Review: Toyota Vios 1.5 G

Perfectly good transportation for those who seek nothing more than perfectly good transportation.

WORDS WORDS Marvin Tan PHOTOS Marvin Tan  | 31 December 2007

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO OPEN PHOTO GALLERY Note: Our test car was upgraded with non-standard 17-inch wheels and tires. Our driving impressions are for this test vehicle and do not necessarily apply to Vios sedans with standard 15-inch wheels and tires. Not long ago, the price of oil flirted with USD 100 a barrel. That is the price level where the earth will stop rotating on its axis and will fall out of the solar system. I’m still able to write this. Which means the world is still alive. And that’s because the price of black gold has retreated some from the threshold of apocalypse. But still. For many people, it’s time to get a smaller, more fuel-efficient car. And why not. The subcompact cars of yesteryear – let’s take the Kia Pride, for example – were embarrassing affairs that screamed to the world that its owner was not yet on the upper registers of the socioeconomic scale. But the subcompact cars of today are an entirely different matter. Cars like the Honda Jazz and the Toyota Yaris are genuinely desirable automobiles. This is great because this means that saving fuel no longer means having to drive a crap car. Or heck, forget about the fuel, it means that what for many is a first car doesn’t have to be a bottom-feeder that owners can’t wait to throw away. And as subcompact cars of today go, this one is the most important of them all. This is the all-new Toyota Vios sedan. The darling of corporate fleets everywhere. The new edition of the bestselling car in the country. My, how it’s grown. It’s swollen in every dimension compared to the old Vios. Which is just as well, since it is now something that the previous car never was: roomy. The stylish new body encloses a cabin that offers ample space for legs and feet, if not quite for heads and shoulders. Fingers and elbows will delight at a great leap in the general quality of the various polymers and fabrics in the car’s living space (though the toylike ventilation knobs are exceptions), and the lovely leather-wrapped steering wheel is not to be missed. Eyes will revel on the smart-looking blue-hued Optitron gauges even as the brain raises an eyebrow at their unfortunate placement at the center of the dashboard. The new Vios is a feelsome thing, a celebration of the senses. And market researchers at TNS will tell you that feel and emotion are what sell brands and cars. It’s a massive transformation from the dregs of blah that the previous Vios was. The old car was a strictly utilitarian affair that had to be all things to all people, taxi fleets included. But the new fleet-market Toyota Avanza makes possible moving the Vios upmarket. If there’s any doubt, consider that this Vios 1.5 G comes with power-folding side mirrors. Swanky for sure, although I would gladly trade it for an iPod-ready stereo any minute – an omission that seems curious in a car that’s been made more appealing to younger buyers. Step out of the driver’s seat and even the door slams take on a decidedly upscale thud. And then you’ll see that the side mirrors have turn-signal repeaters on their housings, just like the most expensive Camry. Our test car came with, well, a de facto Sport Package that included beautiful 17-inch rims shod with 205/45R-17 Yokohama DNA dB tires and a tasteful body kit that well and truly enhanced the car’s looks. The big wheels do a lot to reduce the visual heft of a tall, short and stubby car with proportions almost as awkward as hydrocephalus: cab-forward design coupled with an impossibly short hood and rear deck. But actually, the Vios is charmingly cute as a hydrocephalic ladybug and should be a big hit with the ladies. But will it be a big hit with men who might care more about how it drives than how cute it is? It’s a perfect city car, that’s for sure. The light-as-a-feather steering points this light-as-a-feather car with amazing immediacy, imbuing it with an effortless nimbleness that’s simply impossible in a heavier vehicle. On the highway, the steering locks on-center with the determination of a hungry Dalmatian. In tight parking lots, this Lilliputian is clearly in its element with an astoundingly small turning circle. And fuel economy is heroic: 8.83 km/l in heavy traffic or when flogging the car, 13.83 on a day trip to the hills of Tagaytay. The seats are outstanding, offering all-day comfort and support. Power never feels lacking in the streets of Manila. Pothole impacts don’t elicit cheap gronks from the chassis. If all you want is basic transportation that’s as reliable as the passing of time and as value-retaining at resale as a Juan Luna, the Vios is great… and read no further. Because if you’re looking for a driver’s car, the design and tuning