Business

Car Review: 2015 Toyota Yaris

Published

11 years ago

January 19, 2015

By Frank S. Washington
NNPA Columnist

PONTE VEDRA, Fla. (NNPA) – Toyota’s move to more aggressive and stylish designs is not just limited to its midsize and compact cars. The automaker’s subcompact Yaris didn’t escape the stylists’ touch, either.

For 2015, the Toyota Yaris received an extensive exterior restyling. It had new horizontal headlihts, LED daytime running lights with a light bar accent. The new trapezoidal grille gave it an aggressive snarl and the fog lamps were also redesigned. In the rear, horizontal tail lights matched the set in the front. The car now has a backup lamp centered in the rear diffuser and the bumper itself had been redesigned.

The Yaris comes in three-door and five-door configurations. Toyota called it a liftback, which is the new code word for hatchback. Whatever you call it, this was a sharp little car.

Powered by a 1.5-liter four cylinder engine that made 106 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque, the only questionable component of the Yaris was its four-speed automatic transmission. You’d think with the advent of automatic transmissions ranging from seven to nine speeds, Toyota could come up with a six-speed forward gearbox for the Yaris. There is also a five-speed manual available but it wasn’t here.

We test drove the Yaris with the four-speed automatic and though we griped about the fact that it was only four speeds, the transmission performed flawlessly. The suspension was re-tuned and the body was more rigid than that of the model it replaced. This resulted in a ride that was smooth; there were not many bumps or deviations in the road here to challenge the torsional rigidity of the chassis but the new Yaris had substance. More insulation certainly aided the car’s quiet ride.

Toyota bumped up the quality of the Yaris’ interior, too. The car’s manual driver seat had a vertical adjustment. The dash board had a sporty look; there was soft touch material that really gave the interior a sophisticated feel.

There was a 6.1 inch touch screen as well as chrome and metallic accents. The 60-40 split back seat is now standard across the product line. The car had nine airbags including curtain side airbags.

And in another sign of just how globe gripping the auto industry has become, the 2015 Toyota Yaris was designed by Toyota’s ED2 design studio in the South of France; it has also been assembled in that country since 1999.

There are three trim lines for the 2015 Toyota Yaris: the L, the LE and the SE. Prices range from the L 3-door with a five-speed manual transmission for $15,670 to $18,445 for the SE with a four-speed automatic transmission.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

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3 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

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Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC