Hycross owner gets Crysta as a loaner car from Toyota: Observations

I was actually a bit sad to see the Crysta go. It was definitely a different kind of fun and I understand why the owners are so attached to it.

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Had a few people ask about it and I finally got some free time so I thought I would finish this write-up. It might be a bit controversial so I just ask that you read it completely before you crucify me

The loaner car that the dealership offered to me was a 2-year-old Crysta 2.4 Z automatic with about 35k kms on the odo.

I sign the necessary forms and leave with the key to the Crysta. I start it up and the diesel engine comes to life with the customary clatter I thought we had left behind in 2010. I slowly pull the gear lever from Park to Reverse to Neutral and finally to Drive and the car jerks backwards and forward with each slot despite me holding the brake pedal. I grasp the steering and give myself an entire arm workout just making it out of the showroom grounds.

So far I wasn't pleased. Both my dad and I felt like we had gone back in time to an old Tempo truck.

I managed to pair my phone to the car at a signal and the speakers were weak and tinny at best. I took back every bad word I said about the Hycross' 9-speaker JBL. I found something interesting though, you could see and control the songs and audio sources from the MID screen. That's a feature the Hycross lacked.

I make my way through the busy Thrissur traffic and realise I really miss the auto-hold function. I never realised how much I relied on it until it was gone. This was made worse since the Crysta required you to hold the brakes firmly in Drive or it would keep trying to creep forward.

The Crysta rode on 17 inches over the 18-inch wheels of the Hycross. However, there was the usual body-on-frame lumpiness and I noticed movement even on small road irregularities. The steering wheel too bounced around in my hand, making me cautious and go slower than I liked.

Once I got to the highway, I figured I would see what the 2.4L turbo diesel could do. I slam the pedal down.

Nothing happens.

One...

Two...

ThrEEEEEEEEEEE

The engine takes a while to rev up and the 6-speed torque converter takes its own sweet time to downshift but after it does, a wall of torque pushes you back in your seat when the boost kicks in. I can see why this is addictive.

It effortlessly zoomed up to 100. I didn't go beyond it since I wasn't familiar with the car. You do feel the gear changes though.

It didn't have a fast-tag so I ended up having to go through a broken down detour to bypass the toll. This is where the Crysta shined. You can go through potholes and whatnot without too much concern. The only limiting condition is how much your back hurts from being jerked around.

I ended up taking the longer, nicer way home since the shorter way had a whole bunch of tight turns that I didn't want to deal with since the steering was just way too heavy.

Overall, I managed to average around 10.4kmpl on the way home (I reset the average right after leaving the showroom). The Hycross managed 17.8kmpl on the same stretch while driving much faster. This could be attributed to my unfamiliarity with the car.

The Hycross has 4 parking sensors in the back and 4 proper ones in the front too. The Crysta has 4 in the back but only 2 in the front. When parking you can feel this cost-cutting since it sometimes won't detect peculiar objects. For example, I have a swing in my garage and the Crysta just wouldn't detect it no matter how close I got.

There is no sunroof but the ambient lighting strip on the roof looks better than the one on the Hycross since the lighting element is not directly visible.

The Crysta gets these picnic tables on the back of the front seats which are useful. The Hycross doesn't get them for some reason.

The Crysta doesn't get GPS or navigation. The Hycross has GPS but no inbuilt navigation. You need to use Carplay or Android Auto for maps and the car's GPS antenna will be used instead of the phone's.

Coming to ride quality, the Hycross is more comfortable but:

With the Hycross, you slow down over broken roads because you are worried about the car.

With the Crysta, you slow down over broken roads because you are worried about your spine. The car itself feels like it could take a lot more abuse than the Hycross despite the harsher ride quality.

Over the week, I got more familiar with the car and got used to the steering. My muscles and nerves adjusted and it no longer felt heavy and I was driving it through tight nooks and crannies without much effort. It's just familiarity. I was used to the light steering of the Hycross so the Crysta's steering felt heavy. When I got the Hycross back, I felt the steering was too light. After a few days, it went back to feeling normal. I feel like most opinions after a short test drive aren't accurate since you are just comparing it to what you are most used to. I think if someone went from an old ambassador without power steering to a Crysta, they might also feel the steering is too light. You need to give it a few days to get used to it.

By the end of the week, when I was taking the car back, I managed to average almost 12kmpl. It might not seem much but that is an improvement of 20%. I tried the S6 trick that people were recommending in the Crysta thread along with using the cruise control when possible to ensure a steady speed and torque converter lock-up.

Any kind of incline or overtaking manoeuvre immediately drops the mileage. The people claiming extraordinary mileage figures on the Crysta are probably extraordinarily patient and drive with a very very light foot on an empty highway. If these people try driving the hycross in the same manner, I think they will easily get 30kmpl

Handling-wise, there is no contest. The Hycross can take turns way faster and the steering response is better too, letting you change directions on a dime. FWD or not, it might as well be a sports car compared to the Crysta.

The pedal response of the Hycross is way better, letting you instantly zoom away at a thought. The Crysta takes a while but once it gets going it sounds better. You need to plan your overtakes a bit by pressing the accelerator in advance.

I had test driven the Crysta before buying the Hycross but I had never taken it to the highway. The Hycross accelerates much faster overall but the Crysta feels more fun. The rise and fall of RPMs and shifting gears sound better than the constant droning noise of the Hycross if you floor it. I find that letting go of the accelerator a bit helps by simulating an upshift.

Overall, I was actually a bit sad to see the Crysta go. It was definitely a different kind of fun and I understand why the owners are so attached to it. The turbo diesel is a delight and it tempts you into going faster, fuel efficiency be damned.

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