2009 Toyota Yaris Review

[dunti21]

4 speed automatic transmission? What a load of horse shit. I seriously wouldn't want that driving me around...

[JustAnotherJake7]

Are you given the cars, or do you purchase all of your vehicles?

[mpgomatic]

@JustAnotherJake7 All of the vehicles are loaners from the manufacturers' media fleets. We generally have a week with each one.

[JustAnotherJake7]

@mpgomatic I assume they give you the top of the line model?

[mpgomatic]

@JustAnotherJake7 Often, but not always.

[geosh78]

who is the music by in the background, the guitarist is slammin!!! Seriously!!

[mpgomatic]

@geosh78 It's Apocolypse Cow.

[davidhalifax]

Every competition has redesigned their subcompact cars and even when Toyota comes up with the 3rd generation Yaris it will still struggle to gain back all the customers Toyota pissed off over the past few years with their recalls, poor quality and sub par customer service.

[KWAMSxD]

It bothers me how he pronounces 'Yaris'

[KWAMSxD]

It bothers me how he pronounces 'Yaris'

[nickelwindow53]

I love my Yaris and I havent had one problem! American cars suck! Get this over the Fit, Fiesta, and Aveo anyday!

[Mik5OO]

@nickelwindow53 Fit? you mean Fiat?

[nickelwindow53]

@Mik5OO no Fit as in Honda Fit.

[Mik5OO]

@nickelwindow53 Oh, I tough you were just talking about the Fiat 500, I think you can get those in the US as well (I looked up, Fit is called Jazz in here :)

[nickelwindow53]

@Mik5OO Aw...What country are you in?

[Mik5OO]

@nickelwindow53 I think, they're called Jazz all over Europe

[nickelwindow53]

@Mik5OO cool so what do you drive?

[Mik5OO]

@nickelwindow53 I have a 2004 Alfa 156 and a Skoda felicia (1996 or 1997 or 1998). It's a bit funny, because you can't get neither in the US :))

[nickelwindow53]

@Mik5OO I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;( You guys get all of the best cars. I want to see how they look. I am gong to look them up. are they good cars?

[Mik5OO]

@nickelwindow53 Well the Alfa is, the Skoda isn't; both are good to drive, but the Skoda is slow and has terrible fuel consumption (like 25 mpg, and the Alfa has 50 and is a lot faster), but it's cheap to insure and tax. Reliability is supposed to be an issue with Alfas, but so far I guess I've been lucky.

[nickelwindow53]

@Mik5OO cool so were do you live?

[Mik5OO]

@nickelwindow53 Slovenia

[nickelwindow53]

@Mik5OO cool! So were is that? lol I bet you are hot huh? I am sure slovenia guys are sexy! ;)

[tnguyen318]

This is a good car. Its reliable and offers a 5 year 100,000 mile warranty. 

[YeuLaKho]

very good mileage.... love it.

[pimpninja1985]

It would be nice if in the states we get the Yaris with the 1.3 and the 1.0 liter motor like in Europe.

[Mik5OO]

@pimpninja1985 My friend has the one with the 1.0 L engine, and it's not very good, on a motorway it can barely go over 85 mph

[SurferShan]

Thanks for posting this! I'm actually researching used Yaris's in the area and I wanted to find something like this. I'm really concerned about fuel economy since I currently own a gas guzzling jeep wrangler :(

[tim3058]

I had the unfortunate experience of having a Yaris as a rental, worst car, I repeat WORST new car I have ever driven. Why someone would buy a brand new Yaris is beyond me. Pure crap on wheels. Unless you don't mind that it is souless uncomfortable, slow as death, and boring to drive appliance then get a Yaris.

[heybiglinus]

@tim3058 -Hahahah--I agree!!!--Junk clown car--along with the others, they should all be flushed--I would rather walk or take a bus than be seen behind the wheels of these goofy ass crappy clown cars. What is more disturbing, MEN driving them!!!--I could throw up--want to scream, be a real man--you look like morons!!!!!!!!!!!

[nightfrog65]

I'm surprised they don't put a 5 speed manual in the 5 door liftback.  The 5 speed manual would be ideal for saving a little more gas, assuming you don't drive it like a 1960's V8 muscle car with a 4 speed.

[creepynut]

@nightfrog65 We get the 5 speed manual with the 5 doors in Canada. I understand the US didn't even get 5 doors on the first few years. Still, I don't think the fuel economy between the auto and manual is significantly different. It's already an incredibly efficient car.

