Comments on: 2009 Toyota Yaris YRS Review

By: MichaelR

MichaelR — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:13:49 +0000

confusdd: what did you decide?

By: MichaelR

MichaelR — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:09:51 +0000

Been test driving small cars for a suburban run-about last week end. Mazda 2 was the nearest in price but pedals so close together, you’d have to be bare foot. Also it struggled to get up medium hills around Hornsby with only two passengers. Honda Jazz in the 1.3l engine looked good but had little power and $4k extra for the 1.5 was steep.The Yaris sedan seems roomier, maybe not powerful but I’ve had two NRMA guys (don’t ask) say Toyotas never break down so how can you pass them up? Price seems to be $20K manual; can I get better?

By: JJ04

JJ04 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:32:33 +0000

^ So you look at the road ahead of you instead of down at the dash

By: Byron

Byron — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:29:16 +0000

This car makes me sick. Literally. How you can put the speedo in the middle of the dash & accept that as been safe, i don’t get. I couldn’t drive a car without the speedo in front of me. It’s completly stupid. All the dials surrounding the speedo look just as bad. Exterior is pretty sh*t, it’s done cheap;y, wprse that a Barina. Lol. I’d rather a Fiesta, Getz or Barina. Whats the go with the value on Yaris. Not cheap for a small car. You don’t get much for what u pay. Yaris would be my last choice for a small car. Most other small cars don’t have the speedo in the middle. Idk how it sells. Probably fleets & Daddy’s little girl, who must be blind buying this. Pretty sh*t job Toyota. I’d look elsewhere. Go HOLDEN!

Can someone explain why manufactors put the speedo in the middle of the dash?

By: confusedd

confusedd — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:04:55 +0000

Im really confused now. Ive just read the list if comments above..i was really keen on buying a yaris( just an hour ago ive been calling all the toyota dealers) but nw i seen to be leaning towards the mazda 2 or a honda fit possibly?

By: g

Sun, 17 May 2009 06:35:20 +0000

way to many around. swift sport much better…looks and drive.

By: Heather

Heather — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 07:13:39 +0000

I have a 2006 Yaris. No it isnt fancy but what a fantastic car. All depends what you are into. We have to travel nearly 2 kms on a dirt road and it handles it so well – nothing rattles or has fallen off – love the centre digital display, the steering wheel music controls and very good air conditioning. I have an auto and it goes along really well. I test drove the Honda, Getz, Mazda and Kia and this was by far the better car. Yes, it would be nice if there was more boot space and it is not a family car – nice if the interior was more expensive looking – but really to get from A to B you cant go wrong.

By: .,.

.,. — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 04:23:57 +0000

It’s Boot space is so tiny that it is almost useless…If you guys want practicality do not buy Yaris

By: mick

mick — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 04:09:12 +0000

I recently bought a base model 3door 1.3ltr yaris. I own a security company and we have a regular nightly patrol run, the yaris has just completed 30,000kms (does 220kms each night.) So far it has been a trouble free very cheap to run reliable vehicle. I did a lot of homework before the yaris was considered and toyotas reliability stood out above the rest. It may not be fast and sporty but it does what i expect it to do and that makes it a winner to me.

By: wiki

wiki — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:46:35 +0000

if the oil prices were to go up today all the male egos would go down the drain. people dont buy cars like yaris because its a mans car or a girls car. its cheap gets the job done and is certainly more reliable than a commodore or a falcon. its not a fun cars to drive if your looking for high Kw’s and pin sharp conering but if you want to save a lot of money than yaris like the mazda 2 and the swift are the way to go.

By: Greg Shaman

Greg Shaman — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:56:33 +0000

BTW, just because grannies, young chicks or gays drive the Yaris and you are none of the above, it doesn’t make the car any worse (or better), by itself.
Sure, you wouldn’t be doing doughnuts in the Yaris, but if you are keen on sporty performance, why would you even consider the Yaris, anyway?? If you want Volvo level safety, by a Vol… err, buy a Merc. The point is that when taking the price into account, the Yaris is an OK car. Perhaps, it’s not for everybody but no car is and most people could live with one. Just don’t be a wood duck and pay RRP at the dealer!!

