2001 Toyota Yaris T Sport - A Little Car with Big Ambition

[@matthewpumfrey2178]

I bought one new in 2001 everyone was buying fiesta zetec s but the Toyota was faster more powerful more equipment, cheaper more mpg and a modern car, and a Toyota, no contest. Loved it, so underated.

[@ApKieras]

Sounds to me like good old Toyota.

[@PaulWashington..]

I had the Zetec S new, imperial blue 2001. Good car for the money and looked (very) well

[@gtibruce]

What about insurance for an older driver these days?

[@nigo1787]

@@PaulWashington.. so did I, fantastic car. Ford chassis, Yamaha engine, amazing combination. Never tried the Toyota but I instantly thought about the Ford. Understated gems. In France everyone was buying the Saxo VTS / 106 S16. I tried one, it was utter cr*p

[@PaulWashington..]

@@nigo1787 didn't know it was a Yamaha engine. Chassis was very good. They were best looking little warm hatch back then. Cheers Nigo

[@joshae8692]

I own a supercharged one of these, done it all myself. Completely transformed the car was fun at 105 but now at 165bhp it’s a real hoot to drive

[@sampeck9235]

Where would you recommend I look to buy my own charger for this Yaris? Any suggestions are welcome? 😃

[@TimSlee1]

@@sampeck9235 nope

[@sampeck9235]

So I'm the owner of this car. I'm a 35 year old HGV Driver who's had all the cars in the world. And after debating getting an RS3 I decided to get my 3 favourite cars I've enjoyed in the past which is a Tsport, 106 GTi and Lupo GTi. Makes it easier when you and Mrs have decided not to have kids. Thank you so much James for a great day out. 😊 The main reason I wanted my car reviewed on this channel was because I value your opinion so much you don't blow smoke up everyone's car.. Your channel is definitely a view point I would go to in the future if ever I purchase a car that you may have reviewed. Keep up the good work James. 👏

[@brianiswrong]

And thank you Sam for showing all of us your car, we need a picture of the dog sat inside it though 👍

[@AW8UK]

Sam thanks for letting James review your car. I have posted elsewhere in this thread & shared my thoughts as my daughter had one here. See my comments re a mod to slightly improve the gear selector feel....Not sure if you saw the comment but another owner claims they reduced understeer with step up in rear PSI. Not a fan of your TTE (gear) knob ;)...but it may offer more throw weight...Perhaps a custom gaitor would help the aesthetic. ...Yet to drive a warm hatch that is as enjoyable. (Lupo GTI was also considered).. I currently drive a MB E220 CDI (S212) Estate... & more than one dog here..I am sure your Dobe is fine in the Yaris...(Motorcycle my current fix for powered wheel engagement & enjoyment). Thank you

[@jasonemanuel9070]

Great car Sam,I have the T sprint 1.3 vvti,I had the Audi A3 before this one,it was so boring to drive,never had a small car before,can't believe what I've missed out on!

[@jonnywalker3208]

My mother In law still has hers! 36,000 miles on the clock from New, it's genuinely a beautiful little car to drive and she had it in the super rare cyan blue!

[@umy7]

Would it ever be for sale?

[@jonnywalker3208]

@@umy7 unfortunately she's now registered as disabled after her hip replacement failed so I would imagine it will be yes.

[@niksgee3538]

@@jonnywalker3208 did she sell it?

[@muhammadvardali7167]

@@jonnywalker3208 sorry to hear that. Has it been sold?

[@mrhaiz9812]

Hey is it for sale?

[@bradblairs]

Had one of these as my first car, absolutely loved it! An honest, cheap, fun car. No point chasing power with these cars as the ECU is locked so handling mods are the way forward! Whiteline rear ARB was a game changer for me! Still got it in the family and I still get to service it which is a nice bit of nostalgia! Upgraded to an i30N and still regard the Yaris as a fantastic car, very under rated for a first car contender!

