2008 Toyota Yaris consumer reviews

After 7 domestic vehicles in my lifetime including AMC, Chrysler and Ford and all those recurring problems associated with those domestic vehicles, I finally traded up to a 2008 Toyota Yaris sedan specifically made in Japan. WOW! What a difference in quality!! My 1999 Dodge Caravan with 60,000 miles was nickle and diming me to death once the transmission died around 55,000 miles. Admittedly, the Yaris was initially difficult to get used to after the space I had with the Caravan, but the Yaris kicked the Caravan out of the park averaging 36mpg city compared to the Caravan's wimpy 15mpg. It has been about a month now and I find the center console on the Yaris a nice change from looking through a steering wheel, the Yaris is very peppy and responsive, the short wheel base is great for tight spots, and the dealer incentives to buy "Toyota" could not be matched by the Big-3. There is more than ample space in the back seat for adults. The trunk boasts a lot of space too. The drink holders securely hold tall cups of coffee and there are many spots for storage all over the car. The auto transmission shifts smoothly and is backed by a 6yr/60,000 mile warranty. Obviously Toyota has been doing something right for years as they don't need a govt bail-out. All I can say to perspective car buyers is start with the Toyota and save yourself $$$ and the headaches of those domestic dinosaurs (which happen to be extinct as well). Remember the old slogan, "Oh what a feeling?" It's still right on the money!

What can I say, this car is awesome. It has great looks, nicely equipt, has a peppy engine, and didn't break the bank. This car has impressed myself and my friends, especially with the fuel economy. I have averaged to date over 43mpg with the 5 speed manual with a personal best mpg of 48. Now this is standard driving, not over revving the engine and driving like a nut going 80 plus mph. A far better buy for the money than a prius! Check out some forums on this great car and you will be amazed what Toyota does not flaunt (if they did they would not be selling as many prius's)in their advertising claims. This is moslty due to the little profit margin they make on this vehicle. Anyways I am very pleased and someday after 350,000 plus miles are on this vehicle I will buy another.

We bought our Yaris at the height of the gas prices. We also own a full size SUV and a full size truck(Gas Guzzlers). I thought my husband was crazy to want one but, we LOVE it! CUTE, great gas mileage and we could buy 2 of these for the price of a hybrid!

I bought a beautiful 2008 Jade Yaris Sedan in August after my '98 Corolla was starting to add up the mileage. I LOVE this Yaris!! It looks so cool and people keep praising it's visual appearance. You ride a little higher up than in most other cars which I love because it's easy to get in and out of and you can see ahead better. It has GREAT mileage! I think I got about 49 miles to the gallon on a recent freeway trip. I only use half the gas I used to put in the '98 Corolla. I have SO MUCH FUN driving this car! It has great pick-up on the freeway, too. And the trunk is very roomy! The only things I don't like are the very lightweight plastic in the interior. It does not appear strong and I wonder how it will hold up over the years. And sometimes it takes awhile in the morning to get out of first gear when I first pull onto the road, but hey--- with this kind of gas mileage, I'm not complaining because the car is a GEM after that first half mile! I am very very happy with my purchase.

My 1996 VW Passat wagon was getting long in the tooth, so I started looking for a replacement primarily to drive back and forth to work (22 miles each way). Let me caveat this with the fact that we also own a 2005 Honda Odyssey (the best minivan made) and a 2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (the best Jeep made!). As such, I needed something that drove well and got great gas mileage. I went to Tampa on a business trip a few weeks ago and at the rental car place, they told me to just pick any compact car on the lot. Well, there was one Yaris sedan left (they must be popular choices) so I grabbed it. I had been looking at the Yaris as a replacement for a few weeks, and thought this would be an excellent opportunity to test drive one. I was impressed, for the price you get a great car; but don?t expect too many amenities (ABS, power windows, power locks, etc.) unless you are willing to pay for them! So I purchased a 2008 2-door hatchback with the automatic. I thought I wanted the stick, but the gas mileage is nearly the same and now that I?ve driven the auto, it is just as peppy as the stick without the hassle of clutching and shifting. I also like the auxiliary jack for my Zune, I can listen to my own music, playlists or podcasts. Plus, the stereo has a very full sound to it for a compact car. There are some annoyances, like the lack of a dead pedal/footrest, and a non-split-folding rear seat on the standard hatchback; but overall I am really enjoying this car. It gets great gas mileage, has decent pick-up, and handles nicely (I have aftermarket wheels and tires, so the ride is a little firmer on mine versus the stock car). It is a great car for younger drivers; college students, new families (the sedan, not the hatchback), or guys like myself who need a commuter car but don?t want something dull or an extreme Hot Wheels car like the Scions. The Yaris is very European in both design and function, and it has a strong following worldwide. It may not be as popular as the new Beetle or Mini (both chick cars in my opinion), or the Scions or Civics (for the `Fast and Furious? types); but for the rest of the us who want a good, reliable and fun compact car to drive, it is the perfect choice!

