2008 Toyota Yaris CE

Specifications OptionsVehicle Images WarrantyReviews Available Colours

Engine
Cylinders	4
Horse Power	106
Fuel Type	Regular unleaded
Max RPM	6,000
Torque	140 lb.-ft.
Max Torque RPM	4,200
Compression Ratio	10.50 : 1
Engine Size	1.5 L
Valve Gear	DOHC
Total Valves	16
Engine Configuration	Inline
Displacement	91
Vehicle Emissions	ULEV II
City (L/100KM)	7.0
Highway (L/100KM)	5.5
Transmission	5 Speed Manual

Chassis & Suspension
Independent	Front
Stabilizer Bar	Front
Front Suspension Type	Strut
Rear Suspension Type	Torsion beam
Front Suspension Classification	Independent
Front Suspension Type	Strut
Front Spring Type	Coil
Front Stabilizer Bar	Regular
Rear Suspension Classification	Semi-independent
Rear Spring Type	Coil
Class	Regular
Rear Suspension Type	Torsion beam

Brakes
Front brakes	Ventilated disc

Wheels & Tires
Width	185
Profile	60
Speed Rating	S
Diameter	15.0
Type	AS
Prefix	P
Rim Type	Steel
Spare Tire Mount Location	Inside under cargo
Spare Tire Size	Compact

Exterior Dimensions
Overall Width	1,695 mm
Overall height	1,525 mm
Overall Length	3,825 mm
Wheelbase	2,460 mm
Front track	1,480 mm
Rear track	1,470 mm
Aerodynamic Drag (CD)	.29

Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room	1,001 mm
Rear Head Room	963 mm
Front Leg Room	1,024 mm
Rear Leg Room	859 mm
Front Shoulder Room	1,306 mm
Rear Shoulder Room	1,280 mm

Capacities
Total Seating Capacity	5
Upholstery	Cloth
Front seat type	Bucket
Max seating capacity	5
Curb weight	1,043 lbs.
Towing Capacity	318 lbs.
Cargo capacity, all seats in place	228 L
Cargo capacity, rear seat down or removed	728 L
Max cargo capacity	728 L
Fuel Capacity	42 L
Gross vehicle weight	1,445 lbs.
Ground clearance	140 mm
Turning radius	5 ft.
EPA interior volume	2,382 L

2008 Toyota Yaris Review

Assembled In: Japan.

Model Line Up: Toyota Yaris Liftback ($11,350); Sedan ($12,225); Liftback S ($13,025); Sedan S ($13,725).

Model Tested: Toyota Yaris Liftback ($11,350).

Options Tested: Power Package ($1,710) includes AM/FM/CD with MP3 jack, 15-inch wheels, rear defroster, power windows/locks/mirrors, 60/40 slide/recline/fold flat multi-function rear seat.

The Yaris is the lowest priced Toyota, the Toyota that best represents the value of good, basic transportation. Except the Yaris is better than just good. It boasts handsome looks, pleasant road manners, perky performance, and a well-tailored interior.

Yaris was introduced as a 2007 model. For 2008, a sporty S version of the liftback joins the Toyota Yaris lineup. The Yaris S liftback and sedan benefit from special interior and exterior trim: a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, amber-illuminated tachometer, special seat fabric, and color-keyed spoilers under the front and rear bumpers. Aluminum-alloy wheels are optional.

The Yaris is a reminder of what has made Toyota the world's leading carmaker: the ability to cater to a wide range of luxury and specialty market niches without forgetting how to build good, basic transportation. All Yaris models combine an inexpensive sticker, outstanding fuel mileage and the solid integrity that underlies every Toyota vehicle.

Toyota Yaris is available in base or S trim, each as a three-door hatchback or a four-door sedan. All Yaris models are powered through the front wheels by a 1.5-liter engine with an output of 106 horsepower. A five-speed manual transmission is standard while a four-speed automatic is optional for the liftback ($900) and sedan ($725).

Yaris liftback ($11,350) and sedan ($12,225) come with air conditioning, power steering, tilt steering wheel, intermittent wipers, rear center headrest, driver and passenger vanity mirrors, front and rear cupholders, digital clock, UV glass and a map light. The Yaris is pre-wired for a radio but does not come with one. The liftback's front seats are adjustable four ways, while the sedan's are adjustable six ways. The radio antenna is roof-mounted on the liftback and is placed in the rear window glass of the sedan. The liftback's rear seat folds down while the sedan's rear seat is fixed.

