Used Toyota Yaris review: 2011-2013

The market for littlies is one of the toughest in the business, no more so than in 2011 when Toyota's incoming new Yaris had to face up to more than 30 rivals.

NEW

A carmaker not only has to deliver a car at a super low price in the class, it also has to have lots of gear, the very recipe that the Koreans have turned into an art form.

It's little wonder the Korean carmakers have been the little car rulers for some time now. They really rewrote the rules for cars at the entry level of the market some time ago, hitting the Japanese where it hurts the most.

It was only to be expected that a carmaker like Toyota that takes great pride in leading every market segment in which it competes hit back.

The new Yaris in 2011 was the company's little car response to the Korean push.

Buyers had four models to choose from; there were four models in 3-door and five-door hatch body styles, with a choice of 1.3 and 1.5-litre petrol engines.

The range opened with the price competitive YR, then stepped up to the YRS, and on to the sporty ZR before topping out with the feature-packed YRX.

An extra 100 mm in length garnered a larger boot and more legroom for the rear seat passengers.

Inside there was enough space to feel right at home, the seats were comfortable and all the controls were well laid-out and attractively displayed.

Toyota offered Yaris buyers the choice of two four-cylinder engines, a 67 kW 1.3-litre blighter and a larger 80 kW 1.5-litre unit.

Both were quite economical after a tune-up by Toyota's engineers, although the four-speed auto seemed a touch out of date.

Buyers could opt for the auto or a five-speed manual, but you would normally expect them to go for the self-changer simply for convenience.

There was a lot to like about the Yaris, and it didn't disappoint on the road either. It looked good and thanks to local tuning of the suspension handles our roads well too.

NOW

It's getting boring to talk about Toyota's renowned build quality and reliability, but the company has set the benchmark that has had others striving to match.

Car buyers wanting to buy a no-fuss car have come to rely on the Toyota qualities and that has kept resale values tootling along nicely.

While Toyotas are not completely free of troubles, they are generally sound from engineering and build perspectives, something backed up by the relatively few complaints received at Carsguide HQ.

The Yaris appears to be standing up well under the stresses of everyday life on the roads, although to be fair the 2011 model is only three years into its life and that means the earliest of the model has only done 60,000 km or so.

With so few kays under its wheels it shouldn't be a surprise that there are few complaints about it from owners.

At this point it's mainly a check of how well the current owner has maintained the car you're thinking of buying. If it comes with a service record that stands up to scrutiny, great, if not walk away.

Fresh oil is the lifeblood of all engines, but it's even more critical today with the tight tolerances carmakers are using.

Opt to ignore oil change recommendations and you run the real risk of losing an engine because it's gunked up with sludge.

Toyota recently announced a recall of the previous model Yaris for a faulty seat track, but the recall doesn't affect the latest model.

SMITHY SAYS

Like all Toyotas the Yaris ticks the right boxes in the little car class.

Toyota Yaris 2011-2013
Price new: $14,990 to $21,390
Engine: 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder, 67 kW/121 Nm; 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, 80 kW/141 Nm
Transmission: 5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic, FWD
Economy: 5.7 L/100 km (1.3), 5.8 L/100 km (1.5)
Body: 3-door hatch, 5-door hatch
Variants: YR, YRS, ZR, YRX
Safety: 5-star ANCAP