CAR GAZING
Yaris a lesson on efficiency
New economy car has Toyota quality, 35 mpg highway rating
By Derek Price
NEW ORLEANS, La. – The new Toyota Yaris isn't merely an economy car. It's a miracle machine.
I just spent six hours driving from Birmingham, Ala., to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, and not once did I stop for gas. That might not seem too impressive until you realize the Yaris has a gas tank that only holds around 11 gallons.
At 35 mpg on the highway, you can drive the entire 350-mile route and still have a gallon left at the end. For me, that meant spending $17 to fill up once I got to New Orleans, which is less than I spent on lunch in the French Quarter.
Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
The Yaris, Toyota's smallest car, is designed for ultra-efficient driving. It's not a hybrid, but it sips fuel almost as miserly as one, as I learned on the road trip.
I didn't drive any different than normal, meaning I tried to push the gas pedal straight through the floor when I accelerated. I drove a little over the 70-mph speed limit for almost the entire trip. There was no hypermiling.
That's important because other than the great gas mileage, there's really only one reason to buy this car: the Toyota name.
That Toyota brand has more cachet than any other, at least when it comes to resale value and perceived quality. Considering how fast economy cars can lose their value – some brands sink like cardboard submarines – the Toyota name seems to work magic on the resale market. Their cars are usually worth more whenever they reach the used-car lots.
Granted, the Yaris costs a bit more up front. It starts at $12,205, compared with $9,990 for the Nissan Versa, $9,970 for the Hyundai Accent and $11,495 for the Kia Rio.
The Yaris I drove cost around $17,000 and came with power everything, an automatic transmission, air conditioning and keyless entry, but it wasn't the slightest bit luxurious. It didn't even have cruise control.
What it did have was a pleasant ride, even on long stretches of highway. In typical Toyota fashion, it tried to sop up the bumps in the road so the driver couldn't feel them. Most drivers will like that, but some of us would consider it numb.
The cabin isn't exactly roomy, which is no surprise for a car in this class. At the same time, two adults can ride in the back seat comfortably. It's a cozy cabin, but not the kind that will make you feel cramped after hours on the road.
I could go on about horsepower, options and all that stuff, but why should I? There are really only two things that matter about the Yaris:
1. It gets great gas mileage.
2. It's a Toyota.
Everything else is superfluous.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.)
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