Thinking of buying a Yaris Cross

[anchorman]

I had a ride in the LBX yesterday.  It was very refined and the balance shaft 130 engine resolves a slight criticism.

[Countryside]

11 hours ago, dcweather said:

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

I though the Yaris excel hatch was 17 inch wheels the Yaris cross excel has 18 inch wheels 

[Countryside]

On 1/17/2024 at 9:39 AM, Graham47 said:

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

Sorry you are wrong the new 2024 Yaris icon and design hatch have 16 inch wheels 

[anchorman]

55 minutes ago, Countryside said:

Sorry you are wrong the new 2024 Yaris icon and design hatch have 16 inch wheels 

So much so that I have a set of very good 16 inch Contis for sale very cheap that came off my Design when I fitted all seasons……

……is that what they call a segway?! 😉

[Stopeter44]

43 minutes ago, anchorman said:

……is that what they call a segway?! 😉

A Segway is a two wheeled nuisance! A segué is what you meant, methinks.

[dcweather]

They might be on the Yaris Excel but as this is a "Cross" thread and that what was the OP was asking about, I can assure you that the Excel has 18" wheels and they get small as you drop down the spec. So like I said, your options are no nice gadgets and extraas and a noisy ride on most UK surfaces or a smooth ride but a more basic spec. Most competitors give you the same choice albeit probably in a worse hybrid overall.

[Countryside]

14 hours ago, anchorman said:

I had a ride in the LBX yesterday.  It was very refined and the balance shaft 130 engine resolves a slight criticism.

This has just won car of the year by what car magazine you can watch the review on YouTube he says it’s so much quieter than the Yaris cross especially on the motorway !

[dcweather]

On 1/15/2024 at 11:42 PM, RonYarisX said:

@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 ).

 

Yes I was shocked when I shut the rear door. It seemed so light I had to slam it twice before it even closed fully.

[Cyker]

I'm used to the tinny doors, as the Mk1's rear doors had that budget steel drum quality to them too  (Interestingly, the Mk2's were reassuringly solid-sounding and feeling!), but the door feel is the sort of thing someone coming from a german car would find horrifying!  

BTW, with the rims, you can get the best of both worlds like I did and get the higher spec but buy smaller rims after the fact. I went for steel rims as this was primarily a cost saving exercise (Reducing pothole damage, and the difference in tyre cost from 17 to 15!), but there's nothing stopping you getting alloys. Most decent insurers won't penalize you for dropping the rim size as long as it's a size rated for use with the car, e.g. as listed by the owners manual, as it doesn't enhance the performance or value of the car.

Interestingly Mazda let you option smaller rims for the Mazda Yaris 2  but sadly they don't do a Yaris Cross. I do feel the Mazda specs are much more sensible than the Toyota ones. Also Mazda sells the same TPMS sensors but much cheaper!

[anchorman]

14 hours ago, Stopeter44 said:

A Segway is a two wheeled nuisance! A segué is what you meant, methinks.

Think you’ve spelt that wrong Peter! 😉

[Stopeter44]

6 hours ago, anchorman said:

Think you’ve spelt that wrong Peter! 😉

My bad, sorry.

[SinglePointSafety]

Like Cyker said, if you buy a Yaris X Excel, it can be cost-effective to get 3rd-party 16-inch wheels and get (I chose all-season) lovely balloon 65-profile tyres, much better ride on my local cratered roads and significant reduction in road noise. Insurance company totally happy. When the car is sold original wheels/tyres re-fitted and will sell the 3rd-party ones

I also had sound deadening in boot area and doors, another big noise reduction, probably now at least as quiet as that nice Lexus LBX! (which, just for fun, I might drive, the Lexus dealer has already contacted me). When the sound-deadening was fitted, I upgraded the front Speakers, surprised at how much better the sound is, more than adequate for my tastes/hearing, so now have a nice, quiet, good-riding car, well-pleased

[Countryside]

On 1/19/2024 at 10:39 AM, dcweather said:

They might be on the Yaris Excel but as this is a "Cross" thread and that what was the OP was asking about, I can assure you that the Excel has 18" wheels and they get small as you drop down the spec. So like I said, your options are no nice gadgets and extraas and a noisy ride on most UK surfaces or a smooth ride but a more basic spec. Most competitors give you the same choice albeit probably in a worse hybrid overall.

