The DEFINITIVE Toyota GR Yaris Long Term Review - Road & Track

[@jagymeister]

Hey OLH, GR Yaris owner of 3 years already here :) Just few notes about things Gab dont like: Fake sound can be turned off and this car really needs exhaust and intake, then it sounds awesome as 3 cylinders sounds always special and it has proper rally angry rumble :) Sound while opening door can be also turned off. Handbrake needs to be adjusted: just remove rear wheel, find a rubber plug in rotor and turn the small wheel inside of rotor with screwdriver till you cannot turn wheel, then just make two clicks back :) Voila, handbrake then works sharp from first few milimiters of travel. Seating position is really high for most people, I suggest lowering kit and adapter for mirror (I removed mine). You summed up the car very good, its best car for the money you can buy right now. Very special little rally car, that can be daily driven (its my daily - 50000 km and Ive been in Romania 2x, Balkan trip 1x, Croatia vacation 1x and so on - not good or fun on the highway, but its a blast on B-roads. Car is not that much of a fun on dry tarmac with a lot of grip especially with stock PS4S, buts its a lot of fun on wet road and on snow :) New facelifted model has most flaws reviewed and updated. It will be even better car. Im just afraid it wont be an bargain anymore :D

[@rjung_ch]

Gab owned the ND for 3 years, this GR Yaris for one or two years is what I heard.

[@jagymeister]

@@rjung_ch I was talking about my ownership lenght, not Gab´s 😁

[@rjung_ch]

@@jagymeister ah, bet you are having a great time with it. Enjoy your GR !

[@jagymeister]

@@rjung_ch yeah, plenty of b-roads, rally stages roads in my area, so GRY makes a lot of sense here😁Thanks

[@christmasisawesome9348]

will you be trading in for the new one since it is objectively a better car?

[@davidmccaughan2710]

I've said it before and it rings true more than ever in this video: It's all about the passion for cars, and friends. I'm an NA MX-5 guy for life, and a very good friend sold his MX-5 to build a K swapped S2K, we will be friends for life no matter what we are driving. Thank you OneLapHeroes.

[@GabrielePiana]

OLH spirit

[@mikar636]

Honestly, the videos you create are like a video podcast. Let me explain: only in podcasts can someone receive so much information. I'm not referring to the technical aspects, but rather how you and others feel about it and your experiences. I don't have words to describe how fortunate we are to hear honest opinions that come from the heart, not, as you mentioned, feedback from people who have "owned" the car for 2000 km and have an opinion about everything. Please continue doing what you do because it is not only beneficial for us but it is actually something that I believe make you feel nice but at the same time you are good at. Many greetings from Greece!!

[@GabrielePiana]

Thanks for the kind words! Quite obviously, OLH is not a business but it’s our passion project and we will continue to just do what we are passionate about

[@lambethlongshanks7990]

Beautifully put! I agree completely.

[@Utenrob]

Great review, Guys! As the owner of a fantastic daily driver GR Yaris with 75,000 KM, I share your opinions on everything about the car -- with one exception. My cost of ownership experience has been different. The last two small services (basically oil changes and a few inspections) were 430 Euro each. Adding to the pain is the fact that they were only 7 months apart, as that was the time required to cross the puny 10,000 KM service interval. Both services were at authorized Toyota dealers (one in Germany and one in Austria). Admittedly, this is a small price to pay to maintain the 15-year, 250,000 KM Toyota-provided "Relax Guarantee". So I cringe every 10,000 KM when the Toyota dealers stick me with these unreasonable charges, but it's actually a small price to pay for the peace of mind it provides -- especially as the car ages. The other cringe-worthy maintenance bill came after replacing the front brake pads and rotors after 30,000 KM that included some track use and lots of enthusiastic mountain driving. That one was a sphincter-tightening 2,200 Euro at a Toyota dealer in France. So, YES, it's an unbelievable car with a few minor faults offset by an ocean of brilliance (as perfectly described in your video). But mine is not cheap to run like my old supercharged Miata was.

[@jagymeister]

You can get aftermarket brakes that are better for half of the mentioned price 👍

[@BaaLaaN]

not sure if dealer will accept you using aftermarket. won't you lose the warranty? @@jagymeister

[@jagymeister]

@@BaaLaaN no, you have right to use OEM or same quality aftermarket. This EU law apply for years. You dont even need to visit Toyota dealer.

