New 2010 Yaris Owner

[GrayYaris]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

Since it's for the daughter, I would NOT recommend the rear sway bar as she is an "inexperience" driver at this point having only 6 months of being licensed. I say this because to the average person, it's easier to manage understeer vs oversteer. A rear sway bar will push the handling characteristics towards oversteer, albeit no where near that of a rear wheel drive car or a midship car.

I also wouldn't get wider rear tires only. I would get a square set up of wider tires all around. While I did say understeer is easier to manage, having wider rear tires on a front wheel drive car that has understeer bias from the factory would just make understeering even more pronounced. Having a square wider set would retain the factory understeer bias, but will offer better grip and more side wind resistance. However, there's only so much you can fit on the factory steel wheels before it balloons out, which will result in even more side wall flex, and actually hurt handling.

Kaotic Lazagna- I think you're greatly exaggerating the risks of a rear sway bar. Have you driven a stock HB Yaris at highway speeds during a mild storm? It is absolutely fatiguing and probably a bit dangerous depending on road conditions. I would argue that the only reason the Yaris doesn't have a rear anti-sway bar like many other passenger cars is because the Yaris is a stripped-down car designed for economy, not drivability. Toyota found a way to save a few bucks and built the car without the rear anti-sway bar.