My 2012 Yaris review...

[john21031]

Good review. Please don't rev the engine to 6000 rpm since this car is going to be owned by someone else. It's bad for the engine being new and not broken in. Same thing with the brakes.

I have '10 fit and compared to the fit, the '12 Yaris LA Auto that I drove, was a floaty boat. The steering is much more vague. The car follows road bumps and groves like a car that's made for the elderly (think Grand Marquis).

The fit is definitely a more fun to drive car, has flat cargo floor/seats area, has a new engine design, but a bit more expensive.

[CanIHazYarisHatch?]

Originally Posted by roxy1

i dont suppose you noticed how fast it was revving at 60 mph or 70 mph...or maybe you didnt get up to those speeds.

I was only on the side roads, it was Halloween night during the test drive, and people were impatient as all get out. What is the engine speed at 60 or 70? I imagine it's probably 3 grand. I've read the new Yaris has overdrive, you I didn't see any buttons or switches indicating such. Can someone enlighten me?

Originally Posted by auxmike

As for the Yaris; DON'T pay over sticker! Sounds like they don't want to develop a relationship with you, just your wallet. I still can't find one in my area, BUT if I decide to get one, I will wait till spring when there should be a better supply. I'm very eager to finally find one to check out and test drive....

It is a sweet little car. It's not perfect (very heavy steering at low speeds), and road feel through the 3-spoke wheel is indeed vague until you start getting up to speed (30-ish mph). It also looks killer in the Magnetic Grey metallic. It's a three-way tie between the Grey, Lagoon Blue Mica, and Blazing Blue Pearl. I just need to see the colors in person before I decide.

I live in Texas, so what would be a good out-the-door price? Sales tax is 6.25% of sticker (or sale price, if I can bargain the dealer down), so at $15,100 (hypothesized sticker), about $16,100 with TT&L all included? This is just my first new car, and I don't want to get ripped off. Any advice guys?

Originally Posted by john21031

Good review. Please don't rev the engine to 6000 rpm since this car is going to be owned by someone else. It's bad for the engine being new and not broken in. Same thing with the brakes.

I have '10 fit and compared to the fit, the '12 Yaris LA Auto that I drove, was a floaty boat. The steering is much more vague. The car follows road bumps and groves like a car that's made for the elderly (think Grand Marquis).

The fit is definitely a more fun to drive car, has flat cargo floor/seats area, has a new engine design, but a bit more expensive.

Normally, I wouldn't have done this, as I actually care about the next owner's experience...but I was in a major city, test driving on Halloween night, so people were driving like maniacs.

I would consider the Fit, but it looks like an MPV, and is, in my view, overpriced. I am only interested in the sleeker looks of 3-door hatches. If the Yaris was only in 5-door trim in the U.S., I wouldn't even look at it. Kind of superficial, I know...but I can't stand more than two doors, or an auto transmission in my cars.

The Fit is a brilliant drive, though.

[SilverBack]

Originally Posted by john21031

If I wanted a Yaris that had an interior almost exactly like the Fit, I would've bought a Fit. Moving the gauge cluster behind the steering wheel is the only improvement I see. The designers could've done just a little better.

[broody]

Originally Posted by john21031

Good review. Please don't rev the engine to 6000 rpm since this car is going to be owned by someone else. It's bad for the engine being new and not broken in. Same thing with the brakes.

I have '10 fit and compared to the fit, the '12 Yaris LA Auto that I drove, was a floaty boat. The steering is much more vague. The car follows road bumps and groves like a car that's made for the elderly (think Grand Marquis).

The fit is definitely a more fun to drive car, has flat cargo floor/seats area, has a new engine design, but a bit more expensive.

My mother has a 09 mt fit and at work we have a bunch of yaris (from 2005 to 2011, one at, the rest mt) and they really both have qualities and defaults. I also test drove the '12 yaris today (mt). The fit has a more direct steering for sure, but on the highway, it's too sensitive compared to the yaris steering, and the turning radius of the yaris is significantly shorter, I delivery around town, make u-turns and such, and I can really feel the difference. I didn't drive the 2012 enough to say if it's the same or worst (certainly not better) than the 06-11. As for the shifter, the shifter of the fit is sharp, but a bit notchy, and I feel like you can harm the tranny more easily, the 2012 yaris seems to be a bit notchier than before, but I like it that way.

Also, the worst thing about the fit is that it's really noisy (the 2012 has more sound proofing apparently, while the yaris 2012 is not improved) and the seats are not comfortable at all for me (mainly because of the bump in the back and the lack of leg room), after 1-2 hours I feel pain, and the engine is revving really high with the manual tranny, my Toyota MR2 turbo 1993 is more fuel efficient on the freeway...

The 06-11 yaris wasn't much better than the fit for the seats, but the 2012 yaris now has the best comfort and driving position in the segment, and this is the major point that would make me buy one now, instead of something else.

So, the fit is fun to drive, and I can stand the harsh suspension, but it's still too noisy and not enough comfortable for me, especially if I want to make a road trip. So what's the point of that big trunk if you end up driving around town and cannot use the car for a long trip? And even if the steering has a quick response, in the end, it doesn't communicate more than the one in the yaris, you can't feel the road. I got used to the yaris steering and I like it has much for city driving (mostly for parking maneuvers and u-turns) and it's more stable on the highway. Both cars have a poor throttle response due to the drive by wire.

Otherwise, the new yaris seems to have more room in the backseats (as much as the fit, except for the head) and the fit and finish is nicer than before.

And the fit may have a more modern engine, but fuel economy isn't better, and both engine are still similar in terms of behavior (both vvti/vtec).

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by broody

Also, the worst thing about the fit is that it's really noisy ).

yep. its brutal. i knew after 2 minutes on the highway that i could not take all the noise invasion into the cabin.

its made even worse on the manual fit which spins at ridiculously high rpms.

[broody]

Originally Posted by roxy1

yep. its brutal. i knew after 2 minutes on the highway that i could not take all the noise invasion into the cabin.

its made even worse on the manual fit which spins at ridiculously high rpms.

The 2012 has more sound proofing, but 3 years to fix such a big issue is a bit long... and the mt fit still has ridiculous gearing.
The yaris 2012 could be better sound proofed and have a 6th gear too, but it's not quite as bad as a 09-11 mt fit.

I read that the yaris se has 2.3 turns lock to lock, but the turning radius is much bigger, so I don't get the point in the end... for me the small turning radius of the yaris is what makes it better than most around town. And from the reviews I read, the canadian CE yaris has quite different equipement than the L yaris.

Also, I don't know in USA, but in Canada, the Corolla is a grand cheaper than the yaris... but I test drove the Corolla and the steering is horribly soft and slow.

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by broody

The 2012 has more sound proofing, but 3 years to fix such a big issue is a bit long.

the 2012 is the one i just drove. if they improved it i cant imagine how bad it was before.

there is still way too much road noise getting in. what they should have improved is the mpg's. the yaris, sonic 1.4, new versa, and especially the accent put the fit near the bottom of the class in that category.