New Toyota Yaris

Hope its better than the last one

I had a Yaris SR for 8 months last year, worst car I've ever had. Bad features too numerous to mention, but here's a few - awful brakes, crunchy gearbox, noisy engine, dreadful ride, not very economical, the famous recall, snotty dealer indifferent to complaints etc etc. I lost a lot of money on it, should've taken a longer test drive! Put me off Toyotas for life, so I hope they've spent a bit more time developing this one. The ultimate white goods car.

By steve647 on 25 August, 2011, 11:49am

I had similar experience of Toyota as steve647

I had a similar experience of owning a Toyota to steve647.
I had a problem with engine knocking and Toyota were reluctant to admit there was any problem.
It took Toyota 2 years, and 2 attempts with modified electonic control units before they finally fixed the problem - then they admitted that a lot of other owners had reported the same problem.
In my opinion, Toyota's legendary reputation for reliability is not based on facts - it is only a legend.

By jamesmclaughlin on 25 August, 2011, 1:42pm

Hasn't Toyota seen the competition?

Very disappointing considering the wealth of supermini talent out there that this new Yaris is up against. I've even heard they've got rid of the sliding rear seats too - a major Yaris innovation. Have Toyota given up trying?! Just look at that interior - how dull and cheap looking can you get? Even the old car's engines have been carried over without significant changes.

I also empathise with jamesmclaughlin and steve647 above - I had a terrible experience with a brand new MX5 cabriolet coupe a few years ago - the car / dealership / manufacturer all being rubbish. You get fed up of people saying how great the reputation of these cars are when you experience the opposite - I've even had jokers accusing me of being a liar when I've mentioned my bad experience with the Mazda on other articles (such as the recent one on the new shape MX5 due next year).

Oh well, since the new Yaris seems so disappointing thus far, I doubt whether I'll be testing the reliability of this model!

By gavsmit on 25 August, 2011, 6:17pm

Dull Dull Dull

Why have they swapped the central instrument binnacle, one of the Yaris' more interesting design features, for this slab of drabness. Already looks dated and like something the Koreans were producing a few years back. Lazy design at it's best !! And as for the exterior........not worth wasting any more time over.

By erly5 on 26 August, 2011, 9:51pm

Oh what a lot of negativity above..

Its interesting how people use these pages as a sounding board for their own car problems - that 'gavsmit' bloke has mentioned his MX5 woes about four or five times on these comments pages'
Anyway, the new Yaris. I think it looks great inside and out - it may not be the boldest supermini around but it has a simple, grown up look and avoids the cutsy, and fussy look of some competitors. It looks like one of the few superminis that guys could get away with driving.

By cousins11 on 30 August, 2011, 3:21pm

Are these comments real!

Why is someone complaining about a Mazda when this is about the new Toyota?
I'm on my second Yaris with MMT. No problems with either although not had this one long. Bought new. First one in Spain so had to go when returning to UK. I think Toyotas get bad reviews for, sometimes, no good reason. Even the magazine reviewers comments are somewhat strange. "Little feedback from the steering" "A flustered chassis". People get flustered, not cars! It's a small hatchback, not an F1. Of course, some of them say these things about other cars as well. Is it just to make column inches? Or to make us think they know about cars? I worked in car maintenace for 28 years, Minor 1000s to Rolls Royce and seen good and bad. Nowadays cars are much better than they used to be overall. Flustered chassis. Get real!

By petegeoff on 2 September, 2011, 11:59am

New Yaris Owner

As a owner of the new yaris SR I've got to say I'm impressed with my Yaris. I've got to say it's a far better improvement quality wise compared to the mark 1, ok it's lost a few features that made the car iconic but times change and the car is a lot classier than compared to my Fabia mark 2 which I had before, if I'm honest and in the words of my wife the yaris has a better interior than the Fabia! and I totally agree with her! I have the 1.33 and it might be a small engine but it's almost as much fun as my old Fabia vRS which I owned before my Mark 2 Fabia. I went to the launch night of the new yaris and was impressed with it I would rate it over the current fiesta and coming from a ford fan I have to say the fiesta looks a bit cheap in places! I've read many a bad review on the new Yaris but I can't complain it's by far the best car I have owned in a few years! Ok the fuel economy could be better but apart from that I have no intention of trading her in for the full 3 years, it's my first new car and I'm very impressed!

By twisterboy on 22 February, 2012, 1:36pm

I tested the new Yaris and found that it was very uncomfortable to drive. The seats (on the top spec) were awful, (I had backache after 8 miles) and the car wandered about on the road. I suspect that the seats have been slimmed down to create more space for rear seat passengers, but if you're carrying rear seat passengers other than small kids why would you buy a little hatchback like this?

By Madbadger61 on 27 February, 2012, 5:14pm