When I shopped around for a car, there was really nothing to compete with the Yaris. I was looking for best mileage, reliability and price. Prius would have cost double and taken 10+ yrs to pay back in gas savings. I drove a Honda Fit and was unimpressed. In Canada, the Yaris and Corolla are the only non-hybrid cars eligible for a $1000 govt. rebate. Honda didn't make the cut due to poor mileage.

We have passed the point of "Peak Oil" where oil production will continue to decline and gas prices will soon skyrocket, so my next car will probably be the next generation of Prius with plug-in charging, solar roof and about 100mpg (if the rumours are true).

The Yaris hatchback is stylin' on the outside and offers a very functional and ergonomic interior. There are three glove compartments plus a small storage compartment by your left knee. There are 3 cup holders (2front/1rear) plus all four door panels have drink holders that can hold skinny bottles. I love the tall seating and plenty of headroom for tall drivers. On other cars like the Hondas, the rearview mirror obscures my view out the windshield, but on the Yaris, I can adjust it so it is at the very top of the windshield. The headlights are excellent - this is the first car that I have ever felt safe driving 110km/h with low beams at night. I can get about 700km on a tank of gas.
Now for the critique:
In terms of engine, transmission and pedal response, this car feels like a clone of my 89 Tercel hatchback. The mileage and horsepower are very similar to my 94 Civic coupe, so I am not sure if there is a noticeable improvement as a result of the variable valve timing and other technological additions over the past 10 yrs. The long travel and soft feel of the accelerator, along with the extra moan of the engine give the impression that the car doesn't have pep. There is a sound change under acceleration that sounds like the muffled sound of rattlesnakes. Around town, the exhaust note sometimes sounds like there is a small hole in one of the pipes. In comparison, my beloved 94 Civic did not give any different sounds or moans when I punched the pedal - it just zoomed. At idle, the liquid filled engine mounts make it so quiet and vibration-free, you will think the engine turned off.

Toyota has gone the way of every other car maker in removing all lumbar support. The seats in their most upright position will have you leaning forward like a ski jumper flying through the air. Tilt the seat back about 3-4 notches and you can finally feel it touch your lower back, but not enough to support it properly.

The center tray just in front of the gear shift is too wide and interferes with my foot on the gas pedal. It's going to be even worse when I put on winter boots. Already my accelerator foot grazes the brake pedal from time to time.

Toyota needs to outsource their stereos to a company like Sony or Panasonic. There are some idiotic adjustments like equalizer settings labelled "compact, sedan, minivan" that result in slightly different but arbitrary changes in treble or base. Why not have equalizer settings for "rock, classical, jazz, hiphop, etc.". That is how most others do it. Also there is an audio adjustment called "Contrast" which does absolutely nothing!! Toyota, please add a "loudness" button that amplifies the bass and treble and lets me instantly change the sound when the music stops and the radio announcer start talking. The speakers put out a decent bass, however the bass notes are so mushy that you don't hear the attack of bass note.

The only way to get a 60/40 split rear seat is to buy the RS model for several thousand more. Buying a second remote key for my wife would have cost about $230 (Cdn).
Amount Paid (US$): 15000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2007
Model and Options: LE 5 door