Used Toyota Yaris cars for sale ...

The front seats offer superb comfort, too, and the only problem is that getting in and out of the rear seat of a three-door model can be tricky. The dash also sets the Yaris apart from the herd. The instruments are housed in a ‘floating’ binnacle in the centre of the dash with a digital display, and some people may find this hard to get used to. They may also find it hard to cope with the firm ride - the price you pay for the sharp handling - and how hard you need to work the 1.0- and 1.3-litre petrol engines to keep pace with traffic. Alternatively, you could go for the T-Sport’s 105bhp 1.5-litre engine, which turns the Yaris into a junior hot hatch, or the quiet and frugal 1.4 turbodiesel.

Running Costs
You can run a Yaris on a tight budget without having to skimp on proper servicing. Toyota dealers provide good service, but independent specialists can offer cheaper labour rates. On top of that, Toyota reduced the cost of its spare parts in 2002, so keeping a Yaris in the best of health need not be expensive. Service intervals of 20,000 miles also mean you won’t necessarily have to see a garage for long periods. Unless you choose the 1.5-litre engine in the T Sport model, insurance will be cheap, while low-emission engines also mean the Yaris sits at the lower end of the road tax scale. Last, but not least, whichever engine you choose, fuel economy will be excellent. The 1.4 turbodiesel can return up to a claimed 67mpg, which is superb. The 1.0-litre petrol is good for 50mpg, the 1.3 returns 47mpg and even the T-Sport can manage 41mpg.

MPV
It’s not what you’d call pretty. The front end says ‘city car’ one just like the standard Yaris on which it’s based but the rear screams ‘van’. However, if you can get beyond that, the Yaris Verso has a lot to recommend it; behind the wheel, the driving position is comfortable with good visibility, although the digital central instrument binnacle can be hard to read. There’s room for five adults, but the big plus-point is the load space. With the back seats folded away it’s vast, and the large side-opening rear door with a very low lip makes for excellent practicality. Dynamically, though, things aren’t so great. The car’s tall body means it leans into the bends and the ride is too easily unsettled by an uneven road surface. It’s not as supple as some rivals and the steering can be slow to react.

Running Costs
Okay, so the Yaris Verso’s styling means it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but owners love them. What’s more, their rarity on the used market compared with the standard Yaris coupled with Toyota’s legendary reliability means they hold their value very well. Expect to pay at least 50% of the new price for a three-year-old model. The low-cost insurance is another reason for its desirability, with the diesel in group 5 and the petrol one category below. Fuel economy is excellent, too, with the 1.4 returning a very impressive 56mpg. Even the 1.3’s figure is 44mpg, although the automatic gearbox brings it down to 40mpg. The bills shouldn’t be too big at the garage, either. This is a straightforward car to look after and Toyota’s parts aren’t any more expensive than its rivals'.