by Dan Lyons
for Times Union’s Autos Weekly

Many Americans got their first look at Japanese economy cars in the early Seventies. Gas got expensive; then it got scarce and pretty soon everybody was looking to buy little, economy cars. The trend caught US automakers by surprise, and they quickly went off to start developing new, small products. But, the gap between supply and market demand created a window of opportunity for import manufacturers. In parts of the world like Asia and Europe, where space is scarce and gas prices are ghastly, small has always been big when it comes to cars. So, while American makers were ramping up, Japanese cars were rolling out, with the first, full force wave of Asian imports to hit these shores.

Fast forward thirty-odd years, and things are looking familiar. Gas prices are high and holding and many Americans, tired of feeding big SUV’s, are looking at options for paying less at the pump. Its sparked a growing interest in hybrid powered vehicles, and its also made us open again to the idea of gas miserly subcompacts. Japanese companies are now offering us a chance to try on cars a notch smaller than we’re used to; models that have a track record overseas but that we’ve never seen before. This week, we drive one of them – the 2007 Toyota Yaris Liftback.

Yaris is new, but then again, not. While we’re getting our first look at it this year, Yaris is already Toyota’s best selling car in the European market. Yaris replaces Echo as the entry level offering in Toyota’s American lineup. It’s offered in Liftback and Sedan styles. The four door sedans are bigger cars, and they’re expected to be the bigger seller of the two styles, but we test drove the lower priced Liftback: the mono-form economeister with an MSRP of $10,950.

The Yaris Liftback has city car/commuter car written all over it. To give you a visual point of reference, the wedge-like Liftback is, at 150”, about 7” inches longer than a MINI. It’s also 5” taller and about the same width. The tidy dimensions of this subcompact means that it fits in parking spots that other cars wouldn’t even slow down to consider. Though short of wheelbase (96.9”), Yaris is nimble handling and comfortable riding.

One engine will be used for all Yaris models – a 1.5 litre four cylinder, making 106 hp and 103 lb. ft. of torque. It’s a small motor, but it never sounds harsh, even when well wound up. While Toyota expects 85% of Yaris buyers to opt for an automatic, I’ll lobby here on behalf of the five speed stick. In typical, ‘round town maneuvers, there’s little difference in feel between the two transmissions. But, for high demand situations, you can’t beat the control that a manual gearbox gives you. With Yaris as with any car with a small displacement motor, on ramp rushes are best made with a running start and passing takes planning. Plan on passing a lot of gas stations, too. The EPA rates the Yaris at 34 mpg’s city, 40 highway. Automatics do nearly as well (34/39).

Inside, it’s a tale of two Yaris (or is that Yari?). The Sedans stretch 19” longer, on a 3½” longer wheelbase. The difference shows up mostly in legroom, where the Sedan is 1.9” longer than the Liftback up front, and 1.8” bigger in back. In practical terms, at 6’1”, I had to bend my legs slightly to fit up front, but not uncomfortably so. However, with the front seats fully back, the Liftback is effectively a two seater, while Sedan buyers would fare a little better in terms of rear leg room. Ultimately, which model you choose depends how often you plan on putting anybody behind you, and the length of everyone’s legs. Inseam issues aside, Yaris is a hatchback, a body style that’s long on versatility. Lift the one piece back gate and there’s 12.8 cubic feet of cargo space available. The split, rear seats can be easily folded from behind, and there’s a screen in back to shield the contents of the cargo area from inquiring eyes.

Up front, all the action is in the middle. Toyota placed all the gauges (OK, it’s just speedometer and gas gauge, so make that both the gauges) at the top of the dashboard center stack. As in other cars with a center mounted speedometer, you get used to looking right for your readouts, though I prefer the straight ahead approach. It does make sense for a world car like Yaris, though, as Toyota will be building both left and right hand drive versions. That said, fit and finish are first rate, and Toyota has found a few novel spots to stick a storage spot, like the dual level glove boxes and small, pullout drawers near the top edges of the dashboard. Seats are cloth and comfortable, lacking only an inside armrest for your elbow. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, tilt wheel and intermittent wipers.

Introduced in April, Toyota expects to sell 50,000 units this year, and 70,000 in the Yaris’ first full year. If high gas mileage, reliability and park-it-anywhere dimensions are high on your shopping list, you’ll want to give the new little Toyota a long look.

2007 Toyota Yaris Liftback
MSRP: $10,950
As Tested: $11,555

Drivetrain
Engine: 1.5 litre I-4
Horsepower: 106 @ 6,000 rpm
Torque: 103 lb. ft. @ 4,200 rpm

Weights and Measures
Wheelbase: 96.9"
Length: 150.0”
Width: 66.7”
Height: 60.0”
Weight: 2,293 lb.

Interior
Head Room: 39.4” f/37.5” r Leg Room: 40.3” f/33.8” r
Cargo volume: 12.8 cubic feet max.

Chassis
Suspension: Independent MacPherson strut front, Torsion Beam rear
Brakes: Disc/Drum, optional ABS
Mileage EPA city/highway mpg - 34/40

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