Reader Review: 2015 Toyota Yaris LE

Shouting across a valley usually produces an echo. But in Toyota’s case, the echo has become a Yaris.

Prior to 2005, the Echo was Toyota’s subcompact offering here in Canada. After that, with the introduction of the second-generation car, it was dubbed the Yaris.

Third-generation cars were introduced in 2011, and the 2015 hatchback models have been significantly refreshed. They’ve been updated with an aggressively styled new front bumper, and the rear bumper and tail lights were similarly restyled to enhance the stance of the car.

Inside, Toyota engineers redesigned the upper instrument panel and gave the door panels a more fluid appearance. Also upgraded were dash and door materials, featuring more soft-touch surfaces and new seat fabrics.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

2015 Toyota Yaris
Clayton Seams, Driving

The Yaris is available in three different models, including the sporty five-door SE, the more conservative five-door LE and the even smaller three-door CE.

Every Yaris is powered by a 1.5-litre inline four-cylinder engine with 106 horsepower, and is coupled to either a five-speed manual or optional ($1,000) four-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission.

Alanna Landymore, this week’s Reader Reviewer, first learned to drive in a standard shift vehicle. However, she wasn’t as smooth with the intricate dance between clutch and throttle as she would have liked, and has since driven mostly automatics.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Alanna Landymore and the 2015 Toyota Yaris LE.
Ted Rhodes, Driving

Born and raised in Calgary, Landymore’s first car was a 1978 Mercury Capri. Over the years, she’s had a number of muscle cars including 1967, ‘68 and ’69 Camaros. Right now, she pilots a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Hemi engine.

Landymore bought the Jeep just before a career change – one that now sees her doing much more driving than before and sometimes adding 100 to 150 kilometres to the odometer on a daily basis.

“I’m chuckling as I say this, given that I’ve got the Jeep, but I usually look for really good fuel economy, good brakes, and plenty of comfort when I’m shopping for a daily driver,” Landymore said of her top three purchasing considerations.

Landymore said she could soon be shopping for something smaller and more economical to replace the Jeep. She was interested to see if the Yaris might fit the bill, and her five-day long test was spent in a magnetic grey metallic 2015 Yaris LE.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The interior of the 2015 Toyota Yaris LE.
Ted Rhodes, Driving

Every Yaris LE comes with Toyota’s convenience package, and that includes air conditioning, power windows, keyless entry and cruise control. Landymore’s tester was also equipped with the optional automatic transmission. All in, including freight and PDI, but before taxes, the Yaris cost $18,592.15.

Upon first seeing the Yaris, Landymore thought the sub-compact car, “Was visually appealing and rather stylish, but I also thought it looked kind of small. I did like the silver colour, and thought it set the car off nicely.”

At 5’7”, Landymore found the Yaris was easy to enter, and there was plenty of legroom after positioning the manually adjustable driver’s seat where she could reach both steering wheel and control pedals.

“The seats themselves were covered in a good-quality dark grey cloth material that should be easy to maintain,” she said. “Interior craftsmanship felt quite good, it certainly didn’t feel cheap.”

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The steering wheel of the 2015 Toyota Yaris LE.
Ted Rhodes, Driving

There’s a small piece of side glass in both front doors near the exterior mirrors, and Landymore said she appreciated the extra visibility these provided. Overall, the greenhouse was given a stamp of approval, with no noticeable blind spots.

“Parking was a breeze, because I could see my way around the car and wasn’t paranoid about how much room I had in front or behind me,” she said.

Of the four-cylinder’s performance, Landymore said the engine didn’t have any trouble keeping the Yaris on pace with the flow of traffic. However, she felt the car lagged a bit off the line, and overtaking traffic on a highway, too, had to be well planned.

“I didn’t feel it was underpowered, it was just taking me some time to get used to a smaller car,” she explained. “The transmission was smooth and it shifted very well. For the most part, I just put it in ‘D’ for drive and left it there.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

2015 Toyota Yaris
Ted Rhodes, Driving

“The steering was excellent, I would rate it very high as it was responsive and I always felt connected to the road. The brakes, too, were very responsive – they were ‘stop on a dime’ brakes in my opinion.”

Landymore chalked the ride up as comfortable, and said the Yaris was smooth and rather silent.

“There was no buzzing or rattles, and the engine was quiet. At speed there was only very minor wind noise, and it was never obtrusive,” she said.

Although she never cranked the audio system to its loudest, Landymore did spend time surfing the FM dial and thought the four-speaker system would be adequate for most users.

“It felt really good to be driving something smaller,” Landymore said of the Yaris. “I never really felt cramped in it, and it did haul one of our Costco runs but I don’t think I could have done that with the grandkids in the car – that would have led to a space issue.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The cramped rear seat, barely fitting a child’s car seat, of the 2015 Toyota Yaris LE.
Ted Rhodes, Driving

“I did have one child seat in it, behind the driver’s seat, and I thought that was a little tight – but overall, for a small car I think it’s got great room.”

She’d easily recommend the Yaris, and said it would best suit a student, someone single, or a couple with a child (or children) who is beyond needing a car seat.

“For anyone who wants something smaller and still feel confident on the road, even on a long drive, this would be ideal,” she concluded. “It was very economical, and I’d consider buying one.”

DRIVER’S JOURNAL

Day One: Drove the car to work. The Yaris keeps up nicely with traffic; however, it doesn’t have as much gusto as I am used to. Car handles well with responsive steering and excellent braking power; it stops on a dime.

Day Two: Did a short stint on the highway. Again, the Yaris kept up well in traffic, however, I think it needs more pep in order to pass. Nearly got stuck in some slush, but was able to get out with minimal effort. There was some slight fish tailing once the car got a grip.

Day Three: Drove the Yaris with some adult passengers. They felt the car was pretty nice, roomy in the front, but slightly cramped in the back seats. Front cup holder position is a little awkward as you need to lean forward to be able to reach it.

Day Four: Shopping run, with a monthly visit to Costco. Did not buy as much as usual, but it took up all available space, and I don’t think we’d be able to do this if we had our grandchildren with us as trunk space is minimal.

Day Five: Chilly morning, with frost on the front and back windows. Within a few minutes, the Yaris was oven toasty. The single windshield wiper works well to clean moisture, but does not reach the outer most edges of the windshield.

Overall, I would say that the Yaris is fun to drive. I think it is ideally suited for a student or perhaps a couple with no children. And, it’s economical — it cost only $30 to fill after driving approximately 540 km.

THE SPECS
Type of vehicle: Front-wheel-drive sub-compact hatchback
Engine: 1.5-litre I4
Power: 106 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 103 lb.-ft. torque @ 4,200 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual, optional four-speed automatic
Brakes: Front wheel disc, rear drum w/ABS
Tires: P175/65R15 all-season
Natural Resources Canada fuel economy ratings (L/100km): 6.3 highway, 7.8 city
Price (base/as tested): $14,545/$18,592.15 (LE model) incl. freight and PDI
Destination charge: $1,495
Standard features: (for LE model) AM/FM/CD/MP3 four speaker audio system, USB and auxiliary input, Bluetooth, 6.1-inch touchscreen, power door locks and mirrors, air conditioning, power windows, keyless entry, cruise control
Options: four-speed automatic transmission

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.