2007 TOYOTA YARIS SEDAN

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "2007 TOYOTA YARIS SEDAN"

Pamela Beasley
7 years ago
Views:

2007 TOYOTA YARIS SEDAN After introducing the hatchback last year, Toyota now presents the Yaris sedan. In the size department, the sedan is identical in width to the hatchback, but 47.

1 2007 TOYOTA YARIS SEDAN After introducing the hatchback last year, Toyota now presents the Yaris sedan. In the size department, the sedan is identical in width to the hatchback, but 47.5 cm longer with an extra 11 cm of wheelbase. It is also 8.5 cm shorter. The sedan is only available in one version, but six different bundles of options are available. Interior and trunk Front access is easy and the front seats are comfortable, although some people will find the front cushion a bit on the short side and set at an uncomfortable angle. The driving position is good, but would be even better with a telescopic steering column. Taller riders may find that the seats don t slide back far enough. Getting into the rear seats is easy, but getting out is made difficult by the lack of space between the seat and the B pillar. Seating is comfortable for two adults. Legroom is decent, but taller passengers will find headroom limited. The flat floor adds to the impression of roominess and practicality. The seatback splits 60/40, but the opening it creates isn t high enough due to the seatback being higher than the bottom of the trunk when folded down. Trunk capacity is reasonable but the small opening makes access difficult. Photo: Toyota

2 Convenience and safety The quality of the interior finish is very good, and the soundproofing more than reasonable for a subcompact. One pleasant surprise is the Yaris abundant interior storage space, which is more generous than on many larger vehicles. The position of the instruments at the centre of the dash takes a bit of getting used to, but the driver quickly grows accustomed to looking to the right instead of straight ahead. However, some people may find that the numbers on the odometer are too far away, making them difficult to read, especially in a glare. The controls are nicely located, although lighting on the mirror control and dash light dimmer switches would be a nice touch. For now, only the driver s side window button is illuminated. The heating system works fast, thanks to a special heating element that kicks in when the controls are set to Defrost and/or Heat while the engine warms up. When the thermometer symbol disappears from the dashboard display, it means that the engine coolant has warmed up enough for the conventional system to do its job. It s a wonder that all cars are not equipped with this kind of system, which begins to pump out warm air within 30 to 40 seconds of starting the car. From a safety point of view, the Yaris has two front airbags, antiwhiplash seats, five head restraints, very good all-around visibility, and good headlamps. Unfortunately, the front head restraints don t adjust high enough for tall people, and the back head restraints fail to make the grade for anyone of medium height or more. In U.S. government tests, the Yaris sedan earned four out of five stars for front passenger safety in case of frontal impact and three stars for all occupants in case of side impact. It earned four stars for resistance to rollover. Engine and transmission The 1.5 litre 4 cylinder engine generates 106 horsepower and 103 pounds of torque, which is enough for the Yaris to easily manoeuvre in most situations. Pickup at high speeds is obviously not the car s strong suit, but overall, the engine is a good match for the vehicle. It is noisy during acceleration, but meets ULEV II (Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle II) standards.

3 The four-speed automatic transmission is nice and smooth, and will only shift into fourth once the engine has warmed up sufficiently. Unfortunately, it doesn t let you start in second gear. On the road A pleasing blend of firmness and suppleness, the suspension offers a smooth ride. Uneven surfaces generate a few bumps, but nothing that qualifies as uncomfortable. Road holding is fine, although the Yaris is sensitive to crosswinds, perhaps even a bit more so than the Echo. The power steering is very nicely calibrated, but a bit vague at centre and short on road feel, a complaint all too common with electricassisted steering. Turning radius is, of course, tight. The brakes lack a bit of power in emergency situations, but show good resistance to fading. Our inspection of the Yaris at a CAA-Québec Technical Inspection Centre showed that this little Toyota is very well put together and well protected against corrosion. Unfortunately, the wiper fluid level can t be checked. The Yaris is equipped with a chain-drive camshaft. Conclusion The addition of the sedan to the Yaris family makes for an interesting line of models. The sedan is notable for its more generous dimensions and lines that are very similar to those of its big sister, the Camry. As always with a Toyota, you have to watch which package of options you choose if you want to keep the price down, particularly seeing that certain options like ABS brakes are only available as part of a package. PROS: Comfortable seats, well-designed interior, handling, manoeuvrability, visibility, abundant storage space. CONS: Unlit controls, sensitivity to crosswinds, small trunk opening, headrests that don t go high enough, imprecise steering at centre, noisy acceleration.

4 TOYOTA YARIS SEDAN 2007 Engine: 1.5-litre, 16-valve, 4 cylinder Horsepower: 106 hp at 6,000 rpm Torque: 103 lb.-ft. at 4,200 rpm Transmission: 5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic Suspension: independent/semi-independent Brakes: disc/drum Length: 430 cm Width: 169 cm Height: 144 cm Wheelbase: 255 cm Weight: 1,050 to 1,065 kg Tires: P185/60R15 Towing capacity: kg Air bags: dual front Fuel consumption with automatic transmission: Transport Canada rating: City: 7 L/100 km (40 mpg) Highway: 5.6 L/100 km (50 mpg) Test result: 6.6 L/100 (43 mpg) Test temperature: 8ºC to 22ºC Fuel tank capacity: 42 litres Fuel requirement: Regular gas Acceleration: km/h: 10.9 seconds km/h: 7.4 seconds Competition: Chevrolet Aveo, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Nissan Versa, Pontiac Wave, Suzuki Swift+ Warranty: Full basic coverage: 3 years/60,000 km Powertrain: 5 years/100,000 km Surface corrosion: 3 years/60,000 km Perforation damage: 5 years/unlimited kilometrage Emissions control system: 3 years/60,000 km (full coverage); 8 years/130,000 km (catalytic converter, electronic control module, on-board diagnostic system)

5 Factory replacement parts: Rear bumper: $440 Front brake disc: $98 Brake pads: $62 Muffler: $181 Front fender: $168 Average insurance premium (Quebec City, replacement cost endorsement, claim-free insurance record, male or female driver 30 to 40 years old): $816 to $1,095 Price according to trim line: $14,530 Main options: Automatic transmission: $1,000 Packages: $1,000 to $3,145 Price as tested: $18,555 Freight and preparation: $1,090 Dealers: Quebec: 71 Canada: 251 May All rights reserved, CAA-Quebec

2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML 350

2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML 350 For this second-generation ML, the engineers traded the body-on-frame design for a welded unibody construction, but took pains to reinforce it after all, the new generation had