This Could Have Been A Hit: The 2008 Toyota Yaris Sedan

The 2008 Toyota Yaris surprised me--seriously, it did. This smartly-styled entry level Toyota had a surprising level of interior room and engine peppiness I didn't expect. The fuel economy in the Yaris is excellent; I averaged in the mid-30 mpg range in mixed driving. Nevertheless, it has serious shortcomings that can't be overlooked. These shortcomings prevent it from being a hit, making it a major disappointment.

When I sat in the 2008 Yaris, I was immediately surprised with the spacious interior. It was much larger than I expected it to be (especially trunk space, which is very good for a small car like the Yaris). Even passengers in the rear seat have good leg room--no small feat. The driver's seat was fine, too. There was good room up front, but here's where the trouble begins.

The placement of the gas pedal is simply terrible! It sits at a 90-degree angle which causes serious fatigue for your foot. It is not comfortable at all, and would make driving a long distance pure torture. Too bad, especially since the engine feels surprising lively. Even with the 4-speed automatic transmission, the 106 horsepower, 1.5 liter four-cylinder engine feels peppy; there is some lag between 40-60 mph, but it was still alright for such a small engine. At least this Yaris had cruise control--so you can give your extremely fatigued foot a much needed break.

Speaking of placement, I don't know why Toyota found it necessary to place the speedometer and other crucial instrumentation in the middle of the dashboard. It looks absolutely ridiculous. While I did adjust to it somewhat after a while, it never seemed right. The instrumentation was easy to read, though. The climate control knobs are big, but difficult to turn. The stereo is fairly simple to operate, but it sounds lousy. Bass seems practically non-existent. The quality of the interior materials seems to be adequate, however.

Another problem with the 2008 Toyota Yaris is its handling, which is also terrible. It feels unsettled; emergency maneuvers feel "darty" and unstable. It does not relay confidence to the driver at all. Braking feels acceptable, certainly aided by the anti-lock brakes. Regardless, the driving experience is marred by the poor driving dynamics of the car.

To sum it up, the 2008 Toyota Yaris could have been a hit. It has great fuel economy, nice interior room, and a peppy engine. However, its flaws far outweigh the positive aspects of the car--and that makes it a huge disappointment from Toyota.

What a shame.

The Car Exam Grade: C-