Sorry, @primus1 for the delay but I just didn’t get round to answer your question earlier.
The car being a demo one, I couldn’t choose the colour but, meanwhile, I tend to like it. Equipment specs are not really identical with those in the UK. I basically have what is the Excel Model in the UK (here it’s called Elegant Model) plus some features from the Dynamic model and even some from the Premiere one (Head-UP Display) plus optional features like sunroof and boot protection package (see photo) which the dealer had ordered. I also added All-season tyres and marten repellent.
Here are the seats in full.
I like it dachs, over here the limited top spec is ultimate ( I think) but confusingly, the excel and dynamic are different prices, but the dynamic sits above the excel, but has less features and , obviously a bit cheaper…the only thing I’m a bit unsure about is it’s an auto, I have driven an auto before but it was many years ago, mrs,p, on the other hand , hasn’t, it’s all witchcraft to her…,she thinks if she activates the speed limiter, she’ll be burned at the stake😵💫, …so how she’d deal without having to change gear, and not put on the handbrake, heaven knows….I think it’s sensible of you to fit all weather tyres, I might do that, but I don’t think we need the marten repellent ( does it really work) ?, and what happens if you are called Martin, you’d never get near the car…
Would you believe it? My wife is almost the same. She wanted an auto but now is a bit hesitant to readjust. I’d suggested an auto because she didn’t want to shift gears of which there were six. gg
Oh yes, the ultrasonic marten repellent does work excellently. This is what the insulating mat looked like the next morning after I’d picked up my previous new car.
I was fed up. I’d been struggling with martens for years even before that happened but they always won. Finally and , with hindsight far too late, I invested a hundred quid in that repellent system and haven’t had any problems with them ever since. On the contrary, one of them passed away in the engine compartment without me noticing. My wife smelled something coming through the ventilation nozzles…
Thanks, caricature, for your interest. Your question made me think about how I would sum up my experience so far.
I like it without any reservation and have been enjoying driving it ever since I bought it. I’d say again it’s the right choice for me given my preferences and personal circumstances. I bought the car because at my age I wanted a relatively short and small car with a comfortable seating position. I found out that compact SUVs with automatic transmission and a full hybrid engine are rare. I couldn’t buy a plug-in hybrid yet because there’s still massive resistance from dignified elder men in my condo complex when it comes to installing a wallbox.
The seats are comfy and I’m glad that my right leg doesn’t become numb on longer trips on the motorway because that usually happened in two of the last cars I had and still does in the other car I have. I also enjoy those many assistance kits that make driving comfortable and a little more secure. Sometimes there can even be too many things that are on auto such as the adaptive light. When you want to change some deep-level settings in the dark garage (where else can you do it in winter with -10°?) which might take a while, you can’t switch off the dipped headlights and, thus, will get a warning from the battery.
The car is at its best in an urban and suburban setting and that’s where I drive most often and where it consumes 3.8 to 4.5 l/100 km and gives you an eco-score of 90% depending on how cold it is because the heating makes itself felt on fuel consumption. This is also where you can cover the most ground driving electrically. On the motorway when going 86 mph and with heating and radio on, I was averaging 5.9 to 6.1 l/100km and the eco-score being 69%. That will go down when going 80 mph. Eighty-six mph also is the limit for the hybrid flow also called “sailing” which means that both engines still work together enabling you to drive reasonably economically.
Now I don’t want to drive the other car any more. ;-)) What I’m not used to is that the Yaris Cross doesn’t go unnoticed because it’s so new. All the other cars I bought had been available for years because I used to wait for special edition models which were better value for money. Now it’s different and I notice numerous prying eyes on car parks and from drivers behind me because the car is still so rare on the road.
I’m curious about your first impressions of your new car. I assume you can’t wait to pick it up.
@Dachs , thanks very interesting, we’re still waiting on ours, the news from the dealer who rang on Monday is that the chassis has a number so its being started to be built, we don’t want it til March (22 plate) so its on schedule, the factory is in Spain.
