2009 Toyota Yaris Lockhart TX

December 7, 2009   By Alison Lakin, Associate Editor


2009 Toyota Yaris
DriverSide Overview








When the Yaris debuted in 2007, critics praised the little car for driving more like a competent sedan and less like an inexpensive, sub-compact car. The Yaris also boasted a comfortable interior, which felt more substantial than what the low price tag might have suggested, and featured an appealing exterior vastly different than the econoboxes currently on the road. But the big question was whether Americans would actually buy something that looked better suited to circling the Arc de Triomphe than a Westfield Center parking lot. Zip ahead two years and the Toyota Yaris is alive and kicking – boasting sales figures of over 102,000 sold in 2008. A good blend of Japanese Kei car and European hatch, it delivers on functionality – try to count all the storage spaces – and drivability, with a suspension taut enough to make the drive entertaining. Retaining the low MSRP of $12,205 meant trimming out many tech features and amenities that come standard on other cars, like power doors and folding rear seats, but being able to afford a new car might just make up for it.

What's to Like

Like a Pixar film, this car’s looks appeal to everyone. Its rounded, oversized headlamps and bubble-shaped hatchback trim make it irresistible. Toyota recognizes that owners need room for their stuff, so cup holders and cubby spaces are plentiful and fit a variety of storage needs.
 
What's Not to Like

Seat height can’t be adjusted and the steering wheel doesn’t have a telescoping function, both limiting the size of the driver who feels comfortable in the Yaris. As expected, the interior is filled with hard plastics. The rear seats aren’t made for long journeys. 
 
The Drive:

DriverSide Driving Impressions

Here we have an example of a near-perfect city car. Transmission shifts aren’t intrusive and downshifts don’t lag nearly as much as you’d expect for a budget car. Its buzzy, small displacement engine provides just enough grunt to climb hills, though an eternity passes before the transmission downshifts for high speed passing. What doesn’t help the situation is a gas pedal as wide and durable as a whittled-down toothpick. Suspension is tuned just perfectly for city streets, where the Yaris won’t meet a bump it can’t soften, and the steering, while light, doesn’t feel as twitchy as some others out there. The compact only falters when it comes to cabin space itself, which feels too vertically compacted. A low roof and high floor make it obvious that the Yaris was designed for physically smaller people.

Engine and Drivetrain

For a 2,300-pound car, a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 106 horsepower and 103 lb-ft of torque could be considered quite robust, as long as you’re not planning on spinning it around an autocross track. The fi...

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