2008 Toyota Yaris User Reviews

Pros

Great mpg, MP3 jack.

Cons

Seats, cabin noise, stock stereo is only ok.

Bought the car in February '08 to replace an '07 Sentra. Had an '03 Echo before I bought the Sentra. Bought the Sentra because it stated on the window sticker an average EPA estimate of 36 hwy. Didn't think that a loss of 4 mpg from the Echo's average of 40 would effect me too much. Well I never got better than 31 even after 14k miles. A loss of 9 mpg was a huge loss when at the time gas hovered around $3.50/gallon. Every mile counted! 21,500 later in December '08 the Yaris is still running good! Had it lowered with the TRD springs and the windows tinted over the summer. Beware of scraping the air dam on the front bumper if lowered! Never got less than 37 mpg. The best mpg was 50 from Salt Lake City, UT to Bozeman, MT but average 40 like with the Echo. Do mostly freeway driving on interstates 15 and 210 in lovely Southern California. I only use conventional 5W30 oil because I change it with a filter every 3k. Never any issues except if you're driving in Colorado and above a 7,500 ft elevation it's going to feel like you're only running off 2 cylinders. Downshift! Just like the Echo. Toyota needs to do something with the M.A.P. sensor to avoid this issue! (not that I'm an engineer or any sort of rocket scientist). 45 mph max up Vail Pass in 3rd gear is crazy gutless! Seats need more lumbar support and cabin noise could be toned down. Many safety features for an inexpensive car. A.B.S. works well. Recently caught the T.P.M.S. (tire pressure monitoring system) working for the first time when it caught the tires at 26 psi. Just filled up to 33 and the light went off after a couple miles. Got all the options I needed in the "S" trim level. Over-all, I love the car!