frills” features that will run for a while, it’s not the worst choice. Certainly better than the Chevy Aveo was and perhaps better than the Spark.
I would expect it to be a reasonable city car with decent mileage and so-so handling. It’s nothing more than a basic appliance. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It’s Toyotas business model and it works; either eay, I wouldn’t bash on it.
As soon as I saw the photo, I knew the comments would be full of Yaris hate!
I own a Yaris just like the one in the photo, except I keep it cleaner! I bought it used in 2009 and have put 120,000 miles on it. As soon as I brought it home, I ordered and installed a rear anti-roll bar and swapped the junky stock tires for a set of Yokohama 205/55Rx15s on wider aluminum rims.
My Yaris is a five-speed stick and although it’s not fast, it gets out of its own way. I have driven it on at Monticello and Summit Point on track days, so I have fun with it.
And until last year, when I retired, I commuted every day in it. The front seats are actually quite comfortable for me during long drives. Unlike a lot of other Japanese cars, the seat cushions give proper support under the thighs.
It gets 37 mph consistently in a mixture of stop-and-go driving and 80 mph highway driving. It has been 100% reliable. And when I bought it, I paid for it with a check. No monthly payments. So laugh all you want! I am completely happy with my Yaris.
When I heard all the crap about the Yaris that was covered with crap I wanted to go out and buy one. Your driver only needs to keep one person happy Allan. Good for you.I’ve got a cube and just want to throw things when I hear the nitter natter about them.
You need to grow a thicker skin. Not everyone is going to like your choice in cars or music or politics or religion or sports teams or *fill-in-the-blank*… so you need to learn how let things like Yaris hatred go. Different strokes for different folks and all.
Next stop carwash
In the words of Jonny Carson, “May the bird of Paradise take a liking to your car”
I’d say that this is an apt commentary on the car, but a co-worker has one of these (in the sedan version) and it is a surprisingly roomy and powerful runabout.
What the hell happened?! It looks like some birds decided to take a sh__ on someone’s car.
My thoughts exactly.
That’s pretty much what my tractors look like after being stored in the machine shed all winter.
It is scenarios that caused us to start parking the white car close to where the chickens roost versus the darker one. The choice is chickens (free ranging) or clean cars.
I’ve never been that fond of the Yaris. There were better subcompacts out there when it was introduced, and there are much better competitors now.
True, but do those better competitors have the same Toyota reliability/longevity? In this class of bottom-feeder, penalty-box small car where none of them are all that spectacular, that’s a huge factor. All many buyers of these cars want are seats, steering wheel, and the best reliability, low maintenance and fuel economy they can afford. On just those counts, the Yaris is a prime contender.
Yes the Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio. Both are more comfortable to drive. Look better inside and come with a 10 year warranty and actually honor that warranty without a song and dance unlike Toyota(yes I am jaded, Toyota screwed me over with warranty issues)
Although they’ve made great strides, Hyundai and Kia are still a little iffy on the reliability front. And, as others have pointed out, while the Fit is the leader in this class of car, you’ll really have to pay to get one.
Even though the Yaris trails in just about every other category, that magic Toyota nameplate means, for the money, it will at least start and drive with the most certainty. For those with limited funds in the first place, that assurance means a lot.
“Magic” Toyota nameplate? A Toyota will fall apart just like any other vehicle from lack of maintenance. A lot of so-called reliability issues are merely lack of maintenance issues.
I’d still pass on it. Even the Spark I rented was better than this POS, with just as much power.
I’ve owned one since ’08. If the Honda Fit had been in decent supply I’d have gotten one of those but I was quoted a two-month wait for a base manual Fit, at list price of course and with no choice of color (“we have a black one coming in March”)
After driving the Yaris, I ended up with the Honda Fit. This was ’10, so the Fit was not in short supply. With only 11hp difference, the Yaris felt a lot slower.
It started with the A-segment Toyota Aygo, but now all new Toyotas seem to get that typical X-mouth. This is the current Yaris 1.5 Hybrid.
The first Yaris was introduced in 1999. As far as I know all Yaris in Europe have been built in France.
Toyota’s recently introduced new Avensis (a D-segment sedan and wagon) also has that X-factor. There’s a lot going on there, on that face.
These Yarises do alright on New York’s dirt roads and pockmarked roads than other vehicles, but Beetles and Metros can take more of a beating. Not sure about the tires on this Yarns, they might get chewed to bits.
Good on you Brendan for pointing out the obvious; that’s one damn ugly car that got what it deserved. Heading should be “Oh Good” Don!
My car sometimes looks like this after a weekend’s parking. At home!
In neighbouring Macau, galvanized but rusty tin roofs/shades are predominate, and I’ve seen cars heavily and extensively stained with rust leaching out from these roofs during the rainy season.
That’s the proper treatment for a Yaris, IMHO…
If this was taken in downtown Rochester Minn., then probably it was the Ravens (crows really) that were a problem. If you have seen the Hitchcock movie, The Birds, that is pretty close to what downtown Rochester was like. Best to park in patient parking lowest (underground) level.