Yes Dave the Yaris cross excel has 18 inch wheels such a shame as comes with all the extras ! The icon cross with 16 inch wheels would be best ride 

[SinglePointSafety]

1 minute ago, Countryside said:

Yes Dave the Yaris cross excel has 18 inch wheels such a shame as comes with all the extras ! The icon cross with 16 inch wheels would be best ride

When I had the wheels/tyres changed from 18-inch to 16-inch, I made sure to retrace my exact route on the journey home to get a good A/B comparison. The difference in ride - mainly the small- and large-bump absorption - was indeed very noticeable. But you, dear forum members/readers (especially non-UK ones) might live in an area with lovely smooth roads, so you might not need this strategy - lucky you....

My council is officially bankrupt and seems to have ceased all road repairs, in my locality at least, and the recent cool snap really hasn't helped the pothole plague: the high-profile tyres give me another 'line of defence'

[anchorman]

I would add that I had the AWD on 18s and I found it perfect, maybe due to the multi link rear suspension.  I’ve not had the pleasure of an Icon but I don’t like it too wallowy.  

[SinglePointSafety]

1 hour ago, anchorman said:

I would add that I had the AWD on 18s and I found it perfect, maybe due to the multi link rear suspension.  I’ve not had the pleasure of an Icon but I don’t like it too wallowy.

Our first YC test drive was an Icon (IIRC) - it was a low-spec car, anyway. My driving style is pretty relaxed and sedate, handling was fine, a few weeks later had a longer drive in Excel (but 2WD) and I was more aware of feeling and hearing the road texture. But both cars would likely be totally acceptable regarding ride/handling for their target audience, a longish test drive is always a really good idea

Apart from motorways, you can't drive fast where I live - you're forever weaving around on the roads, driving like some crackhead, but in reality wide awake, drug-free, and concentrating hard avoiding the worst potholes and wincing when you encounter the ones you can't avoid. The cars that the police (not that we have those either in this area, budget cuts etc) pull over are the ones who drive straight ("I've pulled you over sir/madam, you're clearly not driving with due care and attention, you've failed to avoid all of those dangerous road imperfections, blow into this bag please")

[Hicardo]

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           

Bit late to the party sorry! I've driven the VW T-Cross automatic, the demonstrator engine cut out on me on the move on the test drive, and I had to stop and re-start.  Not that i'm sure that will be a very common issue, but having had a few recent VW products (Passat - not bad, Golf - bad), electrical glitches are more common than they'd want you to believe.  I'd choose the Yaris Cross every time.  IF you value reliability above everything - which I do.  Each to his own of course.  😀

[dcweather]

Okay, so I'm going to give my first in depth thoughts on my Yaris Cross Excel after 500 miles of mixed driving but haven't had any over 1 hour so seat comfort not really tested but seem good. As the OP was about thoughts on buying I thought this would be a good thread to put it in but if mods have a better one please move it.  After my initial disappointment (caused by a certain amount of buyers remorse) I am warming to it more. Overall though I think it is a step back from where I have been heading in the last ten years - more comfort and quietness, smoother ride and improved economy and unfortunately it has not achieved all of those compared to some of its predecessors, oldest to newest wife's 2014 Yaris Icon Hybrid, Seat Leon 1.2Tsi, Audi A3 1.0 Tsi, Renault Captur, Renault Captur E Tech Hybrid and now this.
1.  Ride and handling and fun to drive beats the Renault Captur which had more roll and wallowy feel and less steering feel. Despite the 18" wheels the jolts are less jarring and less rattles when it does, also speed humps better.

2. Quietness and comfort - probably the worst for quietness. The rough petrol engine is much quicker to cut in than  the other hybrids seemingly losing the acceleration from start advantage of a hybrid. (Could this be related to it being very cold since i collected it after Christmas?) It seems to be more keen to lose EV at the touch of the accelerator even when doing 20 mph on the flat. Engine noise, tyre noise and wind noise are intrusive but not as bad as I first thought. It's a better more fun drive around town but can't match the Renault for motorway cruising. Both incidetally have 1.5l engines with te Toyota seemingly "geared" for around town and the Renault for cruising. Seems quite comfortable but being tall the doors could open more and as I have bad knees that don't bend past 90 deg access is awkward and my shoe catches on the door frame. (My Renault had this issue as well). Finish is cheaper and the reclining seat lever feels like the plastic is going to break as it is so stiff. Renault plusher and better built all round. e.g "gear stick" was electronic and just required a light flick into the next position against the long throw of the clunky Toyota one.

