2009 Toyota Yaris Sedan 1.5 from North America

Summary:

Decent car, but no thanks on purchasing one

Faults:

Nothing happened while I rented it for the 2267 miles.

General Comments:

I was getting 39+ mpg on the highway with very little city driving.

It goes around corners quite well and handles good.

All I own are manuals, so I'm not used to automatics, but it did not seem much if at all quicker than our 1999 Hyundai Accent with a manual. I did not like the automatic transmission shift characteristics, it seemed to either barely accelerate or downshift with the motor screaming while highway driving.

I was wearing hiking shoes, and the footwell has a decent sized lip where the center console ends that would constantly catch my foot when letting off the gas.

The plastic steering wheel is very slippery, and made long days of driving a little more painful. I even did some shopping around for a steering wheel cover, but couldn't justify $20 for a rental car.

Center console is a negative buying point as well. The speedometer is off when looking at it from an angle. I found it much more convenient to use a GPS on the driver side window as a speedometer. The bar graph for fuel would be better as an analogue needle to better judge when 1/8 of a tank gets to be closer to an empty one.

I prefer to sit with my legs stretched out more, and this is the only small car that would actually had adjustment left! Every car and truck I've owned I have the seats permanently to the stop for leg room. Only thing is the steering column needs to be longer or a telescopic one. With the slippery steering wheel and being a further reach, I found it uncomfortable driving.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th September, 2009

29th Dec 2010, 15:12

The Yaris is a great choice if you want great fuel economy, and reliability. It's also one of the few Toyotas unaffected by the massive recalls. I drive its predecessor, the Toyota Echo. It's five years old, and I've not had one single problem. You get used to the center console, and the space inside is amazing. I wouldn't trade it for any of the new subcompacts like the Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Ford Fiesta, or the awful Chevrolet Aveo.

12th May 2011, 16:33

Driving two thousand and whatever miles in anything starts to suck.

15th May 2013, 07:11

Good point about the steering wheel needing more adjustment, for tall drivers. I'm 6'3 and there was no adjustment to make it comfortable, because the pedals were too close and the steering wheel too far, so I had to stretch my arms while driving. Sold the car since then.

2009 Toyota Yaris Base Sedan 1.5 liter 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Quality refined comfortable small car

Faults:

Nothing was wrong with the car.

General Comments:

I just spent a week driving a 2009 Toyota Yaris Sedan with an automatic transmission. After a week, I came away HIGHLY impressed with the car. Gas mileage was excellent as expected, but what I didn't expect was the car's quiet ride, peppy engine, and comfort level.

For a base model of Toyota's least expensive car, I was completely impressed with the refinement of this little car. It was attractive and roomy for its size. It was very quiet inside even on long highway rides. It cornered well without much body lean, and its engine and transmission were quick and responsive without being noisy or showing vibration.

Seating was very comfortable for the driver, and I took 4 people and luggage on a day drive with plenty of room for everyone.

Toyota has done its homework with this car. I have heard lots of amazing reviews of the Honda Fit, and I look forward to driving one to compare, but it will have to be an amazing car to beat this little Toyota. I highly recommend it to anyone on a budget looking for a new car, and who appreciates quality.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th December, 2008

10th Apr 2011, 16:31

It's unfortunate that most Americans don't appreciate or hate the Yaris. It's far better car than most realize. I think it's just as good as the overrated Fit.

21st Aug 2012, 20:20

Comfortable? Can I have some of your drugs?

The Yaris is definitely not comfortable at all. Me and my friend (who owned one a while back, I always used to give him crap about owning it) took a trip from Boston to New York in the car, and when we arrived at our destination, I felt like my butt was on fire. The seats are rock solid, and there's not enough legroom for tall people. I mean, if you can get past the fact that it is one ugly mutha and that your ass will need an icepack after a trip, then it's really not that bad of a car for the money.

My friend's Yaris was a 2007, so I really don't know how the 09's are, but I don't expect much of an improvement, as the vehicle wasn't restyled until I believe 2010.