The Toyota Yaris has been a very popular choice for those who have a long commute, need a car that performs well in the city, or for those who just want a car that is great on gas and will help them be able to fully enjoy the great savings at the pump. As one of the first small hatchbacks on the market, the Yaris has been popular for many years. To keep up with the multitude of other hatchback vehicles on the market the Yaris has added a larger grill, sharper tail and an upgraded interior.
Because Toyota carries a reputation for longevity and quality having a lineup of some of the most reliable vehicles on the road that hold their resale value, the Yaris fits right in as a well-designed model that gives owners the confidence that comes with having a car that will not let them down. With the updated stylings added the Yaris appears more aggressive than before and much more comfortable from the inside.
Because the market is becoming full of excellent subcompact cars that show off with great features and style the Yaris competes with others like the Kia Rio, Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Sonic. With this as the direct competition it’s not really any surprise Toyota has upgraded this model to keep up with these excellent performers.
Heading down the road in a Yaris offers a fun and responsive driving experience. This excellent and fun feeling is the result of a stiffer body and more highly-engineered suspension system which gives a very smooth and enjoyable ride. The steering system found in the Yaris is extremely responsive and easy to get along with making this car one that is perfect for navigating through city traffic or taking it out on the highway for the daily commute.
The Yaris comes with only one engine that to enjoy and that engine is a 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine with Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i). This little engine shows up with a meager 106 horsepower and 103 lb.-ft. of torque. Mated to either a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission the Yaris offers fuel efficiency numbers that comes in at 30 city/37 hwy mpg for the manual and 30 city/36 hwy mpg for the automatic transmission. Even though this little engine doesn’t really perform well on the highway its ideal for city driving and with the fuel efficiency offered is a great choice even for a long commute as long as passing is not a requirement.
The interior of the Yaris is basically what is expected from a small subcompact car. With two new upgrades to the inside this car adds softer surfaces which allows this inexpensive car to feel much more upscale than expected. The other addition is a newly designed dashboard that integrates the Entune touch screen infotainment system. The rest of the car seems to be a very basic offering on the inside which is just fine as most who drive the Yaris aren’t looking to be basked in luxury. The rear seats fold down to offer a better cargo configuration and give plenty of ability for young owners to handle the awkward shaped items they need to get home from the store.
On the outside the Yaris shows off its larger grill that looks like a very large mouth and helps the engine to perform even better than before. The Yaris appears to have a ton of character to its exterior, which makes this a very popular model with young, first time buyers. The front continues with this personality with the large headlights that really look back toward the rear and the overall shape which is somewhat cartoon-like. The SE model adds aluminum-alloy wheels, fog lights and a rear spoiler to the mix to give this funky and fun little car even more character and personality than ever before. The size of this car makes it very easy to park, maneuver in city traffic, and fit in just about anywhere.
The Yaris comes with a very nice list of standard features for any owner to take full advantage of. This list includes two different hatchback bodies, a two door and a four door. The base L model shows up with the Entune touch-screen infotainment system which includes USB and Bluetooth connectivity, a 60/40 split folding rear seat, tilt steering, power windows and air conditioning. The LE model adds cruise control, steering wheel mounted audio controls and remote keyless entry. The SE model add a leather trimmed steering wheel and shift knob, a higher level of instrumentation and four-wheel disc brakes. All Yaris models comes with two years or 25,000 of ToyotaCare scheduled maintenance and roadside assistance.
There is really only one noteworthy optional feature to add to the Yaris and that is a navigation system which will cost an additional $800 to be included. All other features are included on the various trim levels and not available as standalone at all, this allows the Yaris to remain less expensive than many other model vehicles by only having to build three models and not have to configure the car for added features.
At the base price, the Yaris comes in the three-door hatchback model and asks a price of $15,500 for the L model. Moving up to the LE model with ask a price around $16,500 and the SE starts out around $18,400. The addition of two more doors does increase the price as does adding the navigation system, but overall the combination of price and fuel efficiency are enough to allow anyone with a long commute or just starting out on a very tight budget to be able to enjoy a great car at a very inexpensive price.
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