The 2012 Toyota Yaris SE model is a joy to drive in tight urban areas. We tested the sportier, upmarket trim of the Toyota Yaris, the SE, which also gets rear disc brakes at a time when they’re not even available on any trim of some models, like the Chevrolet Sonic. The pedal feel is quite firm and positive—far better than the mushiness you get in the Sonic or the uneven actuation of the Accent.
Toyota has the small-car market pretty well covered. In addition to the 2012 Toyota Yaris, there are the Scion xB and iQ models, which share in many places the same showroom and the same sales lot. And that’s before even considering the only somewhat larger Matrix (and Corolla), as well as the nearly like-sized 2013 Toyota Prius C that’s on the way this year.
2012 toyota yaris
Interior
Inside, where the instrument cluster was a centrally mounted oddity, and controls and displays weren’t quite as straightforward as they could be, we welcome the changes. In fact, the interior and IP are quite cheerful and well-designed. The dash of the 2012 Yaris has more of a horizontal, shelf-like orientation, and there are various bins built into the center tray as well as the doors and lower dash. Just in front of the front passenger is a shallow shelf; with no texturing at the bottom, we were puzzled as to what to place there that wouldn’t slide annoyingly back and forth with every corner.
