My 2012 Yaris review...

[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).