yaris cross 4 wheel drive capability

[BobHos]

Does anyone have experience of capability of the yaris cross 4 wheel drive when starting off on a slippery inclined road. Also is the drive technology intelligent any wheel drive or simply equal power 4 wheel drive. Also, I presume that the 4 wheel drive capability is purely electric drive and consequently limited in terms of speed and distance.

 

[anchorman]

1 minute ago, BobHos said:

Does anyone have experience of capability of the yaris cross 4 wheel drive when starting off on a slippery inclined road. Also is the drive technology intelligent any wheel drive or simply equal power 4 wheel drive. Also, I presume that the 4 wheel drive capability is purely electric drive and consequently limited in terms of speed and distance.

 

If you’ve got a Kevlar vest, now would be a good time to don  it.  There are some on here that have tried to compare a 5HP motor to the engine output which is nonsense.  The rear motor puts out 52Nm of torque which given the weight distribution is quite well balanced  with the front.

[BobHos]

8 minutes ago, anchorman said:

If you’ve got a Kevlar vest, now would be a good time to don  it.  There are some on here that have tried to compare a 5HP motor to the engine output which is nonsense.  The rear motor puts out 52Nm of torque which given the weight distribution is quite well balanced  with the front.

Do you have any experience of driving one?

 

[TonyHSD]

10 hours ago, BobHos said:

Does anyone have experience of capability of the yaris cross 4 wheel drive when starting off on a slippery inclined road. Also is the drive technology intelligent any wheel drive or simply equal power 4 wheel drive. Also, I presume that the 4 wheel drive capability is purely electric drive and consequently limited in terms of speed and distance.

 

It’s an intelligent system on paper, although in real life situations it’s more of a gimmick than actual help. Even rav4 awd it’s not as capable as proper awd There are some evs that have proper awd , but Toyota hybrids awd systems has very little assistance if anything at all. The awd version doesn’t have extra power in its total output of 116bhp, they simply split these 116bhp between both axles so the car can have some torque to the rear wheels. 
Yaris cross awd even with its 52Nm rear axle electric motor it doesn’t have big enough Battery to provide enough power to help propel the car in most situations where awd system can come to a help. Here a video shows exactly that. Nothing wrong with the car or if you really like it it’s a good choice, but if the awd system is of importance for you and your driving needs you maybe looking for something else like Suzuki vitara or Dacia duster, these are more capable awd small SUV’s . 

 

[BobHos]

Thanks Tony your explanation and the video are very helpful. I have driven 4 wheel drive cars for many years now and appreciate their capability in difficult terrains/circumstances. Many years ago I drove land rovers in my job and those beasts could just about get you up the side of a house when 4 wheel drive was selected. For the last 36 or so years I drove various Subarus which were all excellent in difficult driving conditions. I was sold on Subarus when I was driving my first one down a narrow country road at a speed that I should not have been at and I encountered an extremely tight right hand bend. I intuitively felt that I would never get round the bend but the scoobydoo just effortlessly purred round the corner. Obviously the scooby low centre of gravity boxer engine and my knowledge about how to use the accelerator when negotiating a tight bend helped but from that moment on I was a Subaru convert. My belief and trust in scoobydoos was later reinforced when I slowly negotiated a very steep icy road past about a dozen other vehicles which were either spinning or stationery at the side. I knew that the Yaris Cross would have limited power and capability in 4 wheel or any wheel drive mode but I expected that it would still provide a useful function on a slippery incline, perhaps not according to the video of tests which you pointed me to. I need to watch the video again and investigate further. I never really considered before that amount of power available would have been a factor in slowly negotiating a slippery incline but I need to investigate and consider this a bit more. The Vitara seemed to perform better in the video was this because of more power or better design/control? I need to investigate.

 

Once again Tony thanks for your very helpful reply.