[@jigzonyt517]

Great car in all honesty. I used to own a seat arosa 1.4 tdi many years ago. I loved the torque, it felt like I was driving something alot more powerful than a 75bhp 3cylinder engine,I absolutely loved that car. My mate had a Yaris tsport which was at the time the only other car I would have taken over my little diesel. While it didn't have the low down torque and grunt factor. It was revvy it felt sporty and had the edge in the top end compared to my seat. My little blue oil burner lacked that 5th gear power the Yaris had and in all honesty that's why I respect the Toyota so much. I loved that seat, so for the Toyota to have that special advantage over it has always got my respect. I would love to own both again just to relive the days being young. Seat owned the b roads and the Yaris had the bypasses 😂😂 meanwhile really not going fast atall in reality 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@cliffhanger1979]

Wow what a car. I had one of these back in 2002, bought import from new for £10k. It was Thunder Grey. Best car I've owned to date and loved every drive to work in it. Revved all the way to red line. Its a car that I compare to other others I've had to now.... brilliant. Only other car like this is the original Suzuki Swift Sport 1.6...

[@freddieparrydrums]

Both cars I am looking at for my first!

[@samthoma2719]

@@freddieparrydrums great first cars, Clio 182 is also a great shout for a first little sporty car, drives better than either of those mentioned above

[@freddieparrydrums]

@@samthoma2719 Definitely! Insurance is good too, for where I live. Unfortunately, they’ll have to be black box though. And the Clio 182’s are awesome, although they’re getting pricey! 👍

[@samthoma2719]

@@freddieparrydrums ah nightmare having a black box, I’ve never had one but only ever heard horror stories from friends and family. Usually cheaper over the year to go without a black box. And yeah but you can still find gems for 2/3k, will hold their value better than the other two as well though in fairness, regardless of miles you’ll still get your couple grand back at the other end for sure.

[@freddieparrydrums]

@@samthoma2719 That’s true, didn’t think of that! And I have heard that. Really they will charge you more any way they can. Unfortunately my dad isn’t too supportive of me getting a better car for the same money. Not sure he’d let me get anything with “Sport” in the name 😂

[@LikingTrash3991]

Interestingly in Japan they also had a turbocharged version of that gen Yaris, it had 150hp.

[@MrAlkaest]

they were also sold in Switzerland in a limited edition of 400 units

[@meterora9332]

@@MrAlkaest I was about to say both of these things, recently a turbo one was for sale for 10k

[@freddieparrydrums]

I believe there was a supercharged one?

[@AdminAbuse]

@@MrAlkaest sold*

[@joshuasweeney1159]

Called Turbo rs or something like that

[@stephene8229]

I bought this as my first car 7 years ago for only 1K - full service history and 50K mileage. I thought I'd only have it for a year or so, but I was surprised at just how good a car it was so I still have it. It's just enough car for my needs but still a hoot to drive. I can seat my dog in the back seats comfortably but it's small enough that I can park it anywhere. Cheap to run, insure, repair and super reliable. Surprisingly practical car for the size of the thing. I've done more than one house move with this car, carrying more than you'd think was physically possible. The only negatives I have is that it can be a bit noisy on the motorway, and a lack of a 6th gear. It can be a bit uncomfortable on very long journeys. I can forgive those things, as 90% of my driving it's a really great daily car.

[@1994FishFreak]

Interesting little detail about the Tsport, it carries the same gearbox as the 1 litre variant but with a shortened final drive ratio, the car will hit its top speed fast and bounce on the limiter at 120 iirc, motorway cruises at 70 will see the car sitting at just a smidge over 4k, gives you an idea of just how short the ratios really are owning both a 1 litre (first car) then tsport (4th car) I can tell you I love these little things, would have another in a heart beat I’ve had mx5 mk2 vvti, a properly tuned Mini Cooper S R53 and civic type R and driven many more and I still talk about my little tsport to anyone that’ll suffer me I honestly thank god that I owned one before values went up (more so after the GR come out and made people revisit/remember mk1 tsport) Pure petrolhead and lover of hot yari’

[@AdxmTS]

I'm not sure where you heard that but they're completely different gearboxes, T Sport uses a C56 gearbox and there were 3 different gearboxes used in the 1.0, 2 for French models and 1 for Jap model. None of which are close to the T Sport C56. The closest in the mk1 yaris lineup would be the gearbox from the 1.3 SR (not sure on code) which isn't as short as the T Sport box, so better for motorways and 0-60 times as it allows you to hit 60 in 2nd gear, completely interchangeable with the T Sport. Also if anything the 1.0 boxes are shorter than the T Sport boxes, sitting at even higher rpms on the motorway to maximise what little performance they had. That's why if you fit a 1sz box to a 1.3 2sz you can get similar acceleration to a T Sport as its got similar power but shorter gearing. Also the T Sport hits limiter in 5th just under 130mph GPS, around 140mph on clocks. Values haven't been affected by the GR (yet?) they've gone up slightly naturally but that was before the GR, probably more around the time the GRMN was released. Even then they're still sub 2k cars, so still a bargain.

