- 2012 Toyota Yaris -

Toyota is usually pretty straightforward with its marketing—usually. But the new campaign for its 2012 Yaris at first left us scratching our heads. “It’s a car!” Toyota proclaims. And here we thought that was obvious. Then we had the opportunity to drive a preproduction Yaris around the artsy west Los Angeles suburb of Culver City and realized Toyota was indeed right: It’s a car. And that’s about it.

It’s a Hatchback!

The 2012 Yaris is available in base L, mid-grade LE, and sportier SE trim levels and is a three- or five-door hatchback—“liftback” in Toyota-speak. The Yaris sedan has been discontinued. Toyota says hatchbacks currently account for 70 percent of Yaris sales, and eliminating the sedan helps reduce the number of build combinations from 24 to 9.

Credit must be issued to Toyota’s styling team for turning its price leader into a decent-looking little hatch. No Yaris model will spook anyone on the road, but at least the previous model’s baby fat was trimmed away. All Yarises stare down the road with a more predatory gaze, and the top-of-the-line SE features darkened headlamp surrounds, aluminum wheels, a more aggressive front bumper with fog lights, and a rear fascia incorporating what Toyota calls a “diffuser.” In response to that last bit, allow us to invoke a term often deployed by the Yaris’s youthful target market: LOL.

The 2012 Yaris, however, breaks little ground from a design standpoint, either for Toyota or for subcompacts in general, brimming as the eensy-car market is with exuberant designs from Fiat, Mini, Ford, Chevy, Hyundai, and even Toyota’s own Scion division.

Still a Turd of an Engine, but SE Adds Actual Sportiness

There’s nothing new under the hood, either. The 2012 Hyundai Accent and the 2012 Kia Rio are bringing pricey but proven direct-injection technology and six-speed manual transmissions to the class—helping make 40 mpg the new magic number for subcompacts to beat—but the Yaris carries last year’s blasé 106-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder into 2012 with few changes. Said engine was no pot of thrills in the last-generation Yaris, and it is no better with a new body wrapped around it. Transmission choices remain a five-speed manual and a four-speed auto. Still, Toyota was able to nudge fuel economy up a smidge and predicts the new Yaris will bump its EPA estimates from 29 mpg city and 36 highway with the manual and 29/35 with the automatic to 30/38 and 30/35, respectively.

It is worth noting the superior driving feel of the SE versus the softer L and LE. With its somewhat quicker steering ratio, 16-inch aluminum wheels (one inch larger than L and LE steel wheels), stickier 195/50 tires (V rated!), and sport-tuned suspension, the SE has far sharper turn-in and better body control. The throttle response is snappier, too, and the upgraded brakes (discs at all four corners versus the front-disc, rear-drum setup on other trim levels) have real bite. The trade-off comes in the form of a ride that is not only harsh and bumpy, but—thanks to modest insulation—loud, too. Interestingly, there is a huge compromise in turning circle. The wider tires’ range of motion was clipped, yielding a low 2.3 turns lock-to-lock (versus 3.0 on the L and LE rack) but a massive 36.7-foot turning circle—six more feet than that of the other Yarises and more than six inches wider than that of a Camry. 

Ho-Hum Cabin 

The greatest compliment we can pay to the Yaris’s interior is that it no longer offends. Gone is the horrendous dash design of the last-gen model with its awful center-mounted gauges and vertically stacked HVAC knobs that only accentuated the Yaris’s narrowness. For 2012, the instruments (including silver-trimmed meters on the SE) have been repositioned in front of the driver—where they belong, thank you—and the audio system is nestled within a large, double-DIN-size housing that appears ready for a navigation system upgrade, even though no such option is available. The front “sport” buckets on SE models get more aggressive side bolsters, although lumbar support is lacking in any and all Yaris front seats. The rear seats, however flat the cushions might be, have reasonably good seating positioning and nice, theater-style views ahead. 

Like the design, the materials inside the Yaris are improved, too. The asymmetrical dashboard is set off by large swaths of light-gray accent trim that is made of soft-touch material on LE and SE trims. (The only soft-touch anything on base L models is the seat fabric, which actually is quite good.) 

The $14,875 L comes standard with air conditioning, a CD player, iPod and USB connectivity, power locks, a new single-arm windshield wiper, and a raft of safety features such as stability control, whiplash-reducing seats, and nine airbags (including driver knee airbags and antisubmarine front-seat-cushion airbags). The LE makes life more livable with the addition of power windows and mirrors, HD Radio, Bluetooth connectivity, a split-folding rear seatback, audio controls on the steering wheel, and chrome and metallic trim bits, all for $16,385 with three doors or $16,860 with five. Finally, the five-door-only, $17,160 SE adds standard cruise control and the aforementioned sport seats and silver gauge faces. The automatic transmission is an $800 upgrade.

Informal Comparison Time

Since many Toyota buyers operate with tunnel vision regarding brands, the 2012 Yaris will most likely sell at least as well as the outgoing model. But alas, the Yaris will not be sold in a vacuum, so we brought along one of its newest competitors, the 2012 Hyundai Accent five-door, to our Toyota drive for an informal side-by-side comparison. Next to the Hyundai, with its slick exterior styling, refined interior, gargantuan cargo hold, more powerful and efficient powertrain, and similar price points, this author feels the Yaris falls short.

The number of new models in this segment cries out for a more comprehensive comparison, including fresh entries such as the upcoming 2012 Kia Rio and Chevrolet Sonic. Although we don’t believe in foregone conclusions, from what we have experienced, we wouldn’t expect a podium finish for the Yaris. It is, after all, just a car.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 3- or 5-door hatchback

BASE PRICE: L, $14,875; LE, $16,385; SE, $17,160

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection

Displacement: 91 cu in, 1497 cc
Power: 106 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 103 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm

TRANSMISSIONS: 4-speed automatic, 5-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 98.8 in
Length: 153.5 in (L, LE); 154.7 in (SE)
Width: 66.7 in Height: 59.4 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 2300–2350 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 8.9–10.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 17.0–18.0 sec
Top speed: 106 mph

FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway driving: 30/35–38 mpg