[anchorman]

See what I mean?  He always chooses the none representative zero friction comparison to demonstrate it’s uselessness when in fact the effort from the rear axle doesn’t need to be high in order to give traction.  I’ve not driven one, no but I have driven the scaled up version on the RAV and the only time it got stuck was when we “beached it” because the snow was so deep.   If you have the potential to get stuck (I leave or arrive in the hills of Derbyshire when these cynics are tucked up in bed).  What I can guarantee 100% is that your chances of getting home will be improved by having AWD.  Don’t get mixed up in the terminology because we’re not stupid enough to need telling that it isn’t a mechanical 4WD like a Land Rover, it’s an on demand assistance system and it doesn’t need oodles of Battery power to keep you going.  If it does need an exceptionally long period of operation the Motor Generator will feed it.   I don’t why the cynics are so emotive about the subject, maybe they need to justify their own choice but you think about your own needs and make your own decisions.  Don’t forget, the AWD has a much more articulate rear suspension set up as well.  

[Yugguy1970]

Neither the Cross or the the Rav are meant to be offroaders.

They're just meant to give more grip when needed on slippy roads.

[anchorman]

 

[anchorman]

 

[forkingabout]

Only real benefit I see from the AWD I system available on the Yaris Cross is the rear suspension upgrade to a double wishbone type. 

End of the day its just a pumped up Yaris, its not designed to go off roading or ploughing through snow - the AWD I system will just help out on wet slippery roads. 

[BobHos]

My interest is only in its capability on slippery surfaces and having a car that my wife will drive, my days of off-roading, etc are past.

I wonder about the validity of the Vitara vs Yaris test video considering the tests were conducted at a Suziki franchise.

In the comments on the video one person raises some questions about the roller tests :-"small diameter rollers, lack of side rollers - questionable results with the engagement of the tire of the fixed parts of the stand or creating traction due to the inertia of the rollers of small diameter"

It is a pity that the Yaris cannot be tested/filmed on an actual slippery surface.

No doubt the Suzuki did perform better in the tests shown in the video and this may be due to the fact that the Vitara has some mechanical drive to the rear wheels and/or different drive system monitoring and control. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REPLY

 

 

[APS]

I wonder if the driver had made any manual override since the car never seemed to even attempt to apply the brakes on the slipping wheels. That would have made that ascent a whole lot quicker and easier. 

[BobHos]

1 hour ago, anchorman said:

 

Thanks for the video(s). The one in a foreign language would have been more helpful in English but I can spend a bit more time looking at them more closely.

[TonyHSD]

With due respect to all forum members and car owners I have no intentions of ranting about the Yaris cross awd-i system or any other Toyota models. However this type of awd it’s new on the market and many potential car buyers aren’t aware of its weakness.
As we all can see from few videos posted on YouTube the system does indeed has its limitations that for many might be a deal breaker either to buy or not to buy. I know many of you here are older than me and having much greater life experience plus higher knowledge of cars , I value and respect that 👍

I haven’t tested YC awd myself but I have tested other brands fwd vs awd and I can guarantee you that if you have YC fwd equipped with winter or all season tyres and YC awd on its stock summer tyres the later will not be better than the fwd car in all possible slippery conditions. 
Everyone is saying it’s not an off roader, well I agree with that but even so when front wheels loose grip the rears should be able to push the car out of situations. This roller test shows exactly otherwise. I follow this channel since 9 years and their early days, these guys are fully independent testers and does not care about dealers or brands. They only show one thing, capabilities of the different makes and models all wheel drive systems. 
Toyota has started this awd-i with Rav4 in 2016 and then integrated into Prius 2019, there had been improvements over the years and perhaps in near future they will be a hybrids with more capable awd system, that works on the same principle but with more power and better performance. 

 

[BobHos]

Thanks to all for information. As I said in earlier post I do not need a super duper all singing and dancing all-terrain vehicle now and me and my wife will not be going out in heavy snow conditions or driving in rough dirt track roads. We simply want a vehicle which will keep us moving in light snow and ice conditions. My wife likes, and is very familiar with, her Yaris Y20 hybrid and I gave up my last Subaru a couple of years ago.

