Vehicle Tested
2012 Toyota Yaris SE 5-DR Hatchback (1.5L 4-cyl. w/opt 4-speed Automatic)
Driven On
8/7/2012
Ratings Summary
This rating has been carried forward from a prior year because the newer model has no substantial differences.
Certain aspects of the Yaris are outdated, like the four-speed automatic, which hurts fuel economy and drivability, and the noisy engine. But there's plenty of room inside the well-made interior, and it takes to corners like a champ. You can do worse.
B
Performance
The good: Intuitive, sporty steering and a well-tuned suspension deliver handling on the enthusiast side. The bad: Weak acceleration and an outdated four-speed automatic.
| Acceleration |
D
|
Yep, it's slow. There's little power to speak of at low revs, and the antiquated four-speed automatic saps whatever's left. Too much space between gears. |
| Braking |
B
|
The panic braking distances were unimpressive, especially for such a little and lilghtweight car. But the pedal is firm and linear and we experienced zero fade. |
| Steering |
A
|
Nice and precise, the Yaris goes where you point it. The steering is intuitively quick with just the right amount of power assist. |
| Handling |
B
|
Skid-pad numbers were low, mostly due to the lack of grip from the tires, but the Yaris is nimble and feels sporty through turns. Pretty precise despite significant body roll. |
| Driveability |
B
|
Brakes and throttle delivery are linear. But the gears of the four-speed automatic are too widely spaced, making for slow acceleration. Horrible turning radius for such a tiny car. |
C
Comfort
If you're thinking Camry comfort, think again. Yes, the Yaris seats are fine for long days, and we especially like the cloth fabric, but the short wheelbase gives a jittery ride and the four-cylinder engine is loud and thrashy.
| Seating Comfort |
B
|
The front seats are comfortable and have some lateral support, too. Score one for the quality cloth fabric. No rear center armrest, and rear seats lean in toward the middle. |
| Ride Comfort |
C
|
The result of a short wheelbase and a suspension tuned for some semblance of handling? A pretty jiggly ride on the highway. |
| Quietness |
C
|
More than your average amount of tire and wind noise, at least for a Toyota. The little engine seems to always be thrumming along since it has to work so hard. |
B
Interior
Unlike the original Yaris with its center-dash speedo, the interior is now straightforward, with large, easy-to-use controls. But the iPod jacks are hidden way up in the glovebox. Still, there's good people space inside.
| Ergonomics |
C
|
The aux-in and USB jacks are effectively hidden in the glovebox. Otherwise, most controls are large and easy to use. But stereo tuning should be a knob, not a button. |
| Ingress/Egress |
B
|
Very easy to get in/out of front seats. Rear doors don't open very wide, but for such a small car ingress/egress is above average. |
| Space/Room |
B
|
Front headroom is quite generous. More surprising is that width is decent, too. Rear headroom is tight for anyone over average height, although foot and knee room are good. |
| Visibility |
B
|
You can't see the stubby little hood, but outward vision is barely obstructed by the small A- and B-pillars. The thick C-pillar forms a blind spot but the rear window is large. |
| Cargo/Storage |
C
|
The cupholders don't hold water (bottles), as they are too wide and slippery. Interior storage isn't as plentiful as old Yaris. Limited trunk space, but rear seats do fold down. |
B
Value
Here's a cheap car that doesn't feel cheap. Numerous soft-touch trim pieces, nice build qualilty, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Fuel economy is decent but not ground-breaking. Our real-world mpg was on the low side.
| Build Quality (vs. $) |
B
|
Between plenty of soft-touch items and high-quality cloth seats, this cheap car does not feel cheap. Feels well put together. |
| Features(vs. $) |
B
|
Some decent features here for the money, including leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. But without question this car has the most confusing Bluetooth phone pairing ever. |
| Cost |
B
|
The four-speed automatic tacks on $800 over the five-speed manual, bringing the Yaris SE base price to $17,200. Not a small amount for such a small car. But it doesn't feel cheap. |
| MPG |
B
|
The EPA rates the Yaris four-speed automatic at 30 city/35 highway/32 combined mpg. We averaged 27 mpg. |
| Warranty |
B
|
The basic warranty is 3 years/36,000 miles, along with 5 years/60,000 miles for the drivetrain. The Chevrolet Sonic's drivetrain coverage goes to 100,000 miles. |
| Ownership |
A
|
Aside from the expectedly high Toyota build quality, the Yaris boasts free maintenance and roadside assistance for 2 years/25,000 miles. |
C
Fun To Drive
If the Yaris had a slightly more powerful and less thrashy engine, just think how much fun it would be. Because its sporty handling begs you to take corners at higher-than-econobox speeds. It needs a modern automatic, too.
| Driving Experience |
C
|
We like the comfort level here, but the weak power, outdated automatic and poor turning radius mar the driving experience. We would've liked to see better fuel economy, too. |
| Personality |
B
|
Unlilke many econoboxes, the Yaris SE isn't afraid of a turn. It can fit into tight parking spaces, despite its poor lock-to-lock turning ability. |
