Test Drive: Toyota Yaris iA is the diamond of the sub-compact segment

The interior of the Toyota Yaris iA is refreshingly simple.

If the Toyota Yaris iA were a canine, it would be a mutt.

This is no insult. Any dog-lover will tell you that blending the DNA from different dog breeds often yields the smartest, most highly-evolved, companion animals.

The same can be said of the 2017 Yaris iA, which is part Toyota, part Scion (the defunct Toyota sub-brand), and part Mazda2 (a Mexico-made, sub-compact car Mazda does not sell in the United States).

The result of this split lineage is a reliable, youth-oriented car with a pinch of Mazda "zoom-zoom" thrown in to spice up the mix. Toyota makes the Yaris iA simple for buyers, offering only one trim level which has an MSRP of $17,915, including delivery. Navigation is one of the few options available.

The sub-compact segment has contracted some in recent years as falling gas prices have given way to a surge in small SUV sales. The market for small, entry-level cars is modest. Still, the Yaris iA stands out in a group that also includes the Kia Rio, Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Accent.

At just under under $18,000, the iA includes fancy features that a few years ago were only found on much more pricey vehicles: push-button start, forward collision mitigation, a seven-inch touch screen, bluetooth and keyless entry, for example.

The Yaris iA also boasts a near-hybrid level of fuel economy. The EPA estimates the Yaris will get 40 mpg highway and 32 mpg city, saving about $1,750 a year over an average vehicle.

A scan of inventories at local dealerships turned up several copies of the 2017 Yaris iS at Toyota of Cleveland near McDonald, Tenn.

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STYLING AND FEATURES

The Yaris iA has echoes of Mazda styling and engineering inside and out. The exterior includes Mazda-style flared wheel arches and sculpted side panels paired with Toyota's yawning black grille. Sixteen-inch alloys are standard, a nice bit of bling on an entry level-sedan. (The Yaris line also features a hatch-back version that doesn't have all these Mazda design cues.)

For a sub-compact, the Yaris iA strikes an aggressive stance and the Sapphire (blue) paint on our factory tester gives it a sporty vibe. It's a nice break from the tyranny of the red-silver-white, small-car color palette.

Inside, the Mazda influences abound. The stand-alone, 7-inch touchscreen planted in the middle of the dash is pure Mazda, as are the steering-wheel design and simple, analog gauges. Materials are first rate for the class, and the seats are wide enough for middle-age hips.

A rotary dial on the center stack controls the touch-screen functions, and three dials above the shifter sort out the heat and air controls. All the switchgear have a high-quality feel, as one would expect in a vehicle with a Toyota badge.

There's a six-speaker stereo that can be paired with Pandora streaming music or connected to your music source through either of two USB ports.

Under the hood lies a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine that makes 106 horsepower. A manual transmission is standard, although our tester comes with a six-speed automatic. There's a "sport" drive mode that sharpens up throttle response and transmission shift points.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

People don't generally expect much from a generic sub-compact car, which makes the Yaris iA's road manners so appealing. Hate to keep name-checking Mazda, but the Yaris iA drives just like a small Mazda, which is an entirely good thing.

Steering is on the heavy side and balanced to perfection. The small-displacement engine musters enough power to send the Yaris iA from zero to 60 miles per hour in a respectable 8.7 seconds, but the car feels even faster than that.

You expect a sub-compact to feel a bit underpowered, but the Yaris iA likes to sprint, adding an element of fun to your daily commute.

BOTTOM LINE

The Yaris iA may have a confusing pedigree, but we are glad it survived the Scion purge. Unless you believe sub-$2 gas is here to stay, America needs a selection of quality small cars.

We would wholeheartedly recommend that anyone's search for a new sub-compact automobile include a date with your neighborhood Toyota dealer to test drive a Yaris iA sedan.

Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.