[@henryrolt3747]

This is not true of stock T Sports. You may have had a TRD close ratio gearset?. I have owned both the 1 litre and now the T Sport. In stock form: The 1.0 uses either the C550 or C551 gearbox, with ratios approx 3.55, 1.9, 1.3, 1.0, 0.85, FD 4.29 The T Sport uses a totally different C56 gearbox, with ratios approx 3.15, 1.9, 1.4, 1.0, 0.81, FD 4.32 Notably, the T Sport revs quite high (3400rpm, not >4k) at an indicated 70, but actually *lower* than the 1.0 (3.6k) Also, the 1st-2nd-3rd are noticeably closer in the T Sport. Really brings low speed acceleration to life.

[@z-trip5457]

​@@AdxmTSImagine the 3SZ 1.5 from a materia mated to the 1.0 gearbox in a light yaris. A very different kind of t sport!

[@Scampi95]

Excellent cars! I've had 2. My first died at 190,000 mi, the one I have currently is on 67,000 mi. They are fairly quick, grip well, look sporty, and are comfortable to sit in. Fairly practical too with the seats folding down opening up boot space. I have a HKS exhaust on mine (no cat-back) and it sounds great. Keep up with basic maintenance and they will take you to the moon and back many many times.

[@jo05dk]

I fell for the Yaris T Sport when it launched, but i don't do middle mounted instruments, so it never moved past being in love with them.

[@AdxmTS]

Much quicker and safer to flick your eyes to the left than it is flick your eyes down away from the road. I used to think the same as you.

[@christhesnaildriver]

@@AdxmTS You're dead right. After years owning cars with more conventional dashboards, I was concerned the central binnacle in the Yaris would be a pain, but I love it! So quick to read at a glance and looks good too. When I drive other cars now, I hate looking down for the speedo.

[@grayfool]

Nice. The niniteis was the best era for most cars INHO. Lots of fun and not too muc electronic junk.

[@march8849]

I have been following you for a long time and i really like your content. There are almost no KZbinrs that review cars like this (its also my first car) but also focus on for example dream cars. This makes it so much more fun to watch because there is something for everyone. But also the in depth analysis (steering feel, pedal position etc) is something KZbinrs rarely talk about, usually its about how fast it goes haha. Keep making the great content!

[@the5th2000]

1.3vvt-i one of these was my first car, learnt to drive and got my licence in it. A month after I qualified I rolled it at 100km/h. It went over four times according to witnesses. I got out and walked away. Miraculous. Great little cars. I'd have one of these with some forced induction and so a bit more power

[@CptCaptainClockwork]

I once attempted to overtake one of these (after they undertook me on a roundabout) and was quite confused as it proceeded to pull away quite effortlessly. My poor Peugeot 406 2.2 HDi was a bit outmatched on that one.

[@Mr330d]

Difference is you can map your 2.2 hdi 136 to 170

[@CptCaptainClockwork]

@@Mr330d After that, I did

[@Mr330d]

@@CptCaptainClockwork I bet 😂 I have a 1.6 HDI 90 that needs mapping

[@robertpinkney4778]

There are some good warm hatches of that era. I had a mk2 Fiat Punto HGT. I doubt there are many on the road now, but would be a great review.

[@sumo_roadster]

Had one back in the day in 2007 and loved it. Decided to get one last year as a second car, now using it daily to work, they are fun within the speed limits.

[@Brickhazard]

Ignis Sport is very similar to this but just feels that extra bit special.

[@proton600]

Great car, i miss mine dearly

[@drunkenmonkey1887]

The best feature of the mk1 Yaris was the 830kg kerb weight

[@streetfighter4dude]

I have had one for the last 5 years and its bullet proof, if i had got any of the other competitors the car would have been finished. Brilliant chassis, bulletproof engine, only downside is the crazy body role on turns

[@paulleggett9735]

Full Clarkeson mode was engaged for this one!

