Item: Toyota Yaris 2011-2020
Rating: 3.5

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It cuts a fairly sedate and predictable figure today, but the humble-looking third-generation Toyota Yaris was a good way ahead of its time when it was launched in 2011, combining innovative, wallet-busting hybrid technology with a tiny footprint, a surprisingly spacious interior and the Japanese manufacturer’s trademark unwavering dependability.

Factor in a five-star safety rating, a wide range of well-equipped and clearly defined trim packages and used prices as low as £2000 and it’s hard to find a reason not to recommend it to a 17-year- old as their first set of wheels – or anyone in need of frugal, fuss-free motoring.

Building on the almighty success of the Prius, Toyota saw an opportunity to install its hybrid technology in a smaller model – and it claimed to be the first to offer such a powertrain in this segment (although Honda had technically got there just before with the Jazz).

Costing just under £17,000 when new, the Yaris Hybrid was pretty good value at the time, although its efficiency-biased 98bhp powertrain – based around a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine – was roundly outpaced by zippier pure-petrol rivals and the exclusive use of a CVT meant it was pretty noisy at higher revs too.

The trade-off was an eye-catching 75mpg combined, Toyota claimed. Impressive, even if the read-out was nearer 50mpg in the real world.

There was also the option of two pure-petrol engines – a 68bhp 1.0-litre and a 98bhp 1.3-litre – as well as an 89bhp 1.4-litre diesel.

The pokier petrol is our pick of the range. Its five-speed manual gearbox is easier to get along with than the frustrating CVT and its efficiency isn’t far off that of its electrically aided range-mate.

The Yaris doesn’t handle quite as well as the contemporary Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Polo, not helped by its lighter steering, and unkempt rural roads highlight a rougher edge to its dynamics, with the suspension struck dumb by bad potholes and bumps.

Still, its comfortable seats and smart cabin help to make it a compelling alternative.

Even the hybrid version, with its batteries sited under the back seats, has plenty of rear space, which is one reason why it’s often found these days loaded with sixth-formers on their way to grab a meal deal.

The basic entry-level car, badged T2, doesn’t have enough kit to make it an attractive used buy.

You will want at least a T4. The TR has enough equipment to feel like a relatively new car, including a touchscreen, electric mirrors and a reversing camera. The SR and T-Spirit range-toppers add the likes of sat-nav and dual-zone climate control.

The trims were renamed as part of a restyle in 2014, with Active at the base and Icon, Sport and Excel swelling the kit roster.

The Yaris was updated again in 2017 to keep pace with Ford and Volkswagen, with a light restyling and the 1.3-litre petrol swapped for a more efficient 1.5-litre.

There was also the option of two-tone paint, updated infotainment and swisher materials for the range-topper.

Whether you’re buying one as a first car or for short trips around town, the Yaris is a dependable supermini that is reasonably practical and affordable.

Seek out a post-2014 car with the 1.3-litre petrol manual powertrain to get the smarter looks, more spritely performance and the tech and refinement to match many a newer alternative.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 7

Used Toyota Yaris 2011-2020 review

Stylish small hatchback is robust and reliable - a used example should make the ideal urban commuter

Good

Solid refinement

Spacious interior

Good value for money

Bad

Busy styling of the front-end

Poor interior trim choices

Lifeless steering

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Evolved design help keep pace with rivals

Bigger package improved rear accomodation

Cons

Busy styling at the front

Fiesta and Polo look better

Ever since its inception, the Toyota Yaris has been an object lesson in the advantages of neat packaging, and when the facelifted version landed back in 2017, its appearance seemed more a consequence of the concerted shift in design criteria for superminis than a clever way to increase accommodation in the back.

Frumpy compact MPVs pinched the Yaris’s high roofline party trick, leaving the segment to the domination of sculpted, vacuum-packed hatchbacks like the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo.

Toyota attempted to bring some of the style found on the second-generation Toyota Aygo into the mix, particularly by adopting that model's X-faced front-end design. It was an effective move, giving the Yaris a playful look. The 2017 facelift did little to disrupt this on the exterior, with under the skin changes made to the Hybrid to help improve its ride and handling.

There was also less of the old model's anonymity on the road - this was instantly recognisable as a modern Toyota.

The Hybrid version looked hunkered down compared to the standard car in the interests of aerodynamic efficiency. The more eagle-eyed will also note that different versions of the Yaris got their own subtle styling tweaks, including chrome trim around the front grille.

