Five-Point Inspection: Toyota Yaris Hybrid

5. The Drive

Ok, so now you know how the Yaris works, how much it costs, the distance it can stretch a gallon of fuel and where it’s sold. But one question remains: How does it drive? Well, unfortunately this part isn’t pretty.

The car’s on-road dynamics are absolutely deplorable. The steering is incredibly loose and as a result the tiller transmits nothing to the driver about what the front tires are doing. In tight situations like an autocross course the car feels like’s it’s all over the road; body roll goes seemingly unchecked.

The company may have quantified the Yaris Hybrid’s zero-to-60 time but in reality the car feels much slower. Imagine nailing the accelerator at breakfast and only reaching a mile a minute by lunch, that’s kind of what it’s like.

Wrapping things up, the Toyota Yaris Hybrid is an efficient and affordable car for economy-minded European drivers. Unfortunately its on-road demeanor is soppy at best, which totally ruins the overall experience. Frugality be damned, this car is no fun.

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