2009 Toyota Yaris

Toyota Yaris

Yaris shoppers are usually after a city runabout that won’t break the bank, and on paper at least, Toyota nails the basics. You’re looking at a B-segment hatch with a price tag that starts at a wallet-friendly R85,500 for the no-frills T3 A/C, stretching all the way to R348,888 for a Sport spec that feels like it belongs in another showroom. That spectrum is wild—R189,900 is about the sweet spot in the classifieds—which tells you there’s basically a Yaris for every budget, provided you’re not chasing anything built after 2020. New? Not a chance. This is now a used-only affair, so you’ll be sifting through models that have already seen their share of Joburg taxis and Cape Town traffic. Most examples have clocked up some serious mileage—think 112,316 km on average—so you’re buying something proven, but not exactly box-fresh. The 1.5 Xs 5Dr is everywhere, typically priced between R179,500 and R219,950, and it’s a solid bet if you want decent kit without splurging for the CVT, which will cost you up to R234,500. If you pack smart and keep an eye on fuel bills, the 1.0 Xs at R128,900–R139,900 is hard to ignore for first-timers. Why the Yaris over a Polo Vivo? Sheer mechanical honesty and parts you can actually get your hands on—every second indie workshop can patch up a Yaris blindfolded. The Baleno might look fancier inside, but if you care about low drama and high reliability, the Yaris makes sense, and that’s the point.