We don't expect to find elaborate instruments in such a car. It's not the first time I mention this, but the central position of the instrument panel makes it difficult to read: it's not the location that bothers me but the viewing angle. Even if the engineers designed this visual unit for the international market, they could have made sure that the viewing angle could be adjusted during assembly according to the driving side. I would also invert the position of the RPM counter and the speedometer to allow faster reading. It feels like this car was designed mostly with the Asian market in mind.

The central position of the instrument panel makes it difficult to read.

A good city car
Even if the steering barely translates the impressions of the road, it's precise and allows the Yaris to easily zip through traffic in the city. Its turning lock allows us to park the car smoothly. Front visibility is impaired by the dominant A pillar: particular attention must be paid to pedestrians and cyclists as well as vehicles coming up in the front left angle.

The optional ABS ensures good control of the vehicle in the winter when braking on snowy or icy surfaces. The drive train holds its own, but while the automatic transmission offers good engine braking, normal shifting is slow: don't expect extreme velocity. I would definitely opt for the manual transmission, as the Yaris is powered by an excellent little 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder engine that is very efficient. Its overall performance is both acceptable and reasonable: 0 to 100 km/h in 10.7 seconds, passing from 80 to 120 km/h in 8.9 seconds.

With the automatic transmission we managed an average fuel consumption of 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres: we could easily have achieved 7 litres per 100 kilometres with a manual transmission. After all, this sedan isn't a sports car. A better balance between the automatic transmission and the engine would make it more fun to drive.

The Yaris is powered by an excellent little 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder engine that is very efficient.