Used 2009 Toyota Yaris Pricing

more about this model

Class-leading fuel economy, impressive rear legroom and rear-seat adjustability.

Paltry cargo space, weak engine, four-speed automatic transmission, uncomfortable driving position, center-mounted gauges.

One of the newest additions to the growing compact hatchback segment is the 2009 Toyota Yaris four-door hatchback. It fills out the Yaris model lineup (which previously consisted of a two-door hatchback and a four-door sedan) to satisfy shoppers who want something bigger than the two-door but would like to retain the utility of a rear hatch.

We tested a fairly loaded Yaris S with an MSRP of $17,953 (which includes the $1,290 Power package and remote keyless entry among its options). (Note that for 2010, the S trim level has been eliminated in favor of an optional Sport package.) Like a lot of modern hatchbacks, this newest Yaris incarnation is easy to drive, looks good enough (in a blend-in-with-the-crowd sort of way) and stows a surprising amount of cargo. It's a competent, fuel-efficient and useful little car, and it's moderately priced. But when compared to other offerings in the budget four-door hatch category, its few charms aren't enough to beat out competitors like the Honda Fit and Toyota's own Scion xD.

Like every 2009 Toyota Yaris, our test car had a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 106 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque. Even for a small and light car like the Yaris hatchback, that's not much to work with (most competitors have at least 10 hp more than this), and you really feel its limitations when an evasive maneuver requires aggressive acceleration. The engine can also get loud and buzzy when pushed hard, but it remains quiet if you're easy on the throttle.

Though it's fairly smooth, the automatic transmission has only four forward speeds (compared to the five in the Honda Fit's automatic), which further saps the car's already limited power. Thankfully, the Yaris' class-leading fuel economy makes up for some of its performance shortcomings: With EPA estimates of 29 mpg city and 35 mpg highway, it beats out most of the competition by a couple of miles per gallon.

Braking distances from 60 mph to zero were fairly consistent even after several braking runs, with a best stop of 128 feet. This is about average for the class and better than the Honda Fit. Pedal feel is adequately firm, with limited travel before the brakes start to engage. Antilock brakes are newly standard on the 2009 Yaris, which felt appropriately stable when the ABS was engaged.

Quick and light steering makes parking a snap. On-center feel is decent but tactile it is not. Although the Yaris S is hardly what we'd call fun, it provides more grins and confidence than the non-sport-tuned Yaris sedan. If you're looking for a capable, reliable commuter car, the Yaris will meet your needs, but shoppers hoping to wring a little fun from their sensible daily driver are better served by the Fit.

While not tops in terms of comfort, the 2009 Toyota Yaris is acceptably accommodating for an economy hatchback. The suspension on our Yaris S test car was not very forgiving over bumps of any size, but this is something that most are probably willing to overlook in a budget-conscious car. An acceptable amount of wind noise makes its way into the cabin at higher speeds, but road noise is a bit more universally prevalent, in the form of a general low-level rumble, especially on the highway. But it's still quieter than the Fit.

With slightly above-average headroom, plus decent shoulder and legroom, the front seat is fairly accommodating of variously sized passengers. However, the lack of a telescoping steering wheel made it hard for taller drivers to find a comfortable driving position. Tall and short drivers alike complained about the lack of seat height adjustment. Long-term seat comfort was also average for an economy car. Spongy and unsupportive seat cushions caused posterior discomfort after about an hour of driving, and the absence of lumbar support left some of us with achy backs.

Rear passengers can fine-tune their seating position thanks to the Yaris' optional reclining seatback and fore/aft seat adjustability (the latter allowing impressive legroom for a compact car when the seat is slid all the way back). Overall, rear headroom is good for most, but a slightly intrusive rear roof pillar can make things feel tight on the sides. Unfortunately, both the seat cushion and the seatback are quite flat and hard, so even if your seating position is ideal, you may not want to spend much time back there.

The Yaris' orange backlit gauges are straightforward and clear, though the center-mounted location is nonintuitive, not canted toward the driver and too far away from your line of sight. The three large climate control knobs are simple and easy to use, and their vertical placement in the center console makes good use of the limited space and allows plenty of knee room for both driver and front passenger.

Audio system controls are mostly uncomplicated, with a good mix of button sizes and shapes for easy differentiation and a squat volume knob. The tuning "knob" is the one complication in the mix: It's not a knob, but a multiuse four-way toggle switch that controls not just tuning, but sound level adjustments and the optional iPod interface, too. The latter isn't the easiest example of this technology to use, but its presence in a car at this price point is certainly welcome. Unfortunately, when plugged in, your iPod rests out in the open rather than in the glovebox away from prying eyes.

With three large gloveboxes and a wide, rubberized tray at the base of the center stack, the Yaris doesn't lack for interior storage compartments. Cupholders, however, leave a bit to be desired. Folks in the front seats each get one outboard dash-mounted drawer that pulls out to reveal a flimsy, non-adjustable but conveniently located cupholder. All three rear passengers must fight for the solitary cupholder at the rear of the center console.

Cargo space is another area where the 2009 Toyota Yaris falls short of its competitors. There's not quite 10 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. That's less than half what the Fit has and considerably less than in the Kia Rio or Nissan Versa. With the optional 60/40-split rear seat folded flat, that number jumps to 26 cubic feet, which sounds impressive until you compare it to the stats of the Fit and Versa (57 and 50 cubic feet, respectively). Making matters worse, folding the rear seat results in a large gap between the folded seats and the cargo area where small items can easily get lost.

