Another Look: 2015 Toyota Yaris

After making a great first impression, I had high hopes for the Absolutely Red 2015 Toyota Yaris SE subcompact. Was it really possible that the better-than-expected little car would still feel “better-than-expected” after a few days of driving in and around Chicago traffic?

How Was It?

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In a word: fun.

Toyota has taken a lot of heat for building boring, plain-Jane cars over the last few decades. Back in the 1980s and early 90s, though, Toyota had a different reputation. That was the Toyota that built the sporty Celica, the inexpensive and exotic mid-engined MR2, and- of course!- the all-conquering MK IV Supra. Fast forward to 2015, and Toyota is trying- hard!- to shed that image. It’s bringing back the Supra, it’s not afraid to get weird, and it’s also spreading some of that sporty love to the rest of the brand’s offerings … including the freshly updated 2015 Toyota Yaris SE.

Toyota’s desire to make its cars feel more engaging absolutely shows through in the 2015 Toyota Yaris. It’s not going to set the world on fire or terrorize big-bore Porsches on the Autobahn anytime soon (or, ever, really), but the Yaris SE and its think-rimmed steering wheel definitely encourage some spirited driving.

If you do it right and tick the “manual transmission” option box on your Toyota Yaris sales sheet, you might even have a shot at bringing home a local autocross trophy!

What Do I Expect Now?

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So far, the 2015 Toyota Yaris SE has passed every test I’ve thrown at it with flying colors. The latch system readily and eagerly hooks my Recaro baby seats into place. The small trunk has just enough room to carry the folding baby stroller plus a few shopping bags with reasonable amounts of room to spare. Heck, even loaded up with 3 adults and an apparent mountain of baby gear, the not-so-little-on-the-inside Yaris was perfectly capable of holding its own on Chicago’s highways.

Heck, look at that picture, up there! The 2015 Toyota Yaris is about the same size as the Mitsubishi iMiEV and Chevy Spark subcompacts I drove, but somehow manages to actually look like it has some curves! What I’m really expecting, I guess, is to really not want to give up the keys to the bright red little car come Monday.

Source: Gas2