Thinking of buying a Yaris Cross

[RonYarisX]

@deaf JEFF

I'm not the main driver, but I changed from a karoq Edition ( on 19" same as sportline ) to a YarisX GR Sport.

Our karoq was only being used for short journeys around town too so I can asnwer any specific questions you have.

However there's a few things you need to be aware of:

1: Rear space. Do you use the rear seats? You'd be going from one of the best rear seat space packaged cars on the market to the worst. The bias on the X is to the boot - it's not bad but you're going from a Skoda where you can see thought has been put in to design, to a Toyota where it looks as if it's been thrown together on the back of a !Removed! packet. And if it comes with those protection mats, absolute laughable build quality. I'd put the Skoda in a completely different class - the Toyota feels cheap and seriously lacks any design thought.

2: People talking about mileage improvements and yes, it's great ( we had 1.5tsi karoq ). But if you're only doing 2miles, the Battery isn't getting a chance to charge. If that's your typical journey, I'd be tempted to look at a Plug-in hybrid.

3: That said, the engine cut off is in a different league to the Skoda system which needs to be up to temp before it cuts in. I bet you hardly notice your engine stop/start cutting out?

4: Depends if you had a manual or DSG to make comparison. On short journies like that, the Toyota CVT is so much smoother, but on longer journies it's the DSG that wins, simply because the Toyota is only a single speed gearbox. It's rubbish compared to your Skoda at faster speeds.

5: Engine noise? Around town the Toyota is way much better, as long as you don't want to accelerate fast otherwise you'd swear it's a 2 stroke lawnmower engine under the bonnet compared to what your Skoda has.

6: Oh nearly forgot - build quality. IMO the Karoq was one of the best cars in the VW range. You close the door and it goes thud. I suggest you try out a Yaris X and close the door - especially the rear door. We don't use the rear doors in the X but if you do, and I say this in all honesty, the Yaris X has the worst sounding rear door I've ever heard in my life. Del Boy's van will have more of a thud. It's shockingly poor.

7: You speak of comfort. ( do you have electric seats in the Sportline? ) If not then you currently have a back rest that's infinitely adjustable for rake - the Toyota only has a step arrangement so best try it. I actually find the seats comfortable in both cars.

8: Be aware of the little things too such as if you use the autohold feature on your karoq - you turn it on and then forget about it. In the Toyota, you have to turn it on each time you switch the engine on. There are many little things like that which make life with the karoq so much easier.

As I say I'm not the main driver ( who is very, very happy with the Toyota ) but for me, never in a million years would I go for the Toyota over the Karoq. It's also worth looking in insurance - get a quote for the Toyota. I know it's an individual thing but I was surprised to find the Toyota more expensive to insure than a 1.5tsi Karoq.

Apart from economy, the Karoq is better in everyway - IMO that is. But it's a totally different car. We needed a smaller car so it was Yaris X vs Kamiq. ( at the present time, I rate Skoda build quality far higher than VW. In fact as far as Audi goes, I'd certainly put the Karoq higher than the Q3 I looked at ).

 

[anchorman]

The bit the others can’t reproduce is trouble free longevity.  

[RonYarisX]

2 minutes ago, anchorman said:

The bit the others can’t reproduce is trouble free longevity.  

Best the OP doesn't do a search for Battery issues then.

My four years with the karoq were trouble free as has been my 5 months with the Yaris X.

Edit:  sorry, the horn on the Karoq was replaced in it's 2nd year.

[anchorman]

Just now, RonYarisX said:

Best the OP doesn't do a search for battery issues then.

My four years with the karoq were trouble free as has been my 5 months with the Yaris X.

Your Cross may well get Battery issues, we know about that.  I’m talking about the car getting on in years or big mileage.  

[deaf JEFF]

On 1/14/2024 at 3:54 PM, 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           

Bill,what sort of mpg are you getting from your T-Cross on town runs and motorways ?

[Tommy X]

Ron hope you don't mind me making a few points on your thread,

No 1 Rear space, cramped, not helped by narrow opening rear doors and who designed the rear headrests?? 

