Toyota Yaris 2007

2007 Toyota Yaris 3-door liftback

Base price:
$11,530

Powertrain:
1.5-liter, DOHC four-cylinder with variable valve timing; five-speed

transmission;
front-wheel drive

Horsepower:
106 at 6,000 rpm

Torque:
103 pound-feet at 4,200 rpm

Curb weight:
2,290 pounds

0-60 mph:
10 seconds

Wheelbase:
96.9 inches

Overall length:
150.6 inches

EPA fuel economy:
34 miles per gallon city, 40 mpg highway

Final thoughts:
A giant stubs its toe

Toyota Yaris, a surprisingly routine and summarily undelightful B-class subcompact that feels as mailed-in as if it had a stamp on it.

Cheap? Oh yes, to a fault. The $11,530 MSRP (with delivery) can't make room for things like a radio/CD/MP3, anti-lock brakes, rear-window wiper or rear fogger, or split-folding rear seat. Our test car had another $3,210 of options: alloy wheels, power windows and doors, four-speaker audio with CD/MP3 player, ABS, front side-air bags, side curtain air bags. But up against other recent B-class urban runabouts -- the Honda Fit, the Nissan Versa -- the Yaris is less car for more money. And tinny. Compared with the sealed and muffled character of the Honda Fit, this thing's got more ring-a-ding than Frank Sinatra at Caesars Palace.

handling, it has some. Actually, for a little car, the Yaris has some pretty acute body roll and lean. It reminds me of the old Jackie Stewart exercise in which he put a ball in a bowl affixed to the hood of a car to demonstrate the effects of smooth driving. Except in this case, the Yaris is the ball.

It's not all bad. The build quality is excellent. The interior (with plastic fixtures inspired by a Super Soaker) is modern and easy to use. The upholstery is nice. That's all I've got.

The irony is, of course, that Toyota made its bones in the U.S. market making cheap, superlative compacts. But the Yaris, after the Echo, suggests the company is losing its common touch.