2008 Toyota Yaris

After driving a 1993 Toyota Corolla for 14 years it was time to get a new car. I thought I wanted to get another Corolla but could not justify the price they were asking. A salesman talked me into test driving the Yaris. I couldn't believe the room it had given the outside appearance. After reviewing the specs for the Corolla and the Yaris I found that there really is not much difference. It drove great and seemed pretty peppy for a small car. I believe the stick shift offers a little more pep than the automatic. I really just needed something to get me back and forth to work (round trip 40 miles). The Yaris is great for that. I ended up buying my 5 speed Yaris S Sedan in July of 2007. A couple months later my family of four drove it to Florida for vacation. I have two children ages 12 and 8. The trunk was able to store all of our large luggage. The interior was fine as far as comfort. I was not expecting it to be of SUV comfort. The fuel mileage is fantastic. I'm getting at least 40 mpg in the Ohio winter for highway type driving. I got closer to 45 mpg during the summer. The speedometer is in the middle of the dash which I thought would be difficult getting used to. However, I have found it to be easier to read the gauges since they are not being blocked by my hands or the storing wheel. I'm also impressed with the stereo / CD player. I see these cars everywhere now and I would love to trade my gas hog V8 Tundra in on another if it were not for the hauling capability and the 4 wheel drive on really snowy days. The Yaris seems to get around OK in the snow though. It's a little hard getting traction starting out on icy hills since the car is so light. Overall, I would recommend this car to everyone.