Topic: Test Drive: 2010 Toyota Yaris RS hatchback

[Autos_Editor]

For 2010, the Yaris RS four-door hatchback gains standard stability control but deletes cruise control, reports Contributing Editor, Chris Chase.  "The Yaris is a very good small car, but the awkward driving position is a deal-breaker for me," he says.

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[overtakeyouintheleftlane]

I've had the opportunity to test drive this car as my friend's wife owns it (4 door hatchback). Great on gas, reliability is good, however the instrument cluster gauge is placed in an awkward position. I just can't get used to it.

As the author has already mentioned, the awkward driving position is also there, no matter how I adjusted the seats. Wouldn't be a car I spend my money on, however, I'm sure it would be great for other people.

[hemusbull]

RS for car with it's own standard underpowered and smallest engine? Unbelievable! At least Matrix puts bigger mill under the hood. And this dashboard is top stupidity Toyota continously offer to the lowest section of their customer base. I don't even want to try the sitting position - no any Yaris 2010 so far!

[Rupert]

This car still looks fresh even after being around for five years or so. Only now is the competition begining to enter the fray. The Accent three door hatch has done well against this car I think but it is only a three door and the Kia five door just does not have the style somehow for me although no doubt it performs very well. We were thinking about buying this Yaris but opted for the Accent sedan instead...the three door hatch Accent was not around at that time. It would have been nice to be able to put the dogs cage in the back but note that none of these cars have a flat folded floor except the Fit. I had thought of taking the back seat out of the Accent or three door Yaris and crafting a carpeted flat floor. Hmmm...nice little two seater with room for canine companion.
I too think that the centre speedo...offset to the right (does not have to be central) has promise but am not impressed with this interpretation. I prefer a completely round larger dial (Mini style) and note the comment about further forward towards the screen being beneficial. Never thought about that. Good report.

[johngenx]

I think the exterior has aged quite well, but the interior pales in comparison to the Fiesta, which is going to set the new standard in the class.  The chassis and most of the interior are from the Echo, which came out about 11 years ago.

It's time for Toyota to hit one out of the park in this segment.

[toolatecrew]

The article says the base price of the Yaris RS Auto is 19 555?

An elantra touring GLS Auto is 19 499.

For the same money you get cruise (which is not standard on Yaris RS) you get the desired stability control, a more powerful 2.0 engine, a HUGE increase in cargo space and passanger space.

Why on earth would anyone buy an RS. Yes I can understand a 14 K Yaris as being inexpensive basic transport  but to spend nearly 20 K simply to get a few frills on the same tiny car (same engine suspension etc) just seems silly to me.

[Winterpeg]

The Yaris would make an excellent USED car rather than new. It's time Toyota put some $$$$'s into a fresh design to compete with the Fiesta's/Fit's of today.
I have no problem with owning a Yaris or it's older sibling the Echo.
Either you get use to the center instrument cluster or not.....but no cruise control would be my deal breaker. I constantly use cc everyday so........    

[mjordan76MTL]

Auto reviewers have been complaining about the centre mounted dash since the Echo hit the market 10 years ago... can we move on, please? I have an Echo hatchback and while I am now used to it, I do find the steering wheel a hair too far away for me... other than that, I love it. I don't car how big the engine is, it is a bit slow but my objective is economy. I don't think one buys a Yaris for its engine... The best thing is that I can wash and dry it in about 7 minutes, one handed. 

[Rupert]

And the previous post seems to hit a valid point. Why not small and nice with goodies. Easy and quick to clean, a breaze to park and wheel about, enough power to be enjoyable...low maintenance cost...at least for me so far. Small has it's place if it is big enough...why take more. Bigger is not better for purpose if small does the job adequately. Innovation is the thing in this category I think. I would have liked cruise on my Accent as I too use it a lot but it was not available at any level back then. There might be a market for a two seat 3 door versions with a flat floor behind. Our back seat is never sat in except by the dog and he does not like the inclined cushion. An interesting segment with new models about to hit the showrooms.

[aknutson]

Didn't we just read a review here on the Yaris RS? It sucked then, and it sucks now. Why anybody would spend $21,500 on a Yaris is beyond me, even if it is an RS. I would gladly pony up the extra $3,000 for a 2010 Golf with 6-speed auto, full stability control and 2.5L, 170-hp engine. Or, if I was fixed to $21K, a base Mazda3 hatch with more than enough standard features. This is an example of Toyota banking on spreadsheet car buyers who evaluate a good set of wheels with Microsoft Excel, not the seat of their pants.

[Snowdog]

Toyota desperately needs to update the Yaris or it will sink into oblivion.

It will soon be facing a new Fiesta, new Mazda 2, new Hyundai Accent and the old Fit.

All of which appear better within the class. If I was looking for a car in this class, the Yaris wouldn't even make my test drive list.

[SJP]

Just too much money for what's on offer, plain and simple.

[Minou]

The comments about the driving position relate exactly to my '05 Corolla.  Were all Toyota engineers and designers all shaped like monkeys in those days?

[67 Piston Slap]

Anybody that spends 20+K on a new Yaris RS over an Elantra, Mazda 3, Civic even a freaking Corolla... is nuts

[takwu]

It would have been nice to be able to put the dogs cage in the back but note that none of these cars have a flat folded floor except the Fit. I had thought of taking the back seat out of the Accent or three door Yaris and crafting a carpeted flat floor.

