I'm 16 (almost 17) and my parents just bought me a toyota yaris without knowing much about it. I've had my license for almost a year so I'm a pretty decent driver.I assume since it's a toyota, it's reliable, and I know it gets good gas mileage, but how safe is it? I don't know much about cars, but so far all I've driven is a toyota prius. Is the yaris a good car for me? (they already bought it... so theres not much I can do about that)

Your parents must done a lot of reading and research when selecting this car for you. It's a great little car that will yield good fuel economy.

I hope you plan to keep it serviced regularly as the manual in the glove compartment suggests.

As you already know structurally all small cars are lightweight and bend easily in accidents. Please drive defensively and don't be distracted talking on the cell phone, eating, or blasting tunes in town. I depend on "hearing" sounds around me when driving in congested areas. You will be accustomed to using your ears as a defensive driving tool.

Good Luck to Ya!