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| 2007 Toyota Yaris Review | |||
| Whether you're about to spend $40K on a brand new car, or half that on a used car, it is always important to learn as much as you can about the used car. Read these car reviews to learn about all aspects of the vehicle. Each of the usedcar reviews cover interior and exterior features, options, road tests, and more. | |||
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Introduction
| Road Test
| Inside & Out
| Other Thoughts
| Last Word
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| Road Test | |||
In contrast to the usual news of a higher-output engine and meaner specs, the Yaris sounds like a rerun of its predecessor. We've got the same 1.5-liter twin-cam 4-cylinder with VVTi valve timing, the same 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions (both with slightly more aggressive final-drive ratios), same front struts and rear torsion beam suspension, and the same P175/65R14 tires with the same P185/60R15 upgrade. Nothing's wrong with reusing what works, especially in a class with as much mechanical homogeneity as this one. Still, stashing all the same stuff into a 221-pounds-heavier body hardly gets the heart racing.If the real race for subcompact sedans is for all-around competence, the Yaris is still in the running. It's peppy, it moves about with a pleasant ease, and its character tends more towards Corolla lightness than Camry numbness - a subtle but favorable difference. The wheel responds with an immediacy that belies the ponderous-sounding 19.7:1 steering ratio, and The World's Greatest Turning Circle (32.7 feet) consigns the idea of a 3-point turn to the history books. When duty calls in suburbia, Yaris says yes. It doesn't object to tougher assignments, either. Despite an inclination to lean sideways in hard turns and dive in hard stops - and despite a dramatic 7.1-inch elongation of the wheelbase - the Yaris's quick responses, revvy engine, and firm 15-inch tire bite make for a reasonably entertaining workout in the twisty stuff. If you brake hard when turning, there's even a bit of oversteer if you wait for it. For a car so che...er, inexpensive, it's also pretty adept at nullifying noise (road and wind, mostly), and while the back wheels can dance around on rough roads, the ride is forgiving, too - possibly even more so than the current Corolla. These guys are getting better with that torsion beam. And better with the engine. Yes, it gives the same mousy motivation as before, remeasured at 106 horsepower and 103 pounds-feet of torque under the new SAE scale. But while those numbers stayed put, the EPA fuel economy estimates snuck up to 34 city / 39 highway to become highest of any gas-powered car on the American market. That explains how the Yaris just climbed to the top of our 97-car-high fuel economy database - stepping on the Honda Fit's head on the way up - the moment it finished a mostly-freeway run with 35 MPG. One tank later, it stepped on its own head by returning a jaw-dropping 38. And with its newfound status as an Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle, the world can share in your good fortune. There's always a catch. The engine gets the job done, but hill-climbing and passing power are pitiful. The engineers tried to compensate through the transmission, apparently by writing a line of software code that reads "spend every possible moment in second gear!" At times, this tranny can also shift down hard, then shove its way back up across its big ratio gaps. I suppose we're a little spoiled in this age of five-speed automatics - an age where Toyota didn't follow the Honda Fit's lead. Something they did follow is the new-age Japanese car habit of steering that feels a bit too darty when turning the wheel just off center. On a related note, the Yaris's electric power assist can suddenly spike up at low speeds, creating moments of temporary disconnect. Finally, Toyota didn't weed out the brake pedal grabbiness that sets in near the bottom of travel, making stop-and-go driving more tedious than it has to be. However, considering the balance of flaws to strengths, the Yaris stands as an econobox that's more frugal in fuel than in feel. |
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