No 2 I mainly do short trips, never had a 12V Battery issue on the VAG (or any other marque) I have owned

N 3 I don't like Stop/Start switch off before every trip, become second nature 

No 4 Agree the Toyota ECVT is seamless and makes for a relaxing drive around town but drive on a fast twisty A road and the drone of the engine when accelerating out of corners soon becomes wearing

No 5 Engine/Road/Wind noise, YC is quite noisy on all three counts, T Cross more refined drive 

No 6 Nothing to add, spot on 

No 7 My VW T Cross is comfortable, sports style seats give good support, my Toyota YC was comfy so no gripes on that score

No 8 Good old fashioned handbrake on the T Cross but I did like the EPB on the YC    

 

[Chas G]

@RonYarisX the Karoq is one of the very few cars that Matt on carwow review says "buy it". Bit boring but does everything well. The Karoq and TCross are top of my list of cars I will consider later in the year when I trade in my Yaris Cross. 

I like the Yaris Cross but I want something I just fill with petrol, service and drive. I simply don't drive enough miles or regularly enough to justify owning a hybrid.

[Tyfan]

On 1/15/2024 at 3:47 PM, MikeB2 said:

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

Mike you seem to be similar to myself here. In over 50 years driving with no Insurance Claims I went from my Corolla Hybrid 2019 to this my Yaris Cross 2022. When I insured it at the end of October, my first quote was nearly One Grand!! Eventually I went with the AA for £620. I am absolutely "Raging" as they say. I will be shopping around next year that's for sure. The problem was My insurance Co. through M&S Bank  would not transfer to my existing policy but offered me a new policy at the £1k. I still had 6 months to run, so had to cancel and look around. My fault but as I had a Hybrid with a 1.8 petrol, going to the smaller 1.5 I thought no problem How wrong was I?  This I will not forget .

[Tommy X]

8 hours ago, deaf JEFF said:

Bill,what sort of mpg are you getting from your T-Cross on town runs and motorways ?

Only been on very short trips recently up to 5 miles max, the trip computer is showing 38.6 mpg overall so room for improvement with a few longer trips, I have a heavy right foot so with a bit less spirited driving I could possibly improve on the current mpg👍  

[dcweather]

On 1/14/2024 at 3:19 AM, deaf JEFF said:

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 👍

No car these days will met all your criteria. Of late I  think I have done too much research from Toyota's own hype, to reviews, to forums. So, three weeks ago I ended up picking up my Excel Yaris Cross. Frankly I don't want to say too much yet but initially I feel a bit disappointed. I've driven my wife's Yaris hybrid Icon for 9 years and a Renault Captur E-Tech Hybrid for two years. When I've given it a longer period I will write a longer review of plusses and cons. But the things leaping out at me are it's the noisiest car I've had in years, since my Skoda Octavia diesel on low profile tyres.. Why didn't anybody tell me and why didn't I notice on my test drive? You can always hear the engine roaring like it's undergeared, road noise is bad on most UK surfaces (would be better if it didn't have 18" wheels) and there is  wind noise even on a calm day. My Renault had 18"  wheels but was much quieter. I'd get a lower spec one with smaller wheels. SO far, and I accept it is cold, I'm struggling to get 58mpg on a mixed run with a lot of constant 50 mph, short stretch of motorway and a few lanes. So no better, possibly worse than the other two but maybe the engine needs to loosen up a bit. On the same journey, maybe in summer. I've had 70 mpg from the older Yaris ad 62 mpg from the Renault. Maybe it likes the cold less. It is way less plush than the Renault and things like the seat recliner are thin plastic and feel like it's going to break. The visibility is appalling at the side - the wide door pillars block out an entire car if you are at a junction where you have to look right and back slightly.

Driving wise it is great . Hugs the road and rolls around less than the Renault. Pot holes aren't quite so jarring either. Seats seem comfortable and well adjustable. I do like the gadgets though plus never had a heated steering wheel or heated seat before. The boot is very good.

But if you want quiet and comfortable - this isn't it but then I'm not sure the competition in this size is either. They don't sell cars on that now - it's all looks and gadgets rather than 16" wheels and a bit of sound proofing.