[@BrainOnFire]

@@jagymeister That is what the law says, but the law is only for the first 2 or 3 years? the toyota´s warranty can has its own rules.

[@jagymeister]

@@BrainOnFire no, law is above car company or dealer.

[@francischua3805]

I became a fan and subscriber of OLH because of the famous or infamous Mazda MX-5 video. I still own and love my ND2 despite the negative but honest review. I never thought Gab would be happy and satisfied by any car. The new updated GR Yaris just launched at the Tokyo Auto Salon. Now I'm itching to buy one...admittedly because of this review 😅

[@GabrielePiana]

Yaris GR hit the spot! 🚀 too bad it’s gone now but with a new version coming, who knows

[@OkinawaWild]

On the infotainment screen: Menu-Setup-Vehicle-Maintenance. There are all regular maintenance items that you can set date and distance reminders, as well as a bunch of user-customizable ones 😉

[@fred_teo]

I'm annoyed YT notification didn't informed me of this video, it's brilliant. It's feels like the podcast is back!

[@lauriedooker1031]

18months gr4 Yaris owner . The brakes are the best feature for mine . Power brakes with manual brake feel . And after one hour driving a gr4 Yaris it feels like a old warm pair of jeans that you love to spend time in. 🇦🇺👍

[@GRfourfun]

Literally just found your channel, agree with everything you say and I love your enthusiasm for the GR! I absolutely love mine. Subscribed!

[@GabrielePiana]

GR is epic, no better car for the money

[@enjoyvride]

Kostas! The universe still needs 8 minutes of your time for BTS commentary on your incredible work. I bet OLH fans would love to hear your insights about your work. The video is hot and waiting :D

[@GabrielePiana]

He actually mentioned about making a video about him editing 😂

[@enjoyvride]

@GabrielePiana I have even better material --> Kostas in a trunk during a photo-shoot of some Ligier 😎

[@exe_bretzel]

Ciao ragazzi ! Being owner of a 2L mx5 ND, I completely get your points on the Mazda on both video. I truly understand why this was not a car for you, and it doesn’t stop me from enjoying my personal experience. As a guy that got his driving licence less than 3 years ago, and for the use that I have, I love my ND, but I’m not blind on its problems, mainly the steering wheel that gives less information than my Fanatec simracing equipment. Love your GR Yaris, and the only time I came by one, I was genuinely more hyped than crossing a Ferrari or a Lambo, only an Ariel Atom would have done better ! Unfortunately, French tax on these cars is getting out of hand, otherwise I would have this car on my bucket list 100%. Grazie mille !

[@Isaki138]

It's complaining at a high level because the guys are used to track focussed cars like 911 GT3 etc. We can be glad the ND is still sold in EU at all. The 2L won't after March 2024. It's now Hybrid SUVs or 80k €+ sports cars. I compare the ND to other cars in its price class and it is miles ahead. Every GR Yaris was sold at a loss, below building costs. When the ND feels to soft or whatever, drive a FWD shitbox from time to time, you'll be cured in an instant.

[@GabrielePiana]

As mentioned in the video, no hating of the ND was just for the sake of it. The GR is on a different planet on every metric, especially the way it feels. The GR feels like the engineers tried to build a competent package with all the right ingredients and knew what they were doing, it has focus and meaningfulness. The ND lack both.

[@Isaki138]

@@GabrielePiana The ND is an oldschool RWD roadster without any track ambitions. It's supposed to be easy to drive while sitting on the ground without a roof. Make it stiffer and it jumps on potholes, scary stuff for normal drivers. I compare it to similar priced econoboxes. With the ND I can take corners flat with 70km/h (like they didn't exist) where standard FWD starts to struggle. Cornering tighter stuff faster is where the stock ND has its abrupt limits. Then you need to modify. Imho the G184' revised steering is absolutely fine. The steering return still sucks a bit but stiffness is just right and not artificial. I absolutely get your negative points. But hardly anybody takes stock Miatas on the track and when then it's to play and not set laptimes. I agree it has become too expensive for what it is but they somehow have to finance all the broken G160 and early G184 gearboxes 😅

[@lambethlongshanks7990]

I absolutely LOVE your car! Driven draily, lots of insects, a couple of bumps. Your car is a street fighter not a showroom queen. SUPERB!

