Under the hood of a 2012 Yaris

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by CanIHazYarisHatch?

You make many logical and valid points in this post, Roxy.

Of course Toyota didn't do a complete re-design of their engine! Designing a new engine (even a humble four-banger like in the Yaris) costs hundreds of millions of dollars and takes years. I can assure you at Toyota, at this moment, they are developing the "new" or "refreshed" engine for the 4th gen Yaris due in 2014 (I read this somewhere).

Someone commented earlier that "Why doesn't Toyota give the Yaris 45+mpg?"

Well, if they did, it would cannibalize Prius sales, a sub-brand they are trying to grow at the moment. Also, the Prius, although at first not, is now VERY profitable for Toyota per-unit. The Yaris is not. It is supposed to be basic, reliable transportation that doesn't hinder people's lives.

I fully acknowledge that Honda and Toyota especially, have dropped the ball as of late. They have chosen to be "comfortable", which I call lazy, and just play it safe. Well, as they have been stretching out on their respective couches, the competition has started to catch up, and in many cases, surpassed them. Hyundai, especially.

That said, I have seen the new Accent, and it is hard as hell to see out of from the mailbox slit-like rear window, and it doesn't look very good, either. I also hate the interior design. It also no-longer comes in my beloved 3-door configuration. I am sure it will find many happy buyers, and will be very reliable.

Toyota chose to take a middle-of-the-road approach with the '12 Yaris. Not super decontented like the Versa (USB port, power door locks, even on the base model), or (in my view) overcontented like the Fiesta (a "decent one" is around $17k and can easily hit $20k).

There will be buyers for the stripper-special Versas, lots of them if previous sales figures are any indication. Good for Nissan.

There will be buyers for the excellent Fiesta, though few due to the higher cost of entry. Good for Ford.

But there will also be buyers (fewer than the Versa) for the '12-onward Yaris. It's a simple, honest, and "old" refreshed car. But you know what? Some of us like that, and hate excuses about DI engines getting clogged with carbon for 2 more MPG highway. In this economy, parting with our very hard-earned cash, we don't want to gamble on something unproven, or as I call it "too new". That's one reason why I won't buy the Fiat 500. It looks snazzy, comes in a 3-door, and was fun as a bag full of frogs during my test-drive several months ago. But let someone else be the beta-tester, I'll pass. Sales numbers for the A-class 500 back up my suspicions on Americans not wanting to take a "chance" on an unknown.

For this class, balancing simplicity and imagined luxury is very tricky. However, though not setting the world or it's class on fire, I think the Yaris has a place, a home. Those that test-drive it will at least come away with a high view of it's road manners, refinement (for it's class, again), and high build-quality. This is a reliable, simple economy car in the same vein as the Tercel, itself a very reliable, if very unpopular car in it's class at the time.

I kind of like that, but that's just me. Call me an old codger.

i share alot of your sentiment. i just think the price point is just off a bit. a '12 yaris base model may make it into my driveway yet, but only if i can get one at under $14k.