10K miles in my Yaris Cross Excel AWD

[SinglePointSafety]

For the TL:DR folks... it's a very, very good car, totally recommended

Right...as the topic title suggests, the car's odo has just reached 10,000 miles, bought new Dec 2022, and here's my thoughts so far, I hope they're useful to would-be purchasers

No car is perfect so let's get The Bad Bits discussed: on 18-inch wheels and 45-profile tyres, there's not enough protection against my local utterly awful roads, and a bit too much road noise for my taste. I also needed all-season tyres, so easy solution was a set of Alutec 16-inch wheels and some lovely 65-profile tyres which soak up the bumps beautifully and, bonus, significantly reduce road noise: I'm garaging the original wheels/tyres, will be refitted when car is sold (full description on this forum). And sound-deadening fitted at my local car audio place has been really successful: changed the front Speakers at the same time, much better sound now and much-reduced road noise. All the car doors now close with a nice solid-sounding thunk....!

I've not had the dreaded 12V Battery problem, but I did get my local dealership to fit Battery leads which exit at the back seat, to which I connect my Noco charger if I know I won't be using the car for a week or so. Simple solution to a problem you're unlikely to have if the car is used for commuting or even just regular journeys

Some folk think that the engine is too loud and vibratory: given the way I drive, the engine is mostly a quiet hum with very little vibration, perhaps helped by running on E5 fuel, and passengers have commented on how refined the car is, both noise and ride. Had a drive in a Corolla rental last week, my YC is noticeably quieter. For my driving style, performance is more than adequate, even on those all-too-short slip roads joining local dual carriageways. Fuel consumption has been outstanding, never < 70 mpg on a tankful, and on quiet A- and B-roads, the car will spend a surprising amount of time in EV mode. Driving on the good-surface roads in the EU was totally lovely in this car....(and no need to do anything to the headlights, given the beam pattern - bonus!) And the headlights are very, very good, excellent beam pattern and brightness. If you can remember where the auto main beam switch is, the functioning seems to be pretty reliable

The e-CVT box is great, totally seamless, makes urban driving very smooth: I think it's one of the car's best features. Indeed, the car's controls are just so... well thought out. Simple knobs for the climate control (which does actually work like it should, this is not a given in many cars which over- or under-shoot the desired temperature). Infotainment is simple to use and responds quickly, DAB reception is excellent, switching between the various views is quick (unlike our other car, a VW iD3, buggy and slow software). The adaptive cruise control works very well and the lane keep assist has been excellent: effective but unobtrusive. Heated seat controls are easy to use (much to Mrs SPS's joy) and the driver's variable lumbar support is much appreciated. And unlike comparable Hondas, the passenger seat has height adjustment, another joy for Mrs SPS

The factory-fitted (but probably done in the UK) horizontal detachable towbar is great - gets a lot of use with my bike carrier (I don't actually tow anything), fitting and removing the towbar is very quick and easy. I also opted for the protection pack: the boot liner and back seat protectors have earned their keep and the mud flaps seem to be effective

Indeed, that summarises the car: the controls just... work.... in a predictable and reliable way, and it's totally easy to drive and I'd recommend it as either a new or used buy without hesitation

My company is, somewhat unexpectedly, introducing a salary-sacrifice lease scheme 'soon', so we'll then go all-electric in our car household and the YC will be sold - let me know if any of you are interested: we can subsist on one car for several months....

 

[anchorman]

Very good Keith.  I would add that I found the multi link rear suspension perfect on 18 inch wheels of the AWD.  

