Day-by-Day Review: 2012 Toyota Yaris three-door; Day 3

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

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This is officially the least-expensive vehicle I have tested in my automotive career, and it had better be, as this is one basic machine that I have in my driveway this week — the 2012 Toyota Yaris three-door.

This Yaris is all-new for 2012, but only available in this new design as a hatchback as the sedan carries forward the older design for another year. I own a 2008 Toyota Yaris, so this week I am going to attempt to compare the two vehicles, focusing on what is new, what is improved and any deficiencies I see in this new design.

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Normally, I’d start by listing all the great features of my test vehicle for the week, but honestly, I do not believe you can buy a more basic vehicle in Canada at the moment. So, how about a list of things this vehicle does not have?

My tester does not include keyless entry, air conditioning, power windows, power mirrors, cruise control, a tachometer or an automatic transmission. It does, surprisingly, have power door locks, Bluetooth integrated into the AM/FM/CD player, a driver’s seat that is height-adjustable and 60/40 split rear folding seats. My tester is as basic as it comes — an interesting change from the norm.

2012 Toyota Yaris 3 Door
MSRP as tested (excluding destination): $13,990

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Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3| Day 4

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Besides a refreshed exterior, the most noticeable change for 2012 on the Yaris is the interior. Some people absolutely hated the centre-mounted gauges from the previous generation; I, on the other hand, do not really care either way. You get used to the centre-mounted arrangement, which also offers more storage capacity in the dash: the previous-generation Yaris had three glove boxes of a good size, but this new design has just one small one.

The dash plastic is textured in the 2012 Yaris and looks more upscale than the dimpled plastic of old. There is also a vinyl piece across the front and around the doors that gives a two-tone look and a little more texture and quality feel.

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The new Yaris is a little longer but the same width and a little less tall than the outgoing model. It feels about the same inside, although cargo space does seem slightly larger. It passed the curling broom test, as I was able to squeeze mine into the trunk area, but I cannot do so on my 2008. The roof liner seems a little weaker though; flipping the sun-visors out of the way makes a very metallic-type sound.

What I find the most odd is the deletion of one windshield wiper — yes, you read that correctly. The new 2012 Yaris has only one front windshield wiper and I will unequivocally say that this design feature just falls flat. One wipe of the windshield this morning netted me a gigantic slurry of ice on the A-pillar, and later in the day when I needed to clean the windshield, the washer fluid spray was abysmal. It shoots out of the wiper arm itself in a very low trajectory and in a very small area, so it basically does nothing. I like visibility, and I was not impressed.

Toyota has done a good job with the interior lighting of the new Yaris though, including a dimmable radio display, which so many manufactures seem to miss.

That radio, though it does sound good — better than the radio in my 2008, in fact — has knobs that are difficult to turn with bare hands, and forget it with gloves on. The HVAC controls, on the other hand, are easy to use and see — a net zero difference between old and new generation.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

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After mounting some new tires on our Yaris today, I took it out for a little zip around the block to ensure my memory and senses were correct regarding the ride and noise levels in the new 2012 Yaris.

There is no doubt the new version has more insulation and is quieter on the road, but it is not night-and-day. Road noise is reduced, as is wind noise — slightly — although I find the new 2012 Yaris to be more susceptible to wind gusts, and it tends to wander quite a bit on the highway.

Engine noise is also less intrusive in the 2012 model, and the engine sounds slightly smoother, although I hope that is because of improvements and not an indication of a problem with my car — but I don’t think that’s the case.

My tester is a five-speed manual while my personal vehicle is a four-speed automatic. As a result driving feel is quite different. The five-speed feels more peppy around town, the lack of torque converter is obviously giving this little car the power it requires.

But I do find the engine turns a little too often, without a tachometer it is difficult to say what the RPMs are at any given speed, but based on the engine noise I’d guess around 3500 rpm at 120km/h and even close to 2800 rpm at 80km/h. The automatic transmission turns closer to 2000 rpm at 80km/h and 3,100 rpm at 120km/h as a result it is less “buzzy.”

Regardless, though, this Yaris is fun to drive around, it feels light and toss-able — the electric-assisted power steering makes the car feel lighter and more nimble as it incorporates a shorter turning radius and quicker steering ratio. The suspension feels slightly more taut and more compliant in this Yaris, offering a slightly better ride over rough pavement. As expected, Toyota has improved this Yaris in many areas.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3| Day 4

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I averaged a little better fuel consumption wise in the 2012 Yaris this week than I do in my own vehicle, but that could be down to tires and transmission type. The 2012 managed 6.7L/100km; typically I average around 6.9L/100km in my own vehicle.

On a highway trip to pick up some tires, I averaged 7.0L/100km because of the higher highway speeds; the small engine in the Yaris really likes slower city driving and B-road speeds of 80 to 90 km/h. When you get over 100km/h, fuel economy really suffers.

I’d say that this new Yaris is slightly better than the previous generation, but certainly not enough to make anyone want to upgrade. Although I haven’t driven much of the competition lately, I have a feeling you could find a subcompact offering much more equipment for similar pricing, although who knows if it will be “epically” reliable, as Toyota claims this Yaris will be.

*Rating out of 5: