Toyota Yaris: Road Test

Top-selling compact hatch lifts its game, but is it enough to hold back strong rivals?

Toyota Yaris YR and YRX
Road Test

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $14,990 (YR) / $21,390 (YRX)
Options fitted (not included in above price): Cruise Control $650 (YR)
Crash rating: Five-star (Euro NCAP)
Fuel: 91 RON ULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 5.7/6.3
CO2 emissions (g/km): 147/160
Also consider: Ford Fiesta (from $16,990), Honda Jazz (from $14,990), Kia Rio (from $16,290), Nissan Micra (from $12,990)

Whether zipping through peak hour traffic or cruising down city freeways in Toyota’s baby hatch, it’s easy to see why the compact city car segment is among the most popular in Australia.

In the case of the Yaris, it has room for four adults and the weekly shopping, perky performance and handling, seven-airbag protection, and the odd techno-gadget, all for around $20K or less.

As a cheap first car, family runabout, or instead of an out-of-warranty used car, compact hatches have become the default choice for cash-strapped buyers. Particularly when they’re become increasingly better to drive, more practical and better-equipped for the money, as Toyota’s recently updated Yaris proves.

More evolution than revolution, the third-generation Yaris is 100mm longer than before and looks it; its new, sharper-edged styling giving the car a bolder presence.

The redesigned interior is an improvement too. Gone is the quirky mid-mounted digital speedo and numerous hidey holes, replaced by a more conventional and pleasing to the eye dash layout.

We recently tested two Yaris variants at either end of the price spectrum -- a $14,990 three-door YR manual, and high-spec $21,390 auto-only YRX five-door.

While both three and five-door hatches offer a slightly more involving driving experience and more interior space than the previous Yaris, the most noticeable difference between the two is straight-line performance.

While the 1.3-litre petrol engine with five-speed manual in the YR is sufficient around town, the bigger 1.5-litre engine and four-speed auto in the YRX is noticeably more relaxed and responsive in traffic, especially when trying to overtake or accelerate up a hill with the family on board.

While manual shifts are normally a pain in peak-hour traffic, those in the Yaris are light and precise making the cheaper manual a viable option if your budget doesn’t stretch to the $1600 auto. In reality though, neither transmission really cuts it in a segment where dual-clutch transmissions (Polo) and six-speed automatics (Rio) are now commonplace.

No issues with the front disc/rear drum set-up though, which do the job of bringing around one tonne of Yaris to an abrupt halt when required.

Although the base model, YR is certainly no ‘poverty pack’, coming standard with 14-inch steel wheels, trip computer, power windows and mirrors, four-speaker audio with CD and USB inputs, voice control, Bluetooth telephony and audio streaming, stability and traction control and aforementioned seven airbags.

But the cost cutting is still more evident than some of its competitors, with things like hard plastics throughout the cabin and a terribly tinny radio, letting the side down. The poor audio quality is highlighted by some noticeable tyre, engine and wind noise, particularly on the freeway where in fifth gear at 100km/h finds Yaris revving at 2800rpm.

The gearing, like the car itself, is obviously better suited for around town work than regional touring, although it remained fairly stable at highway speeds, despite some wind buffeting. Fuel economy for the week was a respectable 7.3L/100km.

While the top-spec YRX five-door used more fuel (8.7L/100km), its extra grunt makes it more enjoyable and safer to drive on a daily basis. For the extra $6000 (over the YR), the YRX picks up bigger 15-inch alloys, auto headlamps, foglamps, climate control, cruise control, and a neat touchscreen display with sat nav and better sounding six-speaker audio.

The big touchscreen display mounted centrally in the dash is a worthwhile addition. It neatly combines all the multimedia functions, although those with stubby fingers might find it a bit fiddly, particularly when on the move.

While the extra two doors are handy when loading young kids in the back, both variants benefit from improved rear space. Even teenagers shouldn’t feel cramped in the back, while taller drivers normally averse to smaller cars will find the improved seating and steering wheel set-up more to their liking.

For those with lanky limbs, longer trips shouldn’t leave you cramped and stiff, as is the case with some city cars.

Having sampled both ends of the spectrum, our value pick of the 10 Yaris variants available would have to be the mid-range five-door YRS. Fitted with the bigger engine, at $17,390 it only really misses out on the sat nav touchscreen.

Despite still lagging behind some of its rivals in styling and performance, Toyota has probably done enough with the new Yaris to keep it near the top of the sales charts.

As with other models from the Japanese company the Yaris’ appeal is more than skin deep, with real world factors like fixed price servicing and Toyota’s reputation for reliability weighing heavily on buyers’ minds.

Keen drivers or those looking for a bit more pizzazz might want to look elsewhere, but as an overall package the latest Yaris is hard to dismiss.

Click here to see how the Toyota Yaris performs against 10 of its most popular rivals

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