Toyota GR Yaris Fast Fleet test – 6000 miles in the homologation hatch

Scouring the used car ads for this end-of-term report, I failed to find a bum-basic Gen 1 GR Yaris like ours. Almost all were Circuit Pack versions, which we heartily endorse of course, having come to the conclusion early on that with its stiffer suspension, front and rear limited-slip diffs and Michelin-shod, lighter road wheels, it was the spec to have. The question I posed at the start of our five-month loan was this: would extended exposure to a non-Circuit version change our minds? No, it didn’t. But perhaps the question should have been: is the base Yaris as enjoyable?

Before we took delivery in December, we had no idea that there was a third derivative of the original GR Yaris, assuming the choice was between Circuit Pack and Convenience Pack. This model is simply a ‘GR Yaris’ but could also be called an Inconvenience Pack, given that it lacks not only the trick chassis of the Circuit but also the Convenience’s satnav, heated seats, head-up display, parking sensors and two extra speakers for the sound system. At just £30,020, it was £2k less and £3.5k less than the Convenience and Circuit pack models respectively.

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You do notice the softer suspension, though the ride is no smoother, and the turn-in is less decisive, especially in the wet, but much of the Yaris’s character is intact, chiefly the lazy-sounding but wickedly punchy 257bhp turbocharged triple. It could feel a little hesitant at tickover and ran out of puff at 6000rpm, but everywhere in between it was mighty, delivering monster torque through an equally hefty six-speed manual. The thrill of deploying the 1.6-litre’s performance never faded, and after an initially alarming 21.7mpg, its economy improved, settling at early- to mid-30s.

Unexpectedly, my objection to its lofty driving position – perhaps the main bugbear of the Gen 1 GR Yaris – did fade as the miles accumulated. I knew I was totally acclimatised when I got back in the Toyota after many miles in a BBR MX-5 and didn’t find myself reaching for the non-existent seat-height adjuster. And I say that after driving the Gen 2 GR Yaris, which has a much-improved driving position.

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What of the dynamics? It’s natural to acclimatise to the feedback and responses of a car you drive regularly, and I’m sure I adapted my driving style (and expectations) and accommodated our Yaris’s softer turn-in, its most obvious difference from the Circuit pack model. Traction control could subtly disguise the lack of diffs on those occasions when there was more torque than traction, most often getting through wet roundabouts, but what about those times you find yourself on a great road and in the mood? That happened when I drove back from north Wales on some favourite roads lashed by Storm Isha. You’d think that the twisting, turning and undulating wet roads would be the undoing of the basic Yaris, but it was brilliant. It seemed to mould itself to the road, clinging on through the corners, untroubled by standing water. It didn’t miss the diffs at all and rotated so willingly that I didn’t miss the turn-in either. It was remarkably relaxing too, which I put down partly to the unhurried drawl of the engine and unrushed way you use the weighty gearshift.

That drive was the high spot of the loan for me. The least sophisticated Yaris had risen to the challenge and engaged and entertained just as you’d hope and expect a four-wheel-drive homologation special would. Subsequently there were moments when I craved more front-end bite, but they were few.

The mystery of the spec saying it had a 50-litre tank but only managing to squeeze in 40 even with the range in single digits was solved when we drained the tank as part of our sustainable fuel test (evo 320). It is a 50-litre tank but in a saddle shape, and Litchfield suggested that the pick up of the last 10 litres might be unreliable, and you don’t want fuel starvation on full boost. It still felt a little risky, running it for miles after the range had hit zero, but I used it as a reserve a few times.

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We ran the car to just over 6000 miles, meaning it needed a first service. It was little more than an oil and filter change and we entrusted this to Steven Eagell in Peterborough. It cost £315, which seemed a bit strong, but it took four hours and included a ‘Health Check’: a video walk-around underneath the car that showed little wear of tyres and brakes.

In all other respects, it felt as new, the only gripes being those of all flavours of GR Yaris, namely weak wind-noise suppression and awkward seat-tilt mechanisms. What I had expected to be the key complaints, namely the elevated driving position and lack of sharpness and traction compared to the Circuit Pack model, turned out not to be issues. The bum-basic GR Yaris is still a formidable, engaging and satisfying drive.

This story first featured in evo issue 326.