2007 Toyota Yaris Review

Specifications

Protection for (and from) the Road

Keeping a car in true mint condition can be a bit difficult to do, no matter where you are. If youre in the city, you have to contend with bumps and scratches from people who choose to parallel-park by feel rather than with their eyes, not to mention those jealous types who vandalize by bending antennas and keying fresh paint. And even if escaping the city is possible, there are still bugs and stone chips to contend with in the great outdoors. While its difficult to defend against any of these, there is a way of preventing stone chips without resorting to an unsightly vinyl nose mask, or an even less appealling plexiglass or acrylic hood deflector. Seeing as our Yaris is always on the road, it was recently fitted with protection.

By the looks of things, our freshly armored Yaris doesnt appear any different than in previous updates. This is because the type of paint protector fitted is a unique kind of strong, rock and pebble resistant film called Scotchcal, developed by polymer experts 3M. Scotchcal is sold under a couple of different names, including Invisible Bra, Invisi-Shield, StonGard, and Paint Protec, but the concept and materials are the same; clear polyester tape which is applied to any painted surface of the car, much like a decal or sticker. Alright, so its not completely invisible: if you look carefully you can see the outline on the leading edge of the film, but overall, its discreet in comparison to other kinds of protective measures.

There are two ways of getting the invisible stone chip protector. Some manufacturers (like Toyota) offer do-it-yourself kits that have pre-cut shapes to protect the hood, the fenders and areas of the bumpers. The other method, preferred by professionals and featured on this car, is to use a roll of film, measure and custom cut. This route requires skill and plenty of practice; improperly applied the film will ripple and wrinkle on top of the painted surface, which, aside from being more obvious, isnt the slightest bit attractive. But, professionally done, the results are often better, and less obvious. Either way, purchasing a kit like this will set you back approximately $260.

There are also different thicknesses of material available; the film used on our car is marginally thicker than whats normally sold in dealerships. But aside from getting the film and a set of instructions on the box, paint protection film kits usual feature some kind of warantee. Most kits are factory-backed by 3M, which offers a five-year warantee against bubbling, yellowing or cracking. In addition, other uses for the film include protection around the bottom areas of quarter panels for protection against stone kick-ups, as well as around the edge of doors to prevent against chips when opening.

Anyhow, with this little addition now out of the way, its off to the logbook to see whats been happening over the past little while:

Odometer: 2,352 miles

Linda: My normal car, when Im not driving the Yaris, the Fit, or whatever else is in the office fleet is a Chevrolet Tracker. I used to think that it was the ideal vehicle for me because its small size made it easy to drive in traffic and easy to park. Having been acquainted with the Yaris, its still possible to have the things I love so much in a car, but it does it without feeling as if its going to tip over at the first scent of a corner. Its also much better than the Tracker on fuel, though the Tracker does have 4WD and a V6 engine, something you cant get on any Yaris or rival subcompact for that matter. I guess that explains why Im always grabbing for (or sneaking off with) the keys whenever its around.

Odometer: 2,567 miles

Justin: When I picked up the Yaris after its nose guard shield was installed, the first thing I noticed was a travel brochure on the front seat. Hmmm… a road trip sounded good, so thats exactly what I did. I decided to take the day off and go to one of North Americas biggest attractions. Unfortunately, granted that I had to get there and back within a day, that ruled out a couple of destinations that I would eventually like to see; Mount Rushmore, The Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam… So I settled on something equally as breathtaking, Niagara Falls.

Alright, admittedly Im a relative newcomer to Niagara Falls, which seems a bit of an oddity given my close proximity to it. I went for the first time in a Dodge Charger around this time last year, but by the time I got there it was dark. So, I went again a few weeks after that (again in a Dodge Charger), and lo and behold I made the same mistake of leaving too late, therefore by the time I got there I saw a lot of mist, heard the sound of rushing water, but didnt see the falls. I left early in the morning this time, to guarantee some daylight.

So, why the Yaris over something else in the fleet this week? One of the biggest arguments for my choice is that its quite economical. I cant believe it, but the Yaris tiny engine, in combination with a very relaxed driving style, made it possible to get there and back (to Toronto) on just half tank of gas, leaving more money in my pocket to spend (very important, given the extremely, extremely high markup of everything in that town). All in all, its my estimation that I might be able to get more than 375 miles per tank if done while highway driving, which is pretty good for holding a mere 11 gallons of fuel.