INTERIOR

Pros

Updated infotainment screen improved usability

Great mix of trims

Cons

Heavy use of scratchy plastics throughout

Rear space only child-friendly

If spaciousness weas the sole factor by which small hatchbacks were judged, the Yaris would have been a serious contender for class leader.

Arguably the biggest change which came with the facelifted Yaris was inside, with the updates rangging far beyond the realm of just a minor redesign.

There was a cleaner look inside, with much of the fascia given over to Toyota's Touch 2 infotainment system. The updated screen was a welcome addiiton: the maps, for example, were displayed clearly and other functions including multimedia were all easy to use.

Space was ample up front, and although taller passengers could only be confined to the rear bench on short journeys, the Yaris' seats were supportive and comfortable.

Toyota insisted that it had improved the quality of materials used to dress the car, but there was more economising on display than was apparent in the European or even Korean opposition, and some misjudged experimentation with different grains produced an ugly swathe of eye-catching scratchy plastic.

A soft-touch strip across the centre of the car was a prime example, because while it did add a premium air to the Yaris' cabin it also served to highlight other, cheaper-feeling fixtures and fittings.

Entry-level Active models came with 15in steel wheels, heated door mirrors, electric front windows, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, and Toyota's full suite of safety technology as standard.

Upgrade to Icon and you got alloy wheels, air conditioning, cruise control, manual air conditioning, road sign recognition, a rear view camera and Toyota's Touch 2 infotainment system with Bluetooth and DAB radio included.

Icon Tech trim added sat nav and front parking sensors to the package, while the mid-range Design model came with 16in alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, tinted rear windows and a sporty bodykit.

More personalisation was available with the Bi-Tone trim, with its black wing mirrors and roof, rear LED lights, LED day-running lights, electric rear windows and colour co-ordinated interiors, as well as the choice of four snazzy colours - Nebula Blue, Tokyo Red, Glacier Pearl and Platinum Bronze.

Topping the range was the Excel trim which adorned the supermini with a height adjustable passenger seat, 16in alloy wheels, a half-leather and half-Alcantara interior, and automatic lights and wipers.

While those opting for the hybrid version of the Yaris could choose any of the six trims and would find dual-zone climate control and a push button ignition included in the package.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Excellent mix of engines

Hybrid option in a supermini was ahead of its time

Cons

CVT gearbox was poor

Some petrol lumps lacked any real performance

The Toyota Yaris engine line-up was carried over wholesale from the previous model, so buyers got the choice between two petrols, one diesel and a hybrid powertrain.

A low-powered 68bhp, three-cylinder 1.0 VVTi petrol propped up the range in smooth and sonorous fashion, but the 98bhp 1.33 VVTi was been replaced with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine producing 110bhp and 100lb ft of torque , while a hybrid version with 99bhp completed the range.

Kicking off proceedings was the 1.0-litre three-pot. The pleasantly thrummy unit was rather leisurely, with the 0-62mph sprint taking 15.3sec. This meant you if was a little sedate when leaving the safety of slow urban traffic.

Downsized petrol engines are a natural accomplice to the supermini breed, and it was no surprise that Toyota’s familiar 1.33-litre engine slot into the new Yaris neatly enough.

The compact four-pot forgoed the vogue for forced induction with its long-established Dual VVT-i variable valve timing system, which gained minor internal revisions to boost fuel economy.

This engine would sometimes feel breathless and flimsy at very low revs – indicative of efforts made to keep the Yaris as parsimonious as possible around town – but with a maximum 92lb ft of torque available at 4000rpm and the full 98bhp at 6000rpm, it did eventually pull with some vigour, making conservative overtaking a realistic prospect.

The Yaris’s performance felt better when revving through its six gear ratios than lugging in them; dropping out of the torque-rich mid-range on an incline resulted in a prompt loss of momentum that could be remedied only by swift downshifts on the flimsy-feeling manual gearbox.

To put it in context, the 1.5-litre engine was capable of knocking off 0-62mph nearly a second quicker than its predecessor, and was 1.2sec quicker between 50 and 75mph clocking in a time of 17.6sec.

Nevertheless, the motor was content to cruise without much fuss. Drivers partial to an instantaneous response from their right foot will invariably find themselves in a lower gear than strictly necessary, but that was no different from any of the European alternatives.

Equally, the engine was quite vocal at higher revs, but the 70dB we registered at 70mph was par for the course in this class.

