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Toyota Yaris 2005 Review

But this is not necessarily a family car, though mum and a couple of kiddies would be quite happy for a few years.

Over the years she went from being a yelping microbe of an animal with boundless energy to a listless fur rug with uncontrollable bowel movements.

But it was a prized pet and when the little mutt went to the big doggy house in the sky, Aunty Meg replaced it with another dog.

It was just as cute in a muttsy kind of way but was bigger than Thabar — actually Sabre, but my aunt had a lisp and the engraver was a bit deaf — and with a more benign temperament.

But it was still loved as much as Thabar, just as Toyota hopes you love its equally oddly named Yaris as much as the previous Echo.

Bigger, easier to drive and yet equally as economical to own and run as the Echo, the Yaris uses height in its war to gain lots of cabin space.

Its cavernous interior seats four 1.8m adults, with those in the rear having the versatility to slide the seat forward or rake it back to improve comfort.

Sliding the rear seat forward also greatly improves the modest boot space. Without this function, carting a week of family groceries would be impossible.

But this is not necessarily a family car, though mum and a couple of kiddies would be quite happy for a few years. They would also appreciate that the Yaris is Toyota's safest passenger car.

It comes standard with two airbags — though I implore you to consider spending an extra $750 for the addition of side and curtain airbags, plus one for the driver's knees. Seven airbags in total.

That goes with standard ABS brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist.

You also get airconditioning, electric windows and mirrors and an MP3-compatible CD sound system.

Prices start at $14,990, with the top-range YRX automatic costing $20,990, plus on-road costs.

The body style is similar to the Echo, but honed to improve aerodynamics. The result is a small car with mid-size car roadholding.

While the electric-assist power steering has fuel economy benefits and is nice and light for parking, it initially feels as vague as a politician's promises.

But there's no complaint about the 1.5-litre engine, which has plenty of low-end poke and a surprising willingness to rev hard to the 6000rpm red line.

It even feels more engaging and more spirited than the 1.8-litre unit in the Corolla. Even the auto box won't detract from the Yaris' performance.

Fang the Yaris and fuel economy barely seems to suffer. Officially, it gets 6.1 litres/100km, but I was enjoying the engine's zip too much and went deep into 7 litres/100km territory.

Ride comfort is as good as some bigger sedans and, despite some body roll through fast corners, the suspension and front-wheel-drive make it a predictable handler.

The centrally positioned digital speedo appears bigger than the Echo unit, so it's clear and comes with a sliding graph for the tacho.

I reckon the personal storage space in this car is the best on the market, with three gloveboxes, numerous nooks for things like mobile phones, three cupholders in the front, a coin box and so on.

The hard plastic dash was a bit dour at first, but the cloth-covered door trim is classy.

And it all looks so doggone cute.

Pricing guides

$6,886
Based on 16 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months
Lowest Price
$5,990
Highest Price
$9,990

Range and Specs

VehicleSpecsPrice*
YR 1.3L, ULP, 5 SP MAN $2,530 – 3,960 2005 Toyota Yaris 2005 YR Pricing and Specs
YRS 1.5L, ULP, 5 SP MAN $3,080 – 4,730 2005 Toyota Yaris 2005 YRS Pricing and Specs
YRX 1.5L, ULP, 5 SP MAN $2,860 – 4,400 2005 Toyota Yaris 2005 YRX Pricing and Specs
Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication.  Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.