Thinking of buying a Yaris Cross

[Tommy X]

3 hours 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.   

I came from a Seat Arona 1.5 DSG FR to the Yaris Cross thinking the YC would be a keeper (whole life runner) but after six months of ownership it had to go, there were too many downsides with the car which have been covered in this topic, all things mechanical will fail at some point but I wasn't prepared to sacrifice driving pleasure and bow to the mantra of perceived Toyota reliability, I probably had too high expectations of Toyota but was very disappointed, the Honda Jazz Hybrid has been mentioned which I test drove and found it to be a much better driving experience than the YC, one which I could have kept long term but the boss found it too low so went for a VW T Cross 

[Mojo1010]

The jazz need to be the crosstar for comparing like for like. My next one will likely be the YC 130, always knew current 115 was not adequate for my usage. Though would rather get the lexus ux250, anchorman knows what he is doing. 

For the YC would be fitting soundproofing mat in the boot, probably won't touch the door panels if acquired the car new, if used then could give it a go. Reliability is a key requirement hence sticking to Toyota over plusher rivals. 

Have a roll of 2m soundproof mat coming for my hatchback, will be doing the boot when the weather warms up in the spring. Once that is done, could try my luck on the door panels. 

 

 

[dcweather]

2 hours ago, Mojo1010 said:

The jazz need to be the crosstar for comparing like for like. My next one will likely be the YC 130, always knew current 115 was not adequate for my usage. Though would rather get the lexus ux250, anchorman knows what he is doing. 

For the YC would be fitting soundproofing mat in the boot, probably won't touch the door panels if acquired the car new, if used then could give it a go. Reliability is a key requirement hence sticking to Toyota over plusher rivals. 

Have a roll of 2m soundproof mat coming for my hatchback, will be doing the boot when the weather warms up in the spring. Once that is done, could try my luck on the door panels. 

 

 

Was wondering about that. What order would you say? Boot floor, front floor and wheel arches? Does it really help?

[dcweather]

What I find odd is that when I did extensive research on the car everybody on here in other threads and elsewhere were singing its praises. Same with reviews. What changed? Seems to be a lot more negativity now.

[Mojo1010]

No idea I have the hatchback, it's an excellent small car. 

[Primus1]

I’m still singing it’s praises, I came from a ford puma, lots of faults with that, ( mine has to have a new engine, among other things) some of the forum members got rid of theirs, as I did, there was nothing on the market I really liked the look of only the cross, it would be hard to go back to a non hybrid car as the economy is brilliant, even allowing for the colder months, the next thing for me would be full electric, but range and prices and depreciation put me off, if you regularly do lots of motorway miles then the cross probably isn’t suitable but, for me, and my usage, it’s ideal, I suppose it could be quieter, but it’s not obtrusive and you can hold a normal conversation, yes there isn’t much soft touch material, but, it’s seems well screwed together with no squeaks or rattles, driving pleasure, well it’s perfectly fine for today’s pothole, speed camera laden roads, I’m not in a rush to get anywhere, slow and steady wins the race..

[Tommy X]

5 hours ago, Mojo1010 said:

The jazz need to be the crosstar for comparing like for like. My next one will likely be the YC 130, always knew current 115 was not adequate for my usage. Though would rather get the lexus ux250, anchorman knows what he is doing. 

For the YC would be fitting soundproofing mat in the boot, probably won't touch the door panels if acquired the car new, if used then could give it a go. Reliability is a key requirement hence sticking to Toyota over plusher rivals. 

Have a roll of 2m soundproof mat coming for my hatchback, will be doing the boot when the weather warms up in the spring. Once that is done, could try my luck on the door panels. 

 

 

Mojo, it was the Honda Crosstar I roadtested, really liked it but not high enough seating like the Yaris X and Vw T Cross. By all accounts the YC 130 has improved soundproofing so may be an improvement over the current 115 but it won't tempt me to go back to one   

[dcweather]

3 hours ago, Primus1 said:

I’m still singing it’s praises, I came from a ford puma, lots of faults with that, ( mine has to have a new engine, among other things) some of the forum members got rid of theirs, as I did, there was nothing on the market I really liked the look of only the cross, it would be hard to go back to a non hybrid car as the economy is brilliant, even allowing for the colder months, the next thing for me would be full electric, but range and prices and depreciation put me off, if you regularly do lots of motorway miles then the cross probably isn’t suitable but, for me, and my usage, it’s ideal, I suppose it could be quieter, but it’s not obtrusive and you can hold a normal conversation, yes there isn’t much soft touch material, but, it’s seems well screwed together with no squeaks or rattles, driving pleasure, well it’s perfectly fine for today’s pothole, speed camera laden roads, I’m not in a rush to get anywhere, slow and steady wins the race..

