USED Toyota Yaris Hatchback (99 - 03)

My car

what a car i had looked at the 1 litre and 1.3 lites and came across my 1.5 vvt i t sport in black with black sports interior a very solid reliable car, very comfortable seats, great to drive and very economical and the envy of many once they have been in it. i can not rate this car highly enough, the only downside is it has 3 doors and a bit tight getting in the back, but roomy though.if you ever see one of these for sale grab it they are rare.

My car

I've owned my car for a year, and like most felt that due to the manufacturers name i would be getting something more reliable and certainly something better in regards to after sales service, but this wasn’t the case.

My car is a 2000 reg CDX and although it isnt brand new i still expected from reviews and the name for something special or more refined then other compact city cars. But no. You would be mistaken, although you are right in thinking, certain elements such as the overall finish, look and style does not age/go out of fashion. The drive quality it does not match. It can be sluggish and more importantly there is a issue/flaw with the gear box and linkage that i hadnt come across until i bought this car and experienced it first hand, to then find from several toyota places this is a well known flaw.

There is no fix to this issue which can and does get worse with time and will eventually lead to the only options of replacing the whole thing, this is not cheap with toyota parts and labour, from speaking to other yaris owners this does not seem to be a one off case. The yaris overall is a nice car and CDX i have has all mod cons you can ask for. Yes, compared with a KA or Clio its fun, people in general seem impressed with its style. But for me, from my experience, be careful, look over it closing, pay attention to the feel of the drive if there is a delay in the clutch engaging with gear box or if the gears feel tough when changing through them be warned.

My car

Following a trip to London, on one of the hottest days of the year, I immediately traded in my wife's 7 month old Micra, for a Yaris CDX - which DID have air con (and a whole lot more). The car was expensive (at the time) but it was a sound investement, and after 6 years of ownership, we gave it to our son. When he went off on his travels, we reclaimed it, and then gave it to our daughter - who loves it, and still runs it. Over the 8 years of ownership, I had to replace 2 headlight bulbs - AND THAT WAS IT! Funky, quirky, very well appointed, ULTRA reliable, and room for four people (with minimum luggage) or tardis-like space for two, and more than enough room for luggage. As a means of transport, which will always start first time, and do exactly what it says on the tin, it's unbeatable. It's NOT an asphalt-eater (but neither are most people EITHER) but IT WILL cruise at the legal limit (+ a good bit) all day, quietly, comfortably, and still return well over 40 mpg. I've NEVER seen one of these stranded at the roadside, and what more can the "normal" motorist want? You want "kicks?" re-mortgage the house & go "flamboyant: you want to get from A to B every day, without fuss, drama or mega expense, go Yaris.

My car

Like Mr. Schiavone below, I also come from Malta and I also have experienced the Vitz, which has become a plague. Unlike Mr. Schiavone, I am not a Toyota freak and cannot recommend this car.

Although I found the car relatively comfortable and spacious, with a modern and interesting dashboard, that's where it ends. It might have flexible seats, but you rarely need them, and although there’s good legroom, the boot is tiny. Plastic quality looks good, but I'm not sure of fit and finish, because I heard some things rattling.

What I was most concerned about, though, was the refinement. It was terrible. When revved, the engine noise intrudes too much in the cabin, it feels quite hesitant (this is an automatic), and the road noise was unbelievable.

Every road imperfection could be heard (and there are a lot here) and tyre noise was present all the time, which was unbearable. In another similar car, the auto gearbox vibrated like mad at idle.

Compared to our 1.5 diesel Clio, this has to come second. The Clio is just as comfortable, is more fun, is more chic, has a bigger boot, also costs very little to run and is more refined.

What worries me most is that here everyone is buying them, because they are quite cheap and have the 'reliability' fame. I'm not saying that they're bad, but I think that at least we Maltese should start doing some research before buying a car.

I'm sorry, but the Skoda Fabia, Renault Clio and Honda Jazz, to name a few, are better cars.