[@12jamiegavin12]

Love little cars like this because they're always good fun and can pick them up for next to nothing. I love chopping and changing cars on a whim to sample a bit of everything, for me that beats being tied into a silly expensive pcp on a new bmw 1 series or the likes. My panda 100hp is probably more fun to drive than my near 400bhp edition 30 gti and accord type r purely because it's usable 99% of the time. Cheap fun cars are the best 👌

[@Onidax]

My Mum got hers new in 2003. It's now mine and I'm in the process of restoring it

[@willscruton2631]

My uncle bought one of these as his first car and had to get rid once he had a kid. Such a cool car and nice to see it getting some love

[@christiant2134]

This is my first and only car. I have bought it for 600 euro's more then a year ago. Love this little thing!

[@mwiltshire6431]

Great review! Had one of these, I remember the gear change being superb, very sharp and precise, like cocking a revolver, also the feel of the driving experience on small country lanes was an awful lot of fun, made you feel like you were driving a rally car, you could really push on.

[@SKOMPAS]

I owned a 2001 Yaris SR (same chassis as the T-sport but with a 1.3 version of the engine) for nearly 3 years and put 50k miles on it! By far the most reliable car I have ever owned it was £500 and very rusty, I just got it to do me a couple of months but it just kept on going, it was all original including the factory optioned TTE Backbox, SR wheels and TTE lowering springs. Was a seriously good car, due to rust unfortunately it was scrapped last year with 155k miles on the clock and had been burning 1l of oil every 3k miles due to valve stem seals, I miss that car so much, it’s wheels live on on my newer car though so it’s not a total loss.

[@YarisXP21]

i owend the german version called Yaris Edition S with all that TTE parts. I love that car. totally agree

[@Andyfreestyle95]

I had a facelift T sport for my first car. Was bloody brilliant to drive, it's just loved to be ragged to within an inch of it's life and never had an issue with it! Wish I still had it!

[@darrenbudgen966]

Owned one of these about 6-7 years ago, regret selling to this day!

[@Manu-Official]

That joyous 1st gear rev limiter had me right from the start.

[@3nd4tom1c8]

I bought one for a grand as a first car with 148k miles, few wear and tear issues but so far its as ripe as a fresh blackberry 😊 so glad i didn't get a boring mk1 1.2 fabia

[@lptomtom]

I own the 2003 4-door version, it's a fantastic car on small roads, so nimble and fun to drive despite the relatively limited horsepower. Very reliable too, which isn't surprising for a Toyota. It's really not meant for highways though...

[@Bob_B_A]

Looks like a great little car. I find that this was the era just before the atrocious rev hang started creeping into manual cars. Kind of a Goldilocks zone for having a somewhat modern car that still has that 90s driving feel.

[@UtaHagawi]

Spot on mate

[@firstnamesecondname5341]

Ahhh, the days of the Citroen Saxo VTR with its 2 years free insurance. Responsible for many a car enthusiast getting their start in the fun car world 😁

[@freddieparrydrums]

Wow, that’s insane. Looking for one as my first car. Insurance is decent at £1500

[@JD-eo7dr]

@@freddieparrydrums get some years experience then it can qualify for classic insurance it would be like £300. I preferred the 106gti myself

[@freddieparrydrums]

@@JD-eo7dr Ohh wow, didn't even think of that actually. My dad has a 71' Rover P5B, but I always thought that insurance would be more expensive, as they're rarer? Thanks man :)

[@JoshSmithGamer]

I had a 2005 yaris 1.0 as my first car and it was brilliant. good mpg, coumfy and decent performance for such a little engine. Absolutely loved it. Hoping to get a t sport once my driving ban expires

[@ieuanmellon2656]

Just come off a driving ban myself and got a Yaris T Sport funnily enough, I had a Corolla T Sport before my ban but insurance wasn’t letting it happen so had to get a Yaris T Sport instead 😂

[@henryrolt3747]

I will remember as long as I live the first time I went for a spirited drive on decent roads. Even on so-so stock suspension, the handling is just superbly done a great balance between sharp and forgiving. The one thing that really transforms the handling of the Yaris chassis is the driver! It's a car that demands use of throttle to balance it through corners. Maybe it's the short wheelbase?0

[@sugar4522]

I had a Yaris t sport as my daily, when I had my saph cosworth, it’s slow but you could kick its head in all day long and it wouldn’t bat an eye…

[@ians2868]

