2012 & 2013 Toyota Hatchback Reviews & Ratings

Hatchbacks are cars that have a top-hinged rear door. They are fairly compact, and are one of the most produced types of car in the world. Hatchbacks are common in the USA, Europe and Asia, but are less popular in South America and Africa. Hatchbacks were originally produced in the 1930s. The name first belonged to cars that were relatively small and economical, but virtually any size of car can be categorized as a hatchback.

Toyota are a Japanese company, and are one of the biggest p... (full review continues below)

Hatchbacks are cars that have a top-hinged rear door. They are fairly compact, and are one of the most produced types of car in the world. Hatchbacks are common in the USA, Europe and Asia, but are less popular in South America and Africa. Hatchbacks were originally produced in the 1930s. The name first belonged to cars that were relatively small and economical, but virtually any size of car can be categorized as a hatchback.

Toyota are a Japanese company, and are one of the biggest producers of motor vehicles in the world. They are possibly best-known for producing pickup trucks and SUVs, but their enormous range also includes many hatchbacks. Toyota hatchbacks tend to be larger than those produced by many other manufacturers, and are large company and executive cars, rather than the small models aimed at young city dwellers produced by other hatchback manufacturers. Toyota vehicles are renowned for their efficiency.

The Yaris is one of Toyota's most popular hatchback models. Its standard model is 3 door, 1.5 litre engine version, and is ideal as a small family car. It costs from around $14,000 dollars when bought new.

The Matrix is a larger Toyota hatchback, and starts from around just under $19,000. It comes as a standard 5 door model with a 2.4 litre engine. The Matrix is a stylish, powerful car, ideal for larger families and executives. Its sound system plays MP3s and CDs, and it comes with cruise control.

The Prius is perhaps the most exciting of all of Toyota's hatchbacks. It is a full hybrid, meaning it can run either on gasoline or electricity, and is one of the most environmentally friendly and efficient cars on the market today. There are over a million of them in use in the USA alone. The current model is the XW30, and follows on from the older XW20 and XW10s. The XW30 comes is a 5 door, 1.8 litre engine car. It costs $32,000 new, although some jurisdictions offer tax incentives for people who run or buy fuel efficient cars, which many be applicable to the Prius. The Prius is a mid-range hatchback and popular with all sorts of users, but particularly families.

Second hand Toyota hatchbacks can be found everywhere for a few thousand dollars onwards, depending on the make, model, mileage and condition. Older Prius models are very popular and are readily available through dealers as well as private sales.

There are several main competitors to Toyota hatchbacks. Ford, Chrysler, GM and Hyundai all offer mid-range hatchbacks with similar features, prices and performances to popular Toyota models, although none offer anything as efficient as the Prius.

Toyota's reputation has suffered in the recent past, because of a series of faults - some of them serious - which led to many cars being recalled. For example, some Prius units had a problem with the braking system. While the problems damaged Toyota's reputation for a time, the company has not issued any recalls since early 2010.