7th Place: Toyota Yaris

Overview:

The Yaris is relatively inexpensive by this group's standards and gets the best gas mileage. That's a solid combination for an economy car. A relatively spacious interior and solid crash test scores are nice features, too. But taller drivers may not be able to make themselves comfortable behind the wheel, and some may not be able to accept the car's lack of power and small center-mounted gauge cluster. Also, there are cheaper cars in this group than the Yaris. Don't just be swayed by the high fuel efficiency numbers on the window sticker; there's more to a car than that. But if you fit comfortably and can adjust to its quirks and lack of power, it's certainly worth a look.

Driving the Yaris:

The Yaris rides comfortably, but its light weight prevents a truly settled feel on the highway or over some bumps. Handling is rather sloppy for a small car (though safe) and the steering is numb and could react faster. Its light weight lets the small engine deliver adequate performance around town, but it strains at harder high-speed acceleration. It is rather noisy under acceleration and at highway-speed cruise as well, though wind and road noise are adequately suppressed. Gas mileage leads the group, at least.

Inside the Yaris:

Inside, the Yaris offers roomy and high-mounted but small and shapeless seats in the front and rear. The interior is very basic with many hard plastics, but it is well-assembled. Visibility is good, but a telescoping steering column would make taller drivers a lot more comfortable behind the wheel. The center-mounted gauges take getting used to and should be larger and angled towards the driver. The instruments are at least well laid out and easy  to use. Entry/exit is easy to the front and rear. The trunk is roomy for a subcompact car, and it is well-shaped.

Yaris pricing:

The Yaris is no less expensive than many competing larger cars, but at $16,106 it's on the cheaper end of the group overall. At that price, it isn't missing any key features, but doesn't add anything extra either.

Conclusion:

The Yaris is the closest thing to a good basic economy car on the market today. Never mind its subcompact dimensions, as its interior space and price both put it out of the league of the similarly-sized Chevrolet Aveo and Hyundai Accent. But with a reasonably comfortable interior, top-notch gas mileage, solid crash-test scores, and fair enough pricing, it's worth a look. Just be prepared to put up with the traditional flaws of a basic economy car: a weak engine and a budget-grade interior. The Yaris also tosses in an unfortunate gauge placement and a driving position that may not suit taller drivers. Be well aware of what you give up in buying a basic economy car, and how close some more pleasant competitors come to matching its basic qualities before buying.

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