In Toyota we trust

[ed_rex]

I really don't like playing at being a corporate shill, but sweet Jesus there's a lot to be said for good ergonomic design!

Raven and I are in Quebec City, having braved a winter storm to get here (a five hour drive became one that lasted easily 7 and a half). We're in a rental car, a Toyota Yaris. Subcompact, pretty basic econobox.

But. Lots of

Comments

[dewline]

A well-made product is always worth praising, as an example to the other companies regarding what they should be actively doing. It doesn't always work out that way, true, but exalting the justly praiseworthy is as important as any other journalistic task.

True, that

[ed_rex]

I'd prefer to praise the little guy, but your point is well-taken. Thanks for the reminder.

[sinnamongirl]

The Yaris is actually what made me buy the car I did- I was renting cars semi-regularly to do big errands that couldn't be done on the bus, and to drive to see family and clients, and when I asked a car salesman friend if he had anything like the Yaris, he guided me to the Mazda 2 that I ended up buying. They're basically the same thing, but the M2 doesn't have gauges in the middle of the dashboard like the Yaris did, which I don't like because I'm not used to looking over- but seriously, the Yaris was one of the most comfy cars I drove in the 7 years of not owning a car. I'm only 5'2" and it's hard to find cars that I can see out of in all directions (the Dodge Charger was MISERABLE for visibility), plus get me close enough to the pedals without knocking into the steering wheel. Definitely a good car!

Unguage! :(

[ed_rex]

The first time I ran into the guages set in the middle of the dash was when I first rented an Echo, the Yaris' predecessor. I actually got used to them very quickly and decided that I preferred that configuration to having to look down and between the spokes of the steering wheel to check on whatever.

So it was sad for me to discover that Toyota seems to have given up on the experiment. This Yaris had the guages back where you'd expect 'em to be. Aw well ...