31 Jan 07
It's also apparently got tuned sports suspension, though you'll be hard pushed to notice it as you wallow in and out of corners. Yes, sports suspension doesn't have to be so hard that you wince every time a bit of broken tarmac gets in the way, but it should keep body movements controlled so as to make for a more inspiring drive.
Through corners, the SR washes wide into understeer all too quickly and on fast stretches it never inspires confidence. The engine might give reasonable performance on paper, but can leave you floundering mid-overtake as you wonder what happened to all the power you thought you had under your right foot.
It's not all doom and gloom though: the SR carries with it all the safety kit bestowed on lesser Yaris models, including an airbag for your knees. Personally, I'd forgo all nine airbags and put my trust in the seatbelt if it meant there was some excitement to come from driving it.
To further add insult to injury, Toyota is also offering this flagship model with a 1.3-litre petrol and even a 1.4-litre diesel, neither of which tops 90bhp. They don't even have the 1.8-litre's good looks, as the smart 17" alloys are ditched for a set of 15s - they do come with a brushed aluminium gear knob as compensation though.
So there you have it, the Yaris SR - a car which delivers not a lot in an expensive package. Oh yes, the price - £12,995 is what Toyota are asking for this lukewarm supermini. Just say no.
