Why the Toyota Yaris isn't as bad of a car as it seems

When I show people what I drive, the universal reaction is “Blugh, a Yaris!”. It’s reputation as being a slow, crappy car is exaggerated, and that’s why I’m here to talk about why this isn’t as bad of a car as people say it is.

It handles very well

Despite being one of the cheapest cars you could buy in mid-2006, the handling on this car is surprisingly great. It’s more nimble than a lot of subcompacts, and can fly through corners with ease. The steering feels just right, and can be a joy to drive through curvy backroads.

The engine is great for tuning

In it’s stock form, the 109hp 1.5l 4-banger is pretty anemic and underpowered. Once you get to tuning it however, the true potential of this small engine is very surprising. While most can get 300-400hp, some have even reported getting over 500hp with enough modding. This engine is intentionally limited from the factory in the name of fuel economy, so it’s fairly easy to unlock the extra power it can make.

They're extremely reliable

Toyota’s cars are known for their reliability, and the Yaris lives up to that reputation. In the 10 years that I’ve owned my Yaris, the only engine component that has had to be replaced is a water pump. The 1nz-fe engine can handle a lot of abuse without breaking down, and even if it does manage to break something, repairs tend to stay affordable since the engine is so common among other Toyota cars.

They make for great sleepers

Because of the engine’s potential, the car’s great handling, it’s typical Yoyota look, and it’s bad reputation, the Yaris makes for a great sleeper. Enough engine tuning and handling upgrades, and this car can smoke a lot of cars of similar size. People might laugh when they see you at the starting line, but it will surprise everyone by the time it hits the finish line.

It's got a decent community behind it

The Yarisworld forum has a great community for these cars. There are plenty of guides and threads of other peoples’ Yaris builds. People are generally friendly and very helpful when you ask something about the car. Be warned, however: Most of the community is in south america and asia, and the ones in america typically talk about the hatchback more than the sedan.

The Toyota Yaris sedan gets a bad rap as a car, but can actually be a pretty good car if you know how to make it fun. It does, however, have it’s fair share of problems. I might cover those in a future post.