2020 Toyota Yaris review
The subcompact Toyota Yaris could be had in sedan or hatchback form for much of its production life. Under the hood was a small but efficient four-cylinder engine that fed power to the front wheels via either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission, though both were upgraded to six-speeds in 2019. Serving as Toyota’s least expensive model sold in the U.S., the Yaris emphasizes economy over acceleration. While highway passing power is in limited supply, the Yaris provides surprisingly spry handling and a taut suspension. The interior quality and design are also a cut above what one might expect at this price point.
Explore the evolution of the Toyota Yaris
Get our expert take on used Toyota Yaris models, or view year-by-year changes.
Third generation Toyota Yaris
For a simple and straightforward economy car, the Yaris had a somewhat complicated existence. Originally offered as a two- or four-door hatchback, a sedan was eventually introduced starting with the 2017 model year and was based on the Mazda2 (a model not sold in the U.S. market). Both sedan and hatchback versions delivered a lot of car for the money, with smartphone connectivity a standard feature by the end of production. With only 106 horsepower, the 1.5-liter four-cylinder gets easily winded when too much is asked of it. Yet in terms of economy, it delivers an impressive EPA-rated 35 mpg combined average in city and highway driving–this dips to 34 mpg combined with the six-speed manual
. If cargo capacity is a prime consideration, the hatchback provides 15.8 cubic feet of room compared to 13.5 cubic feet of trunk space in the sedan.Model highlights
Sedan and hatchback body styles
Impressive fuel economy
Six-speed manual or six-speed automatic (added in 2019)
Wired Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ (added in 2020)
Nimble handling
Attractive interior
Changes by year
Latest generation from 2012 - 2020
2020 Toyota Yaris
Highlights
Final year of production
Four-door hatchback returned to the lineup
Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ newly standard
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2019 Toyota Yaris
Highlights
Updated front and rear styling
Transmissions upgraded to six-speed automatic and six-speed manual
Only available as a sedan
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2018 Toyota Yaris
2017 Toyota Yaris
Highlights
Yaris iA sedan joined the lineup
Toyota Safety Sense™ became standard (hatchback)
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2016 Toyota Yaris
2015 Toyota Yaris
Highlights
Updated exterior styling
Standard infotainment system
Available navigation
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Reliability
RepairPal gave the Toyota Yaris an overall reliability rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, which RepairPal describes as Excellent. This rating ranks Toyota Yaris 1st out of 27 among Subcompact Cars.
RepairPal reports that the average total annual cost for repairs and maintenance on a Toyota Yaris is $281, compared to an average of $447 for Subcompact Cars and $591 for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
According to RepairPal, Toyota Yaris owners bring their vehicles into a repair shop for unscheduled repairs an average of 0.8 times per year, compared to an average of 1.0 times for Subcompact Cars and 1.3 times for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
RepairPal reported that the probability of a repair being a severe or major issue is 7% for the Toyota Yaris, compared to an average of 11% for Subcompact Cars and 14% for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
Nick Kurczewski has been writing about cars for more than 20 years, and his enthusiasm for journalism has led him to cover auto-related stories around the world. From blasting down the German autobahn to covering every major auto show, his stories have appeared in the New York Times, Car and Driver, U.S. News & World Report, Kelley Blue Book, Cars.com and the New York Daily News, where he served as head editor. Having once aspired to be a Formula One racer, Nick discovered sharing his passion for cars as a journalist is just as thrilling as dreaming of pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix.
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Statements of fuel economy or EV range are based on EPA and other third-party estimates for vehicles when new. Fuel economy and EV range will degrade with time and vary based on age, driving conditions, vehicle history, and other conditions. See fueleconomy.gov for more info.
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