When a regular joe looks to buy a car, all he or she wants is a fuss free point A to B transport. Unlike us enthusiasts, 0 to 100 timings etc. are the last thing on their minds. So it is also important to look at cars from that point of view. Case here, the Toyota Yaris that came to the Throttle Blips long term garage recently. I have been driving the Yaris for my commute for the past couple of weeks, and though I can’t connect with it as an enthusiast, there is so much more that I have come to know and appreciate about this sedan.

The Yaris came home just as the monsoon set foot in Mumbai and my first outing with it was on a very wet Friday morning. I live in the suburb of Kandivali and a jam packed Western Express Highway has become the norm thanks to the metro construction. Driving a manual car in this scenario would be a nightmare but thankfully, our long termer is the CVT variant. Navigating through bumper to bumper traffic and narrow lanes thanks to Google maps showing me the quickest way to my destination, I realised how easy the Yaris is to drive. The steering is light and perfect to manoeuvre the gaps and the CVT box is very smooth too. Just the perfect combo for these stop-go situations.  Low end grunt from the 1.5 litre petrol engine is sufficient and the motor is very refined as well. However, try to be enthusiastic with the gearbox and the CVT rubber band effect makes it present felt. You can use the paddle shifters to shift the ratios, but building up speed does take a while. The Yaris is best driven with a light foot.

Mumbai monsoons simply translate to broken roads, potholes and uneven paver block patches but these highlight the ride quality of the Yaris. You don’t feel the undulations prominently in the cabin, and the high profile tyres only add to the comfort levels. There are no unwanted thuds. I also used the Yaris to ferry my father, a senior citizen to his workplace on a few occasions. He was very happy with the legroom the Yaris offers, but mentioned that the backrest could have been angled better. He also liked the roof mounted AC vents, a very unique positioning in sedans. Cooling is effective too, but the roof mounted unit has come at the cost of the Yaris getting a sunroof. All round visibility is also good and being a short driver, the reach of the electrically adjustable driver’s seat is a boon.

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