Maybe it was the Fu Manchu mustache that sucked me in. But, pretty much from the get-go, I liked the
2015 Toyota Yaris.
Sure, it doesn’t have a lot of power. And, yes, it’s a pretty basic vehicle. But it’s not very expensive, it’s reasonably attractive, and it’s kind of peppy in city driving.
If you’re looking for a small car for city driving or a starter car for your teen that’s both safe and reliable, Yaris is a great place to start.
Design
When the Yaris launched in the U.S. in 2007, it was pretty basic and non-descript. It was available in both sedan and hatch models, and they were both fine. But with the redesign of Yaris in 2012, the sedan disappeared, and with the exterior refresh in 2015, the little liftback got some personality.
Where the previous gen Yaris was deemed cute, this new model looks, well, angry. The headlights and Fu Manchu mustache combine to create a permanent scowl that seems to say: Don’t mess with me. And I loved it!
There’s a lot to love on the inside as well. While your only color option is black, the cloth seats at a base level have a nice weave, and if you upgrade to the SE trim, you’ll see a very high-end reverse stitch on the seat backs and steering wheel. It gives it a nice, up-level feel without going overboard.
The driving position was comfortable, and visibility out all the windows was really good. The one thing I missed: lumbar support.
Ride & HandlingThe Yaris is equipped with a 1.5-lliter, 4-cylinder engine that delivers 106 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque. So, this will not be a compact urban rally car. It’s quick off the start, but power is lacking for fast passing maneuvers on the highway.
The base transmission at the L trim level is a 5-speed manual transmission, but the 4-speed automatic is only a $725 add.
The Yaris is a compact car, and it drives like one. It has an excellent turning radius, and it’s easy to drive in tight city spaces. But on the highway, it still drives like a compact car, and I felt like I got blown about a bit on windy days.
Fuel economyAs a compact car, I was a bit disappointed in the fuel economy. For a compact car, I had hoped that highway fuel economy would be closer to 40 mpg. But the Yaris gets 30 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. Combined fuel economy is an unremarkable 32 mpg.
Fuel economy for others in this hatchback set with the base engine and an automatic transmission include (city/hwy/combined):
- Mitsubishi Mirage: 37/44/40
- Honda Fit: 33/41/36
- Nissan Versa Note: 31/40/35
- Mazda 3: 30/41/34
- Ford Fiesta: 27/37/31
- Kia Rio: 27/37/31
- Chevrolet Sonic: 25/35/28
Though Yaris isn’t at the bottom of the pack, it’s close. Not what I would expect from the automaker that produces some of the most fuel-efficient vehicles currently on the road.
Tech & gadgetsAs a car with a starting price of $15,670 for the 3-door model, you’d have to expect that Yaris is a pretty basic car. What I like is that even at this level you get standard features such as Entune audio and Bluetooth connectivity. Plus, navigation is an accessory option that you can add for $899.
TrimsThe Yaris was completely redesigned for the 2012 model year, and at that time it dropped it’s sedan model. Now, Yaris is only available as a 3- and 5-door hatchback with three different trim levels.
L: This is the base trim for the Yaris, and it is available in both 3- and 5-door models. Standard features include 15-inch wheels, air conditioning, USB port, iPod connectivity, Bluetooth, HD radio and Entune Audio. The 3-door comes standard with a 5-speed automatic, with a 4-speed automatic as an option. The 5-door model is standard with the automatic. Base price for the 3-door is $15,670, and base price for the 5-door is $16,770.
LE: This trim adds standard features such as cruise control, automatic transmission, HD Radio, steering wheel audio controls and a remote keyless entry system. It is also available in both 3- and 5-door configurations. Base prices are $17,330 and $17,705, respectively.
SE: This is the top-of-the-line trim, and it is only available as a 5-door model with the automatic transmission. It adds 16-inch wheels, sport-tuned suspension, projector beam headlights, sport fabric-trimmed seats, leather trimmed steering wheel, 6.1-inch infotainment touch screen and a black front grille with piano black accent. Base price for the SE is $17,645.
The test car was an SE trim, and with the reverse stitching on the sport seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and piano black accents, it looked much more high-end than the base L and LE trims. With less than $2K difference in pricing, if you’re OK with a 5-door, it makes total sense to upgrade to the top SE trim. The test car added carpeted floor mats and cargo mat ($180) as well as the navigation system ($899) and had an as-tested price of $19,524.
SafetyFor a small package, Yaris has a nice amount of standard safety features, including vehicle stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, smart-stop technology, front dual-stage airbags, front seat side airbags, front seat cushion airbags, side curtain shield airbags and a driver’s knee airbag.
Yaris does not make the list for the IIHS Top Safety Pick for 2015, whereas compact hatches like Honda Fit, Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Sonic and Mazda3 do. The reason for this is because of the small overlap front crash test in the 5-door model where it only gets a “Marginal” rating. All other tests for this car yielded a “Good” rating, which is the top score from IIHS. No ratings were available for the 3-door model.
NHTSA hasn’t rated the Yaris Liftback.
New for 2015Yaris gets a mild refresh for 2015, which includes the new Fu Manchu grille, soft-touch interior, front seat cushion airbags, standard Entune audio across all trims and an available navigation system at every trim level.
A few of my favorite thingsSometimes when you get an economy class car with an economy class engine, the driver and passenger can suffer when winter weather comes calling. But the Yaris actually warms up thoroughly and quickly – so much so that I didn’t miss amenities like heated seats and steering wheels during the chilly test week.
I also really appreciate that navigation is available across the entire lineup. So, if you wanted to get the basic car with a manual transmission, you could add the navigation accessory and top out at $16,569. For someone who’s perpetually lost like I am, this is a very nice feature at a very low cost.
What I can leaveThe biggest problem I had with the Yaris is that it is incredibly loud – almost unreasonably loud. Wind noise, engine noise and road noise create a trifecta of deafening sounds that enter the cabin. While this can certainly be covered up with blaring music, forget about trying to make a phone call. I called my parents one day while on the highway via the hands-free Bluetooth connection, and at 55 mph they couldn’t hear me – they only heard static. Once I got stuck in stop-and-go traffic, however, the static mysteriously disappeared.
So, hurray for standard Bluetooth connectivity, but boo, if you intend to use it for anything other than audio streaming.
The other thing I didn’t like: No standard rearview camera. A lot of automakers are starting to include this across the board as a safety feature, and I definitely missed it in the Yaris.
The bottom lineI think that Toyota did a great job with the 2015 refresh of the Yaris. Rather than being another cutesy hatchback, it’s actually got some personality now. It’s not overly expensive, and I like that you can get navigation across all trim levels for an affordable price.
If you have your heart set on a hatchback and you’re on a budget, Yaris is a great option. It’s got much better fit and finish than the Mitsubishi Mirage ($13,805) or the Nissan Versa Note ($15,005), but it doesn’t have the best fuel economy in this arena, and cars like Honda Fit ($16,470) have more available features, more flexibility and better efficiency.
The Yaris is definitely a must-test for its reliability and price point, and I like the exterior styling more than some of its hatchback compatriots. But you’d have to decide if lack of content and interior cabin noise are deal breakers for you. Make sure to test on the highway without the radio!
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