Not the best, except where it counts

Toyota made a very smart move by introducing the Echo Hatchback in Canada for the 2004 model year. Sales picked up immediately and the Echo, which was also available in sedan configuration, dominated the subcompact category in sales.

With the growing number of small cars on the market today, the Yaris is in for a tough battle. Even Ford will soon bring its new Fiesta in Canada. In 2007, though, Toyota moved over 34,000 Yaris units out the door, which is about as much as the Nissan Versa and Honda Fit combined.

Toyota made a very smart move by introducing the Echo Hatchback in Canada.

Young and dynamic appearance

Already in its third model year, the Yaris is aging well. Its almost-futuristic shape, with its cookie-sheet sized hood, tall headlights and sloping waistline is nice to look at.

Inside, the heating and ventilation controls are grouped in a triangle formation is appreciated by everyone from a styling standpoint, but their operation is simple. The flip-up cupholders are smartly located on each end of the dashboard, instead of in the narrow floor console.

As for display panel located in the middle of the dashtop, it doesn't really bother me; you look for it during the first day behind the wheel, but you get used to it afterwards. Above the steering wheel is a storage box. The radio sounds okay but can't read MP3 files, and its visual appearance could be better.

The seats offer an honest level of comfort, despite lacking a little lateral support. In back, two adults will find enough space to be at ease. With the car's high roofline, headroom is obviously not a problem. The big glass surfaces allow for great visibility.

Fuel efficiency

106 horsepower isn't anyway to brag about, but the 1.5-liter 4-cylinder is sufficient for pulling the Yaris and four occupants around at normal speeds. After all, 20 years ago the Camry had only 115 horses and nobody complained.

More important than pure speed in a Yaris is fuel economy. My average of 8.1 L/100 km reflects a mix and city and highway driving, and is a result that I find is pretty good.

On the highway, however, the cockpit isn't as soundproofed as the Camry's, so engine and wind noise infiltrates into the cabin.

The 1.5-liter 4-cylinder is sufficient for pulling the Yaris and four occupants around at normal speeds.

The big problem
What's sad about the Yaris is the volume of its trunk, or lack thereof. With the rear seat in place, the little Toyota only offers 228 liters of cargo space.

There's worse out there, like the Chevrolet Aveo5, Pontiac Wave5 and Suzuki Swift+ trio as well as the MINI Cooper and smart fortwo. But the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio5 all benefit from twice the cargo volume as in the Yaris.

It's so small in the trunk that one evening, me and my girlfriend went to pick up another couple and go out for dinner, but I couldn't even fit my kid's booster seat in the cargo area of the Yaris in order to free up the back seat. Four or five grocery bags and it's full.

What's sad about the Yaris is the volume of its trunk, or lack thereof.

Competition

The 5-door Yaris LE has a base price of $14,245. Add $1,000 for the 4-speed automatic transmission as well as $1,725 for the Convenience Package which includes ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution, A/C, power windows and remote keyless entry. The total climbs to $16,970.

Here's the list of similarly-equipped subcompacts, with an automatic transmission:

Chevrolet Aveo5 LT, 103 hp, $16,455
Honda Fit LX, 109 hp, $18,580
Hyundai Accent GL 3-door, 110 hp, $16,295
Kia Rio5 EX Convenience, 110 hp, $17,145
Nissan Versa 1.8 S, 122 hp, $16,998
Pontiac Wave5 SE, 103 hp, $16,455
Suzuki Swift+ S, 103 hp, $17,395
smart fortwo pure, 70 hp, $16,090

The Aveo5, Rio5, Wave5 and Swift+ don't include ABS brakes in the pricing mentioned above, since they are part of a $960 option package. However, the Yaris only offers two airbags while its rivals offer four and even six.

The flip-up cupholders are smartly located on each end of the dashboard, instead of in the narrow floor console.

Conclusion

The Yaris is a solid little car that doesn't consume a lot of gas and that is cheap to purchase. However, the price climbs quickly with option groups, so if you can't live without air conditioning or a remote keyfob, for example, you'll end up with a $17,000 car; for only $500 more, you can get a 2009 Corolla that's just as equipped, bigger and more refined.

The Yaris is a solid little car that doesn't consume a lot of gas and that is cheap to purchase.

Compared to the other subcompacts, it suffers from a lack of cargo space and seems less refined than the Honda and the Nissan. To get around the city, from point A to point B, though, the Yaris does its job commendably.