My other half had one for 5 years and I was initially quite dismissive of it until I pumped the rear tyres up to match the standard front pressures of 35 psi and it massively reduced understeer and made it so much more neutral with good throttle adjustability when you wanted it. I was actually quite gutted when it was written off towards the end of last year. Regards the exhaust the one the owner has is probably a hell of a lot cheaper than the standard one which was quoted as £1400 from the cat back when it rusted through. Other than that the only cost was regular servicing,, tyres and brakes. Preferred it to the swift sport with a 6 speed that replaced it if I’m honest as it was more fun for the driving we do, towns and a B roads

[@MB17700]

I owned one and to this day I missed the fun factor.....it had a K&N Air filter fitted by the previous owner....Sounded great, my girlfriend loved driving it too....but sadly a BT van ran into back of it and was written off........I even considered getting another as a daily runner

[@MB17700]

Reliable too

[@ShortCycle.]

We've owned 2 yari both 1.3 TSpirits - hatch and verso mini-mpv thing and they're fantastic, reliable budget cars. I wouldn't mind running a 5door (less common) Tsport at all - even the regular yari can be punted along a 'B road and raise a smile. Note to the owner - that fire extinguisher fitted on the wafer thin parcel shelf could easily brain you in a crash.. maybe a fire safety stick would be better mounted there!

[@JD-eo7dr]

I had a basic one it was brilliant. It would hit 80 at top of 3rd and rev to 7k and still got 40+mpg loved it

[@doyle7877]

Literally in the same situation as you had two 1.3's 1st and 2nd car Actually passed up on a couple of 5 door t-sports I saw for sale in the first lockdown, now kicking myself

[@VinDieselS70]

I had a 2004 facelift dark grey metallic Yaris Blue 1.3 vvt with about 86Hp and that was like a rocket 🚀 for being such a small car. The space at the front was quite wide while the boot could swallow quite a lot. My Yaris averaged about 45 mpg. Didn't have Aircon but the digital dash, electric windows and cd player. Seats were really comfy and you could easily drive from Scotland to London without being tired. It was really one of the best cars I have ever owned and the 1.3 engine was an incredible and never missed a beat. If you went over 4000 rpm the engine started to whine as if it had a compressor on it and frankly quite scary when all the power came all at once. The only thing I didn't like was the electric power steering, and the noise at round 70 mph, if you drive it safe and dynamically it was much quieter. One fault that can occur is water ingres on the rear wiper motor rendering it useless as the plastic gear inside the motor get stripped at some point. Thank you for the video upload and for a great review.

[@Mr330d]

Scary when all 86 horses galloped ?

[@Toyota4Life]

Gran Turismo video game introduced me to this car it was one of my favorite little cars to drive in the game. Great review keep these type of cars coming ! Very unique vehicle. In America we did not get any T Sport models so this is a treat. I’m starting to realize it’s vehicles like this that keeps me coming back to your channel no one else is reviewing cars like this. Thank you

[@Motorsportsgeek]

with gas prices going up and having to drive over 40 000km a year, I'm glad I got my 2014 yaris 2 months ago, gets 45mpg+ all day long and costs nothing. Definitely fun little car to drive around with the 5 speed. Removing the back seats and putting a rear sway bar makes a good little go kart.

[@joshbacon8241]

It’s proof you don’t need eleventy-bajillion horsepower to have huge amounts of fun behind the wheel!

[@katzicael]

That lil T-Sport sounds lovely.

[@nickroberts6026]

Not surprised you thought it was French. It was. Made at Valenciennes. My student son has a similar age basic Yaris - it's surprisingly rather nice to drive. Only real issue is the road noise - apart from that, nothing at all to complain about - cheap to run, reasonably nippy, pleasant enough handling. The road noise is intrusive at motorway speeds, but there's a surprising amount of passenger space with the rear seat back, or boot space with the seat forwards. Wouldn't mind one of these T Sports at all for a bit of cut-price fun.

[@lrs3]

Supercharged Yaris? That’ll be great bloody fun when finished.

[@twisted5576]

"... but Sam likes it. That's what's important." 💪

[@Lucentlens]

It sounds when revved better than it has any right to - because the exhaust manifold is the one-pipe-per-cylinder set-up - taken straight from F1 engines. It's no accident that it sounds good when thrashed.

[@viperlike2]

I had one back in the day. Loved every second of it and still miss it

[@Clones_and_coffee]

Toyota Yaris is pure perfection :)

[@weedaviec]

If you haven't driven one yet I would recommend a first gen Suzuki Swift Sport (the first one with 5 speed box). I owned one for a couple of years and it was great. The M16A VVT engine at 123 bhp is a ripper. The handling is fantastic. Roundabouts can be taken with controllable oversteer. They are tinny and buzzy things refinement- wise but such fun. The only thing I would have liked would be a 6th gear...

