Murphy Auto Group

   The 2011 Toyota Yaris is a subcompact economy car that is available as a three-door hatchback, five-door hatchback and four-door sedan. Each body style comes in just one trim: base. Standard features include 14-inch steel wheels, intermittent windshield wipers, air-conditioning, four-way-adjustable front seats and a tilt steering wheel. The sedan adds a few items over the hatchbacks, like a tachometer, a height-adjustable driver seat and a remote trunk release. Speakers are pre-wired, but a radio is not offered as standard equipment.

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Most options are grouped into progressive packages with only a few stand-alone features available. The Convenience package adds 60/40-split rear seats (slide/recline for the hatchbacks), 15-inch wheels, a rear-window wiper for hatchback models and a CD/MP3 player with auxiliary audio jack and satellite radio. The Power package includes the Convenience package items and tacks on power accessories and keyless entry. The Sport package adds to the Power package with exterior styling enhancements, iPod integration, sport seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Stand-alone options include foglights and cruise control.

Powertrains and Performance

The front-wheel-drive 2011 Toyota Yaris is powered by a 1.5-liter inline-4 engine with an output of 106 hp and 103 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, with a four-speed automatic available as an option. In an Edmunds test, a Yaris with an automatic transmission took a leisurely 10.7 seconds to reach 60 mph, which is on the slow side relative to the competition. The manual transmission offers just a bit more pep.

The superb fuel economy of the Toyota Yaris is one of its strongest selling points. At an EPA-estimated 29 mpg city/36 mpg highway and 32 mpg combined, the manual-equipped Yaris sips less gas than most of the competition. Opting for the automatic drops these numbers to 29/35/31 mpg.

Safety

Standard safety features include antilock brakes and side curtain airbags, as well as traction and stability control. In government testing, the Yaris sedan scored four out of five stars for frontal- and side-impact protection for all occupants. In frontal crash tests, the three- and five-door hatchbacks scored five stars for driver protection and four stars for passenger protection; side-impact tests netted five stars for front passenger protection and three stars for those in the rear. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Yaris sedan its highest score of "Good" for frontal- and side-impact protection for all occupants.

Interior Design and Special Features

Both 2011 Totoya Yaris hatchbacks feature cramped rear seats, but the optional slide/recline function adds a bit more comfort to compensate. The sedan measures 18.7 inches longer than the hatchbacks, offering a reasonably spacious cabin for a subcompact. Styling differs slightly between the sedan and the hatchbacks, with the sedan being more sedate.