Guest Post: Two Months with the 2013 Toyota Yaris LE

West Brother's friend, Eric L., just spent the last two months in Bloomington, Indiana on a business trip, where he was issued a 2013 Toyota Yaris LE hatchback for his daily use. Here are his thoughts on Toyota's subcompact hatchback. If you too would like to contribute an article, just contact us.

Hi everyone! So I drove a Toyota Yaris 2013 LE for about two months during my business trip in chilly Indiana during March and April. The weather was a mixture of snow, rain, thunder, and 15-20 mph winds. I was bit skeptical of driving the little car at first. My initial impression was, "it's so tiny! Will I be safe?" Over two months of use, I definitely discovered what this tiny car could and could not actually do.

The more I drove the Yaris, the more I realized the benefits of the car. During my first few trips to the gas pump, I confirmed that the Yaris gets well over 30 mpg on the highway. One of the best attributes of the car is the compact size, which makes parking and backing up a breeze. You would have to try hard not to get within the parking lines. The Yaris' interior has an intuitive design, so learning the controls and getting comfortable with them is easy. Even though this is a smaller vehicle, it has a rear window wiper, which makes it very convenient in snow belt states such as Indiana.

Having addressed my likes about the Yaris, there are plenty of features I found inadequate for my needs. For one, the vehicle was too light weight; whenever an on coming truck drove by, I felt the Yaris move toward the shoulder. Also the doors are too light for the winds sweeping across the plains in Indiana, because the doors would occasionally slam shut unintentionally. My commute to work had many turns, which highlighted the harsh ride and unyielding and jarring suspension of the Yaris. Additionally, my commute was hilly and the Yaris definitely did not have sufficient horsepower to accelerate up those hills fast enough. At night the gas pump lid is hard to locate as the car is all black and the lever to open the gas lid blends in with the rest of the car. The last dislike about the Yaris is the single cup holder for the passengers in the back seat. I am certain passengers in the back would not like that during longer trips, not that many passengers would be all that comfortable in the rear seats of this car for any trips.

Overall, this car transported me from my hotel to work with no problem, but it did not really do anything more than that. For a business trip, the Yaris can accomplish the task of basic transportation, as long as no hilly roads are involved. However, if I were to go on vacation or for other personal use, it would not be the car for me. The Yaris just was not a fun drive and did not accommodate multiple passengers well.

A special thanks to Eric for taking time out of his busy trip to write up this review!