Toyota Yaris review

The current fourth-generation Yaris is the most grown-up version yet (in the sense of it being mature and sophisticated, rather than the old sense where it was driven by mostly old people and driving instructors). It has a modern design, easy-to-use climate control buttons (real ones) and an optional 10-inch HUD which keeps your eyes on the road.

Is it roomy? 

There’s a reasonable amount of space up front: the Yaris is comfortable enough for long journeys as long as you make careful use of the cruise control to avoid too much revving.

The back is fine for kids, but the lack of rear headroom is a slight issue and would make things claustrophobic for back seat passengers if they’re much over average height. Short journeys aren’t a problem, but touring with the extended family wouldn’t be too much fun.

What about practicality? 

There are some decent little storage places around the cabin of the Yaris, but it’s far from the innovation of the first generation of the car. But we’d probably take the better quality and fancier tech these days to be fair.

The 286-litre boot is slightly down on most rivals, but compares reasonably well with that of a hybrid Clio. To be honest, it’s a little car with a boot that can cope with daily duties, and if you don't ask more of it than that you'll be golden.

What’s not so good?

The plastics on the centre console and lower dash are a bit cheap, plus the digital dials aren’t the easiest to look at. It can be difficult to get the right combination of information on display, too. The entry Icon models get analogue speedos, while the next trim up (Design) makes do with a 7.0in display before the car alights on its 12.3in digital dashboard.