My Initial Review -- Long Version

[schreck]

After driving the 2009 Yaris 5 door hatchback for slightly over a month and roughly 1,000 miles, I feel somewhat qualified to make several comments.

First, the positive:

1. For those who feel acceleration is lacking, please be advised this is not a Ferrari. I find no great problem with scooting around and the only time I feel lag is when I decelerate and then accelerate without stopping (for example, when going around a corner blending into another highway). For whatever reason, the tranny seems to hang instead of dropping down.
2. Complaints abound about engine noise when under heavy acceleration. Unless my 09 is different than the rest, I hear it as a nice growl. Unpleasant noise is what you get from the Chevy Aveo under load.
3. Smooth ride. Surprisingly smooth.
4. Fuel mileage is not bad. I got 370 miles on 9.5 gallons and mainly city driving. That’s around 39 mpg. The only car I’ve ever owned with better mileage was my 90 Daihatsu Charade and it had a 1.0L (60 CID), 5 speed manual, and 3 cylinders with about 45 hp. The Yaris has close to 110 hp out of a 1.5L (90 CID) 4 cylinder engine and an automatic tranny. The difference in mpg between the two is probably 5 or so.
5. I find the center mounted gauge cluster a winner. I take my eyes off the road less than with a center mounted version since it sits higher on the dashboard.
6. The interior is a nice assortment of well designed cubbyholes and appointments. Like the cloth on the door instead of the usual cheap plastic.
7. If you can’t find a storage space, get a van. You’ve got 3 glove boxes and a couple hidden cubbyholes, not to mention more space in the rear above and beside the spare.
8. The minimalist switch design is appreciated. Want to have some fun? Get into a MINI and see if you can figure out what half the switches activate. With the Yaris you get three switches with easy to understand diagramming.
9. Might not sound like much, but that rear window defogger is killer. It clears my window off within 2 minutes unlike my Mazda3 that could take several minutes and several miles to get clear.
10. The electric throttle and steering is unique, to say the least. As stubby as the front end is, there is space behind the engine to add additional things (such as a turbo for the adventurous in the crowd).
11. Maintenance is relatively easy. My previous Mazda3 had an inaccessible battery tray setup and an oil filter that could be accessed only by removing the front air dam. I can actually see the oil filter on the Yaris by just popping the hood.
12. Small touches help. 30 second power allowance to raise or lower windows after the engine is off is nice. The engine “cool” light is okay and the flashing gas gauge to tell you, “Hey, stupid, you’re just about out of gas” is nice, too. Really do like the extender on the driver’s visor that allows you to extend the visor’s coverage when using it as a side deflector.
13. Just a minor point, but the power windows are the quietest I’ve ever had. Barely a peep up or down.
14. My insurance premium dropped substantially from the Mazda3.

Now for the negatives:
1. Who dreamed up the radio display? It’s not visible in any amount of daylight and there’s no way to increase the contrast. And what about the size of the unit itself? It appears to be a double DIN but it’s not quite there meaning any radio replacement requires a retrofit kit.
2. Intermittent wipers are nice, but some adjustment would be nice. Also, why a huge wiper on the driver’s side and such a small one on the passenger’s? Cripes, it looks like a 3 foot wiper on my side and about a 12 incher on the other. May as well have used the Mercedes one wiper system.
3. No intermittent wiper in the back, which would be nice. On or off but nothing in between.
4. Cruise control on the left of the steering wheel is awkward. All of my previous cars have had it to the right of the wheel. Also, why no cruise indicator light on the dash?
5. You have your choice of trip A or B or overall mileage on the gauge cluster, but not two at the same time. Minor inconvenience.
6. If you have a 20 ounce soft drink bottle and use the front cup holder, you block the a/c vent. Yes, I know the door has a holder but have you tried to reach that while driving? On the positive side, running the a/c means my drink stays cold longer!
7. One power outlet up front? They’re not that expensive, Toyota. Same for no tach except on the dressed up models. Not that expensive.
8. Steering wheel adjusts up and down but not telescopically while the seat only goes forward and back. You’d better not be too tall or too short or you’re just too screwed.
9. Bridgestone tires are A rated, but the treadwear is only good for about 15,000 miles? Nearly everybody I’ve run in to that has owned a Yaris had to ditch the tires after about 1.5 years of driving. Worst part is, these tires aren’t cheap to replace unless you go other than Bridgestone.
10. You have two sets of lights in the roof assembly. The ones up front are for reading maps and the light assembly in the center is activated when the doors are opened or the key removed. Problem is, the lights up front result in a roof bump that partially blocks the rear view mirror (and does anybody use maps that much anymore?). One or the other, but not both. Meanwhile, the trunk light is puny to be of any worth.

Now for the recommendations for Toyota:
1. Add a tachometer for all models along with an engine temperature gauge.
2. Replace the radio display with one that can be read during the day.
3. How about a trunk release on the remote?
4. Upgrade the tires to have better treadwear.

