Toyota Yaris TR 1.0 VVT-i 3dr Car Review - March 2012

Compared to other city cars on the market, the Toyota Yaris TR 1.0 VVT-i 3dr doesn’t offer the same high-quality driving experience although the new model is 20kg lighter than its predecessor which should improve driving dynamics. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case and the end result is a little disappointing. The Yaris struggles with sudden changes of direction and bumps in the road are not always cushioned by the suspension. This makes the car much more suited to leisurely city driving as opposed to motorway cruising.

The engine hums quietly at town speeds but you can really hear the difference when you hit the open road with the engine making its presence known at higher revs. The car delivers 68bhp at 6000rpm with 68 lb-ft of torque at 3600 rpm. This gives it a top speed of 96mph, although 0-62mph takes place in an agonisingly slow 15.3 seconds.

The Toyota Yaris TR 1.0 VVT-i 3dr offers a striking exterior, which consists of angular headlights, a sculpted bonnet and a double grille, which is complemented by chrome trim.

Despite the exterior being so impressive, owners are left feeling a little let down by the interior of the Toyota Yaris TR 1.0 VVT-i 3dr. The inside feels like it has been designed to a budget and thinly padded seats will get uncomfortable on long trips.

The textured plastics also feel a little tacky and overall the quality of the interior seems to have suffered. The list of standard features is fairly good however and drivers will benefit from kit such as stability control and power steering as standard along with luxuries such as rear parking sensors and a stereo with MP3 connectivity.

Toyota are known for making some of the most reliable cars around and the Yaris TR 1.0 VVT-i 3dr is no different. The engine in the Toyota Yaris TR 1.0 VVT-i 3dr is similar to that of the previous model and drivers are likely to have no qualms over the quality, safety and reliability of this new model.

This model also achieved the full five star safety rating in the NCAP crash tests thanks to its advanced safety kit which offers a remarkable seven airbags as standard.

In terms of practicality, you will find an impressive amount of space in the Yaris as well as an assortment of gadgets. The interior dashboard has been cleverly designed and offers an array of well thought out features. These include an easy to use touchscreen control system that ingeniously doubles up as a satnav and reversing camera screen display.

The seats have been designed to maximise the space on offer and are cleverly placed in order to ensure that the rear-seated passengers are well catered for when it comes to legroom. The Yaris’s boot has also increased in size and offers 347 litres of storage space when the seats are in place and 768 litres when the rear seats are folded down.

The Yaris is sensibly priced at £12,260 and running costs should be low. You'll get 58.9 mpg on the combined cycle and CO2 emissions of 111g/km put the Yaris TR 1.0 VVT-i 3dr in VED band C so road tax will be cheap as well.

However, the Yaris is not cheap enough to offer a significant price advantage over its competitors- the Ford Fiesta can be had for less cash and is a substantially better car.