You bet, my friend!
I went to AutoBeef, CarInfo, CarSurvey and TruDelta to survey the long-term reliability of the 1NZ-FE that still powers the 2012 Yaris. Dating from the days of the Echo, and refined endlessly since then, this engine holds no dark secrets of thrown rods at 32k (Dodge Caliber), stupid-@$$ timing belt nonsense (VW), etc. The 1NZ-FE is nothing short of peerless in this class, it's refined as hell. At idle, you cannot feel it or hear it running from the drivers seat (with the windows rolled up)! Only the Fit's engine comes close, but then, you have to deal with the fact you are driving a glorified mini-MPV wrapped around it.
One year ago (don't know what the order is now) Consumer Reports rated the Yaris second only to the Corolla in fewest owner complaints.
Let the anti-Toyota haters hate; Toyota still builds a world-class automobile, and I, for one, am honored to support such a company focused on quality and value. I am glad I can put thousands down and not worry when the warranty expires (Fiat 500, Chevy Sonic--why I didn't chose one of these).
I have complete confidence this car will go the extra mile with me, and I will get real value out of this vehicle.
Where the last-gen Yaris was becoming stale and uncompetitive in it's class toward the end, the new one addresses all the nagging things that prevented me from buying it in the first place: the rubbery gearbox now has a bolt-action feel to it. The drab and low-grade interior, with it's ill-fitting plastic panel work, are now replaced with a more sporty, and upscale interior, where all the panels fit snugly, all the gaps are razor-thin and even throughout.
The feminine, puppy-dog styling has been replaced with a more aggressive, edgy, and decidedly more classy appearance; fit and finish is also at the top of the class, based upon my seat-time in the '12 Accent, Fiesta, Fit, and Rio. The paint, especially, makes the car look like a $17k car...not a $15k base loss-leader.
I am glad that this class (along with the C-class) is heating up. We, as lovers of small cars can only win with more options available to us. We will also win if gas goes up--we will suffer less than the gas hogs. If gas falls, then we will run our cars on pennies.
We Yaris owners win no matter what, which is yet another reason why I love this car so much!
220 miles on the ODO as of tonight...and hundreds of thousands left to go!