[SinglePointSafety]

Thanks Don, I haven't got an A-B comparison of the AWD multi-link rear vs FWD suspension, but I've no issues at all with the car's overall ride on - if this makes sense - 'smooth but lumpy' roads, like rippled tarmac

[SinglePointSafety]

I would add that the other negatives of the car are that the rear doors don't open very wide. Not an issue for us, but 'try before you buy' if you regularly put infant car seats in and out. And the lack of rear interior lighting is a bit penny-pinching, as is the lack of any USB charging points accessible from the rear

But...I didn't realise how much I'd like the electric boot with the 'genius' button which closes the boot and also locks the car. The storage beneath the boot floor (it's AWD so not enough room for a spare wheel) is incredibly handy. And our local roads are flooded in places at the moment, so if I have to 'wade' a bit, the EV button is pressed, no ICE running, hence much reduced chance of ingesting water and big £££ to fix. And the infotainment system will tell me the state of the traction Battery, so if it's depleted, I'll have advance warning that EV mode won't persist for very long

[152bobby]

How much do the Toyota dealers typically charge to get the Battery leads fitted in the back for easy access and charging ?  I'm thinking of getting this done.

[Cyker]

The good ones will usually do it for free during a service (It's maybe a 5 minute job!), but the less good ones may try and charge.

So far most people have had it done for free by their dealer, but I think I saw a post from someone saying said their dealer tried to charge them £30 or £60 or something like that to do it...!?  

 

[SinglePointSafety]

Hi Bobby, my dealer did this FoC - the mechanic had done this many times and I supplied the leads, 5 minutes later, it was done

 

[152bobby]

6 minutes ago, SinglePointSafety said:

Hi Bobby, my dealer did this FoC - the mechanic had done this many times and I supplied the leads, 5 minutes later, it was done

 

Excellent.  What leads did you get and I'll see if they will fit them 👌

[152bobby]

6 minutes ago, 152bobby said:

Excellent.  What leads did you get and I'll see if they will fit them 👌

Was it this one if you have a Noco

NOCO GC002 X-Connect M6 Eyelet Terminal Accessory for Genius Smart Battery Chargers https://amzn.eu/d/cUI402Y

[SinglePointSafety]

I opted for a Noco Genius 2 charger (Halfords had a good offer at the time) and the leads are dual purpose, with crocodile clips or eyelets which bolt on to the Battery terminals. Other folk here have used other brands of chargers such as Ctek which seem to be recommended

[SinglePointSafety]

Aaah, yes, my memory may be failing me, I think I did order those leads (via Halfords) at the time.... The fitted leads tuck nicely away when not in use, it's a really convenient solution for keeping the Battery healthy

[152bobby]

23 minutes ago, SinglePointSafety said:

Aaah, yes, my memory may be failing me, I think I did order those leads (via Halfords) at the time.... The fitted leads tuck nicely away when not in use, it's a really convenient solution for keeping the battery healthy

Any reason why you went for the Genius 2 instead of the Genius 5 ?

[SinglePointSafety]

The Genius 2 was on special offer and a fair bit cheaper than the 5 and easily does all that I need, have used it many times in the winter months where the car's use is more sporadic

[Qasim]

I will not be using my new YC for 3weeks as I am going on vacations.Any advice or suggestions regarding batt?

[SinglePointSafety]

Moderator, I think Kas's post should be moved to the general topic of Battery care, where they might get more comprehensive answers

[SinglePointSafety]

Qasim, if you look at the topic 'Battery care' you should easily discover lots of informed discussion on this: it's a popular issue and is likely to be in the first few topics in the list!

[ColinB]

5 hours ago, Qasim said:

I will not be using my new YC for 3weeks as I am going on vacations.Any advice or suggestions regarding batt?

Due to illness I hardly used my YC for a couple of weeks followed by a week's holiday. Doors unlocked and car started with no problems whatsoever on my return. 

[Qasim]

12 minutes ago, SinglePointSafety said:

Qasim, if you look at the topic 'battery care' you should easily discover lots of informed discussion on this: it's a popular issue and is likely to be in the first few topics in the list!

Thanks for referring.

[Primus1]

Go on Kieth admit it, you like sitting in slow moving traffic using just electric only with that smug feeling that most around are wasting fuel…

I know I do…

[SinglePointSafety]

Primus, your analysis is....correct. Since our other car is an EV, 'silent running' in traffic is lovely, and the eCVT gearbox means that driving the YC is pretty much the same as driving a full EV in these situations, totally seamless - even the best DSG/DCT gearboxes aren't that smooth, the torque converter ones come close though