After seeing the video below, I am convinced that the Yaris Cross AWDi will probably fit the bill for us. My only problem is getting a test drive of one as Aberdeen does not have a full Toyota franchise dealership now and the nearest one is about 60 miles away. My wife would need more than one test drive to make sure she was happy with the driving position and basic controls, etc and, ideally, I would like to try it in good and inclement weather. I am now sure, however, that the car would be able to deal with most non severe weather and road conditions albeit that it will probably have to be driven carefully in a manner commensurate with its capabilities.

 

[anchorman]

8 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

With due respect to all forum members and car owners I have no intentions of ranting about the Yaris cross awd-i system or any other Toyota models. However this type of awd it’s new on the market and many potential car buyers aren’t aware of its weakness.
As we all can see from few videos posted on YouTube the system does indeed has its limitations that for many might be a deal breaker either to buy or not to buy. I know many of you here are older than me and having much greater life experience plus higher knowledge of cars , I value and respect that 👍

I haven’t tested YC awd myself but I have tested other brands fwd vs awd and I can guarantee you that if you have YC fwd equipped with winter or all season tyres and YC awd on its stock summer tyres the later will not be better than the fwd car in all possible slippery conditions. 
Everyone is saying it’s not an off roader, well I agree with that but even so when front wheels loose grip the rears should be able to push the car out of situations. This roller test shows exactly otherwise. I follow this channel since 9 years and their early days, these guys are fully independent testers and does not care about dealers or brands. They only show one thing, capabilities of the different makes and models all wheel drive systems. 
Toyota has started this awd-i with Rav4 in 2016 and then integrated into Prius 2019, there had been improvements over the years and perhaps in near future they will be a hybrids with more capable awd system, that works on the same principle but with more power and better performance. 

 

Let’s take off roading out of the equation because nobody in their right mind will buy a car of this nature to go off roading with.  It seems like you know better than Toyota to declare with such conviction that the AWDi has weaknesses that potential buyers should know about and if you want to base that on a zero friction roller test in comparison to a Vitara done in Suzuki dealership then there is little more to say on that matter.   The second declaration that a FWD with winter tyres is going to fair better than a AWDi and summer tyres is just irrelevant.  Put them both on winter tyres and then you have a sensible comparison.   

[anchorman]

12 minutes ago, BobHos said:

Thanks to all for information. As I said in earlier post I do not need a super duper all singing and dancing all-terrain vehicle now and me and my wife will not be going out in heavy snow conditions or driving in rough dirt track roads. We simply want a vehicle which will keep us moving in light snow and ice conditions. My wife likes, and is very familiar with, her Yaris Y20 hybrid and I gave up my last Subaru a couple of years ago.

After seeing the video below, I am convinced that the Yaris Cross AWDi will probably fit the bill for us. My only problem is getting a test drive of one as Aberdeen does not have a full Toyota franchise dealership now and the nearest one is about 60 miles away. My wife would need more than one test drive to make sure she was happy with the driving position and basic controls, etc and, ideally, I would like to try it in good and inclement weather. I am now sure, however, that the car would be able to deal with most non severe weather and road conditions albeit that it will probably have to be driven carefully in a manner commensurate with its capabilities.

 

I tend to think so too Robert plus you get all the benefits of a Toyota over many other brands.  I’m in the same position, I definitely need the extra reassurance of an AWD and despite having various RAVs. CX5s and latterly a Lexus NX with the alleged “deficient Hybrid AWD” (it had Cross Climates on and was virtually unstoppable in the snow) my situation has changed and I don’t want to spend a fortune so I’ve got a AWD Cross on order.  I’m currently running a late model Yaris with the same engine and it’s superb for what it is.  My neighbour has the AWD Cross and I’ve done several jobs (steps and mudflaps etc) which are documented on here somewhere.   It’s a cracking motor.  