[@ajrichar0]

Even the base car is a fantastic little vehicle. I sold mine and miss it every day. Clever design, more room inside than it had any right to have, and awesome economy, but mine had a digital dash. You can have perfect fun at or below the speed limit. I can't imagine how much better the T-Sport would be.

[@mKhune]

Wow, this car sound very good.

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

Awesome little car. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

[@gryphon123456]

I have an Echo here in Canada as a daily runner and I have come to adore it completely. Not sure what it is in particular but feels like a Japanese mini. It’s an enjoyable driving, easy in easy out with lots of room. I just wish we had the fit and finish of the ones in Europe. I can’t believe you guys get a sun roof! I’d like to have seen that in action as strange as it sounds. Is it a manual sunroof? I really am looking forward to having mine around for a good long time.

[@jamesengland7461]

Does it look like this?

[@gryphon123456]

@@jamesengland7461 yes. Exact same family of car just the design after the mid-cycle refresh.

[@pointatoa7685]

T-sport, Toyota Racing Development, Toyota Motorsport GMBH, TOM'S Racing, Lexus F, Gazoo Racing and now, Rookie Racing. Thats a lot of performance divisions under the Toyota Group umbrella.

[@Lot76CARS]

If you can combine fun with reliable at sensible speeds it's a winner. More fun to drive this at 9/10 tenths than something faster at 5 tenths. I had one of the best drives ever in a Mazda 3 diesel 1.6 driving pretty flat out through the forests of southern Germany..

[@andysautomotiveadventures9587]

Thumbs upping the mini was epic 🤣👌🏻

[@swiper1818]

Nice eclectic choice - very interesting review

[@nazu5998]

Owned a 1.0 yaris best first car and handles like a go kart awesome on insurance and fuel for deliveries

[@Gazshadows]

Only driven one of these and my god the gear ratios are close 🤣

[@brusselssprouts560]

I agree with you about a car being fun but not scary. The British sportscar boom post WW2 brought us the Healey Sprite, Triumph Spitfire, MGB etc that were quick but not frighteningly so. I had a Triumph 1300TC (forerunner of the Dolomite - LKT958F) which was had a dual SU carbed 1250 cc engine, which I think was used in the Spitfire. It was rapid but not fast, very refined for its day, very pretty and had that legendary GB sports exhaust note, which is what most petrol heads like most if I'm not mistaken. Great video as always.

[@karloszafos]

There was a turbo here in Europe too. Got 40 of them in Sweden. 1,5 with a TRD turbo, 150 horses and 196Nm of torque. Have not driven it, I owned the 1,3 before I rolled it, but heard it was a riot. The highlight for me where the 16inch wheels. Supposedly it did 0-100 km/h in 7,9 s and a top speed of 205 km/h. Would be cool if you could find one of those to drive!

[@deaks25]

This is one of those areas where our obsession with having "more" is a detriment. The 100-150bhp Warm Hatch was a perfect segment for new drivers wanting something exciting and fruity without having performance way beyond their ability, because inexperienced drivers all start at basically the same point no matter what year it is. In fact, the 'A2 License' segment for bikes is a perfect example of something similar existing for the same reasons; new riders start with little to no experience and so a category that gives them enough performance to have fun but not so much they're a danger to themselves has been a proper shot-in-the-arm for motorcycles in general. I kind of lament that we seem to have ditched this category.

[@kenbakie4590]

I had a 1.0 back around 2005. It was a second car runabout, but I found myself driving it most of the time, because it was so pleasant to drive and very economical. It was a bit underpowered, but I got used to keeping the momentum going and that was fun in itself. It was also slightly quirky with the digital speedometer that sadly wasn't on the T Sport. Great cars and I recommend them to anyone.

[@goga.games18]

I bought 2001 1.3 yaris with 170 000 km on clock i love it very easy to drive fun car but very rough on potholes 😂

[@seanweirdbeard]

GR’s favourite great uncle. Still waiting for mine. But this seems a much cheaper alternative… Yet another insightful and also very funny vid. KBO!

[@karolposzynski913]

How would you compare it to Panda 100hp tested recently?

