I’ve often considered the subcompact Toyota Yaris the Rodney Dangerfield of subcompacts-it just does not get any respect. In the sales juggernaut that is Toyota, the Yaris was second to last behind the Avalon in car sales in 2011. And with competition and new models flooding the subcompact market, Toyota had to stop treating the Yaris like a despised stepchild. For 2012, Toyota has redesigned the Yaris, but has this wallflower finally caught up to the competition, or is it still relegated to ‘also ran’ status? Read on to find out.
No one has raved about the styling of the Yaris in the past, and with the new 2012 model, I see no change in that. That said, the Yaris is certainly sharper and fresher looking than the car it replaces. Our three door Yaris wasn’t bad looking from any angle, but it’s a forgettable shape. The Yaris is meant to appeal to a wide range of buyers, and Toyota is known for conservative styling for mass appeal. In other words, the Yaris is a nice looking appliance.
What is the best thing about the new Yaris interior? The centrally mounted instrument panel is gone, replaced with a traditional gauge cluster behind the steering wheel. Inside, the Yaris was reasonably comfortable for me (but my wife complained about the seat height), and for a two door hatchback, I felt the rear seat offered a generous amount of room. Quality of materials and workmanship were first-rate. The Yaris never felt cheap inside, the two-tone seats and dash added character to the thoughtfully designed dashboard. My only disappointment was the lack of a tachometer. Nothing screams econo-car more than staring at a blank oval on the gauge cluster.
As for the Yaris’ drivetrain, it is carryover from last year’s car. The Yaris features a 1.5L four cylinder rated at 106hp, with a choice of a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Our test car was equipped with the automatic, and in 2012, four speeds is utterly archaic. Fuel economy figures 30/35MPG city/highway, about average for this class of car. But the Yaris went about its work quietly and smoothly. It was an easy car to live with driving in town. Not so much on the highway. With only four gears, cruising at 80mph was a loud and annoying experience. Ride quality was ok, steering and braking were adequate. But on a 100 mile round trip in the Yaris, I could not wait to park the car and be done with it.
The Yaris is available as a two or four door hatchback. The sedan has been dropped. Trim levels come in L, LE, or SE. Our test car was the mid-level LE. Standard equipment is nine airbags, remote keyless entry, steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth, six speaker audio with HD radio and iPod connectivity, and full power accessories. With optional cruise control, floor mats, cargo mat and cargo net, our Yaris had an MSRP of $$16,864USD including delivery.
The redesigned Yaris is far more handsome than the car it replaces, and its interior is a massive improvement. If the bulk of your driving is around town or in the city, the Yaris will serve you well. But if you need a subcompact that has to be pleasant on the highway, I’d recommend the Ford Fiesta in a heartbeat. The Yaris is an appliance to get you from point A to point B that is unfortunately let down by an antiquated drivetrain that fails to match up to its competition.
The Mid-Size Sedan and Generation X
During our three days staying at the family-friendly resort, I was positively struck at the vehicles in the parking lot. A sea of minivans dominated (it was damn scary), crossovers and SUV’s. Sure, hardly unusual given the guests, but what stunned me was the utter lack of the bread and butter, middle-America mid-size sedan, the Most Important Cars all mainstream automakers build. Yes, our family of three may be small, but it was impossible to imagine feeling out of place in a car as common as a Toyota Camry.
And then it hit me. Hanging out at the pool, the restaurant, and people in passing, I was able to size up my fellow guests. Namely, Generation X, well educated, middle-class people with a flair for something a little nicer than a generic chain hotel. And what did our parents drive? A good many of them drove mid-size sedans. I grew up, was taken many places in relative comfort (even with my little sister next to me) and learned how to drive in a Honda Accord. But because my parents owned Accords, I wouldn’t be caught dead owning one myself. The truth is, the current Honda Accord is a fine car, and I even said so in my review. But I will never buy one.
And so I suspect it was with my fellow vacationers. We just don’t want to drive what our parents did. There is nothing cool about it. If you don’t believe me, think back how popular station wagons once were in America a couple generations ago. Flash forward to 2012, and the station wagon is nearly extinct in North America. Once I was back home, I thought about my own neighbors with kids, and what they drove-Honda CR-V’s and a Jeep Liberty. And again who did I know that drives a mid-size sedan? My Dad with his Accord, my father in-law with his Camry, and my wife’s stepfather with his Ford Taurus. In other words, all Baby Boomers in their 60′s and beyond. I honestly cannot think of anyone I know who is my age that drives a mid-size car.
But the sales numbers do not lie. Hundreds of thousands of new mid-size cars are bought every year, and there is no sign of things slowing down. Competition is more intense than ever. Cars already out there like the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima are shaking things up with unique styling and terrific driving characteristics. The press is falling all over the new VW Passat and sales are up dramatically. Later this year, expect to see an all new Ford Fusion and Chevy Malibu on the showroom floor. Even the Nissan Altima, which dates back to 2007 remains Nissan’s best selling car in spite of its age. Make no mistake, the mid-size sedan is, and remains a hotly contested market.
And it certainly will not be fading anytime soon. But for how long? Scanning that parking lot in Cape Cod gave me good reason for pause, as that microcosm of my generation has seemingly given up the notion of the mid-size car as the ride of choice. By all means, our Camry was perfectly suited for our trip, but the reality is our smaller and more fun to drive 2010 VW Jetta, though lacking many of the high-end features of the Camry is really all the car we need. Ask Gary Grant, founder of The Garage and a car nut of the highest level, married father of three who owns a Nissan XTerra to haul his family. I don’t profess to be a fortune teller, but I detect a trend here. We shall see how this plays out.
Editors Note: The Camry seen pictured above is shown in what may seem a familiar site to some of you-Roslyn Cafe that was a fixture on the hit TV Show ‘Northern Exposure’.