2020 Toyota Yaris review
Toyota Yaris highlights
Customer rating
Pros
- Responsive road handling
- Classy interior finishing
Mileage (EPA estimate)
30 city, 39 highway, 34 combined
Pricing for current inventory
(no current inventory)
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Compact practicality with tons of space.
Versatile and practical, the 2020 Toyota Yaris has all the features most people would ask for in a small vehicle. It offers sedan or hatchback body styles, the former being a four-door option aimed at families and the latter prioritizing cargo space for smaller families or couples. It's a car that boasts plenty of driver aids and creature comforts, as well as a level of interior attractiveness that's often reserved for more luxurious options. It's a car that's practical but still enjoyable to drive—you don't have to sacrifice fun for function.
All Toyota Yaris years
What is new for the 2020 Toyota Yaris?
- Yaris trims have been upgraded with Remote Start, Parking Sensors, Lane Departure Warning, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Navigation System, and Entune as standard equipment this year.
- The L trim now comes with Rear Spoiler as standard equipment.
- The XLE trim now comes with Cloth Seats as standard equipment.
2020 Toyota Yaris trims
Toyota Yaris L
Includes seven-inch infotainment touchscreen, Bluetooth, two USB ports, rearview camera, forward collision warning, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and keyless entry.
Toyota Yaris LE:
Available as a sedan or hatchback. Includes all L features plus fog lights, heated side mirrors, and 16-inch alloy wheels.
Toyota Yaris XLE
Available as a sedan or hatchback. Adds synthetic leather upholstery, LED lights, rain-sensing wipers, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Toyota Yaris photos
5 reasons to buy the 2020 Toyota Yaris
1. Plenty of features
The 2020 Toyota Yaris has everything you could hope for in a subcompact car, and it's all easy to use. For entertainment, there's a seven-inch touchscreen equipped with Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ integration, plus Bluetooth® connectivity and a six-speaker stereo. As for driver aids, the base model of the 2020 Toyota Yaris offers brake assist and traction control, with the two highest trims adding integrated turn signal mirrors.
2. Good-looking interior
There's a reason the 2020 Toyota Yaris has such good-looking interiors—it's made to mimic Mazda vehicles, as the Yaris was in fact built in partnership with Mazda. The interior features clean, uncluttered lines, made with a mixture of hard and soft plastics. Not quite luxury vehicle levels, but certainly more plush than most others in this class.
3. Easy-access cargo space
You get a surprising amount of space inside this small car. The amount of cargo space itself is also higher-than-average, with 13.5 cu-ft for the sedan and 15.8 cu-ft for the hatchback with the rear seats upright. More importantly, the hatchback's rear liftgate makes it very easy to fit unwieldy items that would otherwise be challenging to load.
4. Various trims for various needs
There are five different trims for the 2020 Toyota Yaris, offering something slightly different for each. The Toyota Yaris L, Yaris LE, and Yaris XLE are all sedans, the XLE being automatic transmission-only while the L and LE offer automatic or manual. The LE and XLE both come in automatic hatchback versions, which share the same features as their sedan counterparts in a slightly different-shaped package.
5. Straightforward infotainment system
All 2020 Toyota Yaris models come with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and it's beautifully easy to use. It sits high on the dashboard, making access as simple as it can be, and the controls are crystal clear for tapping and swiping. As an added bonus, the navigation system can be added at any time to any of the trims, thanks to the fact that the hardware required is built-in—great news when you're shopping used.
Similar vehicles
If you're interested in the 2020 Toyota Yaris, you should also check out these similar vehicles from Previous generation years.
The Honda Fit is a compact yet spacious vehicle, with high-end interiors and great handling. The 2017–2020 model has an impressive 52.7 cu-ft of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and that space can be customized thanks to the configurable Magic Seat. It allows movement of the rear seat cushions, allowing you to stow taller items, while the front passenger seat can be folded for other very large or unwieldy objects.