May i ask what sort of fuel consumption you've been achieving?

[anchorman]

13 hours ago, Mojo1010 said:

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

Aye, don’t go there.  It just so happens they’re tempting me with further upgrades.   

[deaf JEFF]

On 1/22/2024 at 1:58 AM, dcweather said:

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.

Dave, you being tall and a slightly knackered like me did you ever consider a VW T Cross ?

My wing mirrors i have always set so that as soon as a car disappear,s from my rear view mirror i can see it in my wing mirror ,and when its gone from the wing mirror i can see half of it coming from behind the door pillar  with just a glance to the left instead of twisting my head right round into a position my neck no longer wants to get into.

[Primus1]

8 hours ago, dcweather said:

May i ask what sort of fuel consumption you've been achieving?

When I picked it up in July last year, I regularly achieved high sixties, it did drop alarmingly to around low fifties in the colder weather, which is still good, it’s risen again to high fifties now it’s warmed up slightly..

[dcweather]

4 hours ago, deaf JEFF said:

Dave, you being tall and a slightly knackered like me did you ever consider a VW T Cross ?

My wing mirrors i have always set so that as soon as a car disappear,s from my rear view mirror i can see it in my wing mirror ,and when its gone from the wing mirror i can see half of it coming from behind the door pillar  with just a glance to the left instead of twisting my head right round into a position my neck no longer wants to get into.

Hi Jeff, yes I  did consider one when they first came out but since then wanted to go hybrid. Yes that is pretty much how I set mine, just need a bit of fine tuning. As you say, it'smore ofa lack of neck flexibility with old age (in my case) than the blind spot itself. It would be nice if all cars were now hybrid or electric, but at least it is trending that way.
I am in a good position to go electric next time as I have a drive and a good location for a charger and my wife's old Yaris hybrid for the range anxiety journeys.

[dcweather]

4 hours ago, Primus1 said:

When I picked it up in July last year, I regularly achieved high sixties, it did drop alarmingly to around low fifties in the colder weather, which is still good, it’s risen again to high fifties now it’s warmed up slightly..

Thanks for that. It is useful to know because I was only getting 56-58 mpg on fairly economical journeys and just over 50 at 70 mph on the motorway. One thing I also noticed that when I start my wife's 2014 Yaris, even in the cold it starts off in what I call "Milk float mode" with that quiet purring noise of EV only and stays like it for several hundred yards till I accelerate past 20 mph. The Cross seems to either start with petrol help or wants to get out of EV as soon as it can!

[deaf JEFF]

13 minutes ago, dcweather said:

Thanks for that. It is useful to know because I was only getting 56-58 mpg on fairly economical journeys and just over 50 at 70 mph on the motorway. One thing I also noticed that when I start my wife's 2014 Yaris, even in the cold it starts off in what I call "Milk float mode" with that quiet purring noise of EV only and stays like it for several hundred yards till I accelerate past 20 mph. The Cross seems to either start with petrol help or wants to get out of EV as soon as it can!

Is your wife still on her original hybrid Battery Dave ?

[anchorman]

I have a deep seated loathing of bolstered seats and Toyota/Lexus have an annoying habit of thinking they’re giving you something by adding them to the higher spec models.  I had to have the seats modified by a professional upholsterer in my Cross and so did a mate of mine.  How could this happen?   Well I originally ordered a Dynamic with AWD and the seats passed my anti bolstering test.  Then part way through the very long wait time,  they dropped that model and AWD became only available on the Excel and I never gave it a thought.  This on its own is enough to make me consider other brands and make me eat my words about Toyota reliability.  All I would say, if you’ve got a broad back (bat fastard) or are sensitive to being hemmed in like Lewis Hamilton, try before you buy.  

[RonYarisX]

On 1/22/2024 at 1:58 AM, dcweather said:

Okay, so I'm going to give my first in depth thoughts on my Yaris Cross Excel after 500 miles of mixed driving...

That's a fair review. You make comparison with engines. Isn't the engine in the Renault a 1.6 four cylinder ? Before we consider the Battery influence, that engine puts out way more power than the Yaris X 1.5 non-turbo 3 cyl so that explains a lot. The 1.0tsi VW engine is also 3cyl but that's turbo charged. ( I think it's a fantasic engine by the way ).

There's absolutely no doubt about it, a 1.5 3 cyl non-turbo is going to struggle - it's little wonder it makes itself heard. As I've said elsewhere, hit the accelerator and it's like a lawnmower.

Yes Lexus have upped the power in their installation but, and I don't know this, is it still the same 3cyl non-turbo they're using? Is that extra power not being supplemented by a larger Battery?

