Thinking of buying a Yaris Cross

[deaf JEFF]

Hi all, as the title says i am thinking of buying about a 2 to 4 year old ish Yaris cross, i have read reviews etc but i think the best people to ask about them are people like yourselves who already own one

The questions i would like answering, among others, are : Are you still pleased with your car, are they quiet, is the heater good and are they comfortable .

My present car is a Karoq sportline which  being 6' 3" with a bad back is comfortable  for me. The only trouble with my 2litre turbo Karoq is 90% of my driving these days is 2 miles into town and back so it barely gets up to normal operating temp and the journey in the winter takes more out of the Battery than it can put back.

Any imfo on the Yaris cross you give me i will be grateful for. Also in the is a  VW T Cross or a Hyundai

[Gray86]

It’s an excellent city car, which can also do well on longer runs. Fuel economy is nothing short of outstanding in the warmer months, you will notice a bit of road noise, and the engine can be a little noisy & unrefined at times - much improved by using super unleaded. Boot is a great size for the class of car, reliability will be great, and there is a long warranty. 
 

e-CVT gearbox will take a bit of getting used to, but (especially around town) it’s very refined and smooth, as there are no gears to change. 
 

Pinkstones in Stoke are a decent dealership & may be local to you. 

[chazbri]

Hi Jeff, Ive had a Cross Excel for 2 years  really like it and am about to trade it in for another. Previously Ive had Rav Hybrids but during Covid and after decided to down size. I feel as though the car is more suited to town  where its size and nip are good. I appreciate the height of the front seats cos of back problems. Rear passengers may be a bit cramped if they are tall but boot size is OK. Some owners have indicated Battery problems but Ive not encountered any yet. After 50 years of driving I realise no car is perfect but all in all the Cross is fine for my needs at the moment.

[Primus1]

Had my cross since July last year, it’s my first auto and I think it’s great, I can’t compare with other non cvt autos as I’ve only ever driven one and that was about 40 years ago, the only time I feel it’s noisy is if you floor it or are going up a long steep hill, but even then it’s not too intrusive, I think the wheel size plays its part mines on 18inch but I find it’s ok, it’s really good in urban area’s however, sailing along in electric mode over those pesky speed humps and you tend ( have to) change your driving style slightly, I have had a non start situation just after Christmas and had to call Toyota assist for a jump start, ( the car, not me) I’m ok as I can charge overnight in the garage and I will invest in a portable jump starter.

[Roy124]

I think 2 years old is about tops (MY 21).  We traded up from a Corolla 1.8 Design to the Yaris Cross 1.5 Excel.  Like ot so much we are getting a new one I. 3 months or so.

Love it.

Noise,  not as bad as some make out.  The car is ultra quiet,  it is road noise that is intrusive.  Driving one day recently,  wet road and noisy.  Suddenly everything went quiet as the road surface changed. 

[dannyboy413]

Like Roy I traded up from a Corolla 1.8, (Sol - Irish spec'), and do not regret it one bit.  It is easier to get in and out off and the driving position is good. I have no problem with the level of noise, as most of it is down to the road surface. The only time the car is noisy is when, for some reason, I floor the pedal, although that is very rare as I like the fuel consumption I get just driving normally. Internal space is good, certainly in the front and there is plenty of room in the boot. I bought the car last April and it had its first service yesterday at 15,400kms. MPG in the cold weather is averaging just over 60, but I regularly got 70+ during the summer. Unless something changes radically, the next car will be another Yaris Cross. 😊

[AJones]

4 hours ago, deaf JEFF said:

The only trouble with my 2litre turbo Karoq is 90% of my driving these days is 2 miles into town and back so it barely gets up to normal operating temp and the journey in the winter takes more out of the battery than it can put back.

...

Also in the is a  VW T Cross or a Hyundai

Have you considered a Hyundai Kona EV? Benefit of EVs and many PHEVs is they can preheat the cabin before you set off, so you're not reliant on an engine warming up, ideal for short journeys. 

You can pick up a used Kona EV for less than a used Yaris Cross.

[deaf JEFF]

A big thank you to all .What a great bunch of people you are with your friendly helpful replies and every single one of them was useful . It will probably be a couple of months by the time i make my choice on what to go for as i tend to dither a lot more now compared to when i was younger, but i will come back to say "Hi"and tell you what i decide 👍

[anchorman]

6 hours ago, AJones said:

Have you considered a Hyundai Kona EV? Benefit of EVs and many PHEVs is they can preheat the cabin before you set off, so you're not reliant on an engine warming up, ideal for short journeys. 

You can pick up a used Kona EV for less than a used Yaris Cross.

Just make sure you know where the fire exits are.  

[Gray86]

5 hours ago, anchorman said:

Just make sure you know where the fire exits are.  

Ignore the anti-EV propaganda, it’s nonsense 

[Mojo1010]

Kona EV is a good recommendation.

[Tommy X]

22 hours ago, deaf JEFF said:

Hi all, as the title says i am thinking of buying about a 2 to 4 year old ish Yaris cross, i have read reviews etc but i think the best people to ask about them are people like yourselves who already own one

The questions i would like answering, among others, are : Are you still pleased with your car, are they quiet, is the heater good and are they comfortable .