3. Equipment and gadgets. Well the Excel with City Pack has lots and most  of them work better than in the previous cars and I've got back the best one, blind spot monitoring! The door pillar is about a cars width when you look over your shoiulder so is also essential! Voice control is easier to use and I love the heated steering wheel at the moment and the heated seats. Lost my nerve with the auto parking assist and intervened. Would be great if I get confident with it as my parking isn't as good as it was pre bleeper era.  😉 I do like the ways the boot can be opened hands free and it is quite big especially when you realise there is a third level. Locking and unlocking the car is a bit over complicated and I am tending to use the key if handy as the grabbing the door handle seems a bit hit or miss. The renault just unlocked as you walked towards it and locked when you walked away, gave a confirming bleep and the mirrors closed. Glove compartment much smaller than Renault as is Sat Nav screen. Much less storage than the Renault inside as well with much smaller door pockets.
4. Economy. This is another disappointment although I hope for improvements. On the exact same journeys it is  2-3 mpg less than the other hybrids. Where the Renault was giving 58 mpg they Cross is giving 56mpg. On a journey of mostly lanes and a long average speedcheck road at constant 50 mph it was up to 58 mpg. On motorways at 70 mph max it is mid 50's as opposed to almost 58-60 in the Renault. I've not managed a journey over 60 mpg yet and I am notoriously light footed on the acclerator and do a lot of anticipation at lights etc. I am using "normal" mode. Could it be the engine is tight and also the Yaris reacts worse than the Renault to cold - I doubt I'd driven the Renault in temperatures as low as the last couple of weeks so i am hoping for a big increase in summer. I've had 70+ in my wife's Icon on 16" wheels. I can't downsie the wheels as it is on a PCP plan.

In summary you are probably sking why did I buy it? Well I missed some of the above on the test drive but I am enjoying it around town and along lanes which are most of my journey. Also,  in my view the Renault and the Yaris Cross are still the best two options in the small SUV full hybrid class and I like a change every 2-3 years on a PCP plan. They are the size I like and maybe the Nero is another option but I don't like the style and it looks like an old man's car and I am only 74 😂.

I am left with a with a lot of whys? Why do they put on bigger wheels that spoil the ride and economy and cost more at the expense of improving materials and sound proofing? Why don't they use a more refined petrol engine like the VW 1.0 tsi which gives 45+ mpg on its own? I had been led to believe the new engin/electric package was a big step up but it's worse than a ten year old package in an Icon model!
So there you go - I do like the car given the choices and it will probably grow on me especially if the mpg improves but I doubt I will buy another in 2 years time as i will probably go all electric by then.

[Countryside]

The revised Renault captor e tech will be available the first half of this year it looks fab pity you didn’t wait for that 👍

[anchorman]

I’ll repeat my usual when I start nodding off with these comparisons with other brands whether it be journalists or owners.   You can declare some benefits with the others while we’re lucky enough to run them nearly new but where your Toyota stands head and shoulders above the others is in whole life running.  This comes from years of being a qualified mechanic and a vehicle development engineer.   

[Mojo1010]

Hence only Toyota/lexus for me, got my eyes on anchorman's ux250h. 

[dcweather]

51 minutes ago, anchorman said:

I’ll repeat my usual when I start nodding off with these comparisons with other brands whether it be journalists or owners.   You can declare some benefits with the others while we’re lucky enough to run them nearly new but where your Toyota stands head and shoulders above the others is in whole life running.  This comes from years of being a qualified mechanic and a vehicle development engineer.   

But completely irrelevent to me because, like I said, I am lucky enough to change my car every 2-3 years on  PCP plan and so far I've never had a single fault with any in the last ten years and they would be under warranty anyway.
But if people want to buy one and keep it long term I'm sure they can add that thought to my comments. 🙂

[dcweather]

4 hours ago, Countryside said:

The revised Renault captor e tech will be available the first half of this year it looks fab pity you didn’t wait for that 👍

There's always something better round the corner! The Yaris Cross was supposed to be better than the oldYaris but it isn't in every way. Add in the six month wait and it would be 18 months from when I ordered the Yaris and anyway I wouldn't have known that then. Also there is no reason to assume it will have fixed my own personal gripes with that car. I bet the top of the range still has 18" wheels for example. I am happy to wait and see. Plus that is the advantage of a PCP plan. I will probably have positive equity by then and can just clear the finance on the Yaris and carry on with another £270 p.m with a different car at little or no financial cost.

[Countryside]

Well Dave it looks stunning google Renault captor 2024 

[dcweather]

1 hour ago, Countryside said:

Well Dave it looks stunning google Renault captor 2024 

It already does look stunning! Easily the best looking in the sector. But underneath the blurb it's just a facelift plus a longer wheelbase .... and I don't really want bigger and that brings in other rivals as well.