3rd Nov 2009, 15:38

Had my Yaris for almost 3 years with a little under 75k on the odo. Nothing has ever gone wring with it. It's a sedan with a 5 speed manual. I have no idea about the "clutching techniques" that the original poster writes about. I have no problems with it in dry, rain or snow. This is one of the easiest clutches to modulate. I get 40mpg on the highway only if I keep it around 65, which is never. I am always at 75-80, and in the city I can't honestly say that I am gentle either. All in all, I average 36mpg mixed, which is satisfying.

13th Mar 2011, 20:39

Most people never complain about their gas mileage with a Yaris. It's been the winner in fuel economy for a while, and that's with either transmission. I don't have a Yaris, but my Echo automatic is very fuel efficient. I plan to keep it for as long as I can. Four dollar a gallon gas is only a few months away.

If you want to see complaints over poor fuel economy, just take a look at the Chevrolet Aveo reviews on this site. It's hard to believe a car that small can get such poor fuel economy.

14th Mar 2011, 15:45

The last two tanks of gas in my car have yielded 30.3 and 31.2mpg for mixed city-highway driving. I drive a fully loaded, safe and comfortable Ford Fusion. I just can't see dropping down to a flimsy subcompact for a 5mpg improvement in mileage.

15th Mar 2011, 19:26

"I just can't see dropping down to a flimsy subcompact for a 5mpg improvement in mileage."

I'm quite content with my 'flimsy' 'unsafe' subcompact. Not everyone can afford or needs a fully loaded midsize car that's 100%, absolutely safe in every single way.

1st Apr 2011, 16:09

I think the Yaris will be running long after the Fusion. Sorry, till American cars match Japanese cars over the long haul, I'll stay with Toyota and Honda.

2nd Apr 2011, 07:49

I agree. I just rented a 2011 Chevy Malibu, and found when refilling the gas tank, that it had gotten 30 mpg in conditions dominated by doing 70 mph on the interstate, along with some minor city driving. I thought it was great that you no longer have to buy a puddle jumper in order to get good gas mileage, but can actually drive a real car instead!

2nd Apr 2011, 14:53

How great it is that you drive a 'real car,' from a company that went 'really' bankrupt. I think it's great that I can choose a car that I can afford to purchase, and not throw myself into debt because I need to live beyond my means.

It's also great that I chose one of the most reliable and fuel efficient Toyota cars over a Ford small car, because the Focus has been known to stall when going through puddles.

3rd Apr 2011, 11:07

It's no longer simply a matter of opinion. Long-term reliability studies based on actual owner's experience based on 2007 models (well before the recession) clearly show that the world's most reliable cars are built by Ford (J. D. Power, March 2011). The Lincoln brand now holds the number one spot, which for a decade was swapped back and forth between Lexus and GM's world-class Buick line. In addition, the Initial Quality Study of problems with new cars as reported by the owners themselves now ranks Ford ahead of both Honda and Toyota. Toyota has dropped to 21st place, 19 notches below Ford. It ranks in the bottom 3rd of all car makers in build quality.

3rd Apr 2011, 20:38

A Ford Fusion literally has nothing to do with a Toyota Yaris. For starters, the Yaris is almost $7,000 less. It's an entry level compact car more akin to something like an Aveo or a Ford Fiesta. These cars serve their purpose, which is to offer an affordable and economical product. Hence why they're called "entry level".

Secondly, all cars sold in the US undergo a strict regiment of safety tests. All must meet the criteria. The US has some of the strictest safety standards in the world. Thus it's totally inaccurate to say that a small econo car is by default- "flimsy". They're built exactly the same way as your Fusion: A rigid unibody construction with all the required safety features.

Lastly, some of the newer econo cars offered now get as much as 40+ MPG. The Chevy Cruze and the Ford Fiesta do. Its also important to realize that since the 70's and 80's the overall interior space of most compact cars is equal to some of the midsized cars from the 80's- like a Taurus. If you can have just as much room in a smaller car as a larger car, then why own a large car in the first place?

4th Apr 2011, 12:06

" The US has some of the strictest safety standards in the world. Thus it's totally inaccurate to say that a small econo car is by default- "flimsy". They're built exactly the same way as your Fusion: A rigid unibody construction with all the required safety features."

Not really. No small car can have the safety of a larger, heavier car. The laws of physics can't be broken, even by rigid safety requirements. That is the primary reason so many Americans prefer larger vehicles. No small car can provide the safety of a large SUV or pickup truck. Although I know we need to save gas, I feel much safer with my family in a large, truck-based SUV. My wife has been involved in two crashes over the past decade. Neither were her fault (she is an excellent driver). In each case her large SUV received virtually no damage while the other, smaller vehicles were totalled. We have lost several friends who were killed in small Japanese compacts in collisions with larger domestic vehicles. That is the reason most all of our friends insist that their children only drive truck-based SUV's or full-sized trucks. Of course this wastes millions of gallons of gas daily, but until our government takes the wise course of outlawing larger vehicles (which I totally believe it should), then most drivers will feel safer in more substantial vehicles.

4th Apr 2011, 14:46

I completely and totally agree. A Malibu and Fusion has NOTHING to do with a Yaris. They only reason they post is to dump on small cars because it makes them feel superior. Safety wise, they may have a point, but to claim a small car is not a real car, or it's a flimsy puddle jumper, is just throwing out insults with no fact behind it.

4th Apr 2011, 14:59

What does Lincoln have to do with a Toyota Yaris? This discussion was supposed to be about the Yaris. It's a small car, not a luxury car. Also, I don't care what J.D. power says, Ford has a pathetic track record for small cars compared to Toyota. The Aspire was Ford's last subcompact. It's an entirely forgettable car. The Focus set a record for recalls for six years of production. What does J.D. Powers have to say about that?

Ford didn't even offer a subcompact until the Fiesta of this year. Meanwhile, Toyota filled that void with the very good Tercel, Paseo, Echo, and Yaris. Those four cars have offered reliability, and excellent fuel economy for years. None, of them were affected by recalls, either. If you want to take a compact car, the Corolla is the number one selling car of all time. I don't suppose J.D. Powers mentions that.