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If you're shopping for affordable subcompact cars in Peoria, you may have noticed there are two different Toyota Yaris models: the regular Toyota Yaris and the Toyota Yaris iA.
The most obvious difference on the surface is that the Yaris iA is a sedan, while the Yaris is a hatchback—but unlike other models that ride on an identical platform and offer two body-style options, these are two completely different vehicles that happen to share a name. The Yaris iA is a refugee from the now-defunct Scion brand, re-badged as a Toyota, while the Yaris is pure Toyota.
For 2018, the Yaris hatchback is getting a sexy redesign in keeping with the rest of the updated Toyota lineup, and Toyota Safety Sense will be standard along with a host of other advanced tech features. The 2018 model has yet to be tested by the IIHS, but for 2017, the Yaris iA earned a Top Safety Pick award, while the Yaris hatchback did not.
Reviewers call the Yaris iA more fun to drive, despite both models using a 1.5-liter 106-horsepower engine, so that’s another win. The original Yaris seems to only win against its new sedan counterpart if you value the 2 extra cubic feet of cargo space the hatch affords.
