By Neil Moore

The exchange at Toyota Canada began like any other - sign the paperwork, grab the keys, go out and find my test vehicle.

But when I went to press the key fob to flash the lights and identify the correct Yaris, I realized there was no fob and no buttons - just a plain old key.

It was then I sensed trouble.

Parked in front of me was the 2010 Yaris three-door CE Hatchback, in all but its most basic trim.

No keyless entry, no power locks, no power windows and when I sat down to adjust the mirrors, found no power adjustments here either.

In fact, the only options were a four-speed automatic transmission that added $1,000 to the base price of $13,620, and air conditioning for another $1,155.

Despite the challenges of running around locking and unlocking doors, rolling up windows (thankfully I didn't have the five-door) and fiddling with the side mirrors, I was impressed that Toyota included such a stripped-down model in its press fleet.

Sure you can order the Yaris Hatchback as a fully-loaded, five-door RS with the necessary power doodads, in-dash six-CD changer, aluminum alloys and more, but that brings the price to $20,555 - more than many would expect to pay for an entry-level subcompact.

Driving the base car, on the other hand, focuses one's mind more squarely on the driving experience, not the gadgets.

My first impression was that the Yaris Hatch is a sharp little car.

More handsome than its sibling four-door sedan, more chic than the Echo, which it replaced, and light years more stylish than the Tercel, which preceded all of these as Toyota's subcompact offering.

It's stubby nose, short front and rear overhangs, and protruding wheel arches give the Yaris Hatch a sporty, firmly-planted, four-square stance.

Inside, the base unit is fairly spartan, with a simple hooded instrument panel in the centre of the dash and a two-speaker AM/FM/CD sound system (with plug-in for MP3 players) and three large knobs for climate control and fan speed directly below.

Still, the wide expanse of textured plastic on either side of the instruments is well outfitted with storage. There's a pull-out cupholder to the left of the steering wheel, a glovebox behind the wheel, an upper and lower glovebox on the passenger side, and another cupholder on the far right.

The front bucket seats offer few adjustments (forward/back, recline), but provide high bolsters in the thighs and back and a comfortable grippy fabric that really holds you in place during hard cornering.

On the passenger side, a single lever folds the front seat and moves it forward enough for access to the rear. It's surprisingly roomy in back, with plenty of kneeroom, shoulder room and headroom for two large adults. Three of lesser size will fit in a pinch, but for short trips only. My only gripe here is the windows don't open.

The rear seatback folds down to create a reasonable cargo area, albeit smaller than some of Yaris's competitors. A 60/40 split seatback is optional on the three-door and is standard with the five-door hatch.

All Yaris Hatchbacks get a DOHC 1.5 litre, 16-valve four cylinder engine with sequential multiport electronic fuel injection and variable valve timing with intelligence. It delivers 106 horsepower and up to 103 lb/ft of torque.

This powerplant gets a green Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions rating, and with the automatic transmission is rated at 7.0/5.7/6.4 litres/100km (city/highway/combined). There's a very slight advantage with the manual.

I won't say the Yaris is overly peppy, but with 106 horses pushing a vehicle that tips the scales at just over 2,300 lbs., you can get up to highway speed quickly enough. Passing, on the other hand, can be a white-knuckle experience if you don't leave enough room.

With this kind of car, you can always milk a little more power and performance using a manual shift. If this was my Yaris, I'd have opted for the five-speed stick and invested the money saved in a few more amenities like the LE Convenience Package. But more on that in a moment.

In addition to the three-door CE as tested, the Yaris Hatch is available in five-door LE and five-door RS versions. The base unit, as I've mentioned, provides few amenities, but can be upgraded with stand-alone options like A/C, or with three upgrade packages: The LE package, the LE Convenience package and the LE Enhanced Convenience package.

For an added $845 over base, the LE gives you four speakers instead of two, rear window washer/wiper (a must during winter and spring), 60/40 split fold-down rear seat and more.

My tester, with optional A/C and automatic, would price out at $15,775 (plus freight and delivery). If you don't mind shifting your own gears, drop the autobox and the LE Convenience package would cost you just $16,320. This gives you power windows, power locks with keyless entry and air conditioning, not to mention antilock brakes and electronic brake force distribution to supplement the standard equipped front discs/rear drums.

If you still want the automatic, this package will cost you $17,670 and also includes cruise control.

The LE Enhanced Convenience package (at $16,835 manual) includes all of the above, plus front seat mounted side airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags. It's a small price premium for the added safety.

The five-door models can also be upgraded with Convenience packages and Enhanced Convenience packages, except for the RS, which comes fully loaded. Check out www.toyota.ca for more details.

There are plenty of competitors in this segment, for example the Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa, Honda Fit and Chevrolet Aveo. All are worth checking out, exemplifying the high standards that now exist among entry-level subcompacts.

Still, in 2009 Yaris was named top ten winner for "Best Resale Value" by Kelley Blue Book.

It has also been a winner of Natural Resources Canada's ecoENERGY for Vehicles Award every year since it was introduced in Canada.

Yaris has style and attitude, and although it may not be the cheapest among the competition nor provide the most cargo room, it offers an ideal combination of fuel efficiency, price and practicality, along with Toyota's legendary build quality.

Toyota Yaris CE three-door Hatchback 2010 at a glance:

BODY STYLE: 3-door subcompact hatchback

DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, front-wheel-drive

ENGINE: DOHC 1.5 litre, 16-valve four cylinder (106 hp, 103 lb/ft of torque)

FUEL ECONOMY: Automatic: 7.0/5.7/6.4L/100km (city/hwy/combined)

PRICE: $13,620 (base) plus $1,000 for automatic and $1,155 for air conditioning

WEBSITE: www.toyota.ca