I am a 19 year old college freshman whose 1992 toyota corrolla finally gave up. i was on a tight budget but refused to buy a used car. When i saw the yaris i fell in love. i had to wait a month because no where near st. louis had one that wasn't bought yet!!! it is adorable and looks like no other vehicle out there. the interior is awsome (polka dots!) and so many counsel compartments and the gas milage is unreal. i love how small it is because it can fit any where. i can parallel park now. haha. It runs good for the engine nothing like a v6 or v8. but if you just want a reliable, fuel-efficiant car, then the yaris is your best bet.

We recently rented this car on a trip to GA & SC. Our impressions: great mileage (Avg 37 MPG),very roomy in the front, but poor back seat space; hated the center mounted speedometer/info center; good pep, good brakes at slow speeds. We had a car seat in the back, and with addition of a cooler behind the passenger seat prevented the passenger from having a comfortable ride. Once we arrived & unloaded luggage (ok storage space) it was a great car for local driving. The highway was totally different, we felt like we pushed all over road by the big rigs and limited max speed to 60-65 b/c it felt unsafe at above that. Would we buy this car..No. If we only did city driving in nice weather (no snow), maybe..but we do a mix and live in CO..so NO.

I bought a black Yaris sedan in October 2007. At first, I wondered if I could get used to the center-pod switchgear. But after two test drives, I wished I had that setup on my other cars. In night driving, you do not suffer from dashboard glare.. A slight glance to the right and all gauges are easy to read. The seats are very comfortable, and I like the mechanical seat adjustment crank. Each pull up on the crank raises the seat bottom and seat back a notch. Then if you don't like the tilt of the seat back, there is a lever to adjust rake. My only complaint with the interior is the center arm rest-storage bin. It is a little too far to the rear, and needs to be about 3 inches higher. Moving it slightly forward would not interfere with the emergency brake, and I hope newer models make this change. I also own a Mazda Miata with a 1.8L engine, and I think the Yaris 1.5L engine is smoother and also a little peppier, even though it has an auto-trans. It is really slick. Those who bought the 2 dr Yaris should have thoroughly checked out the sedan. The trunk is huge, relative to the size of the car, and with the back seats folded down, accommodates a very large amount of luggage and accessories. I live west of Washington, D.C., and for combined Interstate and city driving, I have never gotten less than 33 mpg, and often get about 35. I have driven to Florida on I-95, and returned through the mountains of western Georgia, and got an average of 39-40 mpg. In a road trip to Lake Superior in Upper Michigan, I got 40 mpg roundtrip (2500 miles). That trip exposed one drawback: In strong crosswinds, the Yaris is a bit squirrelly. Big wind gusts nearly blew me out of lane on one occasion. Front-end weight of the car is partly to blame. It may be that with more aggressive tires, the problem can be lessened. The car came with Goodyear Eagle 15-inch tires. Overall, the exterior looks a little like the smallest Lexus, a very pleasant design, and in the Black metallic, it looks much more expensive than it is. Fit and Finish are top-notch, Considering the overall cost of ownership (price, depreciation, operating costs, and fuel), it trumps the hybrids.

I upgraded from a 1989 Mazda MX-6 to a 2008 Hatchback with the power package. This car is shorter and has a less powerful engine, but it's much roomier inside, has great mileage and has a better power to weight ratio. It stacks up well in comparison to other cars in the subcompact/compact class. It may lack 4 doors but it's better styled than the fit an versa, and it can fit into much smaller parking spaces. I'm loving the heck out of this car.

This is a great car for the money, of course with fuel economy at the top of the list. It is ridiculously cute, and the center console bugged me at first, but it is of no consequence to me now. Only real complaint is the lack of a tachometer on the version I bought.(2008 manual trans. liftback) I will probably purchase an aftermarket tach.