[Yaris Hilton]

You're entitled to your opinion about the center instrument pod, which I like much better than the usual position, but you're wrong about the reason for it. The dashboard is NOT symmetrical and usable for both right and left hand drives. The instrument pod is also tilted toward the driver and not symmetrical. That was more obviously visible on the Echo as the shroud over the pod was angled, which it is not on the Yaris. You have to study it closely to realize it is angled. The decision was made to place it there for other reasons. I find it gives a wonderfully unobstructed view ahead, and it takes less eye diversion to check the instruments than to look at the center rear view mirror, quite a bit less than to look at either side mirror. Do you really want to stare at your instruments while driving?

I'm quite fond of my 2009 Yaris sedan and wouldn't trade it straight up for any of its competitors brand new, if anyone wanted to make me such an offer. I'm 6'3" and weighed about 267 before leaving on my beach trip (I probably don't want to weigh right now), and had a comfortable 400 mile drive down here averaging 43+ MPG while crossing the Appalachian Mountains and maintaining mostly 70 MPH Interstate speed limits. No "hypermiling." Is it perfect? No, I could find a few little things to niggle about. But I sure am happy with it. It does exactly what I need it to do, and is quite economical about it.