Yaris Cross Excel Long Term Review

[Mary Ellen]

4 hours ago, anchorman said:

No, I’m saying it’s far from normal and doesn’t effect many people.  Those it does effect can get around it if they understand what needs to be done.  You can either switch it on periodically or charge it.  It sounds a faff but it’s not long until we have to charge cars every day anyway.   If you’re not far away, I’ll have a ride out with my mrs and show you how to do it.  

Thanks for the offer but I have asked dealer to order and fit a new Battery at my expense. Looking on other Toyota sites this is a common problem, even cars that do a lot of mileage go flat if left for two weeks at airport parking.

If I had been told that I needed to take back seat apart regularly to charge Battery I def wouldn’t have bought the car, who would?

Hopefully new Battery will help solve the problem, I will drive the car regularly and if I need to,will run it on ready mode for an hour. Although did this and it made no difference.

Toyota say other makes have these problems but I can’t find any details of which they are

I

[Mojo1010]

Someone fitted connectors to the Battery and dangle it out so it can be connected easily. 

Very low usage will affect the state of the Battery. We simply don't know what your usage are, so if only use once a week and for very short time in this cold weather will affect Battery. 

I would still send the bill to Toyota and ask them to refund you. Yes all makes have battery problems during the pandemic where it doesn't get used for weeks or months. Toyota are so reliable, I'm currently at 12 years with 3 Toyota's in total, have another Yaris on order, it will be the brand I have driven most of my driving life, for good reasons. 

It would be a shame for you to sell it. What I would suggest is follow the instruction of keeping the battery charge when not in use for long periods, you have a great car. 

Just to add I don't have any of the chargers - solar/trickle/jump start. I make sure to drive at least 2x a week unless I'm abroad for holidays.

[Roy124]

Twas I that has the Battery lead available without removing the back seat.  While Toyota are fitting the Battery get them to fit such a lead. 

It would be a shame to sell as soon as you get a new Battery. 

Do you have easy access to a power supply for a charger? 

My CTEK has a series of LED that show the charge status. Where the battery is well charged and in good condition the first 3-4 LED light quickly. 

I think the main smart charger is the Best option.  A solar charger for maintenance is a good option for open parking.  Using Ready mode is can be convenient but is more expensive on fuel and not suitable in many cases. 

[Mary Ellen]

26 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

Twas I that has the battery lead available without removing the back seat.  While Toyota are fitting the battery get them to fit such a lead. 

It would be a shame to sell as soon as you get a new battery. 

Do you have easy access to a power supply for a charger? 

My CTEK has a series of LED that show the charge status. Where the battery is well charged and in good condition the first 3-4 LED light quickly. 

I think the main smart charger is the Best option.  A solar charger for maintenance is a good option for open parking.  Using Ready mode is can be convenient but is more expensive on fuel and not suitable in many cases. 

Asked dealer about 

 

27 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

Twas I that has the battery lead available without removing the back seat.  While Toyota are fitting the battery get them to fit such a lead. 

It would be a shame to sell as soon as you get a new battery. 

Do you have easy access to a power supply for a charger? 

My CTEK has a series of LED that show the charge status. Where the battery is well charged and in good condition the first 3-4 LED light quickly. 

I think the main smart charger is the Best option.  A solar charger for maintenance is a good option for open parking.  Using Ready mode is can be convenient but is more expensive on fuel and not suitable in many cases. 

[Mary Ellen]

Just now, Mary Ellen said:

Asked dealer about this option after second flat battery. They said it was not an option as it left a live wire exposed

 

 

[SinglePointSafety]

15 hours ago, Spo2 said:

• I am wondering how quiet is the cabin in Yaris Cross vs Golf? Normally, a car in segment below usually have inferior noise isolation than a car from higher segment.  I assume YC is as spacious as Golf though.
• How is the fit and finish, cabin quality and material in YC vs Golf ? 

