Yaris Hybrid

[BassaJay]

DRL's are specifically for use in daylight, NO they dont turn off, they are on all the time (note they do NOT put the rear lights on at the same time) that's why they are very bright

Not a fan myself but a legal requirement on new models so there we are

Kingo

Thanks for that.

On many VAG group cars there is the function within the car's computer menu to switch the DRL's either off or on, I wondered if it was a similar situation with the Yaris Hybrid.

Looks good in black.

has it got just the one front wiper?

It has indeed just got the one front MASSIVE wiper.

Looks very nice in black, how long did you have to wait from ordering? Please post your ownership impressions of it, sorry, I mean Yasushi.

Meanwhile enjoy and I like the idea of getting the flags out .

I ordered it 10 days before collecting it - however it was already in the country and built, if I'd gone with my original intention of a white T-Spirit it was an undetermined wait - roughly the end of September time. I decided I really didn't want to have to wait that long and thought the colour scheme inside and out worked very well with a black exterior.

Wh1teLeopard: nice car, congratulations and happy motoring! Fogs and 16" alloys look great.

Thank you very much. Was my first trip to work today since collecting it and it went down a storm there! I think it has 15" wheels... but without going outside to check I'm not 100% on that.

It does look really smart. Black looks great when it is clean, but if you take it on gravel roads/parking its going to get dusty very quickly! B)

Ironically my partner who's very good and keeps my cars clean for me, said I wasn't allowed another white car... but I was allowed a black one... I know he'll regret that hehe.

OK sorry for the long post then, but (and I hope this is the right place, but here's my review so far):

Firstly a little bit of background. I love little micro Japanese cars, I have 3 already (a Suzuki Cappuccino, a Honda Beat and a Daihatsu Copen) - so to me the Yaris is a large car - please bare this in mind. To earn my bread I work at a large production plant in Gaydon as a SERP engineer, so I'm not 100% ignorant of cars, but this is my first hybrid. My work is 43miles away down motorways, so mileage and efficiency are important to me. Lastly my previous Toyota was an Aygo Go! Which was very nice as long as you appreciated it was a budget car at the end of the day - not designed to compete with luxury models - so expectations were high of the Yaris.

I'll start with a summary:

WOW! What a car!

What originally drew me to the Yaris?

In truth - the singing speed camera advert got my attention at first. The bold front end, slightly more aggressive stance - and I've had a growing interest in hybrid technology.

Did I buy it for environmental reasons?

No - I was attracted by the MPG and not having to worry about wasting fuel in traffic jams on the motorway.

What do I like best about the Yaris?

The level of tech you get is superb. You forget you're in a Yaris when you're inside, it's more like the cockpit of a fighter jet - so many pretty lights and so many buttons to play with.

What problems have I encountered so far?

A colleague wanted to see it today and asked if I'd take him out in it as he'd never been in a hybrid before. Travelling around the site is restricted to 20mph so most of the short journey was spent running on the Battery and electric motor. The problem really, if you can call it that, is pedestrians. 3 nearly walked into my car not realising I'd 'crept' up behind them. This prompted much debate in the office. The only other issue I have, which might be isolated to mine, is the bootlid. I have to shut it pretty hard, and I don't like doing that!

Can I sum up why I like the Yaris HSD so much in one journey?

I can indeed!

Today it proved what a good investment it was. I intended to start the SatNav off before leaving work just to see which way it would recommend I go home... but I forgot. Anyway, got on the motorway and just before the services the traffic slowed and stopped. I looked up on the SatNav what the problem was and found out almost instantly I was in a long queue because of a multi-car 'incident' 2 junctions up. I rode the entire queue on just the electric motor, that's 2 junctions (9.8 miles) without using any fuel at all. Simply using the brakes to keep the Battery charged, and using little squirts of the electric motor to get me rolling again. I couldn't help but smile all the way through the jam.

Once we were out of the traffic I reset the mileage/trip counter on the touch and go, and recorded an average of 81.7MPG for the remainder of the journey.

I picked up my little sausage dog and headed up to my grandads. Got his shopping list and went shopping. Did a few other errands on the way back too. Lots more boot space than I'm used to too! Each trip/errand that I did I 'updated' the trip meter:

So in conclusion the honeymoon certainly isn't over yet, I am very VERY pleased with my purchase and look forward to many more journeys .

