TOYOTA YARIS Review

Summary:

What we like: Styling, Strength

What we don't like: A bit cramped in the rear

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TOYOTA YARIS review in detail:

The new Toyota Yaris replaced the old Echo as Toyota's smallest car. The Yaris comes as a 2-dr hatchback and as a 4-dr sedan that is almost 500mm longer overall.

The sedan boot is relatively roomy, has low liftover, and added storage in spare-tyre well. Its lid opens wide, but the hinges intrude and the aperture is too small to easily accept bulky items. The hatchback has more useful cargo space, which is helped by fold-flat rear seatback. There is plenty of small-item storage throughout cabin.

Those living in cities and suburbs may find this little car can fulfil almost all of their transportation needs.

Noise and vibration are well damped and on good roads and motorways it offers the sort of refinement you would expect from a car that's a full size larger.

The road grip in turns is limited by the narrow tyres. The steering nicely weighted, and the Yaris has a tidy turning radius which aids in tight maneuvers. Hatchback stability is upset in bumpy turns and is prone to wander in gusty crosswinds. There's the expected understeer if you push really hard, but there's no sign of it at sensible speeds.

Safety is high on the list of features and ABS brakes are standard on all models.

Shop elsewhere if you want lively high-speed acceleration, but the Yaris is a relatively refined subcompact, with a driving position high enough and a structure substantial enough that you won't feel dwarfed by surrounding traffic.