After the Auris, the Yaris was the second regular model to receive the hybrid treatment. But unlike the Auris, and the hybrid-only Toyota Prius, the Yaris Hybrid had a 1.5-litre petrol engine rather than the more common 1.8.

Unlike its key rival, the Honda Jazz Hybrid, the Yaris could run on electricity alone for short periods.

With battery and engine working in unison, a 0-62mph time of 11.8sec was possible, albeit with a great deal of noise thanks to the CVT transmission. This was not a powertrain that you'll gain much pleasure from pedalling quickly despite that decent performance.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Softer ride than earlier models

Tight turning circle helps manoeuvrability

Cons

Unsettled ride at speed

Uncommunicative steering

When Toyota facelifted the Yaris in 2017, it wasn't just the interior that received an update. The Japanese marque tweaked the suspension setup, with a more rigid body strucutre, a stiffer torsion beam at the rear and softer springs at the front, all designed to improve the Yaris' ride.

It was partially successful, because while the Yaris did have a softer ride on the road, but also felt unsettled at speed. There was also the same noise problem as before - with both road and wind noise being an issue when cruising.

Combined with light, easily manageable controls and a tight turning circle, the car made for easy progress around town and was competent enough out of it to allow casual users to forget they’re driving it.

It was in the more enthusiastic hands of the Ford Fiesta’s fanbase that issues flare. The same straw-weight steering that made car parks a breeze became as uncommunicative at pace as a severed phone line, and despite a 15mm increase in the front track over its predecessor, the Yaris’s footprint felt smaller and less well controlled with a bumpy B-road beneath its tyres.

A sympathetic observer might argue that it was harsh to highlight handling shortcomings in a car tuned for urban economy rather than cross-country speed, but other mainstream manufacturers – including Kia, with the capable Kia Rio – showed at the time that it was possible to cover both bases more effectively than Toyota had done.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Pros

Frugal diesel engine

Solid reliability

Cons

Real-world Hybrid economy isn't great

Rivals just as affordable

Hybrid aside, the 1.4 D4-D diesel's 72.4mpg and 99g/km CO2 output made this version the most frugal Toyota Yaris.

Not that the 1.33-litre, petrol-fuelled car was disgraced; its claimed combined-cycle mpg was 57.6, matched to a 114g/km CO2 score.

The 1.5-litre petrol unit was supposedly 12 percent more frugal than the engine it replaced with a claimed combined-cycle of 64.5mpg a CO2 score of 109g/km.

The petrol-electric model boasted up to 85.6mpg on the combined cycle, depending on trim level specified. We found a 65mpg figure easy to acheive, which was not something that could be said of some other hybrids.

While some manufacturers have taken the supermini to the premium end of the market, the Yaris remained faithful to the buyer on a budget – and that's still the case for used examples.

However, that didn't make the competition any less cut-throat. With skin-tight margins and plenty of first-rate rivals, value for money remained central to any newcomer’s appeal.

With CO2 emissions of 114g/km, the 1.33-litre engine put the Yaris firmly in VED band C which is competitive, as was he five-year/100,000-mile warranty. The firm’s gold-plated reputation for robust, reliable cars cannot be overestimated among its repeat buyers.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 7

Used Toyota Yaris 2011-2020 review

Stylish small hatchback is robust and reliable - a used example should make the ideal urban commuter

Good

Solid refinement

Spacious interior

Good value for money

Bad

Busy styling of the front-end

Poor interior trim choices

Lifeless steering

The Yaris was a disappoint, not because it was bad, but because Toyota had allowed itself to be swayed from an original formula that might have resonated with a younger audience it initially hoped to reach.

Had it trusted itself to create another supermini blessed with a modicum of carefree spirit and imagination, the car would probably have merited more praise.

Instead, it produced a scaled-down version of its larger models, which made the Yaris a sturdy prospect for long-term investment but hardly a candidate for the kind of eager impulse purchases that feed small car sales figures.

In facelifted form, Toyota added an extra layer of style to the mix, and the car's upgraded interior helped to giving it a premium feel.

But given its huge resources, Toyota could have been expected to do better than that.

Rivals like the more engaging Mazda 2 and the best-selling Ford Fiesta, unfortunately, offered a more endearing and engaging overall package.

Those wanting something reliable and hassle-free, however, will find much to like from a used Toyota Yaris.

Sam Phillips

Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website.

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport.

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.