I've driven a Golf Mk8 1.5 petrol (courtesy car) for a few days whilst my other car had a software/hardware recall/update. The Yaris Cross is a fair bit noisier when the engine kicks in - the Golf's 4-cylinder engine is much smoother and significantly quieter. But with the YC in EV mode, there's really not much in it for overall noise from my recollection, although it does of course depend a lot on tyre size and choice

However.... the YC's CVT is far superior to the Golf's DSG gearbox, which felt 'lumpy' and at times did things I didn't quite expect, even though I've had VAG DSG gearbox cars for many years. The Golf and YC are both 'just fine' for perceived interior build quality - that kind of thing doesn't bother me too much anyway, more concerned over general rattles and squeaks, and ease of use of the controls, where I think the YC has an advantage. And, and... the YC has knobs for climate control: result!

Some points to note: the dealer told me they have several Golf Mk8's which have software issues and are waiting for parts. The consensus is that Toyota cars are more reliable than the VAG offering. And, so far, my YC is averaging > 60 mpg, driving similar journeys, my recollection is that Golf gave ~mid-40's mpg

[Roy124]

3 hours ago, Mary Ellen said:

 

I will be polite. 

The CTEK tail is a line socket, that is true.  It also has a waterproof protective cap on it. 

The live terminal under the bonnet also has a protective cover. 

The Battery terminal has a protective cover. 

If someone is determined they can get it wrong, but the CTEK socket is designed to be hard wired. 

Sounds as if your garage are right jobsworths 

[Mary Ellen]

3 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

I will be polite. 

The CTEK tail is a line socket, that is true.  It also has a waterproof protective cap on it. 

The live terminal under the bonnet also has a protective cover. 

The battery terminal has a protective cover. 

If someone is determined they can get it wrong, but the CTEK socket is designed to be hard wired. 

Sounds as if your garage are right jobsworths 

Getting that impression myself, although they are a Toyota dealership and we have had five previous cars from them over 30 years approx, no problems at all. Think problem is so many people, breakdown staff and mechanics think they are hybrid experts but  haven’t yet had enough experience 

[Cyker]

They may have thought you meant to leave a trailing lead, rather than the CTEK plug. If you had the CTEK plugs to show them they should get that it is safe as all the conductors are enclosed.

You could also do what I do instead, which is just go for a random joyride on the weekend or take a more circuitous, less congested scenic route home  

I'd been taking the shorter but much slower route home (aka the Death March), due to trying to minimize the growth of the crack in my windscreen, but have started taking the longer faster route back again and it's improved both my mpg and mental health  

 

[Jimota]

11 hours ago, Roy124 said:

Anchorman is right, it does not affect everyone but as far as I know all Hybrids can be affected. 

Just want to say that one good practice with a petrol engine does not apply with a hybrid. We were taught not to leave the ignition on with the engine not running. With a hybrid you are encouraged to leave the car in Ready mode (ignition on).  Obviously you cannot leave it in Ready mode unattended but there are times when you don't need to switch off. 

One occasion is at the shops of either driver or passenger stats in the car, just leave it in Ready mode. 

Also Accessory mode is not designed for sitting in the car and listening to the radio. 

A diesel, a petrol, a battery, or a hybrid have 4 wheels and a steering wheel in common but thereafter they are all different to a greater or lesser extent. 

Took me a while before I fully understood what ready mode actually meant and how hybrid and petrol vehicles are really quite different.  Still learning about this new system and eager to find out more.

 

 

 

[Derek.w]

You can always connect a charger to the jump start terminals under the bonnet but the more direct route to the Battery from the the under back seat is quicker as its more direct connection to the battery  ie less voltage drop per meter of cable.

If leaving the vehicle parked up for a long time at lets say a airport you can use a some form of Battery jump start pack or call out your RAC AA or other brakedown service to jum start the car.

In the summer solar panels work well depending on its parking position with regards to sunlight.

[anchorman]

37 minutes ago, Derek.w said:

You can always connect a charger to the jump start terminals under the bonnet but the more direct route to the battery from the the under back seat is quicker as its more direct connection to the battery  ie less voltage drop per meter of cable.

If leaving the vehicle parked up for a long time at lets say a airport you can use a some form of battery jump start pack or call out your RAC AA or other brakedown service to jum start the car.

In the summer solar panels work well depending on its parking position with regards to sunlight.

You’re technically right about voltage drop but it really won’t matter from that jump start connector.   That’s what it’s designed for.  

