Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Toyota Yaris - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The Toyota Yaris is a comfortable, sensible supermini, but rivals have bigger boots and offer more practicality

Practicality, comfort and boot space rating

3.7

How we review cars
Avg. savings
£1,809 off RRP*
Find your Toyota Yaris
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

The Toyota Yaris comes as a five-door model only and offers solid practicality for urban drivers. There are plenty of storage spaces and cubby holes for assorted items, along with cupholders, useful seatback pockets and two rear coat hooks.

The driving position and overall visibility are good, with the driver benefiting from a height-adjustable seat. Passenger seat height adjustment is fitted to the Excel trim. The steering wheel moves for reach and rake, helping to improve comfort over longer drives. Anyone looking for lumbar support must look at the Toyota Yaris Cross SUV, which gets electric lumbar adjustment from Design trim onwards.

Toyota has provided other useful touches as standard – all Yaris versions include a central armrest, automatic headlights and wipers and power-adjustable heated door mirrors. The rear seats also split-fold in a 60:40 configuration, which helps improve storage space.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Brighter LED headlights come with the mid-range Design trim to aid night driving, and all models come with a reversing camera to help with parking. Front and rear parking sensors are an option on Design models, and come as standard on Excel.

Size

The Yaris is slightly smaller than its predecessor, although Toyota has cleverly managed to increase the wheelbase by 50mm. Overall length is now 3,940mm, width 1,745mm and height 1,500mm. In comparison, the Honda Jazz is longer at 4,044mm, stands taller at 1,526mm, but its 1,694mm width makes it a little slimmer.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

Room for the driver and front passenger in the latest Yaris is acceptable, and the Japanese supermini's tall roof means headroom for rear-seat passengers is fine. However, knee room isn't as generous as rivals such as the Skoda Fabia

Two ISOFIX mounting points are provided on the rear bench's outer positions, but parents may want to try a Yaris before they buy, because the rear door opening is very small, which could make installing the seat and putting a child in the back difficult.

Boot space

Boot space for the Yaris stands at 286 litres, which is just about acceptable when judged against rivals. If you plan on carrying more luggage, you may want to take a closer look at some of the Yaris' rivals: the Honda Jazz provides a decent 304 litres, or 380 litres provided in the more generous Skoda Fabia. You can’t get an adjustable height boot floor, meaning there’s a sizable lip you need to lift heavier items over when loading up the boot.

Folding the rear seats flat in the Yaris increases overall capacity to a reasonable 947 litres, but the Jazz is much more useful in this regard because its seats fold flat into the floor, and leave a larger 1,205 litre chasm.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Toyota Yaris

Toyota Yaris

RRP £22,555Avg. savings £1,809 off RRP*Used from £12,720
Mazda 2 Hybrid

Mazda 2 Hybrid

RRP £24,280Avg. savings £1,600 off RRP*Used from £14,940
Mazda 2

Mazda 2

RRP £16,505Used from £10,200
Honda Jazz

Honda Jazz

RRP £22,005Avg. savings £2,185 off RRP*Used from £13,000
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Have you considered?

Vauxhall Corsa Electric review
Vauxhall Corsa Electric main image

Vauxhall Corsa Electric review

In-depth reviews
7 Apr 2025
MG3 Hybrid+ long-term test: sound system isn’t music to our ears
MG 3 Hybrid + long-term test - front 3/4

MG3 Hybrid+ long-term test: sound system isn’t music to our ears

Long-term tests
1 Apr 2025
Used Hyundai Bayon (Mk1, 2021-date) buyer’s guide: sensible prices help its appeal
Used Hyundai Bayon - front

Used Hyundai Bayon (Mk1, 2021-date) buyer’s guide: sensible prices help its appeal

Used car tests
20 Mar 2025

Most Popular

Carbon fibre could be banned as EU classifies it as a hazardous substance
Czinger teases 21C's carbon fibre bodywork

Carbon fibre could be banned as EU classifies it as a hazardous substance

Particulates emitted by the disposal of carbon fibre can be harmful to both machinery and human health
News
14 Apr 2025
New Citroen Holidays 2025 review: a cheaper and cheerful VW California campervan rival
Citroen Holidays - front

New Citroen Holidays 2025 review: a cheaper and cheerful VW California campervan rival

The new Citroen Holidays is the perfect option for those that want to camp on a budget
Road tests
15 Apr 2025
How green are electric cars? The truth about EV environmental impact and carbon footprints
Polestar 3 - front full width

How green are electric cars? The truth about EV environmental impact and carbon footprints

New figures from Polestar cast light on the big questions around EV sustainability and environmental impact compared to petrol cars
News
15 Apr 2025