[nightfrog65]

@creepynut

I agree that the Yaris is an efficient car that is very economical with either an auto or 5 speed. I personally prefer the 5-speed over an auto transmissions in small vehicles because they are more fun to drive.

The 5 door model didn't arrive in the states until 2009 or 2010.

[nickelwindow53]

why are toyota yairs so reliable? Why are toyotas in genral so reliable? What do they do that American Manufacting doesnt?

[chadspidle]

are there any plans to do a head to head comparison for all the small cars like the yaris, fit, mazda 2, fiesta ect...?

[mpgomatic]

@chadspidle Aye, down the road ... we need to get a few more cars in here to cover the field ...

[xxnissansilviaxx]

where can i get tyhat mpg gauge how much?

[mpgomatic]

@xxnissansilviaxx First two places that come to mind are Amazon and JC Whitney ... they both sell the AutoMeter EcoMeter for roughly $70.

[xxnissansilviaxx]

@mpgomatic thank u wud this work on a 1997 accord v6 sedan? how does it work?

[mpgomatic]

@xxnissansilviaxx I just checked the AutoMeter website and it looks like EcoMeter might not be compatible with your 97 Accord ... they only list the 2006-2010 Accords.

There are a number of other aftermarket MPG gauges, such as the ScanGauge. They all plug into the OBDII port underneath the dashboard. Super simple install.

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, there are OBDII cables (and wireless sending units) that work with different apps.

[xxnissansilviaxx]

@mpgomatic thank you

[deeeznuts00]

ya good review bud, yotas' rule!

[firstmusic00]

I've got one of these and love it. Simple, easy to drive and great gas mileage!

[jbmaney]

Just wish it wasn't so damn ugly and cheap looking.. but other than that its a winner.

[thebrucedeeuoukayeey]

LA Mega Yaris

[alexmp2010]

thanks for info on the yaris mpgomatic....! im waiting for the mitsubishi miev to come to the U.S. but may be considering the toyota yaris .......

[AmericanWarHero]

Scince Toyota's gas pedals stick this should be their new slogan-

"Moving Forward, even if you don't want to."

[AppleMacBookAir2]

@AmericanWarHero

You're so creative. I haven't heard that one before.

(I'm being sarcastic)

[Sharod101]

i gotta say, this yaris is pretty damn nice. i'd buy one.

if i had the money :(

[creepynut]

What are rocker paddles?

[nz3f]

حلوه

[PewpewFighter]

How is this tiny bad boy on sharp/sudden turns going 75mph? Or 120/kmh

Ex) Swerving out of the way to prevent a car accident

[firstmusic00]

I bought an '10 5-door 3 months ago. Decent little car. It does what I ask of it.

[DaPriz]

I have a 2009 3dr Yaris 5spd. My driving is all city stop and go and I get around 32 MPG, a little less when I run the air in the summer(a necessity here in the south Louisiana heat and humidity). A great little communter car and I don't plan to trade it for anything.

[yaris4fun]

nice technology ,good mpg, practical but it looks like an alien car....

[KrokodilaGena]

If mileage matters, you should have reviewed the model with manual transmission. But other than that - interesting review. I must say though, the interior quality isn't as good as it looks on a video, once you've driven it you will know why this car is so cheap.

[mpgomatic]

Many thanks for the input, KrokodilaGena.

While we have a personal preference for manual transmissions, we test whatever the manufacturers drop off, whether manual or automatic.

A good many modern automatics are actually more fuel efficient than manuals. Strange but true. :)

[sbergman27]

@KrokodilaGena : Not as good as on the video? Gee, I guess we should all discount the evidence of our eyes in favor of the opinion of the Youtube poster who goes by the name of KrokodilaGena.

I'm familiar with the Yaris, and the interior is very nice and very practical.

[KrokodilaGena]

@sbergman27

take it easy dude, I didnt mean to offend anyone. I just mentioned that the interior feels rather cheap and not very durable. But I guess this is OK considering the price. How did you survive online if you get so annoyed by such remarks?

[sbergman27]

It was presumptuous of you to claim that the interior is not as nice as what we just saw with our own eyes in this video, without providing any detail or evidence in support. And I'm puzzled by your "not durable" claim. I think you may mean "not luxurious", which is a different thing altogether. "Practical and durable" are pretty much what the Yaris interior is. Which happens to suit my tastes very well. Then again, I'd have preferred vinyl seats. Cloth is a pain to keep clean.

