2021 Toyota Vios XE 1.3

Toyota Vios at a glance

What else is there to be said about the Toyota Vios? It's been the Philippines' best-selling sedan for several years in a row. There aren't a lot of cars that can get near it in terms of sales, but does it mean it's the perfect subcompact sedan? After all, sales does not automatically mean it's a car is great. But before we answer that, let's have a quick history lesson about the Vios. The Vios was first introduced in the Philippines in 2003, effectively replacing the lower-spec Corollas of that era. It was affordable and relatively basic, but that formula proved a success and quickly overtook the Corolla Altis as Toyota's best-selling sedan in the country. With it firmly establishing itself in the Philippines, the second-generation debuted here in 2007, and was redesigned yet again in 2013; the present generation. The current generation is split in two, those made from 2013-2017 and the ones made after that. Even though they look different, they're essentially the same car underneath. The post-2017 models also came with updated engines and a new transmission option. It received a minor update in 2021, along with the addition of a new sporty variant, the GR-S.

Good buy or goodbye?

When people see a Toyota badge on a car, it's easy to say it's a good buy. But is the Vios simply banking on the strength of the Toyota name? From a spec-sheet point of view, that seems to be the case. There are competitors that are more powerful, more economical, better equipped, and offer higher space efficiency. However, there are intangibles that help the Vios be a good, if safe, buy. Because it's a mass-market Toyota, parts and servicing is easy. It also helps that the Vios is locally-assembled. That means it should be more resilient to local conditions. Not only that, the Vios lives up to the Toyota reputation of offering dependability and reliability. It's also light and easy to drive so it's not too daunting for learners and effortless for everyone else. And should the worst happen, its five-star safety rating from the ASEAN NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) should provide some peace of mind. But just because it's a Toyota, it doesn't mean it's immune from problems. Because of its popularity, there are poorly-maintained units lurking in the second-hand market. Also, there are reports of O2 sensor and VVT-I solenoid failures in higher-mileage models. Complaints about pre-facelift models include a relatively weak air-conditioning and a fuel-sapping four-speed automatic. It's not exciting nor involving, but the Vios is the very definition of a reliable family sedan.