ArcaMax

Mileage (30 city, 38 highway) up to current snuff - with the standard manual transmission. Soft, compliant ride.

WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD

Same powertrain as before. Five speed manual in a world of six-speeds. A four-speed automatic in 2012? Order this box and lose 3 MPG on the highway.

Outstanding 2012 Hyundai Accent starts $2k less, gets better mileage (40 highway) and comes with either six speed manual or six-speed automatic. Lots of body roll if run hard.

UNDER THE HOOD

The new Yaris comes with the same drivetrain as the old Yaris: a 1.5 liter, 106 hp engine driving the front wheels through either a five-speed manual (standard) or a four-speed automatic (optional).

Toyota could have done better - and probably should have.

The '12 Hyundai Accent costs a couple grand less to start and comes standard with a direct-injected 1.6 liter engine that makes 138 hp. You also get a six-speed manual standard - with a six-speed automatic available optionally.

The '12 Ford Fiesta also has a1.6 liter engine; it makes 120 hp - and you can team it up with either a five-speed manual or a dual-clutch automated manual six-speed (impressive equipment for a car in this price range).

The Yaris still does ok when it comes to gas mileage - but only if you stick with the five-speed stick. Then you get 30 city, 38 highway - a virtual dead heat with the Fiesta's 29 city, 38 highway and the Hyundai's 30 city, 40 highway. But if you choose the Toyota's Clinton-era technology four-speed automatic, the Yaris' mileage drops to 35 on the highway - 3 MPG lower than the five-speed manual equipped Yaris and 5 MPG lower than the Accent with either its standard six-speed manual or its optional six-speed automatic. The automatic Ford beats the manual Yaris - 39 MPG on the highway.

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