[deaf JEFF]

48 minutes ago, dcweather said:

No car these days will met all your criteria. Of late I  think I have done too much research from Toyota's own hype, to reviews, to forums. So, three weeks ago I ended up picking up my Excel Yaris Cross. Frankly I don't want to say too much yet but initially I feel a bit disappointed. I've driven my wife's Yaris hybrid Icon for 9 years and a Renault Captur E-Tech Hybrid for two years. When I've given it a longer period I will write a longer review of plusses and cons. But the things leaping out at me are it's the noisiest car I've had in years, since my Skoda Octavia diesel on low profile tyres.. Why didn't anybody tell me and why didn't I notice on my test drive? You can always hear the engine roaring like it's undergeared, road noise is bad on most UK surfaces (would be better if it didn't have 18" wheels) and there is  wind noise even on a calm day. My Renault had 18"  wheels but was much quieter. I'd get a lower spec one with smaller wheels. SO far, and I accept it is cold, I'm struggling to get 58mpg on a mixed run with a lot of constant 50 mph, short stretch of motorway and a few lanes. So no better, possibly worse than the other two but maybe the engine needs to loosen up a bit. On the same journey, maybe in summer. I've had 70 mpg from the older Yaris ad 62 mpg from the Renault. Maybe it likes the cold less. It is way less plush than the Renault and things like the seat recliner are thin plastic and feel like it's going to break. The visibility is appalling at the side - the wide door pillars block out an entire car if you are at a junction where you have to look right and back slightly.

Driving wise it is great . Hugs the road and rolls around less than the Renault. Pot holes aren't quite so jarring either. Seats seem comfortable and well adjustable. I do like the gadgets though plus never had a heated steering wheel or heated seat before. The boot is very good.

But if you want quiet and comfortable - this isn't it but then I'm not sure the competition in this size is either. They don't sell cars on that now - it's all looks and gadgets rather than 16" wheels and a bit of sound proofing.

Noise is extremely important to me as my ears are damaged and cant filter out individual sounds. I think i am leaning away from getting the Yaris which is a shame because your a great bunch of people in this forum

[dcweather]

I think whatever you go for don't get sucked into the top of the range if they insist on 18" + wheels on our roads. I actually think the more complimentary comments on here are of lower down the range with smaller wheels. It makes a fair difference to mpg as well by the look of it.

[dcweather]

The quietest car I've ever had was an automatic Audi A3 with just a 1.0 PSI engine. What an engine, powerful for its size andcruised silently. Just wish they did a hybrid, or maybe a Q3 hybrid would be quiet.

[Cyker]

1 hour ago, deaf JEFF said:

Noise is extremely important to me as my ears are damaged and cant filter out individual sounds. I think i am leaning away from getting the Yaris which is a shame because your a great bunch of people in this forum

I think you'd have to be looking at a Lexus, or a german or french manufacturer - They tend to be much better for NVH. The Yaris is definitely not great for anyone with sensitive ears - I get tinnitus after long journeys, esp. on the more awful surfaces (e.g. the concrete slab parts of the M25 and the rough worn tarmac in much of the outskirts of London).

It is very surface dependent - There are some areas I go where the road's been resurfaced with this beautifully smooth and quiet tarmac, and the sharp change in road noise from the typical horrible tyre roar to sudden near-silence is almost magical!!

 

30 minutes ago, dcweather said:

I think whatever you go for don't get sucked into the top of the range if they insist on 18" + wheels on our roads. I actually think the more complimentary comments on here are of lower down the range with smaller wheels. It makes a fair difference to mpg as well by the look of it.

I suspect you're right - I put 15" rims on mine and tend to average better mpg than most of the people on here. They've also saved me from a lot of pothole damage and pinch punctures I'd wager!

 

[deaf JEFF]

7 hours ago, dcweather said:

I think whatever you go for don't get sucked into the top of the range if they insist on 18" + wheels on our roads. I actually think the more complimentary comments on here are of lower down the range with smaller wheels. It makes a fair difference to mpg as well by the look of it.