of the Vios doesn’t quite lend itself to the task, and probably consciously so on Toyota’s part. The clutch and accelerator pedals have an extra-light action, making them a trifle difficult to modulate smoothly. Same story with slowing down: there's ample braking power, but the pedal feels soft and fluffy at the top of its travel. The featherweight steering – such a joy in the parking lot and in traffic – is a touch too light and numb to inspire confidence in enthusiastic cornering. Which you wouldn’t want to do anyway, since the torsion-beam rear suspension feels a bit unsettled during such shenanigans, as if it’s nervous of anything beyond placid cornering loads. At least the car remains agile and tossable, with good grip from the Yokohamas; truly, low weight is its own reward. But it's not that the car can't go fast, it's just that it doesn't feel like it's enjoying it. Up the pace, and the engine revs smoothly, a good thing since screaming revs are necessary to move the car with haste. Fortunately, the shifter feels good. You can’t miss with its precise throws and positive engagements even if it won’t yet match a Honda shifter pound-for-pound. You’ll be rowing it a lot to keep the engine in its narrow sweet spot. A caveat: the heavier 17-inch rims on our test car likely sapped the engine’s power to a certain extent. Cars on the stock 185/60R-15 tires are expected to better the 10.4-second 0-100 kph time we recorded for our black stallion. That time was achieved by dumping the clutch at 4800 rpm. A standing start from just off idle saw 100 kph flash past in 12.2 seconds. The 17-inchers also probably contributed to the fairly jittery ride quality compared to a car on stock wheels. Finally, the driver who cares about driving will wish the gauges were in front of him where it rightly belongs instead of in the center of the dash. So the Vios won’t exactly burn the autocross down. But I’m sure Toyota knows that. I’m sure Toyota intended that, even. Because this Vios was made to sell. And sell it will. The typical car buyer probably wouldn’t understand a word in the last four paragraphs. Nor would they care. But certainly, they would appreciate everything else that I’ve written, everything that doesn’t relate to enthusiastic driving. On that regard, I can't argue with what Toyota has done to the Vios. It’s stylish, it’s spacious, it’s high-quality, it’s effortless to drive, it gets good mileage per liter and resale value will likely be through the roof. And probably the clincher: it’s a Toyota. For enthusiasts, choosing another car where the gauges are in the proper place may be a no-brainer. But for the non-car guy (or gal) who would be nervous at anything beyond placid cornering loads (or who wouldn’t understand that phrase), choosing the Vios is a no-brainer. THE GOOD Uptown styling Thrifty with fuel Snazzy interior Point-and-squirt around town Spacious cabin Can be parked with closed eyes THE BAD Steering too light and numb for canyon carving Nervous rear suspension in hard running Jittery ride on our big-wheeled test car THE LOWDOWN If you don't know what a differential does, you'll love this new Vios. SPECIFICATIONS Vehicle type 4-door, 5-passenger subcompact sedan Vehicle layout Front-engine, front-wheel drive Price P 730,000 (excluding wheels and body kit) Length 4,300 mm (169.3 in) Width 1,700 mm (66.9 in) Height 1,460 mm (57.5 in) Wheelbase 2,550 mm (100.4 in) Curb weight 1,075 kg (2,370 lb) Engine 1NZ-FE; naturally aspirated 16-valve DOHC inline-4 gasoline Displacement 1,496 cc Engine features Variable valve timing (VVTi) Max. power 107 hp @ 6,000 rpm Max. torque 142 Nm (105 lb-ft) @ 4,200 rpm Transmission 5-speed manual Front suspension Independent: MacPherson strut, lower control arm, stabilizer bar Rear suspension Non-independent: torsion beam, coil springs Brakes (front/rear) Ventilated disc / disc; anti-lock Tires Yokohama DNA dB decibel 205/45R-17 (optional equipment; standard tire is Yokohama dB decibel E70 185/60R-15) Major standard features Driver and front passenger front airbags, anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and electronic brake assist (BA), power windows, mirrors and door locks, fog lamps, remote keyless entry, leather steering wheel, manual 6-way-adjustable driver seat, AM/FM stereo with 6 speakers and in-dash single CD slot with MP3 capability, multi-function trip computer in instrument panel, 60/40-split folding rear seat, anti-theft engine immobilizer, turn-signal lamps on side mirror housings, Optitron gauges bigbigcar.com TEST RESULTS Acceleration, 0-100 kph 10.4 seconds Fuel economy, city 8.83 km per liter (heavy traffic) Fuel economy, highway 13.83 km per liter (day trip to Tagaytay) Top speed (manufacturer claimed) na Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. lent the test unit for this evaluation.

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