Latest recall - sales stop!

You really managed to talk about nearly every possible topic except the recall in the last pages.

 

As did you with this post....

This is the nature of such things. These meandering discussions are where things get explored that usually don't have a dedicated topic. Where else would I discuss my impression of a Rav4 in the Prius forums?

Create a thread to discuss how threads don't stay on topic and let's see where we end up....

 

Just occurred to me: TPMS setup is in @Hammersmith’s posted PDI list (and the one I posted). I would think step one of that would be setting tire pressures to spec.

 

Yes, they need to set the tire pressures to the precise cold-tire specs adjusted for the ambient temperature before they initialize the TPWS. The procedure is in the owner's manual, I think.

 

Imagine a dealership mechanic inspecting the tyres? I can’t

 

He probably could not understand Canadian.

Tire:

Tyre:

 

I say tire. Hmm, "sounds" just like tyre.

 

You Americans have bastardized the language

 

Heck…”sales stop” what better place to discuss alternatives. I learned more than I have in weeks!

 

I'm confused about the title of the thread. "Latest recall"? This is the only safety recall I'm aware of. Have there been others? Perhaps some that were solved before my car was built in July of '23?

I'm really surprised that they stopped production, at least for cars destined for the US and Canada, since the default is for the doors to lock when the car is put into gear. And when the doors are locked there is no issue. It would be understandable if the doors unlocked by themselves and flew open during a rainstorm. But they don't unlock on their own. I consider it a non-issue, except for potential buyers who are having to wait. That sucks.

If they're going to have a recall and stop production for anything it should be for the Prime until they can solve the dead 12v battery issue. IMO.

 

IIRC, there was recall for a defect that was caught early on. The effect cars may not have reached customers yet. Some people following the delivery process of their car saw it delayed in port by a 'quality hold', which could have meant waiting for the repair.

A door possibly opening while in motion is a safety issue. There legal and liability responsibilities with such safety recalls the mean sales stop. A parked car not starting is not a safety issue.

 

Honestly, it's true. The Gen 5 Prime especially I think has additional noise dampening as I've ridden in a regular one, and it is louder. The Gen 5 prime is an extremely nice car and while I do think the cross does have its benefits, I've seen some out on the road and I'm not sure why someone wouldn't just get a Rav for the more powerful engine given the higher weight of the vehicle.

The cross is much like my old matrix which I love, in that its a corolla with a bigger body and big hatch. Which on paper sounds like something I would love to get in the future, *especially* if it ever got a PHEV model. But the lower power of the corolla with a heavier and bigger body does take its toll on the car's ability to drive at a higher speed, and it does limit it's usefulness as far as cargo because of the vehicle weight limits. Which in the Matrix was a fine trade off, and I'm sure was a fine tradeoff in the old Prius V as well. Except that they've made it bigger than both. Seeing them out in the wild, car is also awkward in the sense that you can see the whole muffler from the rear as its not actually covered by the car's body at all.

I *like* the idea of a smaller than rav4 crossover that fits a family a bit more comfortably than a corolla or a prius would for trips with luggage and whatnot. But, ultimately, I think the car is just too big. It's higher off the ground too so it likely has more floaty feel and body roll than the matrix or prius V did. They were lower down and so kept a bit more of the sedan driving feeling, but even they had some body roll to them, which is very evident in the Matrix I still own and not at all in the Prius we just got.

Personally, if you like hatchbacks, the corolla hatchback is probably better than the corolla cross. The downside to the corolla hatch is that it doesn't come with a hybrid option. If they made a standard corolla hatchback but with a hybrid powertrain instead of just the ICE with CVT model, it would probably be the best compromise if you wanted something more akin to a matrix/prius V/honda fit kind of car.

And on the topic of consumer reports, the only way the driveability is better for the cross over the gen 5 prime makes sense is if they aren't considering them in the same class of car. Compared to other small crossovers that aren't compact SUVs (are they considered subcompact suvs now? I don't even know), maybe it drives 4/5. But compared to a standard sedan, anything taller/heavier/bigger and higher up with similar power to the sedan engine will feel worse. It will be slower to accelerate, it will have more body roll, it won't have as "grounded" a feeling when driving, etc. All related to the suspension being higher and being more floaty. Which can add comfort in some cases, but some people want to feel connected to the road more, and don't want to have that "float". It's why I really dislike minivans. They're super floaty. Also frankly, with the latest hybrid system toyota has, while not a full generation jump up from the powertrain they had in gen 4 prius, has an overall better feel when switching between EV mode and HEV mode. You barely feel the engine kicking on and off, you only really notice the fact you have a bit more power available if you push the pedal further. It's an extremely smooth transition.

