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6 speed, Automatic w/OD, 6 speed, Manual w/OD
Regular Unleaded I-4
Front Wheel Drive
At their essence, cars exist to serve one purpose: to transport people and things from point A to point B. Everything else, such as comfort, style, performance, and entertainment, is extra. Sometimes, you just want to pay the least amount of money for a machine that will simply get you from here to there.
Toyota answers that need in the form of the Yaris hatchback and Yaris iA sedan, its least expensive offerings in the United States. But because you use and interact with any vehicle on a day-to-day basis, and they are, even in their most basic form, a huge outlay of money, you want to feel a little bit of enthusiasm for your investment. Of Toyota's two low-priced offerings, it is the Yaris iA that looks and feels like something more than the sum of its parts.
Why is that? Essentially, the Yaris iA is a rebadged Mazda 2. Mazda does not sell its smallest car in the U.S. market, instead allowing Toyota to replace the badges and install a revised front fascia. Otherwise, the iA sedan is 100% genuine Mazda, and that goes a long way toward making it pleasurable to drive.
For this review, we evaluated a 2017 Toyota Yaris iA with the optional automatic transmission. Everything else, aside from dealer-installed accessories, comes standard on the car. The price came to $17,935, including the $885 destination charge.
Before we discuss the results of our evaluation of the new 2017 Toyota Yaris iA, it's helpful to understand who bought the previous version of this small car, the Scion iA, and what they liked most and least about it.
Compared with the average buyer in the Small Car category, buyers of the iA are more likely to be women (55% vs. 51% segment avearge), are much younger in terms of median age (40 years old vs. 50 years old), and earn less money in terms of median household income ($54,028 vs. $56,458). Nearly half (49%) belong to Gen Y (those born 1977 to 1994) or Gen Z (1995 and later).
Overwhelmingly, those who purchased a Scion iA identify themselves as price buyers (55%). Surprisingly, they are only slightly less likely to agree that they prefer to buy a vehicle from a domestic company (41% vs. 48%).
Scion iA buyers are more likely to agree that their first consideration in choosing a vehicle is miles per gallon (89% vs. 84%). They also prefer to drive a vehicle that stands out from the crowd (71% vs. 56%) and offers responsive handling and powerful acceleration (85% vs. 81%). Otherwise, their sentiments about their vehicles align with buyers of all small cars.
Buyers say their favorite things about the iA are (in descending order) the fuel economy, interior design, exterior styling, driving dynamics, and the infotainment system. Buyers indicate their least favorite things about the iA are (in descending order) the visibility and safety, climate control system, seats, engine/transmission, and storage and space.
In the sections that follow, our expert provides her own assessment of how the new 2017 Yaris iA performs in each of the 10 categories that comprise the JD Power 2016 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study.SM
Speaking of Mazda, creating a well-designed cabin is that automaker's forte, and we can appreciably report that Toyota's bean counters did little to intervene. Look up the plain-Jane interior of a Yaris hatchback and compare it with that of the iA and the differences will be immediately apparent.
Most of the interior materials in the Yaris iA are of decent quality and are tactilely pleasing. Little flourishes like blue stitching on the seats, deftly integrated air vents, and a freestanding infotainment screen display do plenty to raise visual interest. In fact, the Yaris iA's interior quality is superior to that of some of the bigger (and more expensive) lower-trim level Toyotas.
If the look and feel of a vehicle's cabin is important to you, the Yaris iA will satisfy. It's no wonder the interior is one of the most favorite things mentioned by this car's buyers.
The Yaris iA's ability to confidently fling itself into corners reveals its Mazda lineage. On kinky roads, it dives into curves and sticks to them fairly well, revealing a lightness and liveliness that often eludes small, inexpensive vehicles. I could barely tell that it employs a primitive torsion-beam rear axle suspension.
In any case, it's hard to get yourself into too much trouble with a small, meek engine. And truth be told, the Yaris iA's tires don't let you carry too much speed around bends in the road. Nevertheless, the precise steering, well-modulated brakes (despite rear drums), and overall spirited response was a nice–and unexpected–surprise.
And, of course, its diminutive exterior dimensions means that it's a cinch to pivot and park into tight spaces.
Not having a lot of cash to spend on a new car certainly limits choices. Thankfully, many carmakers still vie for those dollars with an array of subcompact vehicles that sometimes succeed at making you feel like you're getting more for your money than you expected.
The 2017 Toyota Yaris iA sedan is just that sort of car. It might be basic, but the nice cabin, free maintenance for 2 years or 25,000 miles, standard safety features, impressive interior materials, and the engaging driving dynamics make you feel like you're getting a goodie bag.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. supplied the vehicle used for this 2017 Toyota Yaris iA review.
