2008 Toyota Yaris Sedan
June 11, 2008 / 2008 Toyota Yaris sedan
Acceleration is adequate, with 106 horse power. A comfortable, roomy interior with simple, uncomplicated controls. Good fit and finish in the cabin. The instrument cluster is located in the center of the dashboard. Toyota quality and reliability are legendary, and it gives me a secure feeling to know that I am driving such a fine vehicle. I also compared and drove the 2008 Volkswagen Beetle, and the 2008 Nissan Sentra. Both cars had center consoles which restricted the movement of my right knee. The Yaris sedan was designed differently, because it allowed my right knee to move without bumping into the console. Braking is smooth. It has disks up front and drums in the rear. No ABS on this particular car, although ABS was optional with the "Power Package". As a ham radio operator, I discovered the cup holder to the left of the steering wheel is a perfect spot to place my HT (Handie Talkie). It sits up next to the windshield and gets good reception there.
The current trend is for car manufacturers to include minimal chrome accents. For a long period starting in the mid-1980s through the early 2000s, cars were completely devoid of chrome brightwork.
The engine: Gasoline powered, in-line, 4-cylinder, fuel-injected, 1.6 liter, with 106 hp. The "VVT-i" means, "Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence".
It comes with a three year warranty from the factory.
June 19, 2008: I noticed that the rubber strip at the edge of the hood is shorter on the left (driver's side) than on the right (shown above). Notice how the rubber strip is not long enough to snap into the last rivet hole.
Later that day, when I told the dealer about it, the service manager snapped this photo with his cell phone and said he checked all the new Yaris sedans, and they were all the same. I contacted Toyota customer service and let them know about it. I did hear back from Toyota, and they sent an e-mail stating a representative from the dealership would contact me on July 1. The dealer did contact me on July 1, and said there was nothing he could order to fix the problem. He was not sure if the rubber strip on the right (passenger) side would fit on the left (driver) side, but he was willing to order a right side piece and try it if I desired. He said that the new Yaris cars that were still coming in are all the same way. Overall, the customer contact and resolution was fair and responsive, althought I think they should have just ordered the longer rubber strip and tried it.