[The little red pill]

Those are great points. Here's a few randoms points that I've observed:
My car, which I bought last month, came with Goodyear Eagle LS's. I read the reviews on Tirerack and now I'm scared to drive in the rain with these tires! lol. I'm getting Kumho Solus tires when these wear out which are very highly rated and only $55 each!
Also, the auto tranny seems overly loud when switching gears. Like from reverse to park, you hear a distinct click. My cobalt was whipser quiet when doing this. I actually even took it to the dealer just because I'm paranoid with anything going wrong with my car. The dealer said it was normal.
Gas mileage is good but I only have been getting 34-35 mpg in 100% city driving. I accelerate slow, to the tune of pissing off drivers behind me (bonus points). I don't use a/c, and don't wait in drive thrus so I'm not sure why I'm not getting closer to 40mpg like everyone else.
I think it's kind of neat how the little white lights in the headlight housing lights up along with the signal lights when you have the parking lights on.
It would be nice to have a avg. fuel economy gauge built in like my cobalt had.
Otherwise, this is the first car I have NOT felt guilty about buying after I bought it. AKA buyer's remorse. It's a pleasure to drive and park and I look forward to driving everytime I get in it!

[schreck]

I haven't noticed any tranny clicking, just the brake pedal and that's because it's an electronic assist connection.

As for mileage, I have discovered a couple weird things with this Yaris:

a) Don't bother being soft with the pedal. I have an average mpg meter attached to my onboard computer and anything short of flat out flooring it doesn't make much of a difference for the instant moment. I even noticed that "soft" pedaling actually hindered mileage. The car gets better mileage once you're up to speed, but not while you're accelerating. Just get up to speed and level off without hodrodding it.

b) Using the a/c knocks off about 1 to 2 mpg but opening the windows does the same.

Glad you enjoy the Cobalt and that was the car I was originally looking at; however, my local Chevy dealer was indicted a few months ago for fraud and he hasn't sold a car for quite a while. Sort of makes getting service a real pain!

[Zaphod]

1. "For those who feel acceleration is lacking, please be advised this is not a Ferrari." Have you ever seen someone drive a Fortwo like he's in a Nascar race? "I find no great problem with scooting around and the only time I feel lag is when I decelerate and then accelerate without stopping (for example, when going around a corner blending into another highway). For whatever reason, the tranny seems to hang instead of dropping down." A manual transmission may help there :)

5. "I find the center mounted gauge cluster a winner. I take my eyes off the road less than with a center mounted version since it sits higher on the dashboard." I agree, this is one of the nicest features, especially if you're tall, you don't have to duck down to see the gauges between the wheel.

3. "No intermittent wiper in the back, which would be nice. On or off but nothing in between." This, I would love to see.

1. "Add a tachometer for all models along with an engine temperature gauge." I don't know why they didn't do this, especially for MTs.

You made some great points, I just highlighted my favorites.

[mryaris]

Factory cruise control has the switch in the lower right corner of the steering wheel and also has corresponding dash lights that tell you when it is "on" as well as when it is activated. It sounds like you have an aftermarket system installed.

[The little red pill]

My cruise control is also on the left of the steering wheel and there is no light on the dash. It was factory installed.

[schreck]

Yes, mine is factory installed. Maybe Toyota changed in for 09 from right to left. Oddly enough, I have people tell me that the extended portion of the visor was discontinued last year and shouldn't be on my car, but yet it is!

[CtrlAltDefeat]

Originally Posted by schreck

Yes, mine is factory installed. Maybe Toyota changed in for 09 from right to left. Oddly enough, I have people tell me that the extended portion of the visor was discontinued last year and shouldn't be on my car, but yet it is!

I think the factory sometimes uses older parts that are still in stock if you get the next years model during the previous year (like buying an 09 in Sept 08) When I upgraded my stereo on my old Mitsubishi the stock speaker mounts didn't match up with what Crutchfield's install manual expected. When I called they said because my car was built late in the year, the year before the year of the car (I think it was a 99 built in late 98) the mounts were from the previous year... Maybe that is sorta what happened to your...

[schreck]

No doubt. Toyota geared up to make the Yaris when gas hit $4 a gallon and then watched sales plummet due to a double whammy of rotten economy and lowered fuel prices. Last I heard, the sales had dropped something like 55% meaning dealerships have months worth of these cars and are still getting the newer models.

Some overlap is bound to happen.

My dealer all but begged me to buy one, but I'm glad I did.

[CtrlAltDefeat]

Originally Posted by schreck

My dealer all but begged me to buy one, but I'm glad I did.

