2011 Toyota Yaris

Average User Rating

• Overall 4.5 stars
• Appearance 4.4 stars
• Comfort 4.2 stars
• Performance 4.5 stars
• Value 4.8 stars

MSRP: $12,955 - $14,515

Invoice: $12,436 - $13,934

The 2011 Yaris is a 2- or 4-door, 5-passenger family coupe, family sedan, or wagon, available in 6 trims,... read more ranging from the Liftback 3-Door MT to the Sedan AT.

Upon introduction, the Liftback 3-Door MT is equipped with a standard 1.5-liter, I4, 106-horsepower engine that achieves 29-mpg in the city and 36-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard. The Sedan AT is equipped with a standard 1.5-liter, I4, 106-horsepower engine that achieves 29-mpg in the city and 35-mpg on the highway. A 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

The 2011 Yaris is a carryover from 2010.

Top-10 Selling subcompact cars, February 2011

Best-selling cars of January 2011 ( In slideshow)

Chevrolet Rolls Out 2011 Cruze BTCC Racer

GM has pulled the wraps off its Silverline Chevrolet team’s 2011 cars, with which it will campaign in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship [BTCC]. The two Cruze racers enter the 2011 season with a new livery, consistent with that of the WTCC cars, and featuring prominent sponsorship from Silverline, as well as a series of other sponsors including Dunlop, Holiday Inn, Auto Express and Evo.

Chevrolet will continue with the same driver line-up as in 2010, with driver’s champion Jason Plato and 20-year old Alex MacDowall. The first race of the season is on Sunday April 3 at Brands Hatch, Kent.

In the beginning of March, Chevrolet also revealed its 2011 Cruze racers for the World Touring Car Championship [WTCC]. As the 2011 series inaugurates a new set of technical rules and moves to 1.6 turbo petrol engines, Chevrolet had to design and build a new powertrain for its cars.

According to the company, the fitment of the smaller in size, but with increased power and torque, 1.6-liter turbocharged engine, lead to several changes on the engineering of many other elements, from cooling and ancillary systems to front suspension, brakes, aerodynamics and the overall weight distribution of the car.

PHOTO GALLERY

Toyota Wins Key Unintended Acceleration Case

April 1, 2011, Torrance, CA -- Toyota has won a much-anticipated case in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York that was seen as an early indicator of the strength of the legal theories behind current unintended acceleration claims against the Company.

After deliberating for approximately 45 minutes, a jury reached a defense verdict in favor of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. in an alleged unintended acceleration case brought by Dr. Amir Sitafalwalla, who claimed that an unsecured driver’s side floor mat was the primary cause of the crash of his Scion vehicle in August 2005.

During the course of the week-long trial, Dr. Sitafalwalla’s primary expert, Dr. Anthony Storace, withdrew his assertion that the Electronic Throttle Control System in the Scion could also have been a cause of the accident based on his acknowledgment that he had no basis to support that claim.

Toyota released the following statement in response to the favorable verdict:

“Toyota is pleased that the jury found no merit to this unintended acceleration claim, refused to accept testimony about possible pedal entrapment by the Scion’s floor mat, and rejected arguments that Toyota was liable for the absence of a brake override system in the vehicle. Importantly, plaintiff’s expert could identify no electronic defect in the vehicle’s Electronic Throttle Control System (ETCS) and offered no scientific proof of any electrical or mechanical malfunction in the throttle control or braking systems of Dr. Sitafalwalla's vehicle.

“Toyota's ETCS has been extensively tested, most recently in an exhaustive 10-month study by NHTSA and NASA, and has multiple fail-safe systems to shut off or reduce engine power in the unlikely event of system failure. We believe that this case sets an important benchmark for unintended acceleration litigation against Toyota across this country, as it clearly demonstrates a plaintiff’s inability to identify, let alone prove the existence of, an alleged electronic defect in Toyota vehicles that could cause unintended acceleration.”

Toyota was represented at trial by Brian P. Crosby of Gibson, McAskill and Crosby LLP of Buffalo, New York and J. Randolph Bibb, Jr. of Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop, P.C. of Nashville, Tennessee.

HYUNDAI IMPROVES IN J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES VEHICLE DEPENDABILITY STUDY

Hyundai significantly reduced problems per 100 vehicles and finished 10th overall, and third among non-premium nameplates in the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS). Hyundai improved by three non-premium rankings and gained one position among all nameplates. The Hyundai overall score was 132 problems per 100 vehicles, 19 problems fewer than the industry average and 16 fewer than last year.
Elantra (Compact Car) and Accent (Sub-Compact Car) both finished in the top three in their respective categories.

