Toyota Yaris Review 2024

Toyota Yaris At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
The Toyota Yaris has crystal clear appeal. Okay, so it’s not the cheapest small car around, but its smart looks and high-tech interior make it feel like a pint-sized Lexus, a notion that’s backed up by its quiet hybrid drivetrain and standard autonomous driving aids.

+Looks great on the outside and isn't too shabby on the inside either. Hybrid engine is cheap to run and relaxing. Autonomous aids make long drives painless.

-You get lots of kit, but it is quite pricey. Not as well rounded as a Volkswagen Polo.

New prices start from £20,820, brokers can source from £20,691
Insurance Group 14
On average it achieves 0% of the official MPG figure

If you're looking for a small car you really are spoilt for choice. There's the Ford Fiesta which is great to drive, the Volkswagen Polo that is comfortable and practical and the Peugeot 208 which is stylish to the bone and also available as a pure electric car. The Toyota Yaris gets close to matching these cars in all areas while majoring on comfort and fuel economy – thanks to its suite of autonomous driving aids and petrol-electric setup. Read on for our fuell review of the Toyota Yaris.

If the Toyota Yaris was a European country it would be Sweden. Famed for being taxing on the wallet, Sweden rewards your investment by providing an excellent quality of life. 

In much the same way, the Yaris comes loaded with technology that’s expensive but ultimately makes your life better. 

Thankfully, we can drop the Swedish analogy at the Toyota Yaris’s styling because it’s pure Japanese. A jumble of creases and curves, sharp edges, with a hint of origami, bookended by a gaping grille and pair of attractively protruding tail lights. It’s a Yaris that, whisper it, looks great. 

The inside doesn’t quite match these high standards. Its slabby looking infotainment screen rises awkwardly (if practically) out the top of the dashboard, but the rest of the cabin is lovingly sculpted. You even get a thick seam of squishy plastic that’ll keep Volkswagen’s head of perceived quality trembling under their duvet. 

Volkswagen’s head of practicality – if such a job existed – would get off more lightly because, while the Yaris supermini is quite practical for its size, it’s not as spacious in the back as the Polo and it’s boot isn’t as well designed or as roomy.

That’s about where the negatives end, mind you, because the Toyota Yaris is near enough a class-leader in every other respect and it goes about it in its own unique way, just as it has with previous generations of Toyota's supermini contender. 

Take the hybrid engine, it serves up spectacular fuel economy almost irrespective of how or where you drive. Its ability to drive in silent electric power almost all the time in town makes the Yaris extremely relaxing to potter about in and it’ll take you all the way up to motorway speeds without stirring the petrol engine.

It’s at this point that Toyota Yaris pulls another trick out its sleeve – its comprehensive suite of autonomous driving aids. Bang up to date, they’ll keep the Yaris arrow straight in its lane and around curves while braking and accelerating with a deft smoothness that serves only to expose the poor quality of driving of the humans around you. 

Sure, you have to keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel, but it cuts down on fatigue and makes long motorway slogs less exhausting as a result. It makes the Yaris the small car to have if you do lots of long-distance driving. 

It's worth saving your energy because when you turn off onto an A road you realise the Toyota Yaris is actually decent fun. It grips well and steers with precision. It’s not a genuine driver's car like a Ford Fiesta but, unlike the old Yaris, it is at least playing the same sport.

And anyway, like Sweden, you sense Toyota hasn’t tried to copy anyone else – it's made things better by going its own way. So, while the Yaris isn’t the last word in dynamics or the very best in terms of practicality, it makes up for that with its smart design, relaxing drive and unnervingly good fuel economy. And we can't ignore Toyota's enviable reputation for reliability

It's no longer just the safe choice, instead the Toyota Yaris is a desirable car that just so happens to also be very sensible. 

Ask Honest John

What car do you suggest for driving primarily on rural roads?

"My wife and I live in the countryside and are looking for a car suitable for driving primarily on rural roads. We would both wish to drive the car but our respective hieghts of 6ft3 (me) and 5ft1 (wife) create some issues. My wife does have her own car too. My current car is a Golf GT TDI which I enjoy driving. The car needs to be capable of occasional journeys of 250 -300 miles when we visit our grown up family and I prefer the convenience of a hatchback. Can you suggest some suitable cars, new or used within a budget of £20K "
We'd recommend a Toyota Yaris Hybrid. It's smaller than your Golf and should be comfortable for your wife while also being up to the job of longer journeys. The Yaris Cross is worth a look, too - it's a small SUV with a higher seating position that might instil a little more confidence on rural roads.
Answered by Andrew Brady

Should we buy a hybrid car?

"Could you recommend the best buy for us? We're after a new hybrid car for a retired professional couple? We do approximately 5000 miles/year. Most of our traveling is local city running, except when we travel to Sheffield/Glasgow from the West Midlands to our children's (that is about 6 times/year.) We currently own a Toyota Yaris petrol which has low mileage. Should we buy a new hybrid or just stick with the old car? "
If you like your current Yaris then I wouldn't be in too much of a rush to change it - the Yaris has an excellent reliability record and it'll have lots of life left in it yet. That said, the newer Toyota Yaris Hybrid (launched in 2020) is an excellent car and will feel like a step up in terms of interior quality. You could also look at the Yaris Cross, which is a small SUV with a slightly higher driving position than the Yaris. We rate the bigger Toyota Corolla hatchback, too.
Answered by Andrew Brady

I have been waiting four months for my Toyota mud flaps, what are my options?

"I purchased a new Toyota Yaris Hybrid in Sept 2023 and am very happy with the car. My order included supply and fitting of mud flaps. On collection I was told that Toyota had no stock of mud flaps but that they would be fitted later. 4 months on my dealer still says they have no stock and no ETA. Looking at the Toyota user forums its seems this is a very common problem on many Toyota models.. What should I do? How long is it reasonable to wait and are my consumer rights affected?"
If the part is in short supply then the unfortunate consequence of this is a long wait, which has likely affected other customers. You have the option to make regular enquiries about the outstanding parts, but if you are not prepared to wait any longer your best option may be to ask for a refund and source a set of mudflaps from an aftermarket supplier.
Answered by David Ross

What's a good small car for motorway driving?

"What would be a reliable car for motorway driving 4 times a week but a small car?"
The latest Toyota Yaris Hybrid could be a good choice - it's a small car that's very reliable and comfortable, even on the motorway. You could also look at the excellent Volkswagen Polo.
Answered by Andrew Brady
More Questions

What does a Toyota Yaris cost?

Buy new from £20,691(list price from £22,630)