Toyota does not build many cars like the Toyota Yaris: a 3/5-door hatchback (1999–present) / 4-door Sedan (automobile) / sedan (1999–present) / 2-door coupe (1999–2005, as Echo), built from 1999 when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard.
The background
The Toyota Yaris (Japanese: トヨタ・ヤリス, Hepburn: Toyota Yarisu) is a supermini/subcompact car sold by Toyota since 1999, replacing the Starlet and Tercel. Up to 2019, Toyota had used the Yaris nameplate on export versions of various Japanese-market models, with some markets receiving the same vehicles under the Toyota Echo name through 2005. Starting in 2020, the Yaris nameplate began to be used in Japan, which replaced the Vitz nameplate. The Yaris nameplate has also been applied to other vehicles. From 1999 to 2005, it had been used for the Yaris Verso mini MPV sold in Europe, where it was known in Japan as the FunCargo.
Since 2020, the nameplate has also been used for the subcompact crossover SUV offering called Yaris Cross. In North America, most Yaris sedan models sold from 2015 to 2020 and Yaris hatchbacks sold from 2019 until 2020 were restyled versions of the Mazda 2, produced and developed by Mazda. In 2020, Toyota introduced the GR Yaris, which is a three-door, performance-oriented variant of the XP210 series Yaris using the Gazoo Racing branding. It is built as a homologation model for the FIA World Rally Championship. The name "Yaris" is derived from "Charis", the singular form of Charites, the Greek goddesses of charm and beauty. As of March 2020, the Yaris has sold 8.71 million units worldwide.
Under the skin
The record carries the shape — a 3/5-door hatchback (1999–present) / 4-door Sedan (automobile) / sedan (1999–present) / 2-door coupe (1999–2005, as Echo). The engine, output and weight have not yet reached the open record, and MotorJury does not guess at them.
Where it sits
Where it sits in Toyota's history is not in doubt: the Toyota Starlet / Toyota Tercel came before it. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the SEAT León, the BMW X5, the Honda S2000. Its Toyota stablemates include the Toyota Agya and the Toyota Calya.
The money
On the used market today a Toyota Yaris typically changes hands for $4,000–$12,800, and running it — fuel and maintenance at its age — costs about $2,598–$5,295 a year. Insurance sits around $900–$1,710 a year. The figures are class-level estimates from the federal record, with the formula on the methodology page; the model-year pages carry complaints, recalls and repair costs year by year.