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2007 Toyota Yaris CE 3-door Long Term Update No.6

Yaris On the Mind

Since delivery of the Yaris was taken, this specific long-term introduction has always been on the minds of the staff in our office. The topic? The price of oil and gasoline. Without being deliberately condescending in any intentional way, if you didnt think that this entry was eventually on its way, you probably either dont drive a car, dont give much thought about the costs of running a vehicle (fortunate indeed), or (and with great regret) are short sighted. This is a long-term test of an economy car, after all.

No matter where you live, the liquid that fuels automobiles around the world has been on the rise. Whether it comes from the measurement standards of Brent Crude, West Texas Intermediate, OPEC, Dubai, Tapis, Minas or

Eventually we had to address the topic of fuel prices. But its not such a painful issue with the Yaris. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

any other, its going up, and that can be troubling. Theres a great deal of truth in that the costs of production, transportation, countless other processes and taxes have a great affect on pricing, with some areas of the world having to shell out more than others (no pun intended), but then again, this is not late-braking news. Its life.

In our office, as much as we love testing 400 horsepower sports cars and the most exotic models, we also love sampling

Simplicity works to the advantage of the Yaris. No unnecessary fripperies actually make it more efficient. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

the best in alternative fuels technology. A hybrid in our fleet usually results in just as many exclamation marks tagged on to the end of a sentence as does the newest turbocharged, all-wheel drive rocket on wheels. Here, diesel isnt a dirty word, but one that causes a chain of reactions usually culminating in the tackling of whoever is holding the set of keys. Surely, these words may sound a bit blasphemous coming from an information source thats head over heals in love with automobiles, but truth be told, what sets the tone is whats immediately relevant.

By

Its about getting where you need to go in comfort and with little waste. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

these standards, it would be easy to assume that the Yaris registers the same as a falling leaf on the Richter scale of our interests. Not so (or at least, not for everyone). The Yaris is clever because its capable of sipping fuel at such a slow rate that its almost mind boggling. I (Justin) now measure fuel consumption for all other subcompacts and compact cars against the Yaris. Despite having a fuel tank just over 10.5 gallons large (small), it never seems to deplete itself unexpectedly. And thats good, especially considering the price of fuel.

Odometer: 3,669 miles

Justin: In writing the above statement,

Maybe a different Yaris, like this TS (more on that later) would appeal to Jon? (Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.)

there is something more that I really ought to add that pertains to the Yaris. Its one of those cars that I can just get in and drive. Yes, my eyes still look up whenever I pass a gas station to see the price of gas, but driving the car gives me peace of mind - one less thing that I really have to worry about. In the morning, I spend my time looking at the news of the day, how the stock markets are doing, and not the price of gas on those websites that seem to be springing up left right and center. I certainly hope that I am not alone in the belief that as a form of transportation and pleasure, driving a car should be about the experience, and not about worrying how much its going to cost getting to and from where youre going.
Odometer: 3,887 Freak blizzard? Nah, just our Yaris getting a bath in a touchless carwash. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) bold;">miles

Jonathan: Every time I get near this car I get slammed with a percussion shock of conflicting opinions. Yes its good; and no I dont like it. Its so convenient; but I cant spend more than 15 minutes in those seats. It does everything so well; yet I wouldnt want to be seen in it and I can barely stomach looking at the vertically stacked knobs in the center console. It scoots around like a fly at a picnic, but it buzzes around and gives me a headache. We wont have the Yaris for much longer now, but I can really appreciate how great it is at being a small city car. For months and months we have had nothing but self-inflicted problems (that means you, Justin), its the darling of the parking lot and congested downtown traffic, and its a favorite during those weeks when gas prices seem to be overtaking my bank account. It aint glamorous, but it sure makes sense.

Our Yaris is always on the move... It never stops, but then again, its never skipped a step, either. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) style="font-weight: bold;">Odometer: 4,012 miles

Linda: Since Ive started out helping, the Yaris has been sort of my home car, as Ive been driving it the most (but not as much as Justin). It is also the first car that I drove that didnt belong to me or my family, so it has some sentimental value to it. It also changed the way that I think about hatchbacks - I now understand how useful they can be when moving around boxes and bulky things. Unfortunately, its my time to say good bye to it early, as summer is over (where did it go?). Im now heading back to school (Yaris helped me move), and away from the Toronto office. Good bye Yaris; you were great.

Odometer: 4,224 miles

Justin: On first thought, it may seem a little bit silly that Im bothering to mention this, but Ive just seen something thats gotten me thinking. At a stop light, a Yaris and an Echo hatchback were

The TS is the sportiest non-supercharged Yaris Toyota has ever made. Its engine is all-new and makes 132 hp. (Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.)

sitting side by side (what a coincidence!); while the two are siblings, theyre quite different looking, the Yaris being the bigger of the two cars. The interesting thing though, is that the handle to lift the tailgate (and unlock the hatch for that matter) is the same. Now, its been a couple of hours since seeing it, but the two looked darn near identical (please correct me if Im wrong by e-mail).

Why does this matter? Well, to be honest, it doesnt. I just found it rather curious that the car was designed around an "if it aint broke, dont fix it" attitude. The handle to open the tailgate is remarkably simple; its just a moulded plastic hook with room enough for one finger. It worked then, and it worked again. I suppose if anything, the point of this exercise in curiosity is that in designing subcompact cars its important to keep prices down, therefore it only makes sense to carryover components that still work - even if it means using things from generations past. The whole necessity to have new items, now, seems kind of silly. A revelation? Perhaps, but its something that Im now keeping my eyes peeled for.

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