[Mary Ellen]

14 hours ago, anchorman said:

You’re technically right about voltage drop but it really won’t matter from that jump start connector.   That’s what it’s designed for.  

Booked in next week for new Battery and will if necessary, charge Battery from under the bonnet.

[Mojo1010]

I think with your annual 5000 miles mileage, there is no need for a jump starter, only for peace of mind since u had problem with current Battery. 

During the pandemic I did around than 3000 miles a year and Battery had no problem. I do make sure to drive at least 2x a week. 

[Mary Ellen]

39 minutes ago, Mojo1010 said:

I think with your annual 5000 miles mileage, there is no need for a jump starter, only for peace of mind since u had problem with current battery. 

During the pandemic I did around than 3000 miles a year and battery had no problem. I do make sure to drive at least 2x a week. 

Hope you are right, fingers crossed, will give the car three months to restore my confidence.

[Cyker]

The miles isn't so important as the time; You could do only 2 miles but be stuck in typical London rushhour traffic for those 2 miles and that would be more than long enough to charge up the 12v Battery  

With normal cars it's all about RPM, as the higher the RPM the more current the alternator can output, but with hybrids the DC-DC converter supplies a constant current (I think...!) so they need more on-time to deliver the same charge.

That's my current (haha) operating theory anyway!

[Mary Ellen]

5 minutes ago, Cyker said:

The miles isn't so important as the time; You could do only 2 miles but be stuck in typical London rushhour traffic for those 2 miles and that would be more than long enough to charge up the 12v battery  

With normal cars it's all about RPM, as the higher the RPM the more current the alternator can output, but with hybrids the DC-DC converter supplies a constant current (I think...!) so they need more on-time to deliver the same charge.

That's my current (haha) operating theory anyway!

Think that must be thinking about advice to have car on “Ready” for 40 to 60 mins. Tried this when our road was a sheet of ice a few weeks ago. Sat in the car on the drive with a hot water bottle, reading a book for an hour. Still failed to start two days later!

Hopefully new Battery is the solution.

 

[Cyker]

Fingers crossed! It's tricky, as once the battery's too far gone the only thing to do is replace it, but nobody seems to be able to test them properly so it's often difficult to know if that's what's causing the problem.

We've had a few people who had trouble with the Battery, but the dealer 'tested' the Battery and declared them fine, when clearly they were not holding power when loaded up.

[Eddie G]

2 hours ago, Mary Ellen said:

Think that must be thinking about advice to have car on “Ready” for 40 to 60 mins. Tried this when our road was a sheet of ice a few weeks ago. Sat in the car on the drive with a hot water bottle, reading a book for an hour. Still failed to start two days later!

Hopefully new battery is the solution.

 

New 12v Battery should sort it, great little car the MK 4 Yaris but i take a long way to work twice a week and get up to 65-70 mph to help charge the 12v Battery, dealer said zero about the 12v Battery but the owner's club here was very helpful 👍

[Derek.w]

I do short jurneys lets say 12 miles with 2 stop starts inbetween so I need to recharge once or twice a week depending if I fit a long run in lets say 30 miles round trip.

Total Milage for last year around 3500 so for two years its standing at 6400.

[Mary Ellen]

13 hours ago, Derek.w said:

I do short jurneys lets say 12 miles with 2 stop starts inbetween so I need to recharge once or twice a week depending if I fit a long run in lets say 30 miles round trip.

Total Milage for last year around 3500 so for two years its standing at 6400.

Similar to me, although I also did a minimum 15 mile drive every ten days. I think the Battery had problems when I bought the car so hopefully new Battery will be fine

[Primus1]

Hmm, a case of da,ja,vu, reading this, take some comfort Mary , you are not alone, hopefully I’ll be picking up my Yaris cross in April, I currently have a mild hybrid ford puma, they suffer from Battery issues too, you often get on the ford pass app system shutting down messages to preserve Battery, this shuts down some of the systems , mine shuts down the keyless entry on the passenger side door, drivers side is ok, a few put it down to the rombat batteries fitted from the factory and a few had them changed to varta batteries under warranty, however, the problems still persisted, then modules were deemed to be needing an update, mine was done when it had a new dash, ( one of many problems) , but it still came back with the faults, most of the cars started with no problems,a few didn’t, mines never failed to start ( jinxed it now🤭), I do relatively low miles, ( 90, miles a week to an from work, and trips locally at weekends) , I’ve just resigned myself to occasionally giving it an overnight charge using my ctek charger, I wouldn’t sell it because of the Battery, now, if you needed a new engine on a three year old car ( like me ) then that would be different…

