Road Test: 2020 Toyota Yaris XLE Hatchback

Stylish, Fuel Efficient and Affordable

Toyota’s subcompact Yaris gets its name from the word Charites, who was the Greek goddess of charm and beauty. These two attributes are usually left for judges to ponder at a beauty contest, not used to describe a car. In the case of the fourth generation 2020 Yaris, Toyota just may have earned the right to have this stylish car on the runway.

Available as a hatchback and sedan, the 2020 Toyota Yaris has nimble handling and impressive fuel economy with a starting price under $16,000. So, for a student going away to school or as the commuter car, the Yaris offers a lot for the money.

Drivetrain

The front-wheel drive 2020 Toyota Yaris is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine putting out 106 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque while running on 87 octane gas. Clean Fleet Report’s Yaris had the six-speed automatic, which is the only transmission available on the hatchback model. A six-speed manual is standard on the Yaris sedan. The EPA rates fuel economy on the Yaris automatic at 32 city/40 highway/35 combined. During our time in the Yaris, we drove 255 miles of 75-percent highway and 25-percent city, where we averaged 38.0 mpg. However, over a 135-mile all-freeway run with the cruise control set at 65 mph, the average was 44.6 mpg. Exceeding the 40 mpg mark is important as the Yaris will certainly be used for commuting. Note: The EPA’s gas mileage formula is 45-percent highway and 55-percent city. Here in Southern California our 75-percent highway and 25-percent city driving pattern is far more real world and is why we report it to you.

While getting good gas mileage is nice, the reality is that the Yaris powertrain–engine and automatic transmission-does not make for spirited driving. To get the Yaris moving you have to keep your right foot planted, because nothing is happening very fast. We experienced zero-to-60 in about 9.6 seconds using the driver-selectable Sport mode. While it is plenty zippy around town and keeps-up with freeway traffic, passing a big rig takes some aforethought.

Driving Experience: On the Road

The Yaris is nimble, stable and composed, but not sporty. If sporty is what you are looking for, check-out the Toyota 86 and Supra. Now those are sporty! The Yaris handled better than expected considering the 16-inch, dark gray split-spoke alloy wheels were wearing all-season tires. It felt solid on the road, with little buffeting from big rigs or unexpected gusts of wind. The electric power-assisted rack and pinion steering was smooth and fairly neutral. Overall, the Yaris was easy to drive. Stopping was straight, with no fading from the front power-assisted ventilated discs and rear solid disc brakes, which were all part of the four-wheel anti-lock brake system.

Driving Experience: Exterior

The Yaris hatchback is new for 2020, joining the Yaris sedan. Clean Fleet Report’s Yaris XLE, painted a silver shade of Chromium, had a front end dominated by a large black mesh grille with chrome trim and horizontal nose slots running between the LED headlights. Halogen fog lights reside in the lower corners of the grille. From the side profile, most noticeable is the deep slant from the top of the windshield to the front grille. Continuing back, the sweeping windshield transitions to a flat roof, with a color-keyed shark fin antenna and a spoiler that extends about four inches over the rear hatch glass and wiper. The LED tail lights and a single, chrome-tipped exhaust pipe complete the rear view.

Driving Experience: Interior

Clean Fleet Report’s highly optioned Yaris XLE had synthetic leather black seats, with the fronts six-way manual adjustable for the driver and four-way for the passenger. While they lacked lumbar adjustments, the thigh and side bolstering were good, so you stayed planted when cornering. Visibility was very good. But, and this drives me crazy, there was no center armrest. Grrrr! The leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel had audio and telephone controls.

The Yaris had easy access to the rear seat where it is rated to carry three adults, but is better suited for two in comfort. Once out back, the seat back was a bit too upright, but head and leg room were good. Storage in the far back wasn’t as good as others in this class, but drop the 60/40 split bench rear seat and the Yaris becomes a great car for two taking a long weekend trip.

The dash layout is simple and clean with easy-to-find controls, such as the round HVAC knobs conveniently placed above the center console. The large round speedometer gauge, with black face and white numbers, can’t be missed, and is centered between smaller read-outs for a digital tachometer, fuel and fuel economy readings.

The 7.0-inch color touch-screen display, erupting from the dashboard, is home to an audio system with six speakers, with AM/FM/CD/MP3/AUX HD radio, SiriusXM (three-month free subscription), Apple CarPlay and Android Auto radio integration.

Regarding the audio system interface, we found it cumbersome to make band and channel changes. It required multiple steps to control a single function, and the need to use the center console-mounted selector knob resulted in diverting the driver’s eyes from the road. Maybe in time it becomes an easy operation that can be done all by touch, but there are many simpler systems that Clean Fleet Report has used. With the excellence of the Toyota line-up, their engineers could easily design a more user-friendly interface.

Safety and Convenience

The 2020 Yaris comes with safety and convenience features including eight air bags, remote keyless entry, anti-theft engine immobilizer and Toyota’s Active Safety System that includes dynamic stability control, traction control, brake assist and electronic brake force distribution.

Pricing and Warranties

The 2020 Yaris Hatchback is offered in two models–LE and XLE. The base pricing for the LE is $17,750, and the XLE at $18,750, which was the MSRP for Clean Fleet Report’s test car. All prices excluded the $955 delivery, processing and handling fee.

The 2020 Toyota Yaris comes with these warranties:

Observations: 2020 Toyota Yaris Hatchback XLE

The 2020 Toyota Yaris should be on your shopping list if you spend much of your time negotiating city streets, parking in tight spots or on a daily freeway commute.

If you are looking for economical transportation in a good looking small car, the Yaris has easily attainable 40+ mpg on the highway in a nicely designed car with a good selection of standard features. Your cost-of-ownership will be low, especially with the two years of complimentary service.

The subcompact and compact segments are full of worthy competitors, like the Kia Rio, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mazda3 and Nissan Versa. But the Yaris capably holds its own, especially since this is a Toyota after all, a perennial leader in offering solid cars with high quality.

Research the standard equipment that comes with the Yaris versus its competitors, and you will see first-hand how it fits your lifestyle. Possibly it will be a second car, or what your freshman son or daughter will take way to university. For either of these uses, you won’t go wrong.

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Whatever you buy, Happy Driving!

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Disclosure:

Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.

Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.