[hamsterama]

@KrokodilaGena Just wanted to let you know that I agree with your comment on the quality of the Yaris interior. I have a 2009 Yaris 5-door, and the quality of the plastics in the interior is very poor. It scuffs and scratches very easily, no matter how careful you are. I love the car otherwise, so I wish Toyota would have made a more expensive version available that uses high-quality plastics. I would be willing to pay a lot extra for that.

[rowsdower12]

@hamsterama It seems to be an issue with a lot of newer Toyota models. Toyota's interiors are cheap and crappy. Especially compared with the competition. All those years of cutting back. We talk a lot about it on the Toyota forums how Toyota has gone down hill. Honda too...ugly cars but also boring.

[hamsterama]

@rowsdower12 I hope Toyota improves the interiors, now that the company is under new leadership in Japan. It can't cost that much more to make scratch-resistant plastics.

[KPKonliner]

@KrokodilaGena true but in my country,its $3000 cheaper than honda fit ( called jazz in here ) with foglamps n bluetooth,while honda doesnt come up with dat

[nightfrog65]

I have a 2007 Yaris 3 Door 1.5L liftback with the manual. It's a fun little car to drive, and great for areas with small ,tight parking spaces.

It averages 38.3 mpg overall and 41.8 mpg highway mileage.

[mtrcitymotown]

Anyone driving these should take a look at the crash test videos. These things are rated very poor. If the cars poor ability to protect the driver dosent kill you the door opeining up while in the accident should do it.  Piece of crap.

[asbiesas]

its rated 5 stars, hello

[Canlander7]

I have always really liked the Yaris.. the only downside is that it doesn't have a telescopic steering wheel like the corolla... Not good for us guys with long arms.

[sincladutch]

I think he means 4 door

[geoBM818]

I've "offroaded" my sister 4 door S lol.... spent $20 from LA to Taft,Bakersfield and back... :-)

[flipo25rid]

It's a great car, I have the 07 1.5 ltr 3-door hatch. It's reliable take it for a long drive the car just keeps going. But you have to treat it well. Change oil. filters and it will be happy . LOL

[YeuLaKho]

good mpg................

[gamarovitch]

I would rather buy a base Mini than the top of the line Yaris, I'm not putting it down, toyota makes an excellent quality car but Mini just offers so much more for the price and service.

[GibsonBuck]

Hi Dan, great site...finally the truth about fuel millage. I'm from Montréal Canada, and here the Yaris is a huge hit. Would it be possible for you to include fuel millage in metric ? that would be very nice...

Keep up the good work !

[mpgomatic]

Thanks for the kind words and excellent suggestion, GB!

Metric mileage would be a big plus. I'll put that on the ever-growing list of things to do. :)

[GibsonBuck]

Thanks Dan that's apreciated . You have my dream job..automotive journalist. Since you you are interested by saving fuel, i work for the public transit service in Montréal, for a couple of years we bought a serie of hybrid-diesel buses as an experiment and so far we observed a 30% fuel economy with those, and with the new regular buses we modified them and ended up with 20% economy just by changing the big hydrolic-powered radiator fan, by a series of thermo-static fans.

[mpgomatic]

Interesting data on the buses ... there's huge potential in updating the fleet, not just to hybrid, but also to natural gas.

I wake up thankful every day that I'm able to do this ... :)

[TheAmrkamal]

nice car,,

[byTOOROP]

Gerçekten güzel,kullanışlı ve çok az yakan bir araç.Modifiyeli hali ise gerçekten çok güzel duruyor.Herkese tavsiye edilir cinsten bir araba.Hele ki Türkiye şartlarında çok lazım bir araç.

[jezzetv]

decent car but i hate the dash set up

[eepruls]

Totally agree. I didn't even look at this car because of it. I test drove an Echo the year before and hated it then. I went with a Fit and love it.

[ahmedseoudii]

OMG..this car is totally diffrent than the one i've got in egypt :-(

[GrahamCrackers94]

i really like the 3 door. would this car be considered kinda girly? cuz its perfect for what i need.

[ScorpioFuror]

No one really cares if your car's girly or not. I don't see anyone gawking and kidding about a guy driving a VW Beetle, on the road.

Simply put, put aside gender aspect when it comes to your car preferance, and choose what's best for you..

[DanielCMM]

in my country(venezuela) a lot of men got one of this.... i do really want this one! but their prices are soooooooo up.

