YARIS PACKS A LOT IN SMALL PACKAGE
Entry-level Toyota gets outside makeover
The 2018 Yaris is Toyota’s answer for a compact, inexpensive, fuel-efficient hatchback.
Well-known for its reliability, Toyota unveiled the Yaris in 2007. With an MSRP of approximately $15,600 for the two-door, 5-speed manual transmission, this is the cheapest way to get into a new Toyota. My tester, the SE with four doors and a 4-speed automatic transmission, is priced at around $19,060. This subcompact has a tiny 1.5-liter, fuel-sipping 106hp four-cylinder engine, which translates to 36 mpg highway and 30 in the city.
Toyota did not alter the interior this year, but it did upgrade the Yaris exterior, giving the front end a new grille and headlight design, more chrome accents, wider taillights and a lower rear bumper.
Though small in stature, this grocery-getter did not skimp on the safety features, coming with standard pre-collision warning system, lane-departure alert, and nine airbags tucked in throughout the cabin.
As a 6-foot, 2-inch driver, I shoehorned myself in and out of the driver’s seat, but I found the position fairly comfortable for the car’s compact size. The leathertrimmed steering wheel
lacked adjustments but sliding the seat back with its manual lever kept it out of my lap and my knees slightly away from the dashboard. I had to get used to the fact that I had no place for my right arm, but having an armrest would’ve taken up too much room. Cargo space is limited; I had to lower the back seat to carry all my camera gear.
Standard features include automatic high beams, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity, SiriusXM satellite radio ready and real-time weather and traffic. With its compact body, it was certainly not difficult to pahk this “cah in Haavad Yahd” and it was even easier with the highdefinition back-up camera. Zig-zagging around traffic, the Yaris has no blind spots, so lane-changing was simple.
I did take it for a lengthy road trip to western Massachusetts and found the Yaris able to motor along the interstate at a comfortable 65 mph, except when I engaged the cruise control and climbed some of the rolling hills. I found that the transmission had to adjust for the extra load, making the engine scream and vibrate, pinning the needle to a whopping 4,500 rpm.
With a base MSRP of $15,635 and boasting high gas mileage, the Yaris is definitely a car for the budget-minded. It lacks bells and whistles but is small, solid and safe. If you’re looking for a little modern refinement for another $1,300 maybe consider a base Corolla.