When I’m planning a weekend away, there are a few things I like to take with me to make life a lot more fun. First, I need a reliable

The Yaris Sedan is sleek in its subcompact class, although its design is not for everyone. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

car like the 2010 Toyota Yaris Sedan, which has great fuel economy, generous people and trunk space and a decent stereo system. Check. Two, I need a couple of girlfriends to laugh, sing, dance and have a blast with. Check. And three, a destination that has both great food and lots of shopping. Check.

Early, and I mean really early Saturday morning Carrie, Blair and I hopped into Toyota’s popular-selling sedan and headed south. Yes, it was early but with the help of a decent stereo system and an auxiliary jack, we woke ourselves up by listening to our favourite songs on our iPods; enjoying the company of each other in our neat little four-door.
 
Since the

Few rivals offer a B-segment sedan, other than Chevy, Hyundai, Kia and Nissan. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

Yaris has a very modest engine, a 1.5L, 16-valve, DOHC, 4-cylinder engine with 106 horsepower and 103 lb-ft of torque, it was just dandy for our trip. And harnessing the 106 horses was the optional 4-speed automatic transmission ($1,000), making both my city and highway driving relatively effortless. What’s also just dandy in the city and on the highway was its agreeable front MacPherson gas struts and rear torsion beam type suspension, delivering up decent handling and pretty good ride quality. Furthermore, the easily maneuverable rack-and-pinion power steering made parallel parking a breeze, especially in tight spots.

As I

The centrally-mounted primary gauges take some getting used to, with some liking them and others abhorring them. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

was driving for quite some time, it gave me the opportunity to acquaint myself with the Yaris’ cabin. I’m still not crazy about the instrument cluster being in the centre of the dash, but it does make for amazing visibility out the windshield. I also familiarized myself with the very straightforward centre stack. No guess work needed here. It’s simple in composition to just about anything else, and plain in presentation. And because the Yaris didn’t receive any interior updates for 2010, I’m hoping to see some soon. That way, it can keep current with all its competition.

Actually, I found that the Yaris’ cabin lacked a few essential features. The cupholders

Cupholders are ideal to keep a drink warm or cool, but otherwise they block the vents. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

found in the front were in an interesting and not-so-brilliant spot. Instead of being located between the front seats, they’re on the dash, in front of the air vents. This is great if you have a warm drink and the heat is on, but not so great if you have a warm drink and you turn the A/C on and vice versa. I also felt the cabin lacked convenient storage spaces, especially in the front. Yes, there is a small, and I mean small storage spot at the bottom of the centre stack, but it’s tricky to get too. Also, the centre console required me to reach back to put items in or take them out. It was rather awkward, and therefore I wasn’t a fan of that.

Furthermore,

Seats are fine, but the Yaris isn't exactly the most solid feeling ride on the open road. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

when I was driving at highway speeds and it was windy outside, the car didn’t feel extremely solid. The Yaris isn’t a heavy car by any means, but I would have liked it to feel a lot more stable when going quickly. In the countless Yaris’ I’ve driven, I couldn’t recall experiencing this. Even with three adults in the car and a trunk full of shopping bags, and its set of 185/60R15 all-season tires it still felt quite wispy. Did I ever worry about me or my passenger’s safety? No, not really, but the swaying of the car doesn’t necessarily instill a lot of confidence in the individuals riding inside, either.
 
On a more positive note, there were quite a few things that I liked about the Yaris. First, the fuel economy is ideal.

It's a subcompact after all, but there's still decent room for essential purchases. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

It uses an estimated 7.0L/100km in the city and 5.7L/100km on the highway. Translation: less money to fill up at the pump and more money for other stuff! We drove to our destination and back (over 400kms) on about half a tank of gas. Then when we went to fill up, it cost us just over $20 Canadian. Ca-ching.
 
What also impressed me and the girls was the Yaris’ cargo capacity. And trust me… we needed all that we could get! There is 387 litres (13.7 cu ft) of space in the trunk, which housed our “weekend” bags along with all of our other purchased treasures. I must admit, I filled most of the trunk, but I’m glad I put it to good use.
 
And

Tight but serviceable rear quarters don't quite offer the Lexus experience. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

speaking of space, there wasn’t a lack of foot or headroom for whichever of my friends sat in the rear. It was also brought to my attention that the rear seats were pretty cozy for extended periods of time. Where the Yaris lacks room is in the front seat, especially for those over six-feet tall. My husband noted that the passenger seat didn’t move far back enough to give him comfortable legroom. His knees didn’t hit the dashboard, but were close to it. Then again, when he sat in the rear seat with the front seats pushed all the way back, there was no issue. Maybe he should take the back seat from now on.
 
Although there were a few things I would have liked to see Toyota do differently with the 2010 Yaris Sedan, it’s still a decent little car to drive. With an MSRP of $18,630 (which includes the optional automatic transmission, Convenience Package, plus freight and delivery) it won’t break the bank, unlike my weekend excursions with my girlfriends!

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