Toyota Yaris Video Reviews

City hatchbacks are becoming more expensive as the standards grow ever higher for safety and tech. But which of these popular light car heroes is the best? We put the Suzuki Swift, Kia Rio and Toyota Yaris against each other to find out!

It's been almost 20 years since Toyota last tried its hand at a proper performance car, but the Japanese brand is back with a bang with the GR Yaris. But is it enough to put Toyota back on the go-fast map?

It might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of a "family car", but the Toyota Yaris is certainly a willing little all-rounder. We put it to the ultimate test; spending a week with a family of four, and all their gear, to see if it could fit the bill.

Toyota has just updated the five-door Yaris hatch range, comprising the entry level Ascent, the mid-grade SX and the top-shelf ZR. Does it represent good value for money?

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering -- would you buy one?This is Toyota's new generation range-topping YRX five-door, auto-only hatch.Goes for $21,390 plus on roads.Too many to list but competition in this neighbourhood is stove hot - hotter than that even. Suzuki Swift, Fiesta, Barina, Mazda2, Polo, etc.There's a 1.5-litre, twin cam, four cylinder, petrol donk under the bonnet - no direct injection though but variable valve timing for efficiency gains.It's good for 80kW/141Nm output.Surprisingly well with plenty of punch across the entire rev range, smooth, quiet(ish), willing little unit.The four-speed auto teams nicely with the engine - doesn't really need more cogs apart from potential fuel economy gains with a five or six speeder.Good for 6.3-litres/100km but using 91 RON - a big plus especially given what many of the competitors use.OK, only gets a Euro 4 pass - bit old school now, time for a new engine really - based only on emissions.Five stars with all that entails - seven air bags, stability control and so on.Again, surprisingly so, roomy, plenty of kit in the package, excellent SUNA satnav that even warns of school zones, red light and fixed cameras, level crossings and more. Every car should have it. Hard dash.Nippy, comfortable, plenty of pick-up as needed, easy to park, comfy, sporty(ish) ride. Quick steering but the drum rear brakes look like they came out of the ark, the torsion beam suspension works well but is old, old tech, space saver spare a disappointment. Good for city and country driving.More than $2400 extra value included compared with previous equivalent model. Gets climate control, decent audio, auto headlights, multiple wheel controls, trip computer, large touch screen controller, cruise fog lights.Yes, would be an ideal second car - cheap to buy and run, low fixed price service costs, reliable, plenty of zip, five doors decent load space, four adults can fit, undoubtedly reliable, resale. Like the style too - cheeky and fun. Crash repair costs a real worry though.

We're spoiled for choice in the tiddler class with perhaps 15 different vehicle brands represented. Better yet, they are striving really hard to attract us to their lair.Just because we might be shopping sub-$20,000 doesn't mean we have to miss out. Take the new $18,990 Toyota Yaris ZR for example -- a cute little number with decent performance, plenty of kit and a cheeky face.This is generation three of Yaris and it comes with Toyota's fixed price servicing -- a big plus if you're on a budget. Yaris also gains a five star ANCAP crash rating and plenty more to attract attention.It shares equipment levels with the five door YRX meaning excellent SUNA satnav is standard along with Bluetooth audio and phone, climate control air, decent audio, multi wheel controls, cruise, automatic headlights and other useful stuff.The ZR is the “sports” Yaris though it's the same under the skin as other 1.5-litre models except you can only have it with a five speed manual -- no auto is offered.The engine is a twin cam unit with variable valve timing but out-dated port injection instead of the newer direct system. Still, it's capable of delivering respectable performance rated at 80kW/141Nm using regular 91 RON unleaded petrol. We saw 6.0-litres/100km and it would do better trying harder.ZR differs from the five door YRX by having only three doors and a funky looking body aero kit, 15-inch sporty alloys, driving lights, sports seats and a roof spoiler. The effect is chunky and purposeful though some criticism was directed ZR's way as being too much like a mini-people mover. That's a bit harsh.The shape is necessary to deliver above average interior room making the car more practical. Folding 60/40 rear seats creates a large load space almost like a small van.Ride is sporty/comfortable offering up flat cornering and adequate ride comfort with relatively quick steering from what are fairly simple underpinnings. The rear drum brakes look out of place but work OK and there's a space saver spare.It has a strut front and torsion beam suspension calibrated locally, thankfully meaning ZR is well screwed down and fun to drive. We like the interior despite the hard plastic dash whose reflective surface is a real issue when driving into the sun. The sports seats are good and there's an airy feel to the ZR created by large glass areas.We had a good old punt in the Yaris ZR and would definitely consider it. Trouble is there are some really hot items in this territory - in looks, performance, value and equipment. And that's how it should be.