[@GabrielePiana]

only way to live

[@tomcatuk]

Difficult to distill ownership into a comment, I've had mine 2+ years. Most importantly, I grin all the time when I'm driving it. I got Toyota to set PCS setting to "remember setting" so it's off and I don't have to turn it off every start. Would be great if that worked for lane assist and IMT (I like IMT). It's not cheap, already replaced all four tyres, discs and pads. But it's worth every penny. I'd live in a cardboard box before I gave up on my Yaris. Thanks for a great review!

[@GabrielePiana]

nice to hear Toyota can program some settings to be off!

[@NigelsModellingBench]

GR Yaris owner of just over 1 year here... I agree with you 100%.... but I don't mind the seat height. Brilliant video

[@lauriedooker1031]

Yeh I’ve got a gr4 Yaris rally as they call the Circuit pack here in Australia . I’m 5’11.5” and I also drive a gets Hyundai and the seating is identical to my gr4y. I like it with great vision. The mirror is perfect in traffic but once I’m up it in the mountains I tilt mirror away and it’s a game changer . 👍🇦🇺

[@Carlos_gedo]

Hey guys, it's great to see you back Gab! I would like to know your opinion on a topic that I think you didn't mention. My father both GR Yaris as a own retirement present and it was the first performance car I drove many many times in B roads. The thing it's that the car is so well designed and build as a performace car that to enjoy it and get a little bit close to the limits of the car I needed to go too fast and assume too many risks. I remember feeling bad after leaving the car into the garage because the speeds I was driving in mountain roads where I can hurt myself and more important, other people. After this I bought an mx5 NB (spoke with Gab on IG about it), put it coilovers, breaks and tires, and for me it's much more fun without feeling bad after driving it. Also I'm doing track days. Do you thing that this happened to me because I didn't have that much experience on driving and it is mandatory for this car? Or can it be a real issue for most of the people? At least here in Spain I hear this opinion from many different people, even some of them with much more experience on driving fast cars. Thank you guys. As always, you are in my top 3 KZbin channels about performance cars topic . The podcast videos you did a while ago for me were really really interesting.

[@GabrielePiana]

Hi Carlos. Well without opening Pandora’s Box, it’s a common issue with modern cars. We now have too much power and too much grip so to drive at the limit it means we are always beyond the speed limits and potentially driving dangerously. It’s inevitable and a common issue throughout the automotive market, not related to your experience. More skills/experience would just mean that you drive even faster. It’s surely not lost on you that your NB is a 25 year old car. It’s a lot of fun for sure and arguably the best option to enjoy driving but there is, apparently, no market for new slow cars that are built to have fun. Even Mazda cannot build them anymore as the ND is a far cry from your NB as far as fun is concerned

[@raquelmirman1508]

9:55 he cannot resist flashing, not even for a car review video 😂❤️

[@GabrielePiana]

im a flasher

[@swift9417]

11:10 / 12:51 guys again you speak out how I am thinking about cars! its unbelievable how much I can relate to your philosophy!

[@rjung_ch]

Thanks guys, really liked this one.

[@GabrielePiana]

Thank you for watching and commenting

[@rjung_ch]

@@GabrielePiana Missed you the last few shows, glad you're back and having fun with your GR Yaris. We all must thank the whole OLH team and members!

[@gryaristaiwandrive]

Thank you for sharing the owner's absolutely big LOVE for the GR Yaris❤‍🔥

[@GabrielePiana]

great car deserves great love

[@undermuscled7381]

excellent review, the last of the great hot hatches

[@GabrielePiana]

Thanks and we definitely agree on that!

[@nikosdimitriadis9987]

Nice Sunday morning surprise reviewing my car from OLH! Review seems really one sided on the negative side for the first 30mins gets better after that. Comparing cost of ownership initially with MX5 and then vs a GT3 or even an A45 just shows the performance levels of the car (at a fraction of the cost). All the negative gripes can be addressed without breaking the bank but you already know this from the forums and YT. All in all, abusing the car for the past 3 years (time attacks, drift events) there is nothing close at the price point (bought for 37k in DE as a demo car with 2k km) and so ready out of the box (an alignment with negative front camber, high temp brake fluid, stickier tires and you are ready for track). I have invested around 3k euros (in used parts and personal labor over the weekends) which includes Milltek exhaust, MST intake, Airtek oil cooler, front and rear diffs cooling ducts, poly bushings, DTUK tuning box with speed delimiter and the only thing that's left is suspension (but need another 3-5k for this in order to properly set it up in a shop). Being short I have no issues with visibility or seating position. Pity we did not get a review of the track performance beyond the lap itself (guess there will be video updates down the road).

