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New Toyota Yaris doesn't disappoint
Toyota Yaris SR
The Toyota Yaris SR is without doubt one of the most fun super-minis on the market
"The Yaris loves corners and dark country roads like a gay boy loves fancy dress and Saturday nights"
It's just become my favourite super-mini to boot.
With its new bigger bulkier frame it’s not just the Yaris body that’s grown: so has its appeal and the audience at which it’s aimed.
I won’t lie and pretend that I’ve loved the Yaris since the day it launched. I never really liked the previous shape nor its handling - in fact, I don’t think I actually liked much about it.
However, times are a-changing at Toyota, and the new Yaris SR I had through on test was amazing! With more acres of airy space than the inside of Jodie Marsh’s head and containing far less plastic and fakeness than the aforementioned ‘cele-bra-ity’.
Firstly let’s talk about interiors, the Yaris feels solid and well put together. The use of the new high quality feel dash, console and trim make the SR feel even more upmarket and expensive. The dash is well laid out and everything is easy to find.
However, one of my biggest pet hates is a centrally based Speedo (the instrument for showing your speed, not the tighty whitey swimwear), which unfortunately the Yaris is blessed with. Having quickly been irritated by the speedometer, and deciding equally as quickly, that I shouldn’t let this influence my opinion too much, I pressed the start button (nice sporty touch) and begin my road test.
It turns out performance is another area the Yaris SR doesn’t disappoint. Nought to 62mph is dealt with in a swift 9.2 seconds. When put against the likes of the Fiesta ST and Corsa SRI that does make it the slowest, but it definitely feels sportier than the other two and it’s certainly more fun to drive, with much better handling and ride comfort.
The Yaris loves corners and dark country roads like a gay boy loves fancy dress and Saturday nights. The different between the two, however, is that on a Sunday morning you won’t open the curtains, look at the Yaris, and then try and chew off your own arm to escape before it wakes up and makes you realise the terrible mistake you made taking it home the night before.
Sticking with comparing the Yaris to its Fiesta and Corsa rivals, equipment-wise the three are fairly evenly matched. However the Yaris is a nose in front having slightly more standard kit than the other two. Both the Yaris and Fiesta cost around £14,000, with the Vauxhall charging a grand more for the Corsa SRI.
Cabin-feel-wise the little Toyota eclipses both by giving the impression of having way more interior space, feeling like a much bigger car, and its got more hidey-holes and hidden pockets to secrete your belongs away than a gay paratrooper’s cargo pants.
But here’s the bit where the Yaris totally destroys the competition. Insurance rating - Fiesta ST: 13E; Corsa SRI: 13A; and the Yaris SR: 7. Yep the Yaris has an insurance rating much lower than the other two. So if you’re in the market for a new super-mini, don’t forget to pop down to a Toyota dealer and check out the Yaris before you spend your cash.
The Toyota Yaris SR 1.8VVTI starts at £14,000 OTR and is on sale now.
Reviewed by Rich Tuckwell, Editor Topgayer www.topgayer.com