The Yaris is one of the favoured children in the Toyota family. The baby Toyota's looks, price and practicality gave it the light-car class lead from 2003 to 2008. Then the cut-price Hyundai Getz topped the charts for the next two years, by 196 and 95 vehicles respectively. This year has literally been a disaster for the Japanese company - but the third-gen Yaris is giving it hope for a more productive start to 2012.VALUEThe Getz reminded Toyota how price-sensitive the light-car class is. That's why the entry level three-door base model holds the same $14,990 price it had in 2005. The five-door YR is tipped to be the top seller and it starts at $15,690. Switching from the five-speed manual to the four-speed auto costs $1600 and cruise control is the only option at $650. The YR has a 1.3-litre engine, cruise control, a trip meter/fuel calculator display and voice control audio system with Bluetooth and USB/iPod connectivity.The YRS adds a 1.5-litre engine, 15-inch wheels and a touch-screen audio and will sell as a three or five-door model for $16,890 and $17,390 respectively. A sportier looking ZR is $18,990 in three door manual form and the range-topping YRX will be sold as a five-door auto from $21,390.That stacks up competitively against the Volkswagen Polo ($16,690-$22,350), five-door Mazda2 ($15,790-$20,495) and Ford Fiesta ($16,990-$20,990). The downside is the engines and transmissions carry over from the previous model.DESIGNIt won't admit the last model was seen as a "chick's car" but Toyota concedes the majority of Yaris customers are women.  That was costing it half the market and the new car in general - and bodykitted ZR in particular - have been muscled up to be more attractive to both sexes.Toyota executive director Matthew Callachor says "it is designed to have greater appeal to men without alienating women" and product planner Greg Gardner confirms women "are prepared to buy what is perceived as a man's car where men are not necessarily prepared to buy what is seen as a woman's car."The new audio units have simplified the cabin layout especially on the touch-screen models, though we're not sure about the Frisbee-sized hazard lights button. The instruments are clear and now back in front of the driver where they belong and the 100mm growth in size brings a bigger boot and 35mm of extra knee room for back seat passengers.TECHNOLOGYNoise suppression is worth talking about in the Yaris. The engineers have added insulation in the centre console, bonnet and floor it's a more comfortable cabin for it, even under hard acceleration. The top-spec YRX and ZR models pick up a touchscreen audio and satnav system with Suna traffic alerts. The drivetrains have been tickled to improve fuel efficiency by up to .4 litres/100km and they still run on regular unleaded. The 1.3-litre engine is good for 67kW/121Nm and the manual gearbox uses an official 5.7 lit res/100km, while the 1.5-litre engine produces 80kW/141Nm and 5.8 litre/100kms. Toyota defends keeping the four-speed auto on the basis that fuel use in both engines is just 6.3 litres/100km.SAFETYToyota has lifted the light-car game with seven airbags and stability control standard fit. The Yaris hasn't been crash-tested yet but the outgoing model was a five-star car and the new one is bigger and stronger.Deceleration comes from 255mm front discs and 200mm drums on the back, all kept in line by ABS brakes with brake assist and emergency brake force distribution. The bonnet has also been redesigned to be less damaging to stray pedestrians.DRIVINGBeing handed the keys to a pink car doesn't do much to improve the macho perception of the Yaris. You don't notice the colour from behind the wheel (and there's nine others to choose from) but you do notice the electric steering is light but more direct and the Yaris refuses to bottom out on hits that should have the torsion beam rear end bouncing.Both have been tuned with local input and front spring rates are up by 18 per cent and the rears stiffened by 26 per cent compared to the Japanese-spec defaults.It looks good on the road and is a fun car to scoot through the city in. It can't be hustled like a Polo and doesn't handle like a Mazda2 ... but it's not a hot hatch and, dressed-up ZR aside, doesn't pretend to be.This vehicle is aimed at mainstream buyers looking for a safe, solid car with style and space. It will spend most of its time commuting to and from work with the occasional weekend away — and it fulfils that design brief as well as any car on the market.VERDICTThe light-car leader is back in the game, but the game's getting tougher. The Yaris is taking on 31 other models in a segment worth about 140,000 cars next year. With the Getz gone, its chances are good, given the sharp prices, smart features list and the Toyota reputation for reliability.