An entry-level sub-compact economy car,the Toyota Yaris is a front-wheel-drive vehicle,available as a sedan or as a 3- or 5-door hatchback. For 2010,stability and traction control have become standard equipment. Toyota cites fuel economy as a main selling point,along with the roominess of the Yaris compared to many other sub-compacts. The Yaris competes with the Nissan Versa,Kia Rio,Honda Fit,Ford Focus,and others.

The 2010 Toyota Yaris comes in a single trim,with a couple of extra features for the sedan. Standard equipment includes 14-inch steel wheels,air conditioning,and some adjustability to the steering wheel and front seats. The sedan adds a tachometer and a remote trunk release. Options,most of them packaged,include a sound system with satellite radio,split rear seats,power accessories,keyless entry,15-inch wheels,fog lights,and cruise control. The sedan is 20 inches longer than the hatchbacks,overall,resulting in more leg room. The sedan?s trunk provides 12.9 cubic feet of cargo space,according to the manufacturer. The hatchback features 10 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats,but a total of 25.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded.

The 2010 Toyota Yaris? standard power plant is a 106-horsepower,1.5-liter,inline 4-cylinder engine with standard 5-speed manual or optional 4-speed automatic transmission. It delivers 29 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway with the manual gearbox,according to the EPA.

Standard safety features on the 2010 Toyota Yaris include anti-lock brakes,stability control,traction control,and side curtain air bags. In government crash tests,the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Yaris sedan 4 (out of 5) stars across the board in front- and side-impact tests. The Yaris hatchback earned 5 stars for driver protection and 4 stars for front-passenger protection in front-impact tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Yaris the highest-possible ?Good? ratings in frontal-offset and side-impact tests.

Starting MSRP for the 2010 Toyota Yaris was $12,605.