Thrifty Yaris vies with hybrids -- but at a price
If you need help naming your kid, don’t call on Toyota.
Toyota’s newest bundle of joy has been dubbed Yaris, which sounds more like the name of a great-grandpa or great-grandma, not an automobile.
Yaris is a small, low-priced mini whose rating of 34 mpg city and 39 mpg highway gives consumers a viable alternative to gas/electrics.
Though 34/39 falls short of the 60/51 rating in the Toyota Prius hybrid, what it lacks in mileage it makes up for in price. With a base of $12,550, Yaris is about $9,000 cheaper than a Prius, which starts at $21,725. Even at $3 a gallon, $9,000 will buy a lot of gas.
But Yaris is more than just an alternative to a hybrid. It also is an alternative to the current South Korean minis or one of those Chinese-built cars expected to land on U.S. shores within a couple of years.
It should be noted also that Yaris isn’t Toyota’s first mini. It previously offered the Echo, which was built on a 7-inch shorter wheelbase and was 5 inches shorter overall than Yaris.
But Echo was an example of the right vehicle at the wrong time. Mileage (33/39) was equal to that of Yaris, and its base price ($10,500) was even lower. But Echo was dropped after the 2004 model year. It never generated a following because gas prices never got high enough to panic buyers into checking one out.
Yaris is in the right place at the right time. But before you rush out with checkbook in hand, understand that the low price and high mileage mean making some sacrifices.
One is the 1.5-liter, 106-hp 4-cylinder engine teamed with a four-speed automatic. It responds to pedal pressure with a groan, needs a running start to get up steep inclines and doesn’t dart out into the passing lane with much authority.
To maneuver up and down hills, the automatic transmission comes with shift logic to keep it from shifting frequently. But even that doesn’t help the less-than-muscular four cylinder perform more vigorously.
And the suspension doesn’t cushion every imperfection in the road or take sharp turns or tight corners without leaning unless you back off the accelerator.
Standard tires are 14-inch, all-season radials. A narrow-profile, 15-inch, all-season radial is part of the optional power package. Neither, however, is meant for pinpoint handling.
Though Yaris replaces Echo, it keeps one feature that should have been dropped when Echo was: The instrument stack is in the top center of the dash rather than its more conventional -- and easier to see -- place directly in front of the driver. We tested the 2007 Yaris sedan (a smaller, two-door hatchback is also offered) and dials and gauges in the center of the dash are as welcome as putting the steering wheel there would be.
Another Yaris novelty is flip-open cup holders in outboard corners of the dash directly in the path of the hot/cold air vents to warm your coffee or cool your soda. (Or vice versa.)
The mini Yaris is 8 inches shorter than a Corolla, the step-up car. Though you have decent leg and head room front and back for the short commute to work, long-distance travel is a challenge. The seats don’t offer a lot of cushion or support. On an 800-mile round trip, the back, butt and legs ached, which caused a lot of fidgeting while looking for rest stops.
With its low base price, the sedan certainly talks to those on limited budgets. But the base price is kept low by making priority items options. Example: You have to do without such essentials as power windows, door locks and mirrors and anti-lock brakes unless you come up with the $2,175 for the optional power package.
