Hi Dervla,

We’ve been unable to confirm or deny that there’s an oil-burning issue with the mid-2000s Yaris. There are certainly some complaints about just that out there in internet chat rooms and message boards, but nothing we’d regard as a verifiable source. To be honest, the most likely source of the problem is that people assume Toyotas are indestructible and set about thrashing the life out of them and not carrying out proper maintenance, and then problems start to occur. The 1.0-litre engine is absolutely fine in the Yaris, and has plenty of poke, especially for, as you say, a runaround. Just make sure it comes with a full service history and be picky as there are plenty of them around.