While my Cruze is in the body shop getting deer-hit damage repaired, my insurance is paying for a rental. Enterprise served up a 2012 Yaris automatic with 23k miles on it.
Pros: Peppy off the line, sufficient power in-town to do things. Very simple controls. Tiny little turning circle, and decent outward visibility. The transmission will stay locked up when a little throttle is needed, and readily downshifts when more revs are wanted. For a 4-speed auto, it's pretty well-sorted. RPM's are 2500 at 60 mph. The seats are well-padded, and the seating position is high. The trunk is also huge for a subcompact. The ride is tuned to be cushy.
Cons: Gutless at highway speeds. There's more tire and wind noise than engine noise, thankfully. The steering is heavy, vague, and offers zero feedback. The cushy ride gets jittery over broken pavement, and the car exhibits pronounced body motions over bumps of any size. Handling is an afterthought, and the seats, while comfortable, offer no support to keep one in place around even a gentle turn. The interior is also low-rent, and pretty rattly. I know, it's a rental that's ridden hard and put away wet, but after 23k miles our personal cars didn't have any interior rattles.
In summary, it's a basic transportation appliance. It would make a good in-town car, or a car for somebody who views cars as appliances.
Pros: Peppy off the line, sufficient power in-town to do things. Very simple controls. Tiny little turning circle, and decent outward visibility. The transmission will stay locked up when a little throttle is needed, and readily downshifts when more revs are wanted. For a 4-speed auto, it's pretty well-sorted. RPM's are 2500 at 60 mph. The seats are well-padded, and the seating position is high. The trunk is also huge for a subcompact. The ride is tuned to be cushy.
Cons: Gutless at highway speeds. There's more tire and wind noise than engine noise, thankfully. The steering is heavy, vague, and offers zero feedback. The cushy ride gets jittery over broken pavement, and the car exhibits pronounced body motions over bumps of any size. Handling is an afterthought, and the seats, while comfortable, offer no support to keep one in place around even a gentle turn. The interior is also low-rent, and pretty rattly. I know, it's a rental that's ridden hard and put away wet, but after 23k miles our personal cars didn't have any interior rattles.
In summary, it's a basic transportation appliance. It would make a good in-town car, or a car for somebody who views cars as appliances.