[@GabrielePiana]

Hey Nikos! Thanks for your comment. Yeah I had to try hard to find negatives but there is always something! For sure a lot of steps with aftermarket can help to address issues but, warranty notwithstanding, there is also the legality aspect and the cost. This means that the vast majority of owners will drive and judge the car stock, hence Toyota could have done a better job in places. So much so that the new car is improved in almost every area mentioned in the review!

[@usernameEvanT]

this is the most serious and funny the same time review i have seen. it's always beeping couse it cares for you and has no service warning couse its a Toyota, hahaha. it's a homologation special. you can daily it, track it etc and you will always be smiling. i have never driven it even though i would totally love to do it. imho, it has maybe the best powertrain as for nowadays cars. none hot hatch can compare with it. i would like a comparison with and Evo/Sti or something from the "old". i have never driven it so maybe i am wrong idk. Great video, thank you a lot for entertaining us!

[@GabrielePiana]

Thanks first of all. Yeah we love the GR and it is definitely a unique product that reminds us of the 90’s hatchbacks.

[@florian_montuzet]

Glad Gab is having a great daily !

[@GabrielePiana]

HAD!

[@florian_montuzet]

@@GabrielePiana what is the new one 😊 ?

[@AudhaX]

best review about Yaris GR !

[@Cernunn0s90]

Slap an exhaust and an intake on it, and it sounds pretty damn good actually! The stock exhaust mutes it completely. Assists turning back on when you start the car is due to regulations. All new cars do that. The beeping when you pull the handbrake warns you that the rear wheels are disengaged, you are now in FWD mode.

[@GabrielePiana]

never felt like I needed to do that, for the mileage i guess it's good to be quiet :D

[@ngkwdaniel]

I love the genuine and unfiltered review on the GR Yaris. I always have my suspicions that Miata ND2 was overblown and overhyped as a sports car when compared to sports cars of similar price brackets. All the more when Miata ND2 is an open top, and physics comes into play compromising aspects of a sports car. Looking forward to see if you would own a GR86 / GR Supra / GR Corolla :D

[@amaetfacquodvis2450]

TY!

[@berentn]

You can move the passenger seat back, but you have to keep it folded forwards to do so.

[@GabrielePiana]

Hope the new owner reads this 😂 thanks for the tip!

[@user-kx5ir7vk2s]

I come from mx-5 nc sport and I am interested of how much spirit of mx5 is there. So it might be more people who care for this comparison than you think 😅

[@MrDieselakias]

i've heard the nd2 has better steering feel than the nd1. Also, it seems like the mx5 nc has top steering feel, similar to the boxster

[@GabrielePiana]

driven an NC only few kms and I dont remember being disappointed by it so i guess it's ok. As for ND2, it would have been quite a challenge to do worse than ND1 so im not surprised to hear it's been improved.

[@lovejoy1738]

My 2008 Yaris S 1.5 3 door is the best. Car I have ever owned. 200000 miles runs like new, embarrassing everyone in the corners 😎

[@manuelpereira1384]

Nice vid, congrats!😃 How much does the car spend on average during normal driving?

[@GabrielePiana]

I think I averaged 9.7l/100km over the ownership period

[@haiz123ful]

if you were to get another GR would you prefer it in automatic?

[@GabrielePiana]

i'd probably buy an automatic to be honest

[@Cernunn0s90]

Auto completely misses the point of this car imo. It's a drivers car.

[@GabrielePiana]

@@Cernunn0s90 I agree to some extent, I want all my cars to be manual, but having the auto and being able to fully commit to left foot braking on b roads would make it a lot of fun and much more "rally car" than it is with a manual, this is why I'd probably go with the automatic as it would allow me to drive more like i do on track

[@dannyphamous]

I would love the GR Yaris, I agree with their design philosophy 2800lbs vs the GR Corolla 3200lb. Miata ND only 2300lbs. No GR Yaris in the states. Is GR Yaris as fun and special as a GR Corolla? Is it worth trading a ND2 for a GR Corolla?