[BobHos]

2 minutes ago, anchorman said:

I tend to think so too Robert plus you get all the benefits of a Toyota over many other brands.  I’m in the same position, I definitely need the extra reassurance of an AWD and despite having various RAVs. CX5s and latterly a Lexus NX with the alleged “deficient Hybrid AWD” (it had Cross Climates on and was virtually unstoppable in the snow) my situation has changed and I don’t want to spend a fortune so I’ve got a AWD Cross on order.  I’m currently running a late model Yaris with the same engine and it’s superb for what it is.  My neighbour has the AWD Cross and I’ve done several jobs (steps and mudflaps etc) which are documented on here somewhere.   It’s a cracking motor.  

Yes Don I am looking forward to getting my hands on one. Having given up my last Scoobydoo (which was hard for me to do) I have been driving my wife's Yaris a lot more. She has been driving Yaris's for quite a few years now and if I decide to get a Cross I would like her to be able to, and happy to, drive it. I am very impressed with Toyotas.

When do you expect to get your AWD Cross? No doubt it will be in time for winter conditions when you will be able to put it through its paces. I would love to be in a position of waiting for one to arrive before this winter but, as I explained earlier, it has to be suitable for my wife to drive as well. I would love to hear how you get on with it.

[TonyHSD]

2 hours ago, anchorman said:

Let’s take off roading out of the equation because nobody in their right mind will buy a car of this nature to go off roading with.  It seems like you know better than Toyota to declare with such conviction that the AWDi has weaknesses that potential buyers should know about and if you want to base that on a zero friction roller test in comparison to a Vitara done in Suzuki dealership then there is little more to say on that matter.   The second declaration that a FWD with winter tyres is going to fair better than a AWDi and summer tyres is just irrelevant.  Put them both on winter tyres and then you have a sensible comparison.   

Well I said what I had to say. Some maybe like, others perhaps not. One thing I am right for sure, the tyres are more important than the driving axles. Here an example of fwd Yaris cross on off road trial. I would say pretty impressive. Good driver with good car plus good tyres awd not really a must have. 👍

 

[anchorman]

6 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

Well I said what I had to say. Some maybe like, others perhaps not. One thing I am right for sure, the tyres are more important than the driving axles. Here an example of fwd Yaris cross on off road trial. I would say pretty impressive. Good driver with good car plus good tyres awd not really a must have. 👍

 

Nobody needs convincing that winter tyres are better than summer tyres in winter.  You’ve chosen to blank out the effects of putting them on an AWD - whatever.  Then you demonstrate how good the vehicle is off road but it’s not the stock tyres it has on, it’s a good driver.  Enough said.  Hope Bob can take away something clear from all this to help him make his decision.  

[BobHos]

1 hour ago, anchorman said:

Nobody needs convincing that winter tyres are better than summer tyres in winter.  You’ve chosen to blank out the effects of putting them on an AWD - whatever.  Then you demonstrate how good the vehicle is off road but it’s not the stock tyres it has on, it’s a good driver.  Enough said.  Hope Bob can take away something clear from all this to help him make his decision.  

When do you expect to get your AWD Cross Don? No doubt it will be in time for winter conditions when you will be able to put it through its paces. I would love to be in a position of waiting for one to arrive before this winter but, as I explained earlier, it has to be suitable for my wife to drive as well. I would love to hear how you get on with it.

[IT Troll]

I've taken my AWD on a couple of highland mini-tours since owning it. Nothing extreme, just wet/muddy roads and some unmade forestry tracks - similar to Catalin Colniceanu's video posted above. Whilst I can't say I have definitely been in situation where AWD saved me, I'd still rather have whatever assistance it can offer than not. No snow yet.

The results in the roller video are rather disappointing, clearly it can't compete with a true mechanical driveshaft system. However, at various points it looks like the AWD system is getting confused by the synthetic test. When wheels are spinning freely it only engages for a short period and then backs off again. Like the system hasn't been programmed to respond correctly to the inputs it is getting from the wheels.

