Ae's Review Of The New Yaris

[Bos]

I do love my Yaris indeed. You said the MK2 Yaris is not as good as MK1 or the Starlet. I would say that the quality of my current Yaris is just as excellant as the MK1 Yaris. I have had both MK1 and MK2 Yarises. I had other brands but they came nowhere close to as good as the Yaris. I was thinking of getting an IQ or Auris next but now the new Yaris has me tempted instead.

I'm glad you like the new Yaris. I was not that impressed when I had a test drive in an 3 door SR. The car went OK but I think there are now better cars out there, unfortunately. I hope you enjoy your test drive at that time.

I would not buy a 1 litre car because most of my journeys are long distance, a 1.3 sized car is better, particually on the steep hills we have in South Devon. The 1.33 is also too expensive for the equipment I need.

I know that most small 'superminis' have a plastic dash, but for price it should be better.

[Adam C]

I've also moved up from previously driving a Starlet though I never sampled a mk 1 Yaris from the driving seat.

I must say the Starlet was a solid little thing. The mk 1 Yaris carries that over too. Interior of the mk 2 Yaris was a bit less solid than the Starlet but it isn't something that worries me either. If it were a French car (manufacturer, not build), half of the interior panels would've probably fallen off or broke. Better than a Corsa though, let me tell you that!

I've been invited by my dealer to go see the new Yaris on Friday feeling not overly won over by the car yet. Dreading that dashboard! Looks a bit more plain than the Starlet one (and then you got the touch screen interface which sounds like the main feature going for the new car thus far). Time will tell when I sample one but I have no plans to trade mine in. STILL can't get over the removal of Stop/Start and what looks like a tripling of the road tax for that engine with the manual box

[adamc260]

I think the new yaris looks amazing, wish I waited and got it instead of a Skoda. How wrong was I thinking they're a brand thats turned things around. The car rattles something awful, the dealerships are so unhelpful and Skoda UK have done nothing for me. Wish I waited and stuck to Toyota!

People rave about VW and I can't see why.

My dad has a 2009 Ibiza with a 1.4 16v engine that sounds like a diesel. The diesel engines are VERY clattery, even the new common rail ones. I drove one with a Skoda dealer and he said 'These engines are so quiet compared to the old PD ones' which must of been deafening because this one was like a tractor!

Overall impression of skoda... meh!

Next car brand, back to Toyota at least I know where I stood and had good service!

[avensis57tr]

Saw the problems you had with your Fabia on briskoda adamc260 shame as it is a good car (had 4 now lol) sounds like you got a real lemon car and dealer. Still looking forward to trying new Yaris think it will be what my mum replaces her current one with. Which touch wood has been great so far and much better that the first avensis she had for reliability and the second one for economy plus looks like Toyota has concentrated upon safety on all models of the new car which gets a big thumbs up. I like the Yaris and I'm 24 so maybe there doing something right still think they will find the main market is 50+ downsizers maybe a new t-sport with a supercharged 1.33 would do the trick to target a younger age group.

[daveybee]

Edit: Just read the review at the front of the post - IMHO it's depressingly accurate... could be time for me to take cover!

autoexpress hated your yaris too... probably even more :-)

Agreed, but I've driven both and know which I'd rather have.

BTW, my dealer was saying that his average age for a Yaris owner was 65! All of a sudden, I feel very old...

[gloucester]

I'm glad it's not just me that thinks some of the comments from car magazine reviewers are somewhat biased against Toyota. A flustered chassis! People get flustered. No feedback from the pas! We're not talking about F1 cars. Just everyday normal cars. What do they expect? Plastic dashboards seem to be a favourite with most of them as well. Low rent is another term. Perhaps they have a secret book with lots of phrases to use. Of course they also make odd remarks about other makes as well. Could it be just to fill up column inches? Justify their wages? As for average age of buyers, I'm 63! Regards.

[Lorna2]

Those motoring journalists only think the Yaris has 'cheap plastics'. They should try having a look at the plastics in the Peugeot 207, they really do look cheap. I sat in a friend's Peugoet 207 today, what a disappointment it was, the seats were rubbish. (the 207 is a year old). It was like sitting on an old mattress,I couldn't believe the difference,compared to the lovely comfortable seats in my Yaris.

[Madasafish]

Of course, motoring journalists really are ignorant of "real world " motoring.#

I thought of buying an Audi A2 at the time I bought my Yaris. Read the posts on the A2OC forum and then compare here with the posts complaining of electrical failures, wiring failures and aluminium door hinge problems. Not to mention FSI engine problems.. The volume of Yarises (Yari?) sold is 10 to 15 times those of A2s. The volume of posts on A2 problems is 10 times those of Yaris problems..

