Doors
If you’re looking for a small car but can’t decide between sticking with a petrol engine or going fully electric, the Toyota Yaris is just what you’ve been looking for.
The Yaris is a regular hybrid, meaning you can fill it with fuel as a backup, but it also has a battery and motor, so you can do a few miles at low speeds on electric alone.
Toyota was ahead of the game with this hybrid technology, which explains why this fourth-generation model is one of the most efficient cars in its class. In fact, the only car that surpasses it as another Toyota, the Yaris Cross small SUV.
Designed from the ground up to be electrified, the Yaris has a smaller and lighter yet more powerful battery than its predecessor. The battery works with two motors and the 1.5L three-cylinder engine to deliver its famous groundbreaking efficiency. However, while the Yaris has long been a frugal choice, it’s struggled to push to the front of the small car class. It’s frequently beaten by the Ford Fiesta for driver appeal, and the Volkswagen Polo has its own distinct advantage when it comes to comfort and quality. But before we delve too deeply into the Yaris, let’s check in with its key stats.
| Brand-new price range | £22,000–£26,000 |
| Car Planet price range | £9,000–£16,000 |
| Trims | 4 |
| Engines | 1 |
| Available fuels | Hybrid |
| mpg range across all versions | 64–69 |
| Doors | 5 |
| Warranty | 3 years/60,000 miles |
| Company car tax at 20% (min/max) | £964/£1,204 |
| Company car tax at 40% (min/max) | £1,929/£2,407 |
Equipment, options and extras
Even the Toyota Yaris’s entry-level Icon trim is well equipped. In fact it’s our favourite because it keeps the cost down while still bringing 16in alloy wheels, electric front windows, automatic aircon, heated door mirrors, adaptive cruise control, automatic headlights and a 7in touchscreen infotainment system.
If you don’t mind spending a little extra, the next trim up is also worth considering. Design adds rear privacy glass, LED headlights, electric windows in the back, and a larger 8in touchscreen. Then there’s the GR Sport and Excel trims, which introduce even more kit, including dual-zone climate control and keyless entry and start. They cost the same, but GR Sport brings sports seats and sportier styling (inspired by the GR Yaris hot hatch), while Excel instead brings a larger 9in touchscreen and front and rear parking sensors.
Costs, insurance groups, mpg and CO2
The Toyota Yaris averages just under 60mpg, and manages an astonishing 80mpg around town. That makes even its famously efficient rival the Honda Jazz look thirsty. This means that as a cash purchase the Yaris may be pricier than many of its mainstream competitors like the SEAT Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo (and pretty much in line with the Jazz and Audi A1), it’s predicted to depreciate more slowly. It’s also worth noting that Toyota generally offers highly competitive PCP finance offers.
Safety and security
Toyota’s Safety Sense package is standard on all versions of the Yaris, and brings road sign display, lane-keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking. The GR Sport trim offers options blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, and both these features are standard on the range-topping Excel.
Reliability
The Toyota Yaris has a 3-year warranty as standard, but you can extend this for up to 10 years and 100,000 miles as long as you service your car at a Toyota dealership every year. That’s a longer warranty than offered by any other brand—the closest any competitor comes is Kia’s 7 years and Hyundai’s 5.
The Car Planet verdict
The Toyota Yaris has many strengths, not least its excellent reliability, superb fuel economy and generous standard kit. That being said, it’s no match for the Volkswagen Polo in terms of infotainment, ride comfort and interior quality, and it’s relatively cramped inside compared to its rival the Honda Jazz.
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