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I posted this earlier today but it seems to have disappeared into the ether ...
These cars are very similar with the main difference being the Mazda2 6 speed auto transmission (-v- the Yaris 4 speed auto) and the "Skyactiv" engine. As this will be my last car I need to get this right. Is the Skyactiv engine too new to have a history? How long as it been in use? Any issues? If I want longevity and reliability, should I just stick with the Toyota? Thanks

Apologies that your pose disappeared. It's definitely not on the website so something of a mystery??
Mazda's Skyactiv technology has been around long now for us to get an indication of its reliability, and in our experience, it's been very good.
As good as the Yaris is, it's basically only a facelift of an old model, whereas the Mazda2 is a completely new model. The Mazda2 has a lot more features, is quieter and more comfortable in our opinion.
While I'd have no hesitation in recommending a Yaris (or a Suzuki Swift, Volkswagen Polo, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai i20 etc, etc), the Mazda is probably the one to beat at the moment.

Thank you. "At the moment" is what concerns me. For me it is more the reliability and longevity - what it will be like in 5-10-12 years? I have been told that Mazda cars are more expensive to service/maintain. Once retired, that will be a major issue. Having no car will be horrendous ... I know I should get the Yaris, but the Mazda2 is such a little beauty.

I'm not sure I follow your reasoning why you should buy a Yaris. Sure, the Yaris is good and nobody can see into the future regarding what might go wrong with any car in 12 year's time, but looking back 12 years, Mazda, Toyota, Suzuki etc cars made back then are still generally still reliable today.
I can't see why a Mazda2 would be any more expensive to service than a Yaris - also, bear in mind that Mazda provide free servicing for 3 years. But whichever way you go, either of these two should be quite low risk.