Or Audi with its spate of engine problems on the new 2.0 litre TDI engine...

Now where in any motoring magazines do you read of them?

# they tend to drive cars under 1 year old (often on loan from manufacturers...)

[Cyker]

I never understood why the A2 gets recommended as a good 2nd hand buy by motoring journalists and magazines; My brother wanted a diesel one until we drove it; Feels soo gutless compared to my Yaris and is so un-fun to drive. Plus it's ugly as heck!

Thankfully he came to his senses and now has a Corolla 2.0 D4D :D

[daveybee]

I think it's one of those things, that you conform to the norm, or you're prepared to step outside the accepted and do something a bit differently. When I was working and eligible for a company car, I shunned the norm (BMW 3 series, Merc C Class or Audi A4 / A6) and went for an Avensis T-Spirit to huge amounts of derision - it was surprising how many people decided that maybe I wasn't so mad when they travelled with me though.

I've loved Toyota since then, irrespective of what the motoring press say but coming back onto subject, I was disappointed when I drove the new Yaris. All the quirkiness, and the general feel of airiness has gone from the cabin. Alright, in our SR, the dash plastic isn't the best and the door cappings are a bit naff, but in the new one, it really does feel as though Mr. T. has gone for a sort of brushed black plastic all over the cabin that is just plain nasty (IMHO). It wouldn't be quite so bad if it drove better than ours, but it doesn't...

Dave.

[alfiejts]

Hmmm.

I really want to like the new Yaris. We've had Yarii continuously since 2000 and our local dealership experience is brilliant - but I've just dropped both of ours off for a service this morning and got my first chance to see the new Yaris in the metal and I'm underwhelmed.

Firstly, I know every manufactuer likes to have a "family look" to their range, but I really couldn't tell it from many of the other Toyota models on the forecourt - I had to read the Badge on the back to tell the Yaris apart from some of the other models. At least you can recognise the iQ, the old Yaris and the Aygo as distinctive models even if they do share a common family toyota look...

And then I looked inside and I'm sorry but iits just not a place that I want to sit and spend a lot of my life.....

Yes there was some nice touches like the red stiching on the handbrake gaiter and the seat trim (I assume it was a sporty model I was looking at...) but it was just a sea of black blandness.

In my view it a typical "Japanese" interior. Lots of heavy bland blacck plastic. SOme nice technical features but I'll bet there wasn't any input from a European design studio. It just doesn't do it for me, I'm afraid and the view and experience from the drivers seat has to be positive for me to want to buy a car.

I think Ford have done a brilliant job with the interior and exterior design of the new Fiesta. Its everything the new Yaris should have been. If only it had a Toyota Badge on the front instead of a Ford Badge......

[grin factor]

The age thing is a joke. We have 2 Yaris's in our family owned by my daughters, 24 & 25. Both are MK1's, a 52 & a 55 plate colour collection. The 55 plate is the better of the 2, getting 49 mpg and has a tad more power.

The new Yaris is in my view "run of the mill" now. It has, as been said before lost its individuality. The centre dash set it apart too. I doubt very much it will become an addition to our family

Journo's get paid to review cars, and have to say something to justify their pay slips, hence some of the rubbish we read. Forums are a much better place to get a balanced view if things.

My own car is a MK7 Fiesta, 1.25, and does drive like its on frails. However, you have to be sensitive with the throttle pedal, as giving it too much does not, as you would expect accelerate quicker, but slugishly. It needs gentle pressure to make progress. All 3 Fiesta's I test drove were the same, could be due to emissions laws etc, but it is a big down side to the car. TBH, I prefer to drive the 55 plate 1.3, its engine seems more alive.

[gloucester]

Hello Grin Factor. What does driving on frails mean?

Regards, Pete.

[grin factor]

Hello Grin Factor. What does driving on frails mean?

Regards, Pete.

Hello Pete - a minor typing error, should read rails. A tad like a go kart.

[Adam C]

I got an invite to go see the new Yaris at my local dealer on Friday. I was slowly starting to warm to it as I do like new things plus the Touch & Go system appeals. Also as a car I do feel it has a good look, but doesn't look enough 'like a Yaris', not cute anymore. It seems to match the Verso-S though in my opinion . . is the Verso-S also built in France?

I'm STILL not sold on the design of the dashboard as that has also moved away from the 'Yaris look' with its many storage cubbies, three glove boxes, centre digital instrument binnacle and (in the mk 2 model), the silver/grey panel that goes down from the instrument binnacle to the power socket. It looks too plain though the plastic they used seems similar to that used on the Prius dash. I still think they should've kept the Stop/Start system and the sliding rear seats!

