2018 TOYOTA YARIS

Small, tall and affordable for all, poetically sums up Toyota's littlest hatchback

You don t have to spend a lot to get a lot these days at least when it comes to the 9aris hatchback 7hat this tiny 4oyota mostly de livers is plenty of passenger and stowage space for your money plus some usually optional safety tech added in for good measure

4he 9aris hatch has been around in its current body style since the model year which is like forever in the auto indus try 4he 9aris sedan however called the i! was originally badged a 3cion and is supplied by -azda

&or the built in &rance 9aris has been given a revised front end that s really not much different than previous mod el year nose job !cknowledging that beauty is in the eye of the beholder the look can best be described as unique expressive and unlike any other car on the road

&rom the windshield back the 9aris is your garden variety hatchback and can be had with two or four passenger doors which is a choice not offered by competing models #onsidering most hatchback buyers are seek ing maximum versatility select ing the two door version doesn t seem to make much sense other than to provide slightly better access to the front seats

4he interior is a relatively roomy environment for five adults even with three in back which is uncommon in a small car 4he front seats aren t par ticularly supportive you perch upon rather than sit in but the control panel is well laid out the gauges are easy to read and soft touch material now covers the top of the dashboard 7hile the steering wheel adjusts up and down it does not telescope which three different drivers of the test car independently point ed out as a flaw

The back seat folds nearly flat which is atypical of many small hatches i e the +ia 2io and &ord &iesta 4hat and a tall body structure result in stowage volume that more than doubles with the rear bench lowered 4he 9aris is also quieter and feels more solid than before

! twist of the key ˆ no pushbutton here ˆ starts the

horsepower liter four cyl inder engine (orsepower is unchanged since the very first 9aris which puts it at the bot tom of the class ! curb weight of about pounds pounds less than competing ve hicles gives the 9aris good low speed acceleration however 4he car is quite peppy but there s more noise than thrust the hard er you work the engine

4oyota has done a superb job with the 9aris s suspension especially over rough pavement where there s hardly any of the harshness you might expect from such a basic model 4he on ly quibble is the steering starts to feel a numb at highway speeds which is particularly noticeable in crosswinds /therwise the 9aris really quite fun to drive sort of like a better riding -ini #ooper

4ransmission choices include a five speed manual or available four speed automatic 4his isn t exactly cutting edge technology but fuel economy is decent 4he manual is rated at mpg in the city and on the highway and the automatic is rated at

4he base 9aris , three door rings in at including destination charges )t s just extra for the four door , 9ou get you air conditioning inch touch screen power windows and locks and six speaker sound system with steering wheel con trols

4he ,% grade adds cruise control remote keyless entry and fancier interior and exteri or trim 3% content includes a blacked out grille rear spoiler and inch alloy wheels inch steelies are standard on the outside and sport trimmed front seats and a seven inch touch screen with navigation on the inside

4he 9aris also includes standard emergency braking lane departure alert and au tomatic high beam headlight control as part of 4oyota s 3afety 3ense technology ! backup cam era is also standard but blind spot and cross traffic backup alerts aren t offered

4he clincher might be a pre sumed reputation for built qual ity and high resale value "oth are likely deciding factors for buyers choosing the 9aris over other hatchbacks regardless of price or content comparatives

PHOTO: TOYOTA The SE has a blacked out grille, a small spoiler above the glass , and 16-inch alloys wheels. Even with just 106 horse-power and the optional four-speed automatic transmission, it's fun to drive around town.

PHOTO: TOYOTA In a small car such as the Yaris, you can expect a narroe and upright cabin, although the materials used inside are of decent quality. the steering wheel doesn't telescope, so if you have long legs and short, you in for some comfort issues.

3+272 72<27$ Since the four-door model is more functional thank the two-door and costs just $375 more, the extra portals make the most sense