My 1st dealer begged me to buy any thing on the lot but what I really wanted... After my last anemic automatic, I refused to buy another auto. I wanted a black MT Yaris with no frills to keep the cost down. After hearing how the MT was described as "peppy" and the auto was described as "scary to drive onto highways" I wouldn't settle for any thing else. He tried so hard to find what I wanted and tried so hard to get me to buy any thing else when he couldn't find it... I called another dealer and he had exactly what I wanted coming on the boat and I am so happy I didn't settle

[MadMax]

Good review, most of it is spot on with my thoughts on the car. Mine came with aftermarket wheels and tires so I can't comment on the stock rubber. However, I wish the gas gauge wouldn't blink immediately once it hits the last bar. You have 1.6 gallons left at that point which easily equates to another 50-60 miles. I would rather it stay solid for a little while, then start blinking slowly at 0.9 gallons then rapidly at 0.6 gallons.

The hatch release is probably my biggest complaint. I don't think it would've cost much to include it. I also agree that more comprehensive instruments would have been nice. I don't see the need for any extra power outlet up front as a splitter is cheap, but I wouldn't have complained had they included a second one. I also don't see the need for displaying more odometer modes at the same time, my last car didn't have it nor does our 2005 Honda minivan. But the cruise control switch is poorly positioned; I believe that's due to the fact that most are the dealer-installed aftermarket device made by Rostra.

I also think the center mounted gauge cluster is a winner and can never figure out why people don't like it! My Yaris is the only car where I can see the speedometer clearly, all others are blocked by the steering wheel. I know the new Civics have a digital display up near the windshield but that is ugly and wouldn't work with my GPS mounting.

I have a few more positives about the car that you didn't mention, that being the uniqueness of the Yaris. Around here I see a million Civics, Rios and Mazda3s, but Yarii are rare and I am always being complimented on the car. Plus, thanks in a large part to this forum, there are a lot of cool mods you can do to the car that make it like you want it. I work with a guy who owns a Rios and there is absolutely nothing made for the car and no similar forum as YarisWorld. It makes the Yaris all that much more special...

Cheers! M2

[Lewis]

I am a new owner too with 2000 miles under my belt. I agree with the above comments but with one important (for me) addition. The straight ahead highway stability (on both windy and still days) of the car really leaves a lot to be desired and cries out for improvement.

I know they'll be many here who'll tell me the car is light, high, and has a short wheelbase and very hard tires- but all those things can be said about the Honda Fit and it did much better on the highway than the Yaris in my test drive(s). I went with the Yaris because of it's intended uses- for me it's a commuter/errand/station car so the price difference was important because I didn't plan to drive it on the highway very much.

I am basically very happy with the car - it certainly has a lot of value for the price I paid.

Ways I'd improve it:

1. adjustable intermittent wipers for the front w/intermittent wiper on the hatch.
2. internal hatch release
3. needs stability control and front knee airbags for safety
4. rear anti-sway bar should be standard
5. split rear seats should be standard
6. ALL manual trans cars should have a tach

These features are standard in many markets where the Yaris can be considered a family car- we in the US are basically sold a decontented model- which would be ok if you could buy these things separately but many of them require purchasing packages and/or are not even available at all (foremost of which is stability control which is so important for safety it will be required in all new cars in 2012).

Above all I would say- Straight line stablity MUST be improved!

What the above improvements would add to the price is anyone's guess but it would make the car a much better every day proposition thereby justifying a higher price which I'd be ok with based on the extra utility the car would thereby offer.

[Astroman]

Um, he can't get a manual with the 5-door in the states. My NST pulleys have remedied most complaints I have with the auto tranny on my '07, improved acceleration and no more "gear hunting" up hills.

[wooverstone8]

I'm an 09 Yaris owner myself. I've only put 3200 miles on since I bought in February. I choose the Yaris over the other cars in its class due to better fuel economy and price. The best value of owning Yaris is that its fun to drive. So far I have been completely satisfied with my purchase.

[auxmike]

My car came stock with Goodyear LS tires. They are real nice....

[Forrest]

[QUOTE=schreck;320819]After driving the 2009 Yaris 5 door hatchback for slightly over a month and roughly 1,000 miles, I feel somewhat qualified to make several comments.QUOTE]

I enjoyed reading your entire posting on the pros and cons of our little cars. Nice to have a good post to read and get some good comments !

[schreck]

Well, I'll have to add another positive I discussed briefly earlier. I just filled my tank up today -- 8.9 gallons with 371 miles on the trip odometer. That's 41.6 mpg for mainly city driving. Of course, my city driving is a 6 miles to work and another 6 back on a road that's mainly 45 mph.

Still impressive, nonetheless.

[CtrlAltDefeat]

Originally Posted by Lewis

Above all I would say- Straight line stablity MUST be improved!

I must say that I've had little problem with stability except on the windiest of days. I had a bit of emergency after my lowering springs and before my rear sway bar. I hit 115mph on the highway and it was rock solid. Every car I've driven before my Yaris felt floaty and nervous at anywhere close to 100mph. It was surprising, really. Maybe you need to be lowered?