by J.T. Hills
SGN Contributing Writer

                Top:

• It’s just too cute
• Great price, great gas mileage
• Standard front passenger side and side curtain airbags

                Bottom:

• Um, it’s just too cute
• Five-speed transmission feels notchy and rubbery

                Introduced in spring 2006 as a 2007 model, The Toyota Yaris is a subcompact car that replaced the ECHO in the US. Launched in Europe in 1999 and named the 2000 European “Car of the Year,” the Yaris is Toyota’s best-selling model in Europe. The second-generation Yaris was styled at Toyota’s European design studio, ED2, and Toyota Motor Corporation Design Division, and is designed to offer a style, fun-to-drive performance, comfort and roominess that are not typically associated with a subcompact car. For 2009, the Yaris receives updated styling, and standard equipment upgrades like ABS, driver and front-passenger seat-mounted airbags, and rear side curtain airbags. Sport trim levels get a new body kit and interior colors. An all new five-door liftback is added to the model line. After spending a week with the 2009 Toyota Yaris three-door liftback, I’ve assimilated, corrugated, encapsulated, conjugated, and insinuated my own observations.

                From the mouths of babes
                So, this last week I was having dinner with a friend who has a 16-year-old son. We were watching TV and the 16-year-old made the comment that he was watching the Gayest thing he had ever seen – um, on the TV, not me. I’m like, the Gayest thing you’ve ever seen? Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? You had better be talkin’ about it being the happiest thing you’ve ever seen. Don’t make me beat some etiquette into you. What is it with this language? I liked you better when you couldn’t talk, and when you finally could, you had a lisp. Let’s watch that mouth. So fast-forward to the next morning and I take delivery of a cute 2009 Toyota Yaris three-door liftback in shockingly yellow jolt color. I’m like, hmm, that is the Gayest thing I’ve ever seen. You see, you take a really cute – not handsome, not aggressively styled, but cute – car like the Toyota Yaris, and you throw on a yellow – not just any yellow, but this yellow jolt – paint job on it and, well, it’s just all gogo boys, glow sticks, and Cher manifested into a snappy little subcompact commuter car.

                All joking aside, I pulled into a Starbucks parking lot with the window down and a guy sitting out front leaned over to his companion and said, “Now there’s a stereotype.” There is no need for a HRC bumper sticker. The Toyota Yaris is a fun commuter car to drive. It’s equipped with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 106 HP at 6,000 RPM and 103 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,200 RPM. You can expect to get an EPA estimated 29 MPG city and 36 MPG highway. The Yaris isn’t only a great little city commuter car, but it also has great handling for the highway. Toyota achieved this by building the Yaris around a highly rigid structure that incorporates strategic use of high-tensile steel. Damping materials are also used throughout the body structure to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness to give it a comfortable, quiet ride. The suspension and steering is tuned to delver responsive handling, smooth ride and maneuverability. For city dwellers, the Yaris has a tight 30.8 turning circle, which is great for hunting for parking spots for urban road warriors.

                Toyota didn’t sacrifice safety for size and economy either. The Yaris has a reinforced cabin that integrates front and rear crumple zones and energy-absorbing materials on the roof and doors. There’s also standard front driver and passenger advanced front dual stage airbags, front-seat mounted side curtain airbags, and anti-lock brakes (ABS).

                In the interior there’s seating for five – um, okay, there are seat belts for five. The Yaris has a love-it-or-hate-it center-mounted instrument cluster to enhance forward visibility. Standard conveniences include air conditioning, tilt steering, digital clock, intermittent windshield wipers and dual sunvisiors with vanity mirrors.

                The 2009 Toyota Yaris three-door liftback has a competitive starting price of $12,205. The test model came with a couple of optional packages that brought it up to a MSRP of $14,853 – still a great value.

                Optional Equipment

• All-Weather Guard Package; larger window washer tank, heavy-duty heater, rear heater, daytime running lights, and heavy duty starter ($110)
• Power Package; power windows and locks, power outside mirrors, AM/FM/CD player with MP3, auxiliary audio jack, satellite radio compatibility, rear window wiper, rear window defroster, and 15 inch steel wheels ($1,400)
• Carpeted floor mats ($150)
• Emergency assistance kit ($70)
• Rear bumper protector ($79)
• Arm rest ($129)