[Mojo1010]

It's a larger electric motor on the 130. When the X first came out, heard it's the same set up as the hatchback, I thought no way, it's going to struggle. 

[dcweather]

Feel a bit sad that I managed to miss all this when I was reading through everything six months ago! Oh well, that's the advantage of a PCP, soon as I hit positive equity (might take a while if all this gets out!) I can change.

Having said that - it's not that bad !

[dcweather]

8 hours ago, deaf JEFF said:

Is your wife still on her original hybrid battery Dave ?

Yes and still showing 6 bars most of the time.The car, not my wife 😂) It is serviced by Toyota alth0ugh miss a few here and there like during Covid when she had only done a couple of thousand miles between services. That was the winter I had to change the 12v Battery but I did that myself. The hardest bit is levering up the backseat off its hooks!  So the hybrid Battery looks good for longevity storage wise but bear in mind it has only done about 30,000 miles in that ten years.

[dcweather]

On 1/14/2024 at 6:14 PM, davidif said:

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

That 1.0 TSI turbo engine is out of this world for smoothness, power and quiet cruising. Although that was in an Audi A3 which probably had quite good sound proofing. On long runs was getting towards hybrid numbers into the 50's mpg. I wished someone would make a hybrid with that engine.

[SinglePointSafety]

Interesting to see people's views and owner experiences for the YC. My wheel/tyre change and sound-deadening (and my driving style) means that I have a car which is more than acceptably quiet - which (the important point) bodes well for the Lexus version with a smoother and more powerful engine, as well as (allegedly) extensive attention to NVH reduction

[dcweather]

On 1/20/2024 at 5:19 PM, SinglePointSafety said:

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

Was it expensive to have the sound deadening fitted? Who did it? I could do the boot myself but wouldn't fancy touching the doors.

[dcweather]

On 1/22/2024 at 2:32 PM, Mojo1010 said:

The jazz need to be the crosstar for comparing like for like. My next one will likely be the YC 130, always knew current 115 was not adequate for my usage. Though would rather get the lexus ux250, anchorman knows what he is doing. 

For the YC would be fitting soundproofing mat in the boot, probably won't touch the door panels if acquired the car new, if used then could give it a go. Reliability is a key requirement hence sticking to Toyota over plusher rivals. 

Have a roll of 2m soundproof mat coming for my hatchback, will be doing the boot when the weather warms up in the spring. Once that is done, could try my luck on the door panels. 

 

 

Please let us know how you get on 🙂

[dcweather]

@deaf JEFF I would like to say I hope I haven't put you off the Yaris Cross. I was very picky about dimensions, height and so on and feel that my Renault Captur and now the Cross are amongst the very few self charging hybrids that meet my main criteria of economy and price. No doubt most of the other contenders  are much more expensive. I have looked and I can't find any with the spec of the Cross that I can get for £6k deposit and £265 p.m.  For example my friend has a Kia Niro which does seem smoother but is a bit bigger and about £7k more to buy.
At 73 my demands are probably different to many. But how good was it in that recent bitter spell to completely defrost my car, heat the seats and the steering wheel from the mobile app in my lounge, then 5 minutes later just go out and drive off. Almost worth getting for that alone. Then with both hands full of shopping to put your foot under the boot and watch it open in front of you saving two lots of bending down !😉

I think you should try out all your choices and go on the forums for any other choices as well. Then you can make your own informed decision about all the different compromises there will undoubtedly be.

[SinglePointSafety]

16 minutes ago, dcweather said:

Was it expensive to have the sound deadening fitted? Who did it? I could do the boot myself but wouldn't fancy touching the doors

The sound deadening was done by John Kleis audio in Reading, who did a very thorough and neat job, they sent me lots of photos, and a video of the process is also on their YouTube channel, so I'm confident that they actually did what they claim. They used a lot of material, many 10s of kg total weight, did the boot/rear wheel arches, both doors, which they reckon is enough and anything else is diminishing returns. It took them several days non-stop to do the work: I did think of doing it myself, but I simply didn't have the time nor the inclination

I don't recall the precise cost of the sound deadening because I also asked them to also change the front Speakers, total bill IIRC was a tad under £2K - but prices may well have increased since then

When you close the rear doors you now get a lovely 'thunk' rather than 'clang' - the front doors on the YC were already pretty solid-sounding. JK staff reckon that Japanese-design cars are often a bit short of sound-deadening, perhaps because all their roads are immaculate and thus road noise simply isn't an issue. Nor is it in the bits of the glorious, prosperous EU that I've driven in (where the cars are made and probably the biggest non-Asian market) it's only the bankrupt UK that has both rough-surfaced and cratered roads