The rear motor is also a generator and so assists with charging. Whilst the weight of the motor does slightly impact fuel economy I do wonder if you get a slightly faster recharge on AWD models.

At one point, when I was coming downhill at a fair speed on a particularly windy, bumpy and entertaining mountain pass, I did get a warning. It was two beeps, longer and lower in tone than lane departure, and a brief orange symbol on the info screen. The symbol didn't stay long enough for me to make it out - my eyes needed to be on the road. Any ideas what that was? Traction control?

[davidif]

28 minutes ago, IT Troll said:

I've taken my AWD on a couple of highland mini-tours since owning it. Nothing extreme, just wet/muddy roads and some unmade forestry tracks - similar to Catalin Colniceanu's video posted above. Whilst I can't say I have definitely been in situation where AWD saved me, I'd still rather have whatever assistance it can offer than not. No snow yet.

The results in the roller video are rather disappointing, clearly it can't compete with a true mechanical driveshaft system. However, at various points it looks like the AWD system is getting confused by the synthetic test. When wheels are spinning freely it only engages for a short period and then backs off again. Like the system hasn't been programmed to respond correctly to the inputs it is getting from the wheels.

The rear motor is also a generator and so assists with charging. Whilst the weight of the motor does slightly impact fuel economy I do wonder if you get a slightly faster recharge on AWD models.

At one point, when I was coming downhill at a fair speed on a particularly windy, bumpy and entertaining mountain pass, I did get a warning. It was two beeps, longer and lower in tone than lane departure, and a brief orange symbol on the info screen. The symbol didn't stay long enough for me to make it out - my eyes needed to be on the road. Any ideas what that was? Traction control?

Excellent picture, could be a Toyota marketing photo!

 

[anchorman]

2 hours ago, BobHos said:

When do you expect to get your AWD Cross Don? No doubt it will be in time for winter conditions when you will be able to put it through its paces. I would love to be in a position of waiting for one to arrive before this winter but, as I explained earlier, it has to be suitable for my wife to drive as well. I would love to hear how you get on with it.

I don’t really know Bob.  I had a Dynamic ordered but I insist on AWD because we do get snow here and they grit the main roads but not the side roads so it can make the difference between getting home or not.  Toyota withdrew the AWD for a short time but then re-offered it as the 2023 Excel but that put me at the back of the queue.  I’ve got absolutely no intention of giving the dealer a hard time because it’s completely out of their hands and Toyota just want to sell cars but it’s out of their hands too.  The supply chains are woeful globally and we can’t blame anyone for it - it’s a legacy of Covid and would you believe, that ship that got stuck in the Suez.  I’m running a newish Yaris which is surprisingly good but it’s not quite big enough and it isn’t AWD or I’d keep that.  I’ve had a 2020 Lexus with Cross Climates on and it was astonishing in the snow.   Because the Cross has not materialised, I’ve just ordered Cross Climates for the Yaris to take me through the winter.  My neighbour bought an AWD and immediately fitted Continental Cross Climates so if the weather turns bad I’ll let you know how that gets on.   Like I said, you don’t just get the driven rear axle you get the proper multi link rear suspension like a small RAV4.  I’ve attached a pdf.  The third photo is after I’d fitted steps but shows the new tyres  

Rear sus parts location.pdf

[IT Troll]

4 hours ago, IT Troll said:

At one point, when I was coming downhill at a fair speed on a particularly windy, bumpy and entertaining mountain pass, I did get a warning. It was two beeps, longer and lower in tone than lane departure, and a brief orange symbol on the info screen. The symbol didn't stay long enough for me to make it out - my eyes needed to be on the road. Any ideas what that was? Traction control?

Managed to answer my own question by rewatching one of the above videos. It is the slip indicator and the affected wheel. I do tend to have my display showing that screen.