Toyota Yaris S 2008

The subcompact economy class has traditionally been characterized by-products that could be summed up in a single word: cheap. As in, cheap price, cheap design, cheap materials, and cheap construction. And while that’s still true in a relative sense, today’s highly competitive marketplace has forced the low end of the automotive spectrum to evolve along with the rest of the industry in terms of quality standards, feature content and overall bang for the buck. For proof of this, look no further than the 2008 Toyota Yaris.

Introduced last year, the Yaris replaced the mediocre and oddly proportioned Echo as the least expensive offering in Toyota’s showroom. For the budget-conscious shopper, it’s a much better product all the way around — one that combines attractive styling and outstanding fuel economy with competitive equipment levels, respectable performance and a general likability that was lacking in its predecessor.

The Yaris is available as a spunky three-door hatchback coupe (liftback in Toyota-speak) or a much longer and roomier four-door sedan with more conservative styling. These body styles are further differentiated inside by distinctive instrument panels and an available multifunction rear seat in the liftback that slides, reclines and folds to make up for its tighter rear quarters. For 2008, the littlest Toyota broadens its appeal further with a sporty new “S” hatchback to complement the existing uplevel S sedan. This model features larger 15-inch wheels, body-color front and rear spoilers, reworked rocker panels, amber-illuminated Optitron instrumentation, upgraded seats with sport fabric, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, a CD player with MP3 capability and other extras.