[@markdoyle6414]

I own an MR2 and also had an avensis of similar vintage age and I think Toyota did a great job on body corrosion, the underneath needs to be looked at and taken care of.

[@christopherjohnston6343]

I think id like Sam. I have a similar long list of fun to drive cars including DC2R and NB RS but now own a 1.5 Honda Fit Sport for very similar reasons

[@sampeck9235]

Absolutely amazing car. Oh hi 👋 lol

[@sarahbrooks1196]

Currently own a thunder grey 1.5, first car bought from an older lady for a bargain of £500 no problems and only 70k on the clock! Wasn’t keen at first but she’s lush

[@ARCEYE78]

It sounds really good, makes a nice change

[@garage79r]

I am big fan of little Toyotas. The 1nz is a dream of a little 4cyl. I have one swapped in my Tercel and its just right on the money perfection. My daily Yaris sedan is just the best companion.

[@robnagamah5510]

these cars are bullet proof. look after it and it will after you. very reliable, good on mpg. these cars need some good breathing mods and they fly. good natural aspirated engine. iv embarrassed some new cars and they couldn't believe it . the engine will keep going

[@sampeck9235]

Any suggestions on breathing Mods brother? 👍

[@jimmyquinn9639]

Eyebrows for mirrors I had. Them on my car for years they are really good 🚘🚙🚗👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@SuperTims86]

In Australia only second gen onwards are called Yaris this was called the Echo Sportivo, I have 1.3 base model love it to bits great little car

[@christopherkelly577]

I can recall the saxo vtr/8 valve being group 7 to insure the 16 valve vts was group 14. Made a big difference but the valver was, rapid! Lol

[@msimelelomambu]

Hey James. Great content as always! You wouldn't happen to have a pre-hybrid Suzuki Swift Sport 1.4T on your list of upcoming reviews, would you? I'd love to hear your take on the little warm (or hot, depending on who you ask) hatchback.

[@eze8970]

Thanks J, more Toyota quirkiness & cheap fun!

[@ruexpatlive]

Now we need the second Yaris TS review!

[@mokateer]

Your „Thumbs Up“ for the classic Mini passing by, was brilliant!! 🙏🥰👍👍👍👍. And thanks for making me look for a Yaris now on „Kleinanzeigen“ 🤣👍🙏

[@darrenprior6339]

So this is the true grandfather of my GR Yaris which is also a fantastic car that I will probably never get rid of

[@kb9072]

I'm sure it was James May who said there is more fun to be had ragging an underpowered car than cruising in a high powered one.

[@RJW14]

I had a blue one for 7 years, wanted a T sport since those chassis are from Japan and not France (which rust more). Cracking little cars, real fun in the twisties although to my taste I'd like the rear to be a tad more loose. Nah man, turning circle on these was horrible. This car is why I now always park in rearwards. I now have a Ford Mondeo wagon and that turns shorter than the yaris 😂 Steering feel was pretty good though. Also love how the rear seats are on rails like in a twingo, so you can slide the entire rear bench forwards or rearwards depending on if you were driving people or doing groceries. Speedo on the KM/H land ones goes to 200 km/h so just over 120 mph. I've topped mine out at 202 km/h GPS, that was the rev limiter. I bought a TRD leather shift knob to replace the original one, that one fit the hand really nice.

[@sysakPL]

Had the same issue with a clio 172. Turning circle of a stretch limo. My mechanic removed some spacers from the ends of the steering rack which fixed it at a cost of tiny bit of wheels rubbing on the arch liners at full lock.

[@Mr.Marbles]

@@sysakPL haha same with my fiesta st. Looked it up and it had a bigger turning circle than our family b6 passat. i guess because they have to fit wider tires and the LSD

[@JowoHD]

the Fiat Panda 100hp also has a horrific turning circle because of the 6-speed gearbox

[@RJW14]

@@JowoHD wait what? So they packaged the gearbox that ineffective so that they could only mount a shorter steering rack otherwise it'd hit the box?

[@JowoHD]

@@RJW14 I believe so yeah. I don't own one (yet) but this is what I've heard from the FB group. the pandas weren't really designed for a 6spd

[@paulmshanga3310]

I have a 2006 model and i love it ❤,. I love your review dude you have earned yourself a subscriber ❤

[@camryt]

I had one, facelifted Thundergray! I never expected it to really like, but actually I remember it super fondly and kinda miss it… FL were actually slightly sweeter, as these had additional chassis braces in the front and rear. What a riot this car was on AD08R’s! I dont think I’ve ever lost traction on the front. It had a much sweeter and involving chassis than the bigger Corolla TS. While I loved the gearbox ratios, it definatelly could benefit from a 6th speed. Come to think about it, a Yaris TS with Corolla TS running rear might be absolutelly mega.