My present car is a Karoq sportline which  being 6' 3" with a bad back is comfortable  for me. The only trouble with my 2litre turbo Karoq is 90% of my driving these days is 2 miles into town and back so it barely gets up to normal operating temp and the journey in the winter takes more out of the battery than it can put back.

Any imfo on the Yaris cross you give me i will be grateful for. Also in the is a  VW T Cross or a Hyundai

Coming from a Karoq I would consider a VW T Cross 1ltr 110PS, IMO it is roomier than a Yaris Cross especially in the rear seats, rear doors open wider and you sit quite high up in the front, I find the engine and road / wind noise a lot more refined in the T Cross, better soundproofing and overall better build quality, the Yaris Cross is a good car let down by lots of cost cutting corners. The very short journeys you undertake I think any brand of car will struggle to get up to temperature and if you read the War and Peace topic on Battery maintenance maybe a Hybrid is not a good choice           

[davidif]

7 hours ago, Gray86 said:

Ignore the anti-EV propaganda, it’s nonsense 

Maybe get an insurance quote or two if thinking of a change to an EV (as was I until recently)

The quotes were eye watering. 

[davidif]

2 hours ago, Tommy X said:

Coming from a Karoq I would consider a VW T Cross 1ltr 110PS, IMO it is roomier than a Yaris Cross especially in the rear seats, rear doors open wider and you sit quite high up in the front, I find the engine and road / wind noise a lot more refined in the T Cross, better soundproofing and overall better build quality, the Yaris Cross is a good car let down by lots of cost cutting corners. The very short journeys you undertake I think any brand of car will struggle to get up to temperature and if you read the War and Peace topic on battery maintenance maybe a Hybrid is not a good choice           

There is more to build quality than soft touch plastics, sound deadening and plush carpets however….

[Cyker]

I'd recommend you sit in one first to be sure if it's comfortable - If you were after a normal Yaris I would have strongly advised against it, as you mention you have a bad back; I had to get a lumbar cushion for mine as the seat was giving me crippling lower back pain if I was in it for more than half an hour!

I think the Yaris Cross has adjustable lumbar support, which was omitted from the non-cross Yaris, but I'm not sure if it's in all of them or just the higher spec models.

 

If your journey really is only 2 miles of urban driving though, I don't think paying the premium for a hybrid will be worth it - You can get used petrol crossover/SUVs that are much more comfortable for less money, and with such low mileage the difference in running cost will be practically unnoticeable.

The Kona/niro evs, and EVs in general are a good shout if you can charge at home as they're more suited for short journeys or infrequent use. Ironically, modern efficient power trains - more so diesels and hybrids but less so straight petrols - are less good for short journeys and infrequent use, as their higher efficiency means they take longer to heat up and don't reach peak efficiency as quick, and over time you start to get issues like carbon build up and the condensation that goes into the oil doesn't get boiled off causing sludge to build up.

When my dad had a diesel Focus, his all time record was something like 135 miles for a full tank when he was near-exclusively doing similarly short journeys - Compare to when I borrowed it for some long distance runs, where I easily got 500 miles out of the same tank!     (Also the first time I took it down an onramp and floored the accelerator, the car blew such a massive cloud of soot out the exhaust that I suspect the driver behind me thought my engine had blown up!   )

 

[Tommy X]

1 hour ago, davidif said:

There is more to build quality than soft touch plastics, sound deadening and plush carpets however….

Go on David enlighten us 👨‍🎓

[Primus1]

My previous puma was a lovely thing to be in, it was a 1st edition with lots of soft touch faux leather and a soft touch dash with ( fake) carbon fibre inserts, I had it about a month when I noticed a piece of trim missing from the rear door handle, then one of the rear door unlock modules failed and I couldn’t open it via the keyless entry, then it was in for a complete dash removal to fix a rattle and they replaced the instrument cluster, then, a noise from the engine which sounded like a pulley, they replaced the pulley, but it didn’t cure it, they eventually traced it to something in the top end of the engine and it turned out to be quicker and cheaper to just fit a complete new engine, Battery issues and deep sleep shutdowns were a regular thing..so, sitting in my cross with no rattles or squeaks with all the main things I touch feel perfectly acceptable and, knowing that it’s a Toyota and, Battery issues aside, it has its legendary Toyota reliability, I know which car I’d rather be in..

[Gray86]

2 hours ago, davidif said:

Maybe get an insurance quote or two if thinking of a change to an EV (as was I until recently)

The quotes were eye watering. 

Coincidentally I did, it’s about £400 more than my Corolla (which is £400) for a Tesla model Y long range. Given the increase in performance, and value that’s not too bad. If you consider road tax & servicing on a Toyota hybrid, it basically breaks even. 

[davidif]

15 hours ago, Tommy X said:

Go on David enlighten us 👨‍🎓

Well maybe you could start by looking at the reliability statistics, google will assist you here..