The Yaris' fairly spacious rear seat made child safety seat installation and use a bit easier than in some compact hatchbacks, but you must slide the seat all the way back for rear-facing seats. Also, the latch points are located deep down at the base of the bench, so reaching them can be difficult.

On the outside, our Absolutely Red Yaris S test car looked understatedly playful, with its moderately plump European city-car styling, snub nose, S trim level body kit and large, friendly headlights. The compact hatchback's interior design is clean and modern, with all gauges and controls nestled into a uniform stack in the center of the dark gray dash.

Materials quality is decent for this price point and about even with most competitors. The cloth upholstery on the Yaris S is soft to the touch, comfortable to sit on and appears long-wearing, but you wouldn't call it plush (in appearance, it reminded some of us of a black mesh football jersey stretched over a white T-shirt). The textured plastic on the dash has an attractive waffle-weave design, and most of the controls feel solid, especially for this price point.

If you prize slightly higher fuel economy, a slightly lower price and mild styling in your reliable four-door econo-hatch, the 2009 Toyota Yaris S might be a good choice for you. But the Honda Fit is a better all-around compact hatchback.

Others To Consider
Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa, Scion xD.

The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.

Is the 2009 Toyota Yaris a good car?
Edmunds experts have compiled a robust series of ratings and reviews for the 2009 Toyota Yaris and all model years in our database. Our rich content includes expert reviews and recommendations for the 2009 Yaris featuring deep dives into trim levels and features, performance, mpg, safety, interior, and driving. Edmunds also offers expert ratings, road test and performance data, long-term road tests, first-drive reviews, video reviews and more.

Our Review Process
All of our reviews are written by a member of Edmunds' editorial team of expert car reviewers. Our team drives every car you can buy. We put the vehicles through rigorous testing, evaluating how they drive and comparing them in detail to their competitors.

We're also regular people like you, so we pay attention to all the different ways people use their cars every day. We want to know if there's enough room for our families and our weekend gear and whether or not our favorite drink fits in the cupholder. Our editors want to help you make the best decision on a car that fits your life.

How do people like the 2009 Toyota Yaris?
Consumer ratings and reviews are also available for the 2009 Toyota Yaris and all its trim types. Overall, Edmunds users rate the 2009 Yaris 4.7 on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. Edmunds consumer reviews allow users to sift through aggregated consumer reviews to understand what other drivers are saying about any vehicle in our database. Detailed rating breakdowns (including performance, comfort, value, interior, exterior design, build quality, and reliability) are available as well to provide shoppers with a comprehensive understanding of why customers like the 2009 Yaris.

Review
I bought a preowned 2009 Yaris S in January with 77,500 miles on it. Have put 16,000 miles on it since. It's an amazing car. Decent gas mileage, relatively quiet and very reliable. I've had no issues with it other than a headlight going out (which my mechanic didn't even charge to replace). I'm 6'3 and I fit fine in it. Does have trouble with going up mountain, but with 106 horsepower, you have to accept that. Would be nice if it had automatic looks, but that's not too big a deal. I would suggest a Yaris to anyone. This is also after I had a 2000 Echo that I drove for six years and got rid of with 199,800 miles on it.

See all consumer reviews and retings for the 2009 Toyota Yaris

How can Edmunds help?
Edmunds has deep data on over 6 million new, used, and certified pre-owned vehicles, including rich, trim-level features and specs information like: MSRP, average price paid, warranty information (basic, drivetrain, and maintenance), features (upholstery, bluetooth, navigation, heated seating, cooled seating, cruise control, parking assistance, keyless ignition, satellite radio, folding rears seats ,run flat tires, wheel type, tire size, wheel tire, sunroof, etc.), vehicle specifications (engine cylinder count, drivetrain, engine power, engine torque, engine displacement, transmission), fuel economy (city, highway, combined, fuel capacity, range), vehicle dimensions (length, width, seating capacity, cargo space), car safety, true cost to own. Edmunds also provides tools to allow shopper to compare vehicles to similar models of their choosing by warranty, interior features, exterior features, specifications, fuel economy, vehicle dimensions, consumer rating, edmunds rating, and color

What options are available on the 2009 Toyota Yaris?

Available Toyota Yaris 2009 Submodel Types: Hatchback, Sedan

Available Trims: LE, Base, L, S, SE, Fleet

Exterior Colors: Black Sand Pearl, Super White, Classic Silver Metallic, Magnetic Gray Metallic, Absolutely Red, Meteorite Metallic, Blazing Blue Pearl, Polar White, Silver Streak Mica, Barcelona Red Metallic, Bayou Blue Pearl, Carmine Red Metallic, Blue Streak Metallic, Zephyr Blue Metallic, Blazing Blue, Lagoon Blue Mica, Olive Mist, Ruby Flare Pearl, Ruby Flare Pearl w/Black Sand Pearl Roof, Wave Line Pearl, Waveline Pearl

Interior Colors: Dark Charcoal cloth, Black (Circles) cloth, Ash cloth, Black (Circle) cloth, Dark Charcoal premium cloth, Black cloth, Bisque cloth, Dark Gray premium cloth, Bisque premium cloth, Black (Channel) premium cloth, Black premium cloth

Popular Features: Rear Bench Seats, Tire Pressure Warning, Fold Flat Rear Seats, Aux Audio Inputs, Stability Control, Trip Computer, USB Inputs, Bluetooth, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Lane Departure Warning, Pre-collision safety system, Back-up camera

Engine/Mechanics: 4 cylinders

Transmission: AUTOMATIC, MANUAL

Fuel Types: regular unleaded

Drivetrains: front wheel drive