If you’re looking for a miniscule car that sips fuel and is easy to fit into tight spaces but want some cargo room, chances are you’re looking at the 2012 Chevy Sonic and 2012 Toyota Yaris hatch backs. The 2012 Chevy Sonic is all new for this year, replacing the Aveo starting with the 2012 model year. The Yaris is a little bit older, but has a proven track record. The 2012 Chevy Sonic starts at $14,635 while the Yaris is just $200 more expensive at $14,840.

The 2012 Toyota Yaris

The 2012 Chevy Sonic comes with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 138-hp and 125 lb-ft of torque mated to either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. The Sonic gets 26-mpg city and 35-mpg highway with the stick shift. With the automatic transmission, the Sonic loses 1 mpg city, down to 25. The 2012 Toyota Yaris has a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 106-hp and 103 lb-ft of torque, a considerable amount less than the Sonic. The less powerful engine in the Yaris does get better fuel economy than the Sonic, 30-mpg city and 38-mpg highway with a five-speed manual transmission or 30-mpg city and 35-mpg highway with an automatic.

The 2012 Chevy Sonic

The 2012 Chevy Sonic has 38.7 inches of front head room and 41.8 inches of front leg room. The 2012 Toyota Yaris has 39.3 inches of head room up front and 40.6 inches of leg room. The Sonic is larger than the Yaris in the back seat with 38.1 inches of head room and 34.6 inches of leg room to the Yaris’ 37.6 inches of head room and 33.3 inches of leg room. The Sonic also has a larger trunk than the Yaris with a 19 cubic foot trunk. The Yaris’ trunk is just 15.3 cubic feet.