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, Mary Ellen said:

Similar to me, although I also did a minimum 15 mile drive every ten days. I think the battery had problems when I bought the car so hopefully new battery will be fine

-Toyota hybrids need time to recharge their 12v batteries, not mileage or speed. For example you said “-I did drive the car 15 miles today”, if these 15 miles were motorway drive done within 15-20 min once or twice a week, this is not enough time for the hybrid system to recharge the 12v Battery. 
Your car uses the 12v Battery for everything except to propel the car and to run the AC, anything else in this car is run by the small 12v Battery.
The battery needs longer time to be maintained properly.
Some people may only drive 5 miles a day but if those 5 miles have been done in 30 or more minutes the car will have sufficient time to recharge the auxiliary battery and you will never have any issues. Also you can park and don’t drive for up to few weeks without trouble.
Another tip to preserve battery life:

-keep the key fob away from the car when parked up.
If you need to unlock and take anything from the car use any other doors but not the drivers door unless you need to open bonnet or need to drive.
Switch off auto folding side mirrors, only use this function manually wherever needed. Interior lights can be set off during summer months or set not to come on when the car is turned off via car service menu.
Any welcome home lights can also be turned off. 
Better to use heater and warm up the whole cabin rather then using the heated seats. Warming up cabin comes from excess heat from the engine, heated seats comes from 12v battery, extra load and stress. 
Do not leave the car unlocked for long time when you around, especially if the keys are in your pocket. 
 

[Mary Ellen]

4 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

-Toyota hybrids need time to recharge their 12v batteries, not mileage or speed. For example you said “-I did drive the car 15 miles today”, if these 15 miles were motorway drive done within 15-20 min once or twice a week, this is not enough time for the hybrid system to recharge the 12v battery. 
Your car uses the 12v battery for everything except to propel the car and to run the AC, anything else in this car is run by the small 12v battery.
The battery needs longer time to be maintained properly.
Some people may only drive 5 miles a day but if those 5 miles have been done in 30 or more minutes the car will have sufficient time to recharge the auxiliary battery and you will never have any issues. Also you can park and don’t drive for up to few weeks without trouble.
Another tip to preserve battery life:

-keep the key fob away from the car when parked up.
If you need to unlock and take anything from the car use any other doors but not the drivers door unless you need to open bonnet or need to drive.
Switch off auto folding side mirrors, only use this function manually wherever needed. Interior lights can be set off during summer months or set not to come on when the car is turned off via car service menu.
Any welcome home lights can also be turned off. 
Better to use heater and warm up the whole cabin rather then using the heated seats. Warming up cabin comes from excess heat from the engine, heated seats comes from 12v battery, extra load and stress. 
Do not leave the car unlocked for long time when you around, especially if the keys are in your pocket. 
 

Thanks for the suggestions, hybrids  seem to work the opposite to combustion cars and most dealerships are not aware of this. I was told consistently that my long runs were not useful if I did not reach above 50 mph on a motorway. Toyota will not fund a new Battery because of low mileage!

[TonyHSD]

35 minutes ago, Mary Ellen said:

Thanks for the suggestions, hybrids  seem to work the opposite to combustion cars and most dealerships are not aware of this. I was told consistently that my long runs were not useful if I did not reach above 50 mph on a motorway. Toyota will not fund a new battery because of low mileage!

Perhaps the dealer didn’t wanted to warranty exchange or Toyota uk. If the dealer has refused then you can wright an email to Toyota head office explain the situation and ask them to reimburse the invoice. If the dealers really suggest to drive the car at speeds it’s against what Toyota uk suggests to keep the car in ready mode on your drive. Obviously the dealer you had used were not helpful at all. I wish you get well soon as our health is most important then anything else and many trouble free miles Roth your car. 👍