Faults:

- Rear hatch leaks water into the boot during heavy rain. Unable to find the leak location, but the boot mat is always wet.

- Central locking unreliable in the cold, and locking/unlocking from the passenger door does not actuate the driver's door.

- Rust on the rear wheel arches and rear skirt (previously driven in North Germany, so hardly a surprise).

- Exhaust pipes rot.

- Rear left park light goes out intermittently. A knock on the light hull fixes it temporarily.

- Headlights surface faded with a yellowish tint. New headlights cost 60 EUR/piece.

Other than that, no real mechanical or electrical failures.

General Comments:

I am the 5th owner of the car and have put 30k km on the clock within a year. This is a combination of city driving (Munich), casual highway and B-roads drives and super-long journeys abroad (1200+ km). I am writing this review on the morning after a 24h non-stop trip from Bulgaria to Germany, through snow, ice, fog, rain, wind and endless waiting at borders. This was the last day of a 4000 km journey over 10 days. The Yaris never missed a beat.

Pros:

* Reliable.

* The engine is a gem! While not offering stellar performance, it is surprisingly torquey for its size across a wide RPM range and can keep the tin can cruising at speeds of 120-130 km/h all day long. Getting there requires some patience, but once up to speed, it just pulls and pulls.

* Nippy city-driving.

* Large windows provide good visibility.

* Practical - can accommodate a washing machine in the boot with the rear bank folded down.

* Decent ride for its size, but enthusiastic cornering is not recommended.

* Plenty of headroom both at the front and the rear. Four adults with limited luggage can survive a short journey in relative comfort.

* Well equipped with A/C, trip computer, ABS, electrical windows and mirrors.

* Engine bay is easy to work in.

* Cheap road tax.

Cons:

* The seats!!! I am 183 cm. tall and never seem to be able to find a comfortable driving position. One needs short legs and long arms to drive this car, it seems. Journeys longer than a couple of hours can be agonising.

* Fuel consumption ranges from 4.5-5 l/100km on relaxed B-roads, up to 7+ on highways and city driving. I feel it is a bit too thirsty for what it offers, but compared to the 2.6 Mercedes 190 I previously owned, I cannot complain.

* Noisy - one hears every fly and every stone that hit the car, and the stereo has to fight hard with the engine noise at highway speeds.

Faults:

Considering the car was one of the very first Yaris's produced in April 1999 (made in Japan, not France), it has been extremely reliable, and has only needed regular service items such as tyres, oil changes etc until just in the last year (2010) when its original exhaust started to blow - after 10 years on the car.

Needed a couple of front roll bar drop links last year, and a new fuel filler pipe, which had corroded through on the breather pipe due to its position behind the rear wheel with no protection from water spray. This allowed water into the fuel tank. If you have an old Yaris, have a look at your filler pipe where the breather joins it at the top, it will probably be rotten by now, and a problem in store if water contaminates the fuel - Be warned! The part was £80 (dealer only) and easy to fit. Other than this, excellent, and better than any other previous car.

General Comments:

Great little car that has been the ultimate in reliability! It's easy to park, is uber frugal on fuel, and has the advantage of the rear seats being on a slider so that the boot can be made bigger if no one is sitting in the back seats.

It's got all the toys (A/C, electric windows, CD player, trip computer, and nice comfy plush seats, with lots of headroom too).

The only little niggles are that it is a bit rattly from the rear suspension now, and the gear change mechanism is a bit clunky, but it is nearly 12 years old now, and it's weathered really well.

Acceleration is slow though, especially with passengers in the back seats - so don't buy the 1.0 if you want a fast car! It's best as a town car for doing the shopping and ferrying the kids to school LOL.

The Yaris holds its value very well too, and this one still commands a high price over most other cars its age - because everyone wants one, and most women love the "Cute" looks.

The verdict - Excellent car!