2012 TOYOTA YARIS: Fun and frugal

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/02/2012 (5281 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As much as I love my job, being a food critic would be pretty cool, too. Just imagine all the amazing meals that fellow Free Press writer Marion Warhaft has enjoyed.

Culinary delights from all corners of the globe served up in Winnipeg’s hottest restaurants. Spicy Thai food, gourmet pizza, prime cuts of beef cooked to perfection — it’s enough to make a guy choose a new calling.

That said, I’m betting even with all the amazing restaurants Marion reviews, every now and then she longs for a quick cheeseburger to fill the gap.

I suppose being an auto writer really isn’t all that different. Sure it’s a total riot tooling around town in shiny new exotic vehicles from around the world but, the truth is, sometimes I just want to get through the week in the automotive equivalent of a cheeseburger.

No bells, no whistles, no exorbitant price tag, just a nice little car that is easy on the eyes, comfortable and economical. (I pay for my own gas, you know.)

The good folks at Toyota may not like my analogy, but the reality is the new 2012 Toyota Yaris isn’t fine dining. Sure, you can dress it up with bacon, add a side of fries, maybe even some cole slaw. But, at its root, the new Yaris is essentially the car equivalent of a cheeseburger.

And in my opinion, nobody cooks it up better than Toyota.

Our tester was a 2012 Yaris LE hatchback with a base price of $15,890. The 4-speed automatic transmission added an additional grand, while the convenience package, complete with air conditioning, power windows, cruise control and keyless entry, added another $1,100. This brought the total MSRP of our tester to a very reasonable $17,990.

The list of standard features is impressive and includes vehicle stability control, traction control, electric power steering with a tilt wheel, 15-inch wheels, AM/FM CD with MP3 player, four speakers, Bluetooth capability, audio auxiliary input jack and even USB audio input. You can also get important trip data, such as average fuel consumption, outside temperature and more, at your fingertips with the multi-information display.

On the road, the little Yaris feels like a bigger car, and the engine, although it certainly works hard at highway speed, runs smoothly and pulls hard. I especially liked the predictable handling and found the brakes to be top-notch. In the past, I’ve compared driving these subcompact cars to the invigoration one feels when driving an all-terrain vehicle or even a snowmobile. Liberating is the best way to describe the overall driving impression; the Yaris is not weighted down with a bunch of unnecessary options and the spirited handling proves this.

From the curb, it looks remarkably similar to the larger Toyota Matrix. Angular lines and large exterior lights blend in nicely with the sharp body lines.

The interior is best described as minimalistic. Nothing too fancy here, but the use of high-quality plastics with a grained finish is pleasing to both the eyes and the touch.

The controls for the audio system and HVAC are also easy to reach and can be operated with gloves on. Despite its small engine, the cabin heated up quickly and the seats were firm but comfortable, even when climbing in on a frigid morning. One feature that caught me off guard was the massive single wiper blade that clears the windshield with authority.

Our five-door hatchback tester featured a fairly roomy rear seat that would be more than adequate for kids and comfortable enough for large adults on short jaunts. The rear luggage area is a full 14.5 centimetres longer than the previous Yaris hatchback model, with a hatch door opening that’s two cm wider. Combined with a 60/40 split folding rear seat, there’s plenty of room for your gear — and more room to get it in and out. Safety features include an industry-leading nine airbags.

The 2012 Yaris is available in three models, the three-door CE hatchback, five-door LE hatchback and the sporty five-door SE hatchback.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the newly designed Yaris; it feels good on the road, looks great and is amazing on fuel. Although it’s a new model, there’s a spirited dose of the DNA that made small Toyota cars of the past so appealing.

If first impressions are any indication, the new Yaris looks poised to live up to the current advertising campaign that boasts “Epic Reliability.”

willy@freepress.mb.ca