The VDS results continue Hyundai’s momentum in J.D. Power and Associates quality rankings. Hyundai was the third ranked non-premium nameplate in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) and ranked seventh among all nameplates.

The 2011 VDS study measures problem symptoms of three-year-old vehicles primarily in categories such as vehicle exterior, driving experience, features/controls/displays, audio/entertainment/navigation, seats, HVAC, interior, engine and transmission. The VDS is one of three J.D. Power and Associates quality studies, along with the Initial Quality Study (IQS) that measures quality after 90 days of ownership, and the Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study that measures customer perceptions on the design, content, layout and performance of their new vehicles.

Chevrolet Suburban and Traverse Named Top 10 Family Cars by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com

Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com has named the Chevrolet Suburban and Traverse two of their Top 10 Family Cars for 2011. To compile their list, kbb.com editors examined family-friendly considerations such as safety, comfort, economy of operation, child-friendliness, purchase price and resale value.

In naming the Chevrolet Traverse a top family car editors wrote:

“No stranger to this list, the Chevy Traverse remains among the most family-friendly vehicles on the market. Practical features like seating for up to eight passengers, abundant cargo space, impressive fuel economy and a five-star overall crash rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) appeal to our pragmatic side, while the 2011 Chevy Traverse’s attractive exterior styling and surprisingly nimble handling help win over our emotions.”

In naming the Chevrolet Suburban a top family car, editors wrote:

“In addition to seating for up to nine passengers, the ability to tow up to 9,600 pounds and a whopping 45.8 cubic feet of cargo space – behind the third row! – the 2011 Chevy Suburban returns better-than-Expedition fuel economy of 15 city and 21 highway miles per gallon. Add to this people- and cargo-moving mix a pleasant ride and all manner of creature comforts, and it’s easy to see why the Suburban made our list of Top 10 Family Cars again this year.”

Honda BRIO Makes World Premiere in Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand, March 17, 2011 - Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (HATC), Honda's automobile production and sales subsidiary in Thailand, unveiled its highly-anticipated Honda BRIO which makes its world premiere debut. The latest innovation from Honda is expected to raise the bar and set a new standard for eco-cars in terms of design, packaging, cabin comfort and fuel-efficiency in Thailand. The starting price will be 399,900 baht, with an annual sales plan of 40,000 units. (1 baht = approximately 2.7 yen)

BRIO V

Honda BRIO is being developed with Honda's advanced technologies, while further advancing Honda's "man maximum, machine minimum" concept^*1. Being developed as a commuter car which is easy-to-use even in urban areas, the Honda BRIO adopts an easy-to-handle compact body while ensuring sufficient cabin space achieved through highly efficient packaging. With this vehicle, Honda thoroughly pursued the creation of an advanced exterior form, which is compact while asserting a strong presence.

The BRIO is equipped with Honda's 1.2-liter 4-cylinder i-VTEC engine delivering 90 horsepower. This i-VTEC engine combines stress-free driving throughout the rpm range with outstanding fuel economy of 5 liters/100km^*2. Its fuel economy-enhancing technologies and nimble performance makes the compact car enjoyable and fun to drive. Emissions from the Brio meets the stringent Euro 4 emission standards.

BRIO features Honda's safety technologies including dual SRS front airbags, disc brakes, Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) which prevents wheel locking and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) which enhances braking performance. (available in all versions).

Incorporating Honda's G-Force Control (G-CON) technology, the BRIO's high-performance body features several outstanding elements that enhance its design, driving performance, ride comfort and collision safety performance. Its high performance body satisfies safety standards for both front and side impacts as specified by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)'s regulations 94 and 95, respectively.

Atsushi Fujimoto, President of Honda Automobile (Thailand), said, "It brings Honda great pride to unveil the first BRIO in the world, manufactured, assembled and marketed here in Thailand. The BRIO will meet the driving and lifestyle needs of people who are looking for a stylish and compact, yet spacious and fuel-efficient car that carries a brand that they can trust for its advanced and safety technologies.

*1

Honda's "man maximum, machine minimum" concept is a basic approach to Honda car design calling for maximizing the space available for people and minimizing the space required for mechanical components.

*2

Measures with ECE R101 mode

Related Links

• Honda in Thailand
• Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
• Honda Worldwide | Automobiles