[@GabrielePiana]

I have not driven the Corolla but I’d say that it would be a step up in every way unless RWD is mandatory for your fun (you like to skid about in roundabout)

[@mrmorizofan7001]

looks like you have killed every mosquito on the planet with that car. :D

[@Artec12]

I have not driven the GR yaris but the normal yaris 2023 model has literally so many minor things totally wrong and make no sense and are so annoying. I agree with gab

[@alexandergiannoulis7868]

Nice gelato

[@GabrielePiana]

Best around the area

[@eliotdeag8040]

Hyundai i20N?

[@GabrielePiana]

Hyundai makes great cars, especially as far as ergonomics, but the Yaris GR is currently on a higher level of engagement

[@gaycha6589]

GR is better for damp bumpy roads we have in UK

[@KevBoy3D]

I wish the interior was more fun with color, why is everything black these days

[@GabrielePiana]

i like black cars and black interiors, I feel like bright colours might get tiring?

[@SLYDIT]

The ND is pretty underwhelming.its watered down and not raw or fast...it's bland. That's why most of the people that own ND s are over 60

[@rjung_ch]

Oh no, will I have to trade my Honda FK8 for the ND? Always loved the Miata, the first two versions were just to small for me at the time.

[@rjung_ch]

Oh, I'm 66 that's why I felt like giving my 2 cents.

[@grahamhaynes7658]

​@rjung_ch buy a mx5 na,nb and keep your FK8.

[@rjung_ch]

@@grahamhaynes7658 best of both. I don't have space for another car easily. Great idea thou

[@SLYDIT]

@@rjung_ch I'll keep my NA turbo...😆

[@EnigmaWector]

I whant one

[@krasic]

Not news, but GR Yaris not available for sale in US. 😢

[@rjung_ch]

you'll get the GR Corolla version, also a sweet one.

[@GabrielePiana]

GR corolla with 300hp and the same engine as the new Yaris GR (actually the other way around, the Yaris gets the same Corolla intervals and updates)

[@krasic]

@@GabrielePiana indeed. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6avpJiBhriUfM0si=tgmywgIfPLjhxWLK

[@josmith3565]

Slow down talking man !

[@GabrielePiana]

I have it on good authority that he's actually trying to talk slower and he will keep working on it :P

[@josmith3565]

Lol

[@belunerd93]

i've drived hard a yaris gr on a wet mountain pass and i didn't appreciated the steering feel. it feeled too light and not enough communicative in comparison to my mx5 nb. the sound is really shitty. the sitting position and the dash gives you headache. however, the car is fast and ridicolousy grippy.

[@jagymeister]

you just cannot drive it properly then… dash doesnt interference any view from car 😅 Mirror does.

[@belunerd93]

didn't say that, but the car gives u a ton of car sickness. feeled by me and confirmed by the owner. i think that is somehow correlated to sitting position, the distance and height of the dash, ecc @@jagymeister

[@GabrielePiana]

Dash and seating position certainly not the best, but not as dramatic as some reviews might lead you to believe. Sound non existent but nowadays that’s standard. I personally disagree on steering feel although you are comparing it with the hydraulic NB which is one of the best ever 😅. Car sickness from driving can be caused by the weird dash as it makes it difficult in subsequent tight corners to look far enough ahead, causing motion sickness. The new model addresses most issues’

[@TerryManitoba]

That was a great video How about comparing & contrasting the GR Yaris to the GR Corolla 🤡That would be even MORE Fun🤡

[@Majski900R]

Handbrake has that much of freeplay before engaging because thats where it disconnects rear drive. Toyota app on the phone alerts you when's the time for the scheduled maintenance. and question for the beard: why are you talking that fast? It's almost like gibberish and why are you laughing so much on such a basic stuff?? I'm trying to figure out what's the deal.

[@GabrielePiana]

Thanks for the comment! Yeah I mean, for the service it’s still inexcusable to not have a message or a page in the infotainment. The issue is not the scheduled maintenance, it’s 10.000 easy to remember actually but it would be helpful to have a tiny light reminding you.

[@Majski900R]

@@GabrielePiana you have to remember that this car was made for racing first and they made Toyota to homologate it by producing the street legal version, so they kind of rushed into production while trying to pay attention to everything. It's not your everyday commuter that was made BY THE BOOK FOR WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE. No maintenance warning light? -I forgive them