The more tyre you can get between your alloys and the road the better so for our terribly maintained roads i put smaller alloys and bigger tyres on the Karoq, its like driving on marsh mellows now. 🙂

[deaf JEFF]

7 hours ago, dcweather said:

I think whatever you go for don't get sucked into the top of the range if they insist on 18" + wheels on our roads. I actually think the more complimentary comments on here are of lower down the range with smaller wheels. It makes a fair difference to mpg as well by the look of it.

Thats why i am asking you guy,s questions first as iknow once i hit the dealers they will go to work on persuading  me to get something i am not sure about

[Countryside]

So the Mazda 2 hybrid with 15 inch wheels would be quieter and more economical ?

[Graham47]

1 hour ago, Countryside said:

So the Mazda 2 hybrid with 15 inch wheels would be quieter and more economical ?

Probably…..but so would a Yaris Icon…(which also has 15 inch wheels!).

[Mojo1010]

Perhaps test drive both the design and excel. I have the design with 195/55/16, it's good comfort from the tyres. As a whole package it's better than the gen3 I had with 15" wheels. 

The excel is on 205/45/17 which is on the low profile side, though the equipment trumps the design. Think the Mazda 2 hybrid top trim has 16" wheels and hud. 

[Countryside]

Yes I love the equipment on the excel keyless blind spot folding mirrors gorgeous alloys massive new sat nav new dash etc etc 

[dcweather]

On 1/16/2024 at 10:08 PM, Cyker said:

I think you'd have to be looking at a Lexus, or a german or french manufacturer - They tend to be much better for NVH. The Yaris is definitely not great for anyone with sensitive ears - I get tinnitus after long journeys, esp. on the more awful surfaces (e.g. the concrete slab parts of the M25 and the rough worn tarmac in much of the outskirts of London).

It is very surface dependent - There are some areas I go where the road's been resurfaced with this beautifully smooth and quiet tarmac, and the sharp change in road noise from the typical horrible tyre roar to sudden near-silence is almost magical!!

 

I suspect you're right - I put 15" rims on mine and tend to average better mpg than most of the people on here. They've also saved me from a lot of pothole damage and pinch punctures I'd wager!

 

Sadly that's what my Skoda was like. Totally different car on the rare UK smooth tarmac. Trouble is, this is what they test them on abroad and they just don't realisee  that the UK has roads worse than most 3rd World Countries these days. Also the 18" wheels are picking up road noise in town which is not great as my wife's 2014 yaris on 15" is much quiter at low speeds.
Unfortunately I can't change the wheels as it belongs to the Finance Company. I wonder if I added soundproofing to the boot and interior floor and wheel arches it would help a bit?

[dcweather]

On 1/15/2024 at 3:47 PM, MikeB2 said:

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

Yes, increased costs are cost of living, Labour costs, parts costs. As I recall they are about 8.5%.  They forgot to mention rip off cost" - 300%.  I mean Labour costs - who do you know who got a 300% pay rise? Because it is compulsory they are operating in a cartel and until we get a Government that doesn't think that this sort of exploitation is right, and insert a decent Watchdog then we will have to pay. Needs a Change.org petition. It worked against the Post Office crooks!

[dcweather]

On 1/17/2024 at 10:27 AM, Mojo1010 said:

Perhaps test drive both the design and excel. I have the design with 195/55/16, it's good comfort from the tyres. As a whole package it's better than the gen3 I had with 15" wheels. 

The excel is on 205/45/17 which is on the low profile side, though the equipment trumps the design. Think the Mazda 2 hybrid top trim has 16" wheels and hud. 

No, the smallest wheels on an excel are 18" as I have found to my cost - although I did know when I bought it.

[dcweather]

Of course the other issue these day is the attitude to the customer is take it or leave it! No more options where you can choose what you want or need like you used to be able to. WHy can't I have quiet and comfortable and gadgets?? They seem to have some algorithm that says that people who like quiet and confortable  don't like techy stuff!  Now you have 3 to 4 models and if you don't likeany of their combinations - tough!

[Cyker]

It does seem nonsensical to put sports seats, sports suspension and giant rims on a hybrid ecobox, but that's what they went with. The annoying thing is people are actually buying the GR Sport trims!! Sometimes I wonder if maybe I am the insane one!