Toyota Yaris vs Suzuki Swift

The Yaris Ascent Sport at $22,990 is actually $1,000 less than the Swift GL at $23,990. That surprised us too. Toyota has priced the base Yaris aggressively, and it pays off. Driveaway prices in most states put the Yaris around $25,500 and the Swift around $26,500. So not only is the Yaris better equipped, it's genuinely cheaper to buy.

Running costs are where the gap widens further. At 3.8L/100km (that's not a typo) the Yaris is one of the most fuel-efficient petrol cars on sale in Australia. At $1.90 per litre and 15,000km per year, you're looking at about $1,083 annually. The Swift at 4.7L/100km costs roughly $1,340 per year. That's $257 in the Yaris's favour every single year, or about $5 per week.

Over 5 years, the fuel savings alone total $1,285. Add the $1,000 lower purchase price and you're $2,285 ahead with the Yaris before you even consider the warranty difference. Toyota gives you 5 years of unlimited-kilometre coverage. Suzuki offers just 3 years or 100,000km, whichever comes first. If you're a high-kilometre driver, you could blow through that Suzuki warranty in under two years.

Insurance tends to be slightly cheaper on the Swift due to its lower value, but the difference is typically only $100–$200 per year. Servicing costs are comparable — both are cheap to maintain, with services running $200–$350. Toyota's capped-price servicing program gives you predictability, while Suzuki's servicing is generally affordable but not formally capped at every dealer.

Both cars carry 5-star ANCAP safety ratings, which is reassuring given the price point. At under $25k, getting a 5-star car used to be impossible. Both the Yaris and Swift prove that safety no longer requires a premium price.

Standard safety kit on the Yaris includes autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control, and a pre-collision system. Toyota Safety Sense is one of the most proven safety suites in the industry, and you get the full package even on this entry-level trim.

The Swift GL gets autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. It's a solid suite but not quite as comprehensive as the Toyota's. The Yaris adds blind spot monitoring at this trim level, which the Swift lacks. For city driving with lots of lane changes and blind spots, that's a meaningful addition.

Both cars are built on modern platforms with good structural rigidity for their size. The Yaris rides on the TNGA-B platform shared with the GR Yaris, which is one of the stiffest small car platforms available. The new-generation Swift uses Suzuki's HEARTECT platform, which is lightweight but well engineered for crash protection.

One thing worth noting: the Yaris at 1,045kg is heavier than the Swift at 950kg. In a collision with a larger vehicle, additional mass can be a passive safety advantage. It's not something ANCAP tests for, but in real-world multi-vehicle crashes, the heavier car tends to fare better.

The Yaris Ascent Sport gets a 7-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reversing camera, push-button start, automatic headlights, and rain-sensing wipers. It's not loaded with gadgets, but everything you need for daily driving is present. Toyota's infotainment system is straightforward and responsive, if not particularly exciting.

The Swift GL comes with a 9-inch touchscreen — noticeably bigger than the Yaris — with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reversing camera, and climate control. The larger screen is genuinely nice to use and makes the Swift feel more modern inside than its price suggests.

Interior quality is a wash. Both use hard plastics in places and cloth seats. Neither feels cheap, but neither feels premium either. They're honest small cars that don't pretend to be something they're not. The Swift has a slightly more playful interior design with a floating centre console, while the Yaris is more conservative and Toyota-like.

Boot space is virtually identical: 270L in the Yaris versus 267L in the Swift. Neither is generous — a weekly shop for two fits fine, but a family of four with luggage will be playing Tetris. Fold the rear seats and both open up to around 750L, which is adequate for IKEA runs and airport trips.

The Yaris runs a 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine producing 85kW and 141Nm. The Swift uses a smaller 1.2-litre three-cylinder making just 61kW and 112Nm. That's a 24kW and 29Nm advantage to the Toyota, and you feel it. The Yaris is noticeably perkier in traffic, merges onto freeways with confidence, and doesn't feel strained on hills. The Swift can feel breathless when you need to accelerate quickly, particularly with passengers or on inclines.

The 0-100km/h gap tells the story: roughly 9.7 seconds for the Yaris versus around 12 seconds for the Swift. In absolute terms, neither is fast. But the Yaris never feels dangerously slow, while the Swift can leave you wanting more when merging onto a 100km/h highway from a short on-ramp.

Both use CVT transmissions. The Yaris's CVT is well calibrated and simulates gear shifts at higher loads to reduce the rubber-band feeling that plagues some CVTs. The Swift's CVT is acceptable but can drone under hard acceleration. Neither is as engaging as a traditional automatic or manual, but in this price bracket, CVTs are the standard.

Fuel efficiency is the Yaris's party trick. At 3.8L/100km, it sips fuel like a hybrid (Toyota's clever combustion technology is essentially doing hybrid-adjacent things without the battery). The Swift at 4.7L/100km is good for a conventional small car but can't match the Yaris. For context, 3.8L/100km means a 36-litre tank gets you over 900km between fill-ups. That's remarkable for a petrol car.

Neither car is rated for towing. If you need to pull even a small box trailer, you'll need to look at something larger.