The Toyota Yaris is a classic, no-frills economy car. Many think of it as a "city car" thanks to its subcompact size, but it's fully capable of highway driving, where it will fetch you excellent fuel efficiency. Recently, another Yaris has appeared on the scene: the 2017 Yaris iA.
Who is this newcomer, and which should you choose?
The Yaris iA is the rebranded model that was formerly the Scion iA. Reading over the specs of both cars, it's easy to see why the assimilated Scion took on the Yaris badge. Both are priced starting just under $16,000. Both run on a 1.5-liter 106-horsepower engine. Both are diminutive in size and boast highly maneuverable turn radii. Both are expected to be reliable and retain strong resale value.
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The differences?
One is a hatchback and one is a sedan, but most significant for cautious drivers, the Yaris iA offers much better safety specs, earning a 2017 TOP SAFETY PICK from the IIHS. The plain-old Yaris has yet to master the small-overlap crash test, though it does come with a standard Pre-Collision System to help you avoid getting into a crash in the first place.
