Okay, back from my trip with the Etios Cross. Instead of Cape Town, we decided to do Durban. 1400km further, I think this car is well worth the investment.
Anyone who spoke here, unless they have driven at least 1000km with this car, either are simple armchair critics or purely commenting out of spite against the manufacturer, for whatever reason.
That aside, the Etios Cross cannot be compared to any of the Etios sedan or hatchbacks. It feels more sturdy, offer better performance and is great on the road at speeds of 140km - 160km. I tried, on a few occasions to get the backend of the car spin out around corners, but it was fixed on the road. I played a couple of times with the ABS and EBD and it worked perfectly. I agree, it does not have the most silent interior, but it is no better or worse than any other entry-level vehicle in its class.
As for petrol, I filled the tank in JHB and went straight on through to Durban, with aircon on all the way. Probably had less than a quarter of a tank when I arrived. I filled in Durban, and the tank was half when I hit Harrysmith. Filled there again and it was just above half tank in Johannesburg again.
Also need to mention, we had 3 kids along. The interior of the Etios Cross is bigger, much bigger than that of the sedan and hatch, however, they have given up a lot of boot space. However, we were able to throw in 3 different-sized luggage bags and 2 normal carry bags with ease into the boot. The interior space made the trip down and up a pleasure with the kids!
In Durban I took the Renault (stepway) for a test drive, but the Cross is much better! If this is your price range, you will not be sorry! The Renault's performance and price range simply does not justify this buy over the Etios Cross.
In fact, I am so happy with this vehicle, when my daughter is done with school, I will most definitely be investing in another one for her - if the price range stays the same.
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and you are actually posting this on a public forum!!
