Toyota Yaris

The Toyota Yaris was introduced to the American market in 2007 to replace the Toyota Echo as the manufacturer’s most economical vehicle. It had been a hot seller in Europe for many years before it was introduced to America. As a subcompact, the Yaris offers more traditional midsized features as far as power and driving ability are concerned, while saving money by cutting back on other features. Standard with every Yaris is air-conditioning, tilt steering wheel and tinted windows. Many options such as power locks, windows, ABS and CD/MP3 player are available to sweeten the pot of the Yaris’s already impressive performance abilities and attract young drivers looking for their first car.

There are security features available as well such as a remote keyless entry system, and an Engine Immobilizer installed in the steering column that automatically checks with a microchip embedded in the proper key every time a key is inserted to start the vehicle. If the signal from the key chip does not match what has been programmed into the column, the car will refuse to start. While an impressive technological security feature, similar features also tend to have the downside of making getting a replacement or duplicate key a serious hassle and expense. Under many circumstances you would have to get the Toyota dealership to replace the key for you.

Models Available

The primary models of Yaris available for its first three years; 2007, 2008, and 2009 are the 3-Door Liftback, 5-Door Liftback, 5-Door S Liftback, and Sedan. All models are available as a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission.

Available Colors Include:

• Polar White
• Meteorite Metallic
• Black Sand Pearl
• Absolutely Red
• Carmine Red Metallic
• Blazing Blue Pearl
• Bayou Blue Pearl

The Yaris’s ability to perform well in Europe over the years has allowed Toyota to perfect any chronic defects in the workmanship, and as such, the American version of the car has not suffered from any significant issues across their manufacture. Most of the Yaris’s sold in the U.S. are still under warranty today. Parts that owners of the new Yaris line may want to keep an eye on include the transmission, there have been reports of strange noises coming from those vehicles that have the manual transmission while in certain gears. Also, minor problems with the dashboard and instrument panel have also netted a few complaints to Toyota over the years. These problems never come across as serious or significant and often quick or minor trips to the Toyota dealership are sufficient to correct the problem.