Yaris liftback S ($13,025) adds an amber-illuminated tachometer, AM/FM/CD audio with MP3/WMA and universal mini-jack, sport seat fabric, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, rear window wiper and defroster, color-keyed front and rear under-bumper spoilers, special badging, and P185/60 tires on 15-inch steel wheels with full covers. The Yaris sedan S ($13,725) is similarly equipped, but skips the leather wrappings for a 60/40 split fold-down rear seat.

A Convenience Package for liftback ($630) and sedan ($750) models adds the radio, 15-inch wheels and tires, rear defroster, and 60/40 split/fold-down rear seats for the sedan and a rear wiper for the liftback. The Power Package for the base models ($1,785) includes the Convenience Package plus power door locks, windows, and mirrors. On the liftback, it also adds a 60/40 split rear seat that slides, reclines, and folds completely flat; on the sedan, it adds cruise control, upgraded trim, LCD audio display, and ABS brakes with Electronic Brake-force distribution. The similar package is available for S models. Power windows ($375) or locks ($275) are options on base sedans. Other options: 15-inch alloy wheels ($390), fog lights ($110), rear spoiler for the liftback ($2000) or sedan ($435), remote keyless entry ($230).

Safety features that come standard include dual-stage driver and front passenger airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plus three-point seatbelts and head restraints for all five seating positions. Also available ($650) are front seat-mounted side-impact airbags for torso protection and side curtain airbags for head protection for front and rear passengers. We highly recommend these extra safety features, especially in such a small and lightweight car. Always wear seat belts as they are your first line of defense in a crash. ABS/EBD brakes are optional ($300); we strongly recommend getting them.

The Toyota Yaris has an appealing look to it, especially the liftback.

The liftback was designed around the theme of ''powerful simplicity,'' but our first impression was that it's cute as the proverbial bug. It has character, with its wedgy profile, large front halogen headlamp clusters, creased hood lines and T-grille. Almost every exterior element is body-colored, but it avoids looking like a featureless blob due to strategic placement of black trim around the base of the A-pillar, on the B-pillar, on the two strips that run the length of the roof, the front grilles and foglamp surrounds, and at the base of the windshield.

The rear hatch opens down to the bumper line and raises just high enough to allow a six-foot-tall person to stand under it. Like everything else about the Yaris, the hatch's function feels just right. Opening of the hatch is well damped by two struts, and closing it takes no more than a gentle downward push.

The sedan's theme is ''Simple is Cool,'' which is based on the Japanese art of flower arranging, where unnecessary decoration is shunned in place of a single, simple design. It's significantly longer than the liftback, by 3.5 inches in wheelbase and a whopping 19 inches overall. Its long, stretched cabin, arched beltline and short overhangs give it sporty proportions, and the multi-reflector halogen headlights lend it a premium look. Longer and wider and riding on a much longer wheelbase than the Echo sedan it replaces, the Yaris sedan has proportions that work together to create a sportier car.

Despite their distinctive styling, both the sedan and liftback share a 0.29 coefficient of drag, an excellent number that helps quiet the ride and increase fuel economy at cruising speeds.

The standard running gear consists of P175/65R14 radials on 14-inch steel wheels, and the brakes are front ventilated discs and rear drums. The suspension is independent in front, with a semi-independent torsion beam in the rear.

The Toyota Yaris proves that inexpensive should not be confused with cheap. From their well sculptured exterior lines to the tailored, upscale look of their interiors, little about the Yaris liftback or sedan suggests the cutting of corners. This is a great time to be shopping for a subcompact, with the Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, Saturn Astra, Kia Rio, and Hyundai Accent competing for buyers.

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Greg Brown filed this report from Santa Barbara, California.

What reviewers liked most
"From their well sculptured exterior lines to the tailored, upscale look of their interiors, little about the Yaris hatchback and sedan suggests the cutting of corners." (Source: New Car Test Drive)


"It is Fuel-efficient, has comfortable ride quality, crisp handling, available sliding and reclining rear seats." (Source: Edmunds.com)

Best one-liners
"The Yaris combines the economies of an inexpensive sticker, outstanding fuel mileage and the solid integrity that underlies every Toyota vehicle." (Source: New Car Test Drive)