Toyota Yaris

The Toyota Yaris’ interior is the most upscale and cutting-edge of the subcompacts. It is clean and sharp, and above all, comfortable. Visibility through its large glass windows and unobstructed sightlines make the Yaris an easy car to drive.

The Yaris’ small outer shell deceivingly hides quite a bit of interior space. Passenger room for both the sedan and the liftback is a little less than what’s offered by the Fit and the Versa, but all three are still in the same ballpark.

Cargo room is a bit of a different story. The rear seatbacks fold down to expand cargo capacity from 9.3 cubic feet to an adequate 25.7 cubic feet in the liftback version. The sedan, however, offers only 13.7 cubic feet. For comparison, the Fit’s total cargo volume is an expansive 41.9 cubic feet, a significant advantage in this area. If carting gear is your primary concern, the Yaris may not be your first choice.

As far as standard features go, there are very few. Even the stereo is just a prep package with no head unit (just speakers). That’s practically unheard of. To have a well-equipped Yaris, be prepared to pay for individual and packaged options.

Passenger safety is the function of a reinforced cabin with crash energy-absorbing side panels. But only front airbags comes standard, compared to the Fit’s “Safety For All” approach, which incorporates standard front, side, and head curtain protection.