By: Greg Shaman

Greg Shaman — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:38:59 +0000

I think many of the criticisms of the Yaris mentioned in the previous posts are not warranted and are mostly coming from people who never even driven one. The missus has one and I end up driving it once or twice a week.
To be honest, I wouldn’t be getting such a small car but it’s her car, her choice. I’m used to sports motorcycles, wagons and AWDs. Still, I must admit, the yaris is not a bad little runabout.
We have the YRS auto which has no problem keeping up with traffic. It actually has a reasonably solid feel and the doors close with a satisfying thud. I tried out a few small cars and with my 6′2″, I just couldn’t find a comfortable position in most, no matter what adjutments I tried. The Swift for example just didn’t feel right. The Yaris had angle and TELESCOPIC adjustment for the steering wheel, which made the trick. As nice as the Mazda3 is, the Mazda2 just feels like a tiny car while the Yaris feels more substantial than what it realy is – in a nice sort of way. The looks? Nothing special but it’s not too bad, either. It’s a matter of what floats your boat.
Inside, controls just fall into the hands. Everything felt natural after just a couple of drives. (In contrast, after 5 years of driving it, I still have to hunt around for the controls on my Freelander.)
Suspension and road holding is not bad. It does start to show its limits above 100kmph but around town, it’s just fine. Steering is too light and braking is a bit spongy but they both do the job well enough. If there is one design flow, its the accelerator. It’s just WAY too sensitive in the first few mm of travel. What were they thinking of??! Again, it’s something that you can get used to after a few drives.
Overall, if you look at individual aspects, the Yaris is not best at anything (except maybe resale value). You’ll find something with larger boot space, better steering more powerful engine etc. Those other cars however, will also have some serious flaws, while the Yaris is consistently either very good or at least competent. If my earlier Camry is any guide, Toyotas are reliable, too.
If you take the new price into account, I think it offers better value than the competition.
If you want a versatile, comfortable little car, you should try it out, yourself. If you have a single-minded requirement for just one thing, like maximum storage space, by all means, it’s worth looking elsewhere.

By: NotTheStig

NotTheStig — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:56:59 +0000

Perhaps you haven’t had a problem but I certainly wouldn’t want to be in one if you have a accident.

Mark – do you really think you are safe driving at 140km/h in a light tin can ? You don’t value your life at all…

Listek – are you really that silly to think that because something sells the most, it is the best ? – you are seriously deluded…

It is a good car – for grannys going down the bowling club or driving around town at low speed. Nothing else.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:31:46 +0000

I totally agree with Jode & Listek. I have owned many cars, including a 240Z, V6 & V8 Commodores and lots more. I bought a new Yaris YR 3 door in 06 to do a daily 3 hour mostly highway commute. Also did some 6 hour country trips in it as well. 28000km in 6 months and not one problem. Heaps of room, fun to drive, good stereo & it cruised easily at 140+ kph. Brilliant car. My brother who is a Motor Mechanic by trade agrees – After driving mine, he bought a Yaris Sedan. 60000 kms without a problem. They even have a camchain and not a timing belt. Highly recommended.

By: Listek

Listek — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:11:53 +0000

What is it about blogs that promote such maladjusted and missinformed diatribe? Do you people read the tripe you write? The Yaris is the best selling car in its class as it’s clearly head and shoulders above all else in a hotly contested market sector. Period. The people who buy them are not fools, they’ve done their research and purchased on merit. Unlike the majority of fools writing the above comments. Grow up and look at things objectively.

By: JODE

JODE — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:51:14 +0000

I had an echo and loved it so much I now have a 1.3 Yaris I find it really versatile and it had more than enough power I stick to the speed limits and its fine. The manual gear box is nice and responsive the steering is direct, all the dash controls are in the right place, it has a nice rev counter and digital odometer. The small space at the back can be used for comfy seating or extra luggage, there are cup holders galore and a good stereo also three glove boxes, It has a full size spare tyre which i think is wonderful. It is wonderful on petrol/environment has a good safety rating , it is everything i could want in a small car but heh what would i know,I am a chick and the Yaris was built for ..well..ummm..chicks

By: FRUGAL_ONE

FRUGAL_ONE — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:34:09 +0000

The Yaris like most but not all BIGT products is underdone and over priced.

Mind you the haonda Jizz is even worse value.

For mine, just $1k more you can buy a larger, better equipped and more powerful Hyundai i30, really liking that vehicle, never thought it would take the Corolla of my wish-list

Cheers

F-0

By: James

James — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:14:51 +0000

Its a fine small car period.

I would rather spend money on the Mazda 2 as its slightly cheaper.

But with discounts anyways, I would probably end up getting this over the Mazda.

Fiesta?…. err..

And its just funny how some are bagging on its performance…. lol, completely over your head…. its designed for people who wants a reliable, cheap to run car…. and yes styling is obviously biased towards females….. as the majority of its market is well…. females, young females too.

It is overpriced… no doubt, but thats because Toyota Australia can charge that much and not really affect sales negatively…. the benefits of a well built vehicle, and reputation (obviously).

but the people bagging on its performance, looks etc… just absolutely dont get it… its not for you… but for the intended market… they like it.

By: Yea baby

Yea baby — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:58:38 +0000

Given the age of this car relative to the other competitors with fresher designs, it not a bad result. I’d take the Mazda 2 or new Fiesta but the Yaris is better than any of the Korean offerings.

By: realcars

realcars — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:05:23 +0000

Sure is.

So is the new Hilux add going on with the unbreakable theme of course. I couldn’t think of any thing worse than driving one of those things around all day.Oh my back.