AND THE FASTEST Yaris in the line-up is… the 1.4 litre diesel. It has no trouble dismissing the 1.0 three- cylinder, and makes light work of the 1.3 petrol too, needing 10.7sec to reach 62mph in contrast to the petrol’s 13.1sec. And as you’d expect, it’s the most economical Yaris, too, turning in 62.8mpg to the 1.3’s 48.7mpg. But unless economy is everything, this is not the Yaris to buy.
The reasons why are evident as soon as you fire up. Unlike most modern oil-burners, which calm down after they’ve warmed through, this motor plays endless variations on the rattle, clatter and thrum themes, only quietening when you back off the throttle. So it’s noisy. And the engine’s extra weight burdens the Yaris considerably. Not only does the steering weight up in unappealingly glutinous fashion, but the car feels decidedly less nimble than the 1.3.
The ride deteriorates, too, turning pattery too easily. So even if you aren’t a keen driver, there’s a dynamic price to pay for choosing the oil-burner.
Of course, the diesel Yaris isn’t all bad. Even though you must work the gearbox to get the best of the engine – the torque curve starts sinking away beyond 3000rpm, a long way before the 5000rpm cut-off – brisk progress is quite easy to achieve, and you do get used to the car’s friendly clatterings.
And then there’s the rest of the Yaris, which is generally excellent – well packaged, easy to use, decent to look at and well assembled, if from low-grade plastics in places.
But the killer blow is the Yaris diesel’s price, which is £1000 more than the 1.3 petrol. That’s too much when the premium for a diesel Renault Clio is £900, a 206 £750 and a Ford Fiesta £600.
Richard Bremner
Join the debate
Re: Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D
With all that additional technology, 1000 pounds is nothing. I mean intercooler, turbo, pumps, common rail, materials that provide longevity to the engine etc.
Also, it is very quiet when moving. It will pass you by and you wil not understand that it has diesel engine and in the interior you will not feel engine vibrations if you use the gearbox in the right way (for example if you get into 5th do not let the revs go under 2.000). However, you are going to experience them when in idle.
Considering the noise, it has extra sound isolation (padding on the engine cover and a cover beneath the engine) and if it roars in acceleration that is fine, because I also drive the 1,3 petrol and all that sound isolation gets on my nerves, the diesel lets me feel the engine.
The fact is that it feels heavier. It has more tight suspension and the engine is heavier. In corners, it gives understeer feeling, especialy if you accererate. But with "michelin e3a energy" tires there is an amazing improvement (these tires are also amazing in 1,3 petrol yaris).
Finally, you must admit that provides a lot of fun. All that torque in such a small car and the turbo boost present from 2.000 untill the red line it makes you smile and feel confident, whereas the 1,3 petrol engine abandones you after 4.500 rpm, making only noise and no torque. When passing by a long truck in a 2-lane road, you want to get back to your lane as fast as possible! You get from 5th to 3rd gear and pedal to the metal. The 1,3 petrol yaris accelerates decently in the begining, but as the revs go higher you say goodbye to the torque and you feel the engine losing its "soul" and a little cold sweat coming. But when it comes to turbo diesel, you feel the surging torque in the begining and you get excited, the diagram of the engine shows the torque diving after 3.000 rpm, but on the road you do not feel it! Instead, you feel constant pull from the engine untill the red line and the speed increasing with steady rate and you will get back to your lane wondering: "when did I pass by all that truck !?"
THANK YOU.
p.s. -No replacement for displacement?... No replacement for turbo!
-Also be careful about the diesel fuel quality, if contains even small amount of water the engine will stop working on the spot and will not start without service.
-More frequent oil change.
Re: Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D
I disagree with Richard Bremner's view of the diesel's noise. I tested the 1.3 petrol and the 1.4 diesel. As soon as I started the diesel on my first test drive I was surprised by the general mechanical refinement. On the dual carriageway, having driven the 1.3 petrol, I found the diesel much quieter at 60-70mph. Overall I thought it was surprisingly quiet for a small diesel at all times. Also there's no vibration in the gearknob or steering wheel that I'd encountered in an earlier diesel car. Needless to say I opted for the diesel. After more than two years and 24,000 miles I still think how refined it is, and it is so reliable.
The main drawback of the diesel for me is the very poor heater performance in the winter. Yes the ride is jiggly and the steering devoid of feel. But it is spacious inside, the seat incredibly supportive and there's loads of stowage space.
I seriously think you should change you Yaris summary to 'noisy petrol engines'.
Re: Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D
Something strange going on here. I know that the Yaris diesel engine is a lot more torquey than the petrol, but the latter's extra 10 horsepower allied with less weight surely should make it go faster? Could it be that Toyota has understated the petrol model's performance in order to secure more competitive insurance group ratings? Either way, with 100horsepower and sub 120g/km CO2 emissions, the new 1.33 petrol engine sounds pretty impressive against the competition...