I like the looks of the Yaris, but mechanically and dynamically they are horrible. It amazes me that Japanese car companies, specialists in small cars, produce dreck like the Yaris and the previous generation of Sentra.
44 PSI in the tires makes a huge difference dynamically. It makes it like an old French car – buckets o’ body lean but it hangs on tight.
Not sure about the mechanical issues other than it took a while to get used to the drive-by-wire throttle lag. Toyota never should’ve shipped manual cars without a tach), and I wouldn’t touch an automatic with a ten-foot pole.
I have driven a car with a drive by wire throttle since 2001 and have never noticed any lag at all in throttle response. In fact I notice that it seems quicker than the old drive by cable systems that I have driven in the past. Is this perhaps just a comment on the Toyota system?
“Uh, excuse me Mister Passerby, my hands are full, could you open my door for me?”
This is a Yaris? I couldn’t tell; there was too much shit in the way.
I thought it was a Mitsubishi Mirage in which case it would be entirely appropriate for it to be covered like this.
The Craigslist ad would read “always covered parking”.
“Had the runs” when parked.
Maybe that is a Mirage….didn’t the Yaris have the radio antenna at the front of the roof? Either Yaris or Mirage, real s××tbox cars.
See gull? I don’t see no gull. All I see is buoys.
Craptastic!
So that’s what Bryce calls a shit heap.
If I were shopping for a B-segment hatchback then the choice would definitely be between
a Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TSI, a Renault Clio 1.2 TCe or a Peugeot 208 1.6 VTi.
Oh, what the heck. Get me the one with the lion and the biggest engine.
Renault has no presence to speak of in my country. VW has a questionable reputation here. That makes it no contest: Peugeot.
But I’d walk rather than drive a Yaris.
LOL, that happened to me once. With a much nicer borrowed car.
A neighbour parks under the same tree with no issues.
“Custom Exterior by Big Bird”
Definitely in town so no trees around. However, a lot of nesting material on the ground. A family of crows could do that over a week at least. I have dealt with crow’s nests in the past on in the tall mast of a ship by throwing it overboard. Seagulls couldn’t do this as they don’t overnight inland. Now if you have ever been under a tree where 20 or so California vultures have taken up residence at night you don’t want to see the morning aftermath.
No shirt Shitlock.
Finally some discerning birds found the right car to crap on.
I was making fun of a classmate in college who was looking at the Toyota website when these first came out. Then my friend stepped in and defended the guy because the “cute” little hatchback was a real gas saver. It is also supposed to be reliable and cheap to own. I preferred the look of the sedan to it which is now discontinued, and I’ve maybe seen only 3 to 4 guys ever driving the older generation hatchback. The latest Yaris actually looks and feels like a real car with plenty of room inside and the gauges aren’t in the centre of the dash. These cars don’t come that cheap and they retain most of their resale value, so even used ones seem pricey.
I don’t know what’s crappier, the car or what’s happened to it.
That car makes an 86 Hyundai Excel not look so bad.
Wow ! What a crappy car!
Parked under the sign of the Sacred Ibis by the looks.
Probably happened at a traffic light while waiting for the Camry in front to move………
That can’t be good for the finish. I can only imagine what it smells like.
Oh boy. Better hope that paint job had some wax on there as a protective layer.
One another note, why is there so much negative talk about the Yaris? For a person that wants a small car with “no frills” features that will run for a while, it’s not the worst choice. Certainly better than the Chevy Aveo was and perhaps better than the Spark.
I would expect it to be a reasonable city car with decent mileage and so-so handling. It’s nothing more than a basic appliance. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It’s Toyotas business model and it works; either eay, I wouldn’t bash on it.
Anything’s better than a Spark… I’m 6’3″ and cannot get behind the wheel of one even with the seat all the way back!
As soon as I saw the photo, I knew the comments would be full of Yaris hate!
I own a Yaris just like the one in the photo, except I keep it cleaner! I bought it used in 2009 and have put 120,000 miles on it. As soon as I brought it home, I ordered and installed a rear anti-roll bar and swapped the junky stock tires for a set of Yokohama 205/55Rx15s on wider aluminum rims.
My Yaris is a five-speed stick and although it’s not fast, it gets out of its own way. I have driven it on at Monticello and Summit Point on track days, so I have fun with it.
And until last year, when I retired, I commuted every day in it. The front seats are actually quite comfortable for me during long drives. Unlike a lot of other Japanese cars, the seat cushions give proper support under the thighs.
It gets 37 mph consistently in a mixture of stop-and-go driving and 80 mph highway driving. It has been 100% reliable. And when I bought it, I paid for it with a check. No monthly payments. So laugh all you want! I am completely happy with my Yaris.
When I heard all the crap about the Yaris that was covered with crap I wanted to go out and buy one. Your driver only needs to keep one person happy Allan. Good for you.I’ve got a cube and just want to throw things when I hear the nitter natter about them.
You need to grow a thicker skin. Not everyone is going to like your choice in cars or music or politics or religion or sports teams or *fill-in-the-blank*… so you need to learn how let things like Yaris hatred go. Different strokes for different folks and all.
Perfectly illustrates my feelings about tiny cars…