Toyota Yaris review: improved for 2017, but can it match rivals?

The original Toyota Yaris of 1999 took rival manufacturers by surprise with its exceptional roominess, an unusual dashboard design and for being fun to drive. In the intervening years small cars such as this have become increasingly competent, meaning the latest Yaris, which has been refreshed for 2017, has its work cut out more than ever before.

In its favour is Toyota's legendary reliability along with a five-year warranty and a low emission hybrid version. But does that make it good enough to outclass rivals such as the Ford Fiesta and Seat Ibiza?

Space 7/10

Newer rivals are bigger

You’ll have plenty of space in the front of the Yaris, and rear legroom is also reasonable, particularly as Toyota has managed to keep the floor completely flat for all three passengers. However, a Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia still ultimately offer more room.

Boot space is no better than average for this class of car, though, and it decreases further if you choose the hybrid model.  

It’s also a shame that Toyota has dropped the ‘Easy-flat’ seat folding of the previous Yaris, which provided a level floor when the rear seats were folded. There’s also no adjustable boot floor and in-car oddments storage is nothing special.

Comfort 4/10

Some drivers will struggle to get comfortable

There’s a curiously limited amount of reach adjustment in the steering wheel of the Yaris. While shorter drivers will be fine, anybody over an average height might start to find it uncomfortable.

The Yaris can also feel agitated over small bumps, which is a little irritating; it’s best to stick with the smaller 15-inch wheels to minimise this. The two petrol engines (1.0- and 1.5-litre are available) are also noisier than those in most rivals. The hybrid Yaris is quieter around town, but becomes vocal when you accelerate hard.

Road noise is louder than in a Seat Ibiza, and there’s a fair bit of wind roar too.

Dashboard layout 5/10

Most versions get a touchscreen

Apart from the cheapest Active model every Yaris gets a ‘Touch 2’ touchscreen in the centre of its dashboard, through which you control the stereo and your phone. If you want satnav as well though you’ll need to pay extra on all models bar the Icon Tech.

The system itself is mostly intuitive to follow, although bright sunlight can make the screen hard to read and there is a frustrating pause between entering letters for an address.

Otherwise the Yaris’s dashboard is conventionally laid out and easy to use, while if you opt for a Bi-tone model you also get some striking interior colours.

Easy to drive 7/10

Pulling away could be smoother

The Yaris would record a better score here if its pedals were more consistently weighted. As it stands a high bite point for the clutch and a very light accelerator make it difficult to pull away smoothly unless you have the CVT automatic gearbox that comes as standard on the hybrid or as an option on the 1.5.

Other than that the steering is light and visibility is good, plus all but the cheapest Yaris come with a reversing camera to assist with parking. If you plan on doing long journeys and want a chance of occasionally overtaking other traffic you’ll need the 1.5 petrol engine with its six-speed manual gearbox rather than the sluggish 1.0-litre.

Fun to drive 4/10

Fine around town, but rivals are better at speed

The most enjoyable Yaris to drive is arguably the hybrid, albeit not in the traditional sense of having communicative steering or loads of grip. Rather it’s the challenge of extracting maximum fuel economy out of the petrol-electric drivetrain that appeals, as well as seeing how the energy flows between the two power sources via one of the car’s monitors.

The petrol models are both too slow to be much fun. On the open road there’s a fair bit of body lean in corners, plus the steering is a bit too light and lacking in feel.

A high performance Yaris GRMN powered by a supercharged 1.8-litre petrol engine should inject a bit more fun into the Yaris range in due course.

Reliability 9/10

A long warranty and should be reliable

Toyota finished sixth out of 25 manufacturers in the 2017 JD Power UK Vehicle Dependability Study, reinforcing its reputation for building very reliable cars.

Not only that but the company’s five-year, 100,000-mile warranty is better than all of its mainstream rivals bar Hyundai (five-year, unlimited mileage) and Kia (seven-year, 100,000 miles). Put another way, the Yaris should be a very dependable car.

Fuel economy 7/10

Petrols almost as frugal as hybrid in normal driving

The hybrid Yaris is easily the most economical version in theory, returning an official average of 85.6mpg on the smallest 15-inch wheels, but in reality you’ll be doing well to achieve 60mpg.

Both of the conventional petrol engines run, if not for official economy (the 1.0-litre recorded 67.7mpg in Government tests while the 1.5 managed 59mpg) then at least in normal driving, when more than 50mpg is achievable on a longer run. That’s not quite up there with the best in class, but still shouldn’t cause many headaches as far as running costs are concerned.

Affordability 7/10

Averagely priced and holds its value quite well

Toyota no longer offers the Yaris in three-door form, which has pushed up starting prices slightly. However, it still matches equivalent five-door hatchbacks, and Toyota sometimes bundles in free servicing to sweeten the deal.

With the changes to VED classification in April 2017 the hybrid is no longer significantly cheaper to tax after the first year than a petrol Yaris. However, if you equip your Yaris Hybrid with 15-inch wheels it does just slip under the 75g/km threshold for exemption from the London Congestion Charge, as well as being an attractive option for company car drivers.

Toyota’s good reliability record combined with decent levels of equipment help to keep residual values pretty robust.

Safety 7/10

Lots of airbags, but some rivals perform better in crash tests

As of mid-2017 all versions of the Yaris are equipped with Toyota’s Safety Sense technology. This includes autonomous emergency braking to help prevent front-into-rear crashes, lane departure warning and an automatic high beam function for the headlights.

Additionally, the Yaris comes with seven airbags, which is more than most small hatchbacks offer, helping it to earn a full five-star safety rating when it was crash tested by independent specialists Euro NCAP. However, it should be noted that the Ford Fiesta and VW Polo both scored better for adult and child occupant protection, while the Fiesta also received a superior pedestrian protection score.

Standard spec 8/10

Cheapest version is a little basic, but the rest are well equipped

The entry-level Active model includes 15-inch steel wheels, electric front windows and a socket that lets you connect an iPod to the stereo, but only Hybrid models in this specification also come with climate control.

Upgrading to Icon does bring air-conditioning along with cruise control, 15-inch alloy wheels and the 7-inch Touch 2 infotainment system. On top of this Icon Tech adds satnav and front parking sensors.

Go for a Design model and the alloys grow to 16 inches plus the bodystyling is altered with a rear spoiler, black trim and rear privacy glass. Sticking with the style theme, the Yaris Bi-tone allows buyers to choose between contrasting body and roof colours, and a wider range of interior trims.

The top of the range Excel has LED lights and part-leather seats, although by this point the Yaris is starting to look pricey.

Our favourite version 

1.5 Icon, list price £15,295

Options you should add: Metallic paint (£515)

The verdict 6/10

Despite revisions for 2017 there remain better small hatchbacks than the Toyota Yaris, not least the latest versions of the FordFiesta and Seat Ibiza. That said, having the only hybrid in this part of the market does mean the Yaris holds some appeal for company car drivers and those who regularly commute into the capital.