Consumer Reportshas just wrapped up an evaluation of subcompact sedans, and the Kia Rio EX has rolled out ahead of the class. The four-door beat out its corporate clone, the Hyundai Accent and the Chevrolet Sonic to take the top spot. Evaluators pointed to the sharp handling and well-optioned interior in the Rio as reasons for the vehicle's win. The newly redesigned Nissan Versa and unloved Toyota Yaris filled out the top five sedans. And what of the baby hatchbacks? CR once again credited the Honda Fit as leader of the pack, followed closely by the Versa Hatchback and Rio Hatchback.
The organization found fault with the base Chevrolet Sonic's fuel economy, and found the turbocharged LTZ model to be too expensive. Evaluators also felt the Sonic Turbo "didn't live up to its sporty aspirations."
We'll politely agree to disagree on that one.
All of the vehicles in the evaluation are either too new or scored too low in CR evaluations to earn a coveted Recommended rating. Hit the jump for a look at the full press release and debate amongst yourselves in Comments.
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.
AOL Car and Truck of the Year, new GM pickups, Dodge Caliber all done
Episode #262 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, and Zach this week. Topics include the first-ever AOL Autos Car and Truck of the Year, speculation about what the next generation of General Motors pickup trucks will have in store for us, and the end of the Dodge Caliber. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
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Toyota tucked its Yaris B-Spec Club Racer amongst a flotilla of pickups at SEMA 2011. The slammed hatch is set to compete in the SCCA B-Spec class with BMX guru Jamie Bestwick behind the wheel. The race-ready Yaris was built by SportsCar Magazine and features a stripped-out interior and an Autopower Industries eight-point SCCA roll cage for less weight and greater driver safety. OMP supplied the complete fire suppression system as well as a six-point racing harness and a WRC-style steering wheel.
A Cusco Zero-3 suspension gives the hatch greater grip and Cusco center-lock pillow ball upper mounts provide greater rigidity and less suspension flex than the stock components. Enkei 15-inch wheels shod in Hoosier racing tires help keep the car stuck to the tarmac as well.
SportsCar Magazine gave the Yaris B-Spec Club Racer a little nudge in power as well thanks to an AEM series 2 engine management system, a Beta Motorsports cat-back exhaust and a custom tune by Church automotive testing.
What We Like: Placing Michael Showalter in your ads earns automatic bonus points with us. These spots are pretty funny, and Showalter is the driving force behind the humor. Also, it's refreshing to see an automaker take a self-deprecating point of view from time to time.
What We Don't Like: We think Toyota is basically saying that the new Yaris is as simple of an automobile as you can find. The tounge-in-cheek humor is used to mask the fact that the Yaris isn't much more than an appliance on wheels.
Strategy: Toyota is really going out on a limb by using humor to highlight the fact that the new Yaris is a rather basic automobile. Still, the spots do manage to point out the fact that this vanilla machine has some solid features for its price point. Despite that fact, we're torn on this campaign. The spots themselves, which you can view after the jump, are hilarious but ultimately come across as spoof material put together by a competing automaker.
Grade: C (We're split, and this grade reflects our feelings. Showalter helped keep the grade from falling lower.)
Watch the videos after the jump and give it your own grade below. Also, if you use Chrome as your browser, you can head to Toyota.com/ItsACar for a more interactive experience.
In a take of putting the cart before the proverbial horse, Toyota announced pricing for the all-new 2012 Yaris today-but without any firm information about the car itself. No pictures (the Yaris seen above is the UK model), no specs-just pricing. Here is what we know for sure about the new Yaris-it will continue to be available as a three or five door hatchback, but the four door sedan has vanished. Buyers will have a choice between a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Three trim levels will be offered: base L, LE, and SE, which promises an ‘enhanced suspension’. Pricing for the 2012 Yaris starts at $14,115USD for a three door L with a manual, maxing out at $17,200 for a five door SE with automatic. Production will start at the end of this month.
What shocks me more than anything is how Toyota’s Public Relations are handling the release of the car. This price announcement is the first official mention from Toyota USA that a new Yaris was on its way, and to just show a spreadsheet with pricing and little else is utterly bewildering. The Garage was at the 2011 New York Auto Show, which would have been a prime opportunity to show the car in front of an assembled global press core. Nissan was there with its new 2012 Versa, but Toyota kept quiet.
The silence about the new Yaris makes even less sense when you consider Toyota’s position in the subcompact market. For as huge as Toyota is, this is a segment where Toyota is seriously struggling for marketshare in the US. Competing against cars like the Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta and Chevy Aveo, the Yaris trails them all. Nissan has sold four Versas for each Yaris sold here this year so far. Taking that into consideration, one would assume Toyota would be beating us auto journos over the head trying to get us to create some hype around this car, but just the opposite is happening.
Given the success of Toyota, it is almost hard to believe the company has such a hard time selling anything smaller than a Corolla here, especially since the subcompact car market is growing. Part of the problem is perception. Toyota is viewed by many as an older person’s brand, and that hurts when you are selling a car like the Yaris, which is typically a first time buyer. Toyota recognized that, and invented Scion as a youth oriented brand, but sales of the xB four door box and xD five door hatch pale in comparison of the Yaris. So you would think Toyota would be shouting from the rooftops about its new car, but the silence is coming off as indifference about this important market.
Is Toyota USA scared of taking away the hype from the Scion iQ? I would hope not. The iQ is a funky urban dweller, while the Yaris offers far more versatility and practicality. Is it as interesting? No, but with the Yaris, Toyota does not seek a niche market. the iQ will get the press because it’s so unique, but the money for Toyota is in the Yaris. This is not a class of car Toyota can afford to be saddled with “also ran” status as they have been. In light of devastating earthquakes and recalls, for Heaven’s sake Toyota, it’s ok to brag about your newest car.
