2009 Toyota Yaris - Review

Jonathan McGrew

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Jonathan McGrew has had a steering wheel in his hands since before he could walk. It was inevitable that he would start racing, earning recognition... More

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3,920 views March 6, 2009

2009 Toyota Yaris

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Lately we have been lucky at the pump. At least here in the States, we're paying gasoline prices that on average are under $2 a gallon. It feels especially good after the $4 plus a gallon that many parts of the country had to shell out for a large part of 2008.

Most of us know that it's only a matter of time before the gas prices creep back up. But how to plan in advance? Toyota thinks they might have the answer to this conundrum in their 2009 Toyota Yaris.

The Yaris is the smallest and least expensive car available from Toyota. And it's one of those cars that falls short of the company's usual standards. It isn’t the price, which is very reasonable at a base MSRP of $12,205, or the styling, which TheCarConnection has rated at a 7 out of 10 (even with it’s “more daring styling”).

No, the crux of the problem seems to lay with the quality, safety scores, and features. This may come as quite a shock to many diehard Toyota owners and lovers.

Before I get ahead of myself, let's run down the numbers. The reviewers over at TheCarConnection.com have given the Yaris a 6 out of 10 in performance, 5 out of 10 in quality and comfort, 5 out of 10 in safety and you guessed it, a 5 out of 10 in features. Those numbers paired with the previously mentioned rating for styling bring the overall rating score for the 2009 Toyota Yaris in at a hugely disappointing 5.6 out of 10.