2007 Toyota Yaris sedan
Jil McIntosh
When Toyota introduced its subcompact Echo to North America in 2000, it initially brought out only a four-door sedan. In 2004, it added a funky little hatchback version, but only in Canada.
This time around, Toyota does the opposite: its replacement Yaris debuted as a hatchback, both in the U.S. and Canada, for 2006. Now, for 2007, there's an all-new Yaris sedan.
While they share many components, the hatchback and sedan don't look very much alike. The grille, an open mesh affair on the hatchback, is divided by a centre bar on the sedan. And the sedan is larger: 475 mm overall, with a wheelbase that's 90 mm longer.
At first glance, the attractive Yaris sedan looks more like a scaled-down version of the all-new Camry. This new Yaris may be small, but it definitely doesn't look it.
The Echo sedan didn't handle as well as its hatchback sibling, and could be almost scary on winter roads. By contrast, the Yaris sedan spends much less time following road ruts, feels solid and grounded on the highway, and tracks very well around corners.
The ride is very smooth, and road noise is soaked up nicely by the suspension. Still, its all-season 14inch tires are really only good for three seasons, and I'd definitely be swapping them for real winter rubber next fall.
All Yaris models share a 106 hp, 1.5litre four-cylinder engine, mated to a five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic. But the Yaris weighs as much as 111 kg over its predecessor.
The motor is fine for most city conditions, but my automatic-equipped tester had less passing power than I would have liked, especially when merging onto the 401.
Inside, the Yaris is well finished; cupholders are out of the way, small-item cubbies abound, and the seats are quite comfortable for this price point, although larger folks may find the front ones a bit too narrow. Those with large feet may also make contact with the underside of the dash when moving between throttle and brake.
Yaris continues the Echo's centre-mounted instrument cluster. Some buyers love it, but I don't; I don't think you should have to look sideways, away from the road, to check your speed.
Yaris is very spacious: you might even think you've stepped into a Camry.
There is good headroom, a decent back seat and tall front-seat risers so that rear passengers can slip their feet under them.
The trunk is also large, with 90 cm of cargo length that opens to 150 cm when the 60/40 seats are folded. That's even longer than the hatchback version.
Yaris represents a welcome trend: cars that are city-sized, good on fuel, yet make the most of their interior space for passenger comfort.
It isn't a powerhouse on the highway, but a combination of 6.5 L/100 km with this much interior room is nothing to sneeze at; all the economy in the world won't help if you can't get comfortable behind the wheel.
http://www.wheels.ca/printArticle/21979
2007 Toyota Yaris sedan
Jil McIntosh
When Toyota introduced its subcompact Echo to North America in 2000, it initially brought out only a four-door sedan. In 2004, it added a funky little hatchback version, but only in Canada.
This time around, Toyota does the opposite: its replacement Yaris debuted as a hatchback, both in the U.S. and Canada, for 2006. Now, for 2007, there's an all-new Yaris sedan.
While they share many components, the hatchback and sedan don't look very much alike. The grille, an open mesh affair on the hatchback, is divided by a centre bar on the sedan. And the sedan is larger: 475 mm overall, with a wheelbase that's 90 mm longer.
At first glance, the attractive Yaris sedan looks more like a scaled-down version of the all-new Camry. This new Yaris may be small, but it definitely doesn't look it.
The Echo sedan didn't handle as well as its hatchback sibling, and could be almost scary on winter roads. By contrast, the Yaris sedan spends much less time following road ruts, feels solid and grounded on the highway, and tracks very well around corners.
The ride is very smooth, and road noise is soaked up nicely by the suspension. Still, its all-season 14inch tires are really only good for three seasons, and I'd definitely be swapping them for real winter rubber next fall.
All Yaris models share a 106 hp, 1.5litre four-cylinder engine, mated to a five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic. But the Yaris weighs as much as 111 kg over its predecessor.
The motor is fine for most city conditions, but my automatic-equipped tester had less passing power than I would have liked, especially when merging onto the 401.
Inside, the Yaris is well finished; cupholders are out of the way, small-item cubbies abound, and the seats are quite comfortable for this price point, although larger folks may find the front ones a bit too narrow. Those with large feet may also make contact with the underside of the dash when moving between throttle and brake.
Yaris continues the Echo's centre-mounted instrument cluster. Some buyers love it, but I don't; I don't think you should have to look sideways, away from the road, to check your speed.
Yaris is very spacious: you might even think you've stepped into a Camry.
There is good headroom, a decent back seat and tall front-seat risers so that rear passengers can slip their feet under them.
The trunk is also large, with 90 cm of cargo length that opens to 150 cm when the 60/40 seats are folded. That's even longer than the hatchback version.
Yaris represents a welcome trend: cars that are city-sized, good on fuel, yet make the most of their interior space for passenger comfort.
It isn't a powerhouse on the highway, but a combination of 6.5 L/100 km with this much interior room is nothing to sneeze at; all the economy in the world won't help if you can't get comfortable behind the wheel.
http://www.wheels.ca/printArticle/21979
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