2012 Toyota Yaris Review and Release

Our enthusiast's Spidey Sense started tingling when we heard about the newest bit of technology employed on the enhanced 2012 Toyota Yaris. It was not a more advanced variable valve timing system; the Yaris' 1.5-liter engine is carried over and already has an intake cam with adjustable phasing. It was not more cogs gracing a more advanced transmission; the Yaris makes do with a four-speed automatic and a five-speed manual. The suspension is also traditional wi

th struts up front and torsion beam in the rear.

So what was the next great thing?

A mono-arm windshield wiper with washer jets aimed to either side of the big blade. Ah, our Spidie Sense was trying to warn us of an exceptionally dull car. In this world where small, inexpensive cars are becoming more fun – Mazda2 and Fiat 500 anyone – the new Yaris is a yawner.

For normal consumers, however, the 2012 Yaris – available as the L, LE and SE – is a much improved, affordable and economical transportation appliance. It's the kin

d

of car you'd feel comfortable recommending to a friend's sister or anyone who thinks of cars as nothing more than subway substitutes.

With this buyer in mind, the $14,115 Yaris is spot on. (See the complete story on pricing here.) Compared to the 2011 Yaris, the 2012 model is a heavy refresh that includes a wheelbase stretch, new exterior sheetmetal and a totally new interior.

The extra length is what required the exterior redesign. This gave Toyota designers the opportunity to toughen up the Yaris's styling. More sculpted fenders help give the subcompact a bolder stance, as does the heavily angled rearmost pillar (C on the three-door, D on the five). The Yaris still won't attract longing glances from Ferrari enthusiasts, but at least it's not a totally milquetoast design like the outgoing three-door and five-door editions.

Available only as a hatchback, the Yaris is now large enough to be considered a trunkless alternative to the Corolla (available only with a traditional boot). Riding on a 98.8-inch wheelbase that's 2.9-inches longer than 2011, nearly all of the stretch was added to make the trunk more useful. Cargo volume now stands at 15.3 cubic feet for the three-door and 15.5 cu-ft for the five-door. These numbers conveniently expand by folding the split rear seatbacks, adding useful versatility.

Room for passengers felt generous enough for four. Filling all five seatbelts causes hip-to-hip seating across the rear bench for all but the skinniest passengers. Regarding rear legroom, someone five-foot, ten-inch easily fits behind themselves. As the height of front-seat occupants crests six feet, rear legroom drops to child-like proportions. Such is the physical reality of sub-100-inch wheelbase vehicles.

Those who shopped the previous generation Yaris could have been easily put off by that car's central-mounted gauge cluster, but it helped facilitate cost-effective production for right- and left-hand-drive markets. That ergonomically horrific paradigm has been mercifully replaced with a conventional instrument cluster and dash configuration. Drivers now find an easy-to-read gauge cluster where it should be, directly behind the steering wheel.

The instrument binnacle blends into a horizontally stretched dash that breaks away from the trendy design convention of vertically stacking all controls and vents at the dash's center point. The latter motif tends to compartmentalize the front seats, while the former seems to visually expand the interior's spaciousness.

A double-DIN-sized radio rides high on the dash in easy reach of the driver and front passenger. Unique to the North American market, these radios – there are two – have knobs! Big ones! These ingeniously useful Human Machine Interface devices work so much better than the tiny, fitful and frustrating volume and tuning buttons found on so many of today's automotive audio systems.

The base Yaris L's radio is a step above conventional low-end units because it includes wired iPod connectivity plus Aux and USB inputs. The uplevel LE and SE's unit includes Bluetooth connectivity for phones and music streaming. Highlighting the North American roots of the radio, telephone operation buttons are on the radio, not on the steering wheel (where they'd likely be if this system were offered in all markets).

For those with a penchant for getting lost, there's no optional navigation system from the factory. Paper maps fit easily in the glovebox for those without smart phones and robust data packages. Meanwhile, the climate control system uses a trio of knob-like dials that keeps heating and cooling tasks blissfully simple and straightforward.