So if the cross has an older system, it may not have as smooth a switchover which would impact driveability.

Another thing I've heard about the cross, not having driven it, is that, ultimately, since its a corolla it still feels more basic internally than other cars. And having driven the newest prius i think they've elevated the build finish/quality there a bit more to above a more base level corolla. It feels a bit more solid, even at the SE level for the front driver with fabric seats (leather wrapped wheel, leather on door paneling in the front, etc).

 

Do you think Crosstrek doesn’t feel floaty because it’s not as elevated as Corolla Cross hybrid?

Toyota needs this man on their design team.

 

Toyota makes a hybrid one, and even a wagon with hybrid option. The relative cheaper fuel in the US has always meant we got less hybrid choices, and Toyota didn't want to risk losing Rav4 sales to the Corolla.

I just don't like the Corolla Cross name. It invokes a Crosstreky model, which is what others deliver adding such a name to an existing car. It doesn't work for a baby Rav4, nor would I want the Rav called a Camry Cross.

 

Well yeah, sorry, I should have specified that its not available hybrid in NA for the corolla cross. Just like we don't have wagons.

In Canada gas prices are lower than Europe but nowhere near as low as in the US. So it would be nice to see a hybrid corolla hatch here

Maybe. Haven't driven a crosstrek. But I do know the lower the centre of gravity, based on wheelbase and height from the ground, the less body roll you get and the more connected the car feels to the ground.

A lot of people like a floatier car since it is more comfortable as you feel less of the road when driving. But sometimes that floating feeling lasts too long? If that makes sense? Like, the car shifts and it takes a bit of time to reset back to neutral. Maybe this is the issue with the cross? I'd need to drive one to really compare.

 

Thank you. Subaru is coming out with the Forester hybrid for 2025. Doesn’t sound like it will match the Corolla Cross hybrid regarding mpg. It’s so boxy compared to the Crosstrek which is supposedly the Impreza with some alterations.

 

I think most car companies just see you as a 51st State.

You did get diesel fortwos though. Come to think of it, I think the other models I heard of that you got that never came to the US were also Mercedes.

Floaty ride I think of the old large sedans of the '70s and '80s. The suspension had a bit of a roll to them after hitting a bump; like being on a boat or water bed. There was that delay getting back to neutral, but it wasn't a bouncy sensation. Those cars also felt disconnected from the road, but that may not be related.

The Crosstrek is basically an Impreza hatchback with a suspension lift. Subaru calling it an Imperza Cross(or Activ or whatever) would have worked.

FWD cars have a transverse mounted engine. The driveshaft is going across the line the car is pointing in, which means it and the transmission are parallel with the axle. That results in a more efficient path for the engine output to travel to the wheels. Most of the AWD cars based on FWD have an asymmetrical system. Power isn't always going to the rear, so the efficiency losses are lower. Hybrids avoid that be just putting a motor in the back.

RWD cars have a longitudal engine that lines up with the direction the car goes. Having the driveshaft perpendicular to the drive axle means more efficiency losses, but Subaru uses symmetrical AWD; some power is always going to the front and back. Using a RWD layout in that case is better than a FWD one.

The boxer/horizontal engine is used to help lower the car's center of gravity. Getting a FWD based power-split hybrid like in the Cross into a Subaru would take a lot of work, and likely change the driving dynamics.

For the limited number Crosstrek PHEV, they took the gen4 Primes motors, and installed them into a transaxle designed to work in their ICE drive train. Haven't seen anything on the upcoming hybrid, but I expect Sudaru to adapt the parallel system Toyota uses in the Crown and trucks. Those are more about retaining power instead of getting the best efficiency with Toyota, but Subaru has done a great job with their ICE efficiency considering the cars are all time AWD.

 

Price and availability. RAV prime starts even higher that top trim prius prime, and the waiting list is even longer...

 

Had to wait 12 months for mine.

 

You don’t want to know how long I’ve been waiting. I guess everyone on here who has answered my questions knows. : } Partly because I rejected a 2022 that was arriving a few weeks before the 2023 release. I couldn’t buy it without seeing the 2023 first. Then when the 2023 arrived it had a few cosmetic issues that I could have lived with but I was too stressed about the decision regarding how low the car is etc. so I passed. Now I think I’m ready although I called the Subaru dealership today to discuss test driving a Forester and Crosstrek just in case this Prius takes too long….whatever too long is at this point. I want to be prepared in case this Prius takes longer than expected.