Had a drive of the new car yesterday, it felt good on the road and I was impressed that the car was more than happy to trundle at 30mph in 5th gear (1.33 TR 5 door in Chilli Red minus Stop/Start . . one or two of you may have driven the same car). Using 5th gear at 30mph in my old Starlet attracted the wrath of my ex's dad! But even my Yaris (old 1.3) is more than comfortable in 5th. The car and engine were so quiet, smooth and the car pulled well in a NSL going uphill in 6th. The 'shift' lights telling you when to go up or down the gearbox seemed to be well set up for the car. I loved the satnav screen which shows the speed limit for the road you're on, points of interest, even a BP logo where there's a forecourt (which unfortunately in the past 12 months was turned into a Jet outlet). Also got to try the reversing camera too, that was impressive.

Autocar etc may say this engine is 'weedy' but god knows how they drive the cars. I've seen them often talking about cruising at 80mph . . . I'm sorry but why go on about the car's cruising ability at a speed that we are not legally allowed to drive at? Are they encouraging us I wonder?

My experience & opinion of the car. I like the car but too many of the core features are missing. I love my own car too much

[Lorna2]

Just after reading another New Yaris review:

http://www.businesscarmanager.co.uk/pages/roadtests.asp?id=418

[Red diesel]

New Yaris just came 4th in a 4 car group test in the latest what car, it was up againsed the new Kia Rio and the Ford Fiesta but sadly i can't remember the 3rd car. Their comments was something along the lines of "promised much but failed to deliver in too many areas or words to that effect.

Red diesel

[Lorna2]

New Yaris just came 4th in a 4 car group test in the latest what car, it was up againsed the new Kia Rio and the Ford Fiesta but sadly i can't remember the 3rd car. Their comments was something along the lines of "promised much but failed to deliver in too many areas or words to that effect.

Red diesel

Oh Cheek of them! They clearly don't know what they're talking about ... as usual

[Bos]

Oh Cheek of them! They clearly don't know what they're talking about ... as usual

All car magazines/reporters are the same. The cars they seem to prefer are usually those whose owners end up disgruntled with problems.

Although I must confess I do do like the new Yaris as much as the previous models. After driving Toyotas since the mid. 1970's I am sure that the quality has gone down even if they have more equipment. :o

[Geoff Peace]

Well now, I will add my twopennyworth! I have just bought one of these cars the 1.3 TR model for my wife. Apart from the4 fact that it looks like a spaceship, all cars do to an oldie like me! I cannot fault it. Very nice to drive, comfortable, and if it is as reliable as the yaris I traded in, a 2005 model I will be more than satisfied. Just one small nitpick, I think the clutch slave cylinder is inside the clutch bellhousing, I prefer them to be external, much easier if a seal fails. Other than that, an excellent car.

Regards Geoff Peace.

[gloucester]

Just read the comments about Toyotas not being the quality they were in the seventies. Generally I do not agree with with that. I worked in the car trade for many years. Much of it in car rental. Most cars were much more basic than they are now. They drive better, are much safer and have more of the things most of us want: Air-con, PAS, central locking, electric windows, immobilisers, air bags, better fuel economy, better tyres, better brakes, decent sound systems the list goes on. And they don´t go rusty like they did back then!!!! It´s progress. I´ve heard the comment more than once that " They don´t make them like they used to". My answer is always: Thank goodness for that.

Regards, Pete.

[Madasafish]

All 1970s cars rusted.. If my 8 year old Yaris was an 8 year old 1970s Toyota, it would have rusty door bottoms and wings...

[Red Yaris 54]

I got an invite to go see the new Yaris at my local dealer on Friday. I was slowly starting to warm to it as I do like new things plus the Touch & Go system appeals. Also as a car I do feel it has a good look, but doesn't look enough 'like a Yaris', not cute anymore. It seems to match the Verso-S though in my opinion . . is the Verso-S also built in France?

The Verso S and the new Yaris share the same mechanicals of the floor pan, however the Verso S is built in Japan and shipped over to the UK

(Not wanting to get into wether the Jap built cars are better quality than the French built)

I think that Toyota hope to sell more Yaris's in the UK than the Verso S but feel that the Verso S is a far more practical car and is aimed at the slightly older buyer than the Yaris

[gordonD4D]

cant comment on the mk3 as i have only seen the add on tv as for build quality regarding the mk2 , in the past few years ive owned a vw touran and a BMW 330 D M sport and i dont see them being any better screwed together than the yaris

[Yaristotle]

A pretty decent review from Honest John.