[@sampeck9235]

I've taken on board everything you've said for this yaris. Thank you 😊

[@MylesHSG]

The 6 speed in the Corolla T-Sport is just as whiney on the motorway, 4k at just over 70 is tiresome on a long drive. One of the reasons I sold mine.

[@camryt]

@@MylesHSG 6th gear ratio swap for these C64 gearboxes is super common and easy these days

[@Fee.1]

Can you do a whole episode on the 80’s and 90’s in Britain and nuances like insurance craziness you mentioned here ? Love that stuff

[@Quatre_papillons]

Brilliant car, I have one, spec sheet can not be appealing at first sight, but I learned to not judge a book by its cover.

[@antoineboutier8837]

I was waiting for you to review this one! Been considering one for a long time.

[@jeanclaudecollin3056]

Just have one word magnificent ❤️ Yaris ts 🔥👏🇧🇪

[@johnkelly6612]

got my one 3 years back put a lot of modifications put BC racing coilovers full jasma exhaust systems came whit 4 branch manifold mapped aswell lsd gearbox Ricoh bucket seats all of the above love the car always puts a smile on my face one thing i dont have is them deadly tte wheels alsow the car loves wiping diesels

[@sampeck9235]

Hey John I ended up having a piggy back ECU and an LSD done last week. Needless to say. Them Golf GTD 2015 plate couldn't pull away from this. It's so funny when I'm bombing past people 🤣 The look on the faces.

[@sampeck9235]

Yeh the alloys are from Germany. They are 15 Inch split Rims TTE. Rare as a unicorn I'm told 🦄

[@rjhandley556]

Nice exhaust on it!

[@jamesengland7461]

WHY, TOYOTA, has the US never gotten a Yaris that didn't look HIDEOUS? I'd love this one!

[@johanwikstrom5671]

I knew about the Corolla T-Sport but never knew about this!

[@joshbacon8241]

Actually, speaking of the Corolla T-Sport, why wasn’t the facelifted T-Sport offered as a 5-door in the UK like the pre-facelift car was? Why the UK only got the facelift as a 3-door is beyond me.

[@YTSsport]

@JayEmm Vitz RS was a turbo and in Japan they came with this. They had 150bhp and there are less than 5 in the UK and Ireland.

[@AdxmTS]

Definitely more than 5, I can think of 4 off the top of my head in England alone

[@AW8UK]

Great & underrated little car....especially when asthmatic exhaust replaced with a free flow system (not just the back box)....Genuinely road credible in the B-Road twisties. I am not one to hype up cars as being something they are not. My daughter had a phase 2 example as her first car......I seem to recall doing a mod the the gearbox gate selector...perhaps with a modified washer (to make things more precise). I think I saw a "how to" on a forum ....albeit this was around 12 years ago. I share the dislike of Sam's Knob ;)...but grateful that he allowed use of his car for review. Thanks

[@tobiasbaughen3111]

You should try find an example of a Daihatsu Sirion GTVi, also known as the Rally 2 in the UK. It has 5 less HP than this Yaris but also weights 100kgs less. They rev to 7,500rpm and don’t stop making power till redline. Have a 1.3L VVTi engine working at 11:1 compression. Very fun little car. They also made a 4wd variant called the Rally 4 in the UK or Storia X4 in Japan but I think the GTVi/Rally 2 would be a better comparison.

[@jacknicholson1288]

I've just got rid of my 1.0 GS, I would KILL to have one of these. Cheap insurance, Really good reliability and a fair bit of poke to match.

[@henryrolt3747]

Take the plunge! Just sold my 1.0 GS and bought a T Sport and it's everything I loved about the 1.0 and so much more.

[@jacknicholson1288]

@@henryrolt3747 Guess what? I did! I absolutely love it! Crazy little thing :)

[@ashleybarham8518]

We had a W reg Yaris SR, it was a 1.3 unlike the 1.5 T sport, however was considered apart of the family. As fun as it was reliable if this car was still on sale new, I'd buy another.