Consumer Reports Is On Crack!!! - Toyota Yaris Forums

carnageehw · 02-25-2011, 09:49 PM

I'm a driving instructor, and have 111,900KMS on my 2009 Yaris. Came across this site while researching for my new car (lease is up in April)

I've driven the 2009 model more than most people in history, most likely.
I don't think Consumer Reports is on crack. The Yaris is a slightly below average car. Here's my review:

What I like, and why Consumer reports is wrong:

1) Acceleration. On a flat surface, the Yaris' acceleration is good. It's light and quick, and getting on the freeway at merging speeds is always easy (Unless you're stuck behind the dreaded slow merger).

The exception to this, is uphill acceleration. Going uphill, this car stinks.

2) Handling. I think the yaris handles turns and evasive maneuvers really well. Parking is great and the steering is quite responsive and turning radius nice and tight.

3) MPG. Obviously pretty damn good, and really important in my line of work.

4) Center gauges. Most of the negative reviews I've seen mention this. It stupid to mention. It's obvious, and a matter of opinion. And yeah, if you're not used to it, it's weird and takes a few days to get used to, but that's no different than ANY new thing. The center gauges are excellent in my line of work, as I don't need to stretch to see any of the important things.

5) The horn. It's all over the wheel and I love it.

What I don't like, and why I think the consumer reports article is fair

1) The pedals. Holy crap are these things awful. Light and twitchy, smooth accelerating is something that is really hard to do. Way too many bumpy rides in thing.

2) Low quality interior. The Dash is cheap looking, and collects dust like no ones business. Which is more important to the Yaris, because there is no gauges in front of you, only the dash. The Shifter sucks, and my hand grip has been worn down like crazy. Yes, there are a lot of storage cubbies, but they are not very well thought out. You lose and change or pens in the center cubbies and it is really, really hard to get back out again. It's nice for papers and such, but it's really hard to see what's in there.

The Steering wheel and radio are average. Nothing even worth mentioning, even though I just did :)

3) The cupholders. This could qualify as "interior" but I hate them so much. They are RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE VENTS! What the hell? In the winter, my cold drinks get heated up And forget about a can of pop in the winter. You have the heater on, and the pop can is too hot to drink from. In the summer the Air Conditioning is blocked!

4) The noise. Ugh. This car is LOUD. The sound system is decent, buit when the car is running, especially at high speeds you can't hear anything. The road noise is so loud. Louder than any car I've ever driven. Even the windshield vibrates loudly from time to time!

5) The ride. It's bumpy. I know it's a cheap car, but it just doesn't ride well at all. Bumpy, loud and this car drifts quite a bit.

6) The reliability. While I've obviously driven the car a lot, I've had a few major problems. I won't get into it unless anyone cares, because anecdotal evidence is just that, but let's just say I'm not thrilled with the Toyota Quality.

So all in all, I'd rate it what the original review rated it: A slightly below average car. I'd only recommend it to people who don't drive too often, or too far.

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02-25-2011, 09:49 PM	#11
carnageehw Drives: 2010 Fusion Hybrid Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Toronto Posts: 88	I'm a driving instructor, and have 111,900KMS on my 2009 Yaris. Came across this site while researching for my new car (lease is up in April) I've driven the 2009 model more than most people in history, most likely. I don't think Consumer Reports is on crack. The Yaris is a slightly below average car. Here's my review: What I like, and why Consumer reports is wrong: 1) Acceleration. On a flat surface, the Yaris' acceleration is good. It's light and quick, and getting on the freeway at merging speeds is always easy (Unless you're stuck behind the dreaded slow merger). The exception to this, is uphill acceleration. Going uphill, this car stinks. 2) Handling. I think the yaris handles turns and evasive maneuvers really well. Parking is great and the steering is quite responsive and turning radius nice and tight. 3) MPG. Obviously pretty damn good, and really important in my line of work. 4) Center gauges. Most of the negative reviews I've seen mention this. It stupid to mention. It's obvious, and a matter of opinion. And yeah, if you're not used to it, it's weird and takes a few days to get used to, but that's no different than ANY new thing. The center gauges are excellent in my line of work, as I don't need to stretch to see any of the important things. 5) The horn. It's all over the wheel and I love it. What I don't like, and why I think the consumer reports article is fair 1) The pedals. Holy crap are these things awful. Light and twitchy, smooth accelerating is something that is really hard to do. Way too many bumpy rides in thing. 2) Low quality interior. The Dash is cheap looking, and collects dust like no ones business. Which is more important to the Yaris, because there is no gauges in front of you, only the dash. The Shifter sucks, and my hand grip has been worn down like crazy. Yes, there are a lot of storage cubbies, but they are not very well thought out. You lose and change or pens in the center cubbies and it is really, really hard to get back out again. It's nice for papers and such, but it's really hard to see what's in there. The Steering wheel and radio are average. Nothing even worth mentioning, even though I just did :) 3) The cupholders. This could qualify as "interior" but I hate them so much. They are RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE VENTS! What the hell? In the winter, my cold drinks get heated up And forget about a can of pop in the winter. You have the heater on, and the pop can is too hot to drink from. In the summer the Air Conditioning is blocked! 4) The noise. Ugh. This car is LOUD. The sound system is decent, buit when the car is running, especially at high speeds you can't hear anything. The road noise is so loud. Louder than any car I've ever driven. Even the windshield vibrates loudly from time to time! 5) The ride. It's bumpy. I know it's a cheap car, but it just doesn't ride well at all. Bumpy, loud and this car drifts quite a bit. 6) The reliability. While I've obviously driven the car a lot, I've had a few major problems. I won't get into it unless anyone cares, because anecdotal evidence is just that, but let's just say I'm not thrilled with the Toyota Quality. So all in all, I'd rate it what the original review rated it: A slightly below average car. I'd only recommend it to people who don't drive too often, or too far.