Actually the Accent 3-door rear seat cushion can be tipped forward so the seat back can be folded flat, altho there's still a step up from the trunk floor.
http://www.canadiandriver.com/galleries/images.php?info=2008%20Hyundai%20Accent%20GL%20Sport&src=http://www.canadiandriver.com/galleries/2008/images/hyundai/2008_hyundai_accent/08accent_gw_021-2787.jpg

Interestingly the Accent 4-door doesn't have that feature.  But the Rio5 does according to this review:
http://www.canadiandriver.com/2006/04/11/test-drive-2006-kia-rio5.htm

As for the comment about the Fiesta interior; it might look nicer than most in its class, but if you sit in it you'll find it more cramped than Accent or Yaris interior.  At least that's my impression on the driver's seat (haven't tried other positions in the Fiesta tho).

[John Meyer]

All the comments saying that you can get more car for the money miss the point.  It is very tough to get a more fuel efficient, better built, more reliable and more comfortable car for $20k. 

That is what Yaris owners are thinking.  I own an '05 Echo and my last tank in warm weather on mostly very light traffic secondary 80km roads was 5.0 L/100km on the nose.

None of the mentioned "more cars for the money" will match that and probably none will surpass the reliability or thoughtful design either.  As good as the compacts and mid sized cars are, good small cars are more than good enough in most respects.

That said, I'm waiting for the next generation Yaris and Civic to come out after the Ford Fiesta and Mazda 2 have garnered all the press new-car accolades. 

Small cars are getting better at a tremendous rate but are not getting tremendously cheaper.

Still, a great time in the next few years to be in that market and many people must be wondering why they need anything larger than a Yaris.

Cheers,
John Meyer

[rrocket]

All the comments saying that you can get more car for the money miss the point.  It is very tough to get a more fuel efficient, better built, more reliable and more comfortable car for $20k. 

That is what Yaris owners are thinking.  I own an '05 Echo and my last tank in warm weather on mostly very light traffic secondary 80km roads was 5.0 L/100km on the nose.

None of the mentioned "more cars for the money" will match that and probably none will surpass the reliability or thoughtful design either.  As good as the compacts and mid sized cars are, good small cars are more than good enough in most respects.

That said, I'm waiting for the next generation Yaris and Civic to come out after the Ford Fiesta and Mazda 2 have garnered all the press new-car accolades. 

Small cars are getting better at a tremendous rate but are not getting tremendously cheaper.

Still, a great time in the next few years to be in that market and many people must be wondering why they need anything larger than a Yaris.

Cheers,
John Meyer

I agree.  Love my Echo and would replace with a Yaris.  It has cost almost nothing but gas and oil to run.  However, I do agree that the Yaris in RS guise isn't a very good value.  It's a much better value used.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I prefered the styling of the Echo hatch to the Yaris. Yaris just seems too bulbous. The Yaris is better in just about every other way though.

Some people judge the value of a car by $/kg I guess. I see no issue with people who want a well optioned small car, in fact I'd say it's about time manufacturers realise some folks want a small car with all the options previously available only on larger cars.

[aknutson]

All the comments saying that you can get more car for the money miss the point.  It is very tough to get a more fuel efficient, better built, more reliable and more comfortable car for $20k. 

That is what Yaris owners are thinking.  I own an '05 Echo and my last tank in warm weather on mostly very light traffic secondary 80km roads was 5.0 L/100km on the nose....

Hey John, you're a good and honest writer - glad to hear comments from an owner, or at least the Echo (same thing but older). Your driving scenario is basically optimized for your car, probably one of the reasons you chose it. 80-90 km/h, backroads, not a lot of traffic. We had a Yaris for a 1-week stint and drove the Barrie-Toronto commute along the highway 400 corridor. The engine was spastically overstrung, revving at or above 4,000 RPM to keep pace with traffic. Not only was it assaulting my ears to the point where I could barely hear the radio at half-volume, it achieved mileage that would have been marginally better than a much larger, more powerful engine. We averaged about 9-10L/100 KM through that week, which is about 1 L/100Km less than what my wife currently gets (strictly highway) in her Santa Fe with a 3.5L V6. I would imagine a Mazda3 with 2.0 would achieve similar or better highway mileage, and be much more pleasurable to ride in, all while delivering livable economy for the times you're not barraging the fast lane. And again I'll mention the bad roads - with such a small wheelbase and tight, space-optimized suspension, road imperfections come through like a mallot.

I think my main beef is that the RS costs so much. In base-model trim, you're right, you can't get much better. But at this price point, you can get into a compact car, which is better in almost every respect. I'm glad to hear your car is working out well for you, again it sounds like you have the perfect drive and lifestyle needs for this type of vehicle, which is why we can celebrate the diversity of the auto industry. Perhaps my Mazda Protege5 is a silly car for some people, but it works for me. But for $21K, the Yaris RS may be good for some but disappointing for many more.

[rrocket]

Odd.  Import Queen often takes the Echo for her job as a visiting nurse.  All downtown Windsor, all stop and go.  And she never gets less than about 6.0L/100kms in our Echo.