You seldom see the ‘high end’ German marques near the top, nor some of the high end British manufacturers (JLR in particular) All of which no doubt sport plush carpets,heavy sound deadening  and the soft squidgy plastics so beloved of the quality car connoisseurs but must surely lack the basic engineering integrity of the mainly Japanese cars occupying the top spots. 

[Tommy X]

6 minutes ago, davidif said:

Well maybe you could start by looking at the reliability statistics, google will assist you here..

You seldom see the ‘high end’ German marques near the top, nor some of the high end British manufacturers (JLR in particular) All of which no doubt sport plush carpets,heavy sound deadening  and the soft squidgy plastics so beloved of the quality car connoisseurs but must surely lack the basic engineering integrity of the mainly Japanese cars occupying the top spots. 

I agree the Jap cars come out on top for reliability, i've had four Honda's, Suzuki Vitara, three Mitsubishi's a Mazda and four Toyota's, the only one that let me down with continuous (none) starting problems was a Corolla, but I never had any problems with the VW, Seat, and Skoda's I have owned, I consider the latter to be better built, Jeff mentioned in his post that he was considering a VW T Cross, I own one so offered my opinion         

[YarisHybrid2016]

JLR? Reliable? HAHA! Uhh...not quite.

German cars have massive engine problems. I heard that over 15% of the 3-series fleet have had engine replacements since 2010. All the German cars seem to use the same 2.0L engine, turbo'd within an inch of its life to produce power. No wonder none of them last much beyond 50k miles before dying.

A friend of ours lost a top-end Mercedes (£100k worth) to an engine fire at 18 months old caused by a faulty pump. Needless to say, she didn't buy another.

For reliability, you can't beat Japanese.

Another vote for YC. Ours is coming up to 2 years old/16000 miles, and not a thing wrong with it. No signs of Battery issues, either, and it easily sits 5 days without being driven.

Our longest journey was up to Glasgow and back last year; didn't skip a beat, and we both found it very comfortable. We averaged 65 MPG on that run.

Just to note, YC came out in 2021, so you won't find anything older than 2-years.

[Tyfan]

Hi, I purchased a 2022 Design Yaris Cross at the end of October last year 2023. My reason was two fold. One I broke my left hip, I am around 6ft 2" and found my Corolla Hybrid just too low for In/Out without difficulty. (I loved the Corolla Hybrid too) Secondly I wanted a decent economy which I get, 58 in winter and it was over 64 in November before the cold weather. Most of my runs are local with the odd trip around50 miles each way. It is a bit noisy when as has been noted up hill and asking for acceleration. It is the 17" wheel model. Talking of wheels, there is no spare only a canister of foam filler type. I hate that so treated myself to a space saver spare plus jack etc. The wheel well is there but if you go that route you also need the central screw to clamp the wheel in place. There are many on line from around £70 to 200ish. Your choice. All in all I am very happy with the Yaris Cross apart from the £200 jump in Insurance for the Hybrid EV Battery. I hope my twopence worth helps. 

[MikeB2]

Hi Tyfan, just a quick reply regarding insurance increase,  i have had several Yaris Cross  the last few years. When I first upgraded from the mk 3 Yaris to the cross my insurance was just over £240 per year, last year that had gone up to £340 which wasn't too bad, however I have recently received my renewal quote for this year and was quoted an eye watering £970! I thought this was a mistake as I have full no claims bonus and have not claimed on car insurance for about 25 years. I went on several comparison sites and got quoted anything between £700 - over £1000. I telephoned my insurance company and asked them how they could justify such a huge increase. Their response was "Increase in cost of living, increase in labour and replacement parts"

I did manage to get the price down to £650 with a bit of bargaining but still maintaining all the features I receive now. I know prices have gone up everywhere but I feel that insurance companies since they have to give the same price to existing customers as a new customer they have thought we can charge more because there is no real competition now. Age also has an impact on the price which I think is unfair, I have been driving for 52 years and for a number of years I was employed as a service engineer and would easily drive 1000 miles per week (Company van) I consider myself a safe driver. Rant over

[Cyker]

You're lucky to have haggled it down that far! I was getting quotes over a grand this year; Considering before the FCA stopped insurance companies giving low quotes to new customers I was getting quotes in the £4-500 region.

Even Adrian Flux, who got me a bit over £600 last year went up by £100 this year (But was still a lot cheaper than most of the other quotes I'd gotten)

I think the stock markets haven't been so great, and they've lost money on expensive EV repairs, so they're using us to make up the difference.

 

re. "Build Quality", I've come to realize this isn't a universal term, talking with colleagues. It was quite interesting actually as, broadly, to the ones that owned german cars, "Build quality" meant things like panel gaps lining up, quality of materials, comfort, NVH, that sort of thing, whereas to owners of jappy cars it meant things like not having bits of the car fall off or break randomly, not having to replace major parts of the car on a routine basis like suspension components, gaskets, bushes, bearings, drive shafts etc..

 

[anchorman]

On 1/14/2024 at 10:30 AM, Gray86 said:

Ignore the anti-EV propaganda, it’s nonsense 

Oh no it isn’t.