Standard features on the 2017–2020 Honda Fit include:
Brake assist
Keyless entry
Steering wheel controls
The Hyundai Accent is an attractive choice for small families and couples that like lots of cargo room for adventures. It's a simple vehicle with a straightforward infotainment system, and the 2017–2021 models offer a four-cylinder engine with six-speed transmission. 2018 brought a fully redesigned version of the Accent, introducing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and the hatchback style was discontinued for 2019 onward.
Standard features on the 2017–2021 Hyundai Accent include:
Power mirrors
Auto-off headlights
Tire pressure monitoring system
With a styling refresh for 2017, the Nissan Versa is another subcompact with plenty of room in its upscale cabin. The 2017–2019 base model has 90.2 cu-ft of passenger room, which shrunk very slightly to 88.9 cu-ft in 2020. However, it was part of 2020's full redesign which also boosted the base hp from 109 to 122.
Standard features of the 2017–2021 Nissan Versa include:
Power mirrors
Remote trunk release
MP3 player
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Ratings & 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.
Toyota Yaris features and specs
LE 2WD 4D Hatchback
Standard Features
- ABS Brakes
- Air Conditioning
- Alloy Wheels
- AM/FM Stereo
- Android Auto
- Apple CarPlay
- Automatic Transmission
- Auxiliary Audio Input
- Bluetooth Technology
- Cloth Seats
- Cruise Control
- Lane Departure Warning
- Overhead Airbags
- Parking Sensors
- Power Locks
- Power Mirrors
- Power Windows
- Rear Defroster
- Rear Spoiler
- Rear View Camera
- Satellite Radio Ready
- Side Airbags
- Smart Key
- Traction Control
- Cloth Seats
- Navigation System
Drive Wheels
Front Wheel Drive (2WD)
Engine size
1.5L
Horsepower
106
Torque (ft-lbs)
103
Engine type
Gas
Fuel capacity
11.6
Wheelbase
101.2"
Overall length
161.6"
Width
66.7"
Height
58.9"
Leg room
F 41.9"/R 34.4"
Head room
F 38.2"/R 37.2"
Front tires
P185/60HR16
Rear tires
P185/60HR16
Seating capacity
5
Transmission
Automatic
2020 Toyota Yaris FAQ
The 2020 Toyota Yaris offers five trims and all of them have automatic transmission availability. The XLE is automatic-only for both sedan and hatchback, while L and LE models are available in automatic or manual.
The Toyota Yaris Tech Pack is available with the 1.5 Hybrid model and includes JBL® premium sound system with eight speakers, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a 10-inch full-color head-up display.
The Toyota Yaris 1.5 Hybrid model has a 10-inch full-color head-up display as part of its Tech Pack. It's a projected display of important information that shows up on the windscreen, meaning the driver doesn't have to look away from the road.
More about the 2020 Toyota Yaris
Color options
Exterior colors:
Chromium
Frost
Graphite
Icicle
Pulse
Sapphire
Stealth
Interior colors:
Black (XLE only)
Blue Black (L and LE only)
Gray
Interior details
The 2020 Toyota Yaris seats five passengers, whether you choose sedan or hatchback. The materials used in the interior for every trim give the vehicle a sophisticated feel. You'll be pleased to know, there's a very good amount of space for everybody too, with 41.9-inches of legroom in the front and 34.4-inches in the back. Headroom is also decent, with 38.2-inches in the front and 36.8-inches in the back.
The sedan trims have 13.5 cu-ft of cargo space, while the hatchbacks have 15.8 cu-ft with the rear seats upright. Fairly generous for a subcompact, and enough for a hefty shopping trip or a couple of weeks' worth of luggage.
Child seat details
The 2020 Toyota Yaris can fit up to three child seats in the second row. For the outboard seats, the 2020 Yaris has two complete sets of LATCH connectors, and for the middle, a tether-only connection.
Performance
The 2020 Toyota Yaris achieves 106 hp with a 1.5 L four-cylinder engine. The L and LE sedan trims offer automatic or manual transmissions, while the LE and XLE hatchbacks are automatic-only. Automatic trims of the 2020 Toyota Yaris give an EPA-estimated 35 mpg combined, while the manual versions offer an EPA-estimated 34 mpg combined.
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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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