[djlyes34]

toyota is the best

[Georgenfla]

The 1.5 liter engine in the Yaris has been around for years, and is largely unchanged. Very reliable, and typical from Toyota/Scion.

[HelpSaveMotherEarth]

looks like a honda fit..

[skippystyles]

i bought and 08 yaris 3 door hatch and i love it!! toyota rocks!!got mine under 14 grand with tons of awesome features!!

[chiasoft]

I just got one , Yaris 5 door, non sport. awaiting vehicle locating/delivery. :)

This one you reviewed is with Alloy Wheels or steel?

[rextrek]

I have a 2008 Meteorite Silver Yaris htchbk.....I LOVE IT! The gas mileage is amazing - I pay maybe 35$ a month is gas....as opposed to the 140$month for my 81 Ford F150 trk......Im very satisfied with my Yaris..its my lil' shuttlecraft!

[shark1035]

what kind of tachometer was that?

[Bimo165]

Hi Dan..the last time you reached over 50 mpg with the Yaris, you were going around 100km/h, but this time you only managed to reach 43 mph highway.. Do you think it was because of more average highway speed? or something else? Thanks... what a great second review of the Yaris!

[rayluvrei]

mpgomatic

Thank YOU for the info :)

[rayluvrei]

mpgomatic

Hello i just have a quick question.. How much is the starting of this kind of car?? Bec. I get confused with the toyota website thing they give different price range. Thanks I appreciate your help.. ^_^

[mpgomatic]

The base window sticker MSRP on the Yaris 5-door S Liftback is $15,125.00.

The car as tested:

$15,125 base

$230 remote entry system

$1,290 power package

$150 floor mats

$729 delivery processing and handling

TOTAL: $17,515

[po2y411]

Can you compare Yaris and Fit with Aveo5?

[mpgomatic]

I would take the Yaris or Fit over the Aveo5 in a Heartbeat. This field will change radically when the Ford Fiesta and Fiat 500 hit the market.

[auxmike]

This is an incredible review. Fine job, shows every detail. I love my Yaris!

[daraofp]

im thinking abut buying this car, so can you tell my about quality of the engine did it proof reliable?

[bg1379]

You really like it better than the Fit? Question: Does the Ecometer you use work better than the stock guages, spcf on an 01 Acura? My gauge is not even in the ballpark of what the true MPG are. Thanks!

[mpgomatic]

It's a toss up for me at the moment, between the Fit Sport and the Yaris. The Yaris gets the nod on fuel economy and turning radius. The Fit's electronics and magic rear seat are superior.

I don't have any experience with the gauges on an '01 Acura. The Ecometer can be adjusted to compensate for discrepancies. Combined mileage is calculated via tank fills, at the same exact pump (whenever possible).

[gusherb94]

For better performance it should have a 5 speed auto.

[bmtimv]

Since when is a 1.5 litre car considered a "sporty" vehicle. That being said it is probably the most exciting looking and driving toyota available at the moment with excellent fuel eco.

[bajabusta]

Sport does not always relate to engine size, you also need to consider dyanmic ride and handling. That being said, I agree it is the best looking of the small, typically overstyled toyotas as of late. I didn't see a price on this review. But from my understanding based on the Prius' tech cost for the hybird system , taking years to recoup over the price of a really good economy car, the Yaris would be my choice clearly over a Prius. Cheers.

[mpgomatic]

I'll double down on that ... the legendary CRX si was only a 1.5 liter. We'll see more and more tiny displacement high-performance engines in the future, with direct injection and turbos.

I try to avoid getting into pricing issues in the videos, as so much of that is in flux. At some point, we may include it in the written reviews.

I'd love to do a Yaris build one day, just for hoots. :)

[rextrek]

I paid 16k total for my 2008 3 dr silver htchbk yaris ...I love it.

[rudolphna54]

The ford fiesta is considered sporty, and thats a 1.6L

[musthavejava]

Another great review Dan! Thanks! Small cars rule!

[mpgomatic]

Thanks, Drew! I'm looking forward to lots more competition in the small car segment from the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Fiat 500. We need a celebrity racing series for these tiny titans ... :)

[karedward]

what is the top speed of toyoyta yaris?

[mpgomatic]

I'm guessing just north of 100 MPH? (aka: I need to keep my driver's license ...)

[l3iohazzard]

@karedward I've gotten my 2009 Yaris-S up to around 120 on the thruway.

[karedward]

ohhh..120kp/h or mp/h??