Not an echo, but not a loud scream, either
There's something peculiar about this car. It's hard to discern, but after a week driving it, I think I've found out what.
One thing's for sure, is that the Yaris sedan is better than the Echo it replaces. In fact, it even makes the Corolla seem, well, old and obsolete. So what's wrong with it? Nothing. That's the point.
Less adventurous styling
Every time I drove an Echo sedan, I felt strange. It's a subcompact, but the high seating position lifted me shoulder-to-shoulder with people sitting in much bigger cars. I felt awkward and nerdy, despite the fact that the Echo was a very competent and economical vehicle.
The Yaris is less adventurous. It looks like a normal car, with normal-sized greenhouse and proportions. Like the Echo it replaces, the Yaris sedan is
visually distinct from the Hatchback. It has different headlamps and grille, and the front bumper is also changed.
My test car is wearing the optional Aero package, which adds 15-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, colour-keyed door handles and exterior mirrors, a skirt package and fog lamps. All these additions make the car look pretty sporty. However, base Yaris sedans with hubcaps grace a couple of driveways on my street, and they look good; they look classy and more expensive than the base price you can get one for.
Smooth and efficient engine
Alright, it's not a powerhouse, but I'm surprised to see how well this Yaris performs, especially with the 4-speed automatic transmission. The 106-hp, 1.5-liter engine is always eager to rev. although it does get a little noisy at full throttle, it's not unpleasant. I'm averaging about 8.0 L/100 km over the course of the week and got as low as 6.7 L/100 km on a 6-hour trip, which is pretty frugal.
The power steering uses an electric pump instead of a conventional hydraulic one. The difference is when you give the steering wheel a sharp turn; you don't feel that slight tug that a hydraulic pump normally sends
back through the column. It feels unnatural at first, but you get used to it, and it works very well.
The shift lever has a confusing gate, which all new Toyota vehicles seem to share. When you move the lever down to the 'D' position, third gear selection is just a tap to the left. This seemed to foil quite a few people who mistakenly locked out the fourth gear by selecting '3'. And when I say quite a few, it's because it happened in all the recent Toyota press cars that graced our parking lot: the FJ Cruiser, the [link artid="53808"]Camry[/link], the RAV4, and the Yaris.
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| 2007 Toyota Yaris Sedan (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com) |
One thing's for sure, is that the Yaris sedan is better than the Echo it replaces. In fact, it even makes the Corolla seem, well, old and obsolete. So what's wrong with it? Nothing. That's the point.
Less adventurous styling
Every time I drove an Echo sedan, I felt strange. It's a subcompact, but the high seating position lifted me shoulder-to-shoulder with people sitting in much bigger cars. I felt awkward and nerdy, despite the fact that the Echo was a very competent and economical vehicle.
The Yaris is less adventurous. It looks like a normal car, with normal-sized greenhouse and proportions. Like the Echo it replaces, the Yaris sedan is
 |
| 2007 Toyota Yaris Sedan (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com) |
My test car is wearing the optional Aero package, which adds 15-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, colour-keyed door handles and exterior mirrors, a skirt package and fog lamps. All these additions make the car look pretty sporty. However, base Yaris sedans with hubcaps grace a couple of driveways on my street, and they look good; they look classy and more expensive than the base price you can get one for.
Smooth and efficient engine
Alright, it's not a powerhouse, but I'm surprised to see how well this Yaris performs, especially with the 4-speed automatic transmission. The 106-hp, 1.5-liter engine is always eager to rev. although it does get a little noisy at full throttle, it's not unpleasant. I'm averaging about 8.0 L/100 km over the course of the week and got as low as 6.7 L/100 km on a 6-hour trip, which is pretty frugal.
The power steering uses an electric pump instead of a conventional hydraulic one. The difference is when you give the steering wheel a sharp turn; you don't feel that slight tug that a hydraulic pump normally sends
 |
| 2007 Toyota Yaris Sedan (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com) |
The shift lever has a confusing gate, which all new Toyota vehicles seem to share. When you move the lever down to the 'D' position, third gear selection is just a tap to the left. This seemed to foil quite a few people who mistakenly locked out the fourth gear by selecting '3'. And when I say quite a few, it's because it happened in all the recent Toyota press cars that graced our parking lot: the FJ Cruiser, the [link artid="53808"]Camry[/link], the RAV4, and the Yaris.