2YR/25K Retrospective/Review (French-Built 2015 Yaris SE, Manual 5-spd)

[Kalispel]

I can't believe it has already been two years since I purchased my Yaris. Time flies, eh? (more so, the older you get!). I'm taking her in this coming Monday morning for the last complimentary dealership ToyotaCare service visit @ 24,500 miles, and to change out both the front and rear windshield wiper blades. Sitting unwanted on a car lot in Colorado for almost a full year in 2014-2015, plus two years in the brutal AZ heat has them both starting to fall apart at the outer edges of the rubber wiper insert.

So far, the only maintenance items done to my car has been the regular 5K, 10K, 15K, 20K, & soon the be 25K ToyotaCare service (basically oil change & tire rotation). I also purchased the OEM cabin and engine air filters online at around 20K and installed them myself - which I will be doing at least every 20K in this dusty/dirty environment to keep A/C and engine airflow optimal. I also plan to start using full-synthetic OEM oil as of my 25K service (will pay the difference at dealership on this next oil change).

Below is a rundown of my two-year ownership impressions and experiences . Interesting enough, some of the opinions that I expressed in my initial purchase impressions posting back in 2015 have changed/evolved somewhat over the last two years.


Warranty Fixes/Repairs from July, 2015 to July, 2017:

(1) Little plastic horizontal fins that sit under front bumper, in front of each front wheel were very loose and not installed properly at the factory. Dealer corrected the issue, and they are both now properly installed and tight/secured, as they should be.

(2) Minor, but annoying vibration noises from both front door control/pillar areas over rougher roads (which most are around here). Dealer corrected by adding sound/vibration dampening materials where needed. No more unwanted vibrations/noises in the cabin of car.

I've read about people with a lot worse issues on their various new cars while under warranty, so I will count myself very lucky here (plus Toyota just builds quality cars in general).


My Positive Impressions:

(1) I've averaged 41 MPG combined over the last two continuous years of suburban/city driving here in AZ, USA. No long highway trips taken - just daily work commutes, shopping errands and the like around town. That's better than I was expecting when I purchased my Yaris. I'm not the hyper-mile type, but I do try to drive smart and I rarely ever drive over 60-65 MPH in the type of area that I commute around in.

(2) No complaints about the shifting/driving dynamics of the clutch or manual transmission in general on my 2015 Yaris. I was expecting it to be worse than the many previous Honda shifters I have driven over the years - but it isn't. The car also has good road manners, as in no 'drifting/pathing' at highway speeds or high-wind buffeting situations in general. Corners are tight, controlled and flat for the stock SE suspension/height, though the added TRD rear-sway-bar has helped out even further in that regard. Steering feels precise and sporty, though some might find the larger tuned turning radius on the SE not to their liking (hasn't hindered me yet). Braking is excellent and controlled, though can be a bith touchy/grabby sometimes at lower speeds. Cabin wind/road noise levels are actually better than I thought it would be in a car of this size/type.

(3) I like the somewhat edgy/risky european styling, overall, on the 2015 in the SE trim (not so much in the stock L/LE trim, where it just doesn't mesh properly with the (lack of) equipment provided). Probably not surprising to hear from me, since I did buy one, right?. This car definitely seems to have a deliberate styling that you either love or hate. I really love the design, look and function of the 2015 SE projector headlights, with integrated LED DRL in particular. I've also really grown to like the OEM black/silver-streaked alloy wheel design of the SE, even If I wish it was at a slightly different offset (pushed out a few more mm). It just works for this car.

(4) The upgraded front seats in the SE are comfortable, effective and attractive. Zero complaints here.

(5) I really like the single front windshield wiper design on this model.

(6) The manual version of this car really is better off without an armrest getting in the way, due to layout of gearbox, seating, etc. - so lack of armrest isn't an issue for me like it was initially on my first impressions.

(7) Love the (not overstated) regular OEM hatch spoiler. This car doesn't look right (to me) without one. Also like how the hatch garnish trim is painted on the 2015-2017, versus being chrome like it was on the 2012-2014. The taillights also look really good on the car, all things considered, and don't bulge or protrude annoyingly - even if they are just a cheaper U.S./NA knockoff of the much cooler LED versions available in Europe, etc.


My Negative Impressions:

(1) Not a fan of the cheap look/feel of the climate control knobs, and the big, blank, generic flat black plastic area they sit upon. Some other markets have a nicer setup in this regard. The A/C works great though, even at 120 degree fahrenheit!

(2) I've really grown to dislike the look/design/placement of the reverse light housing on the 2015-2017 model. You can even hear it annoyingly vibrating against rear-bumper/valance back there when you travel over patchy/tiled roadways at low speeds.

(3) Lack of the upgraded LED taillights, an OEM exhaust tip. side-mirror turn signals and properly-styled rear bumper reflectors has been a disappointment in this model. They should have been standard on the SE trim if nothing else (at extra sticker-price expense of course) - especially since they are all installed/available in other markets of the world on this model. Very tacky Toyota.

(4) Even though I adapted to not having it, it would have been nice if there was a plated footrest to left of clutch/brake, instead of a carpeted wedge that can easily become soiled/damaged/worn if you use that area as a footrest.

(5) Hate the huge, bulging rear-seat headrests in this car. I wish that they were somehow modular enough to fold down to appear like how the middle one looks (low profile), and wouldn't need to be removed to fold down the seat for larger capacity hauling.

(6) Not a fan really of the touchscreen system in the environment that I live. Even with tinted windows, the blazing AZ sun just turns it into a big, annoying glare-screen much of the time. Looks fine at night though. Luckily, I don't really need to interface with it much, as I just play my 4GB USB flash drive MP3 music collection in an eternal loop while I'm driving.

(7) I hate CD players in cars, especially in this day of age. Long history of CD players dying in my Honda's back in the day, right after warranty expired. It was like clockwork, lol.

(8) Wish that the stock SE suspension sat 0.5 to 0.75" lower than it does. Spring height can be a tricky thing for me, in that once it exceeds a certain point, the car starts looking (to me) like something 'broke' on it. More than a 0.75" to 1" drop just wouldn't work for me.

(9) Accelerator is a bit touchy, and takes some getting used to. If you wear thick footwear like boots, it is hard to get a feel for the gas pedal, and you tend to either give it not enough gas or too much (this makes driving a manual a real chore). In bare feet, socks, or normal loafers/shoes, it isn't an issue once you get the feel for it. Needless to say, I will not wear my skecher boots when I am driving my Yaris.


Well, that wraps up the 2 year impressions/review of my Yaris. It's a great little car, and easily one of my favorites that I have owned. It brings back that fond old CRX-Si & Acura Integra vibe from the 80's & 90's for me.

-