MODEL ON TEST: GR SPORT 1.5 VVT-i HYBRID – MILEAGE – 10,879

Last month was a busy one, as we visited Toyota UK’s heritage fleet, introducing Terry the Toyota to
an ancestor, a glorious sub-900-mile Mk1 Yaris. The following month looked as though it would be quieter, but it didn’t turn out that way at all. Even without any special outings or photo shoots, we covered more than 2,000 miles. Crikey. There were several trips from the South Coast up to London, including one to cheer on a pal in her first London marathon (bravo Emma). There were adventures to Brighton and Oxford, too, and Terry made his first trip to Heathrow, something of a rite of passage for any vehicle in the company of a motoring journalist. But by far and away the longest trip, however, was a drive up to Lancaster. Taking in the sights and sounds of the M27, M3, A34, M40, M6 and M6 Toll road, the whole journey there was entirely manageable with less than a single tank of fuel consumed.The return leg, too, was hassle-free, with our Yaris Cross managing 55mpg on a 228-mile, non-stop stint from Knutsford Services to home.

Our many, many miles over the course of that long weekend in particular led to a few observations, and reminded us of some others. One observation is how the M6 Toll is now £11, something that leaves me screaming internally. But that’s the price we pay for having some more introverted driving time and has nothing to do with our little Toyota.

The Yaris Cross is a comfortable car at motorway speeds, with a settled ride and a strong air conditioning system that works wonders when the sun does actually shine. But the adaptive cruise control – as we’ve detailed before – remains a bit of a pain, slowing down when there’s seemingly plenty of space between you and the car in front. It also accelerates into an open space at varying speeds – sometimes gently, sometimes hard – before braking again for the vehicle in front. Most of our journey, with the exception of a very empty M6 Toll, was done without cruise for those reasons.

Having said all of that, our upward journey to Lancaster involved a lot of traffic, which is where adaptive cruise really comes into its own.You must cover the brake pedal, of course, but the car will quite happily follow the vehicle in front in stop-start driving, which seems to be par for the course anywhere near Birmingham and Manchester. It must be said the Yaris Cross is not a quiet car at motorway speeds. The engine is loud under heavy acceleration but settles down quite happily at a cruise. But the wind and tyre noise at more than 55mph is not conducive to easy- breezy, cross-country treks. It’s a shame additional sound deadening doesn’t feature on the options list.

On the more positive side of things, though, the infotainment system is simple to use, with easy access
to Apple CarPlay, for example. The wireless phone charging pad is a blessing, too, and there’s lots of adjustability in the steering wheel and seats to get yourself comfortable. To manage 55mpg on a long motorway stint, too, is impressive for a little three-cylinder petrol car.

Furthermore, to great fanfare, the odometer ticked over 10,000 miles on our Northern trip. This should have been the final report for our little Yaris, but we’ve somehow been blessed with a few more months in each other’s company. Our road trip to Lancaster was not our final adventure, thankfully. Let’s see what the final months bring.

SEÁN WARD

WHAT’S HOT: There’s plenty of adjustability in the seat and steering wheel to get comfy.

WHAT’S NOT: There’s too much noise at motorway speeds.

CLICK HERE TO READ ALL OF OUR LONG-TERM REPORTS ON THE TOYOTA YARIS CROSS

FACTS & FIGURES

ARRIVED: 14th November 2025

PRICE WHEN NEW: £32,245

PRICE AS TESTED: £32,245

ECONOMY: 58.8mpg (officialWLTP) 54.9mpg (on test)

COSTS: None

FAULTS: None