Here's some more photos for anyone who's interested:

Thanks for posting your comments, pleased to hear you are enjoying your new car, it sure looks very nice. I bet it does feel big and roomy after your diet of little uns. Just watch out for those pedestrians when running on HSD, it certainly something to be aware of. Perhaps Toyota should add a swiitchable V8 growl to the options list

[Cyker]

To be fair, the Mk3 is quite large compared to its predecessors. The inside weirds me out a bit - The windscreen feels really far away compared to in the Mk1

As for pedestrians, just wind down the windows and blast some music at them

[wass]

As a hybrid convert, my only negative comment is the position and style of the electrical switch handle hitherto known as the gearstick. If it were to be positioned on the dash board as with other toyota hybrids, more space could be liberated in the cockpit area. However, as somebody has already pointed out, it would seem that a lot of the potential buyers of this vehicle may be people who are a little bit confused about the hybrid vehicles and how to drive them; in which case I can understand why Toyota design dept may wish to make this vehicle appear to have a more familliar layout.

[BassaJay]

As a hybrid convert, my only negative comment is the position and style of the electrical switch handle hitherto known as the gearstick. If it were to be positioned on the dash board as with other toyota hybrids, more space could be liberated in the cockpit area. However, as somebody has already pointed out, it would seem that a lot of the potential buyers of this vehicle may be people who are a little bit confused about the hybrid vehicles and how to drive them; in which case I can understand why Toyota design dept may wish to make this vehicle appear to have a more familliar layout.

I am, or rather will be one of those - probably confused in any case!.

It is a learning curve going from coventional to hybrid so thanks to this site I'm slowly getting the grasp - by the time my car arrives I may even be a semi expert. Regarding your "electrical switch handle" position, I noticed similar comments made on the US Prius Chat forum. They referred to the Prius C which shares the Yaris Hybrid running gear. The only real negative/inconvenience I can see with the Yaris Hybrid is the auxillary Battery under the rear seat, non too accessible behind a rather awkward to remove plastic cover. Also there is no charging/jump point under the bonnet as you lucky Prius folk have. Could prove to be very handy if the car is left idle for a few weeks.

[timberwolf]

Leaving a Hybrid idle for 2 or 3 weeks occasionally isn't a problem for most people. It is only if the 12V Aux Battery is already low for another reason, e.g. only using the car each week for a couple of days for short trips.

[BassaJay]

Leaving a Hybrid idle for 2 or 3 weeks occasionally isn't a problem for most people. It is only if the 12V Aux battery is already low for another reason, e.g. only using the car each week for a couple of days for short trips.

That of course applies to any vehicle, not only hybrids. The hooking up of a suitable Battery minder gives assurances if the car is left idle for any longish time by keeping the 12 volt Battery in top condition. Unfortunately the Yaris Hybrid's aux. Battery is not easily accessible.

Here is a Prius owner's blog- http://prius-in-mk.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/ctek-multi-xs-3600-battery.html

[johalareewi]

Did I buy it for environmental reasons?

No - I was attracted by the MPG and not having to worry about wasting fuel in traffic jams on the motorway.

One of the main reasons I got a Prius (plus I needed this and an automatic).

[BassaJay]

http://priuschat.com...battery.107770/

Showing the batteries - although this is the Prius C its exactly the same on the Yaris Hybrid.

[BassaJay]

Have now got my new car and must say I'm extremely pleased with it. Also I can confirm, in contrary to Toyota's published spec., the UK T Spirit does not have the blue stitched front centre armrest (no arm rest at all) and when the panoramic roof option is stipulated the vanity mirror lamps are omitted and the roof's sun blinds are manual and not electric.

[timberwolf]

Ooh, is that a light blue colour? I'd all but given up on Toyota ever producing any paint colours other than shades of black or white!

[BassaJay]

Ooh, is that a light blue colour? I'd all but given up on Toyota ever producing any paint colours other than shades of black or white!

It's Sintra Blue being SWMBO choice although I must say it is a very nice shade and makes a change for us from silver - very difficult to get the colour accurate in a photo - the Toyota brochure's effort is miles out.

[Bob O.]

Nice colour Bassajay! Congrats. Don't forget to update the Toyota model in your profile...

[BassaJay]

Nice colour Bassajay! Congrats. Don't forget to update the Toyota model in your profile...

Thanks Bob Job done.

[Reuben80]

Hello, I'm new and I came here because I want to buy the Yaris Hybrid but have some questions about HSD.

Under regenerative braking does the aircondition be still powered by the Battery? I mean can the Battery be charging but at the same time power the aircondition etc?

Am I correct if I assume that with Hybrids you can have the aircondition switched on while the petrol engine is off and car stopped? Like this will drain the Battery very fast? If you have an idea how long you can keep the aircondition on only on battery power please kindly let me know.

[Teemu]

Hello, I'm new and I came here because I want to buy the Yaris Hybrid but have some questions about HSD.

Under regenerative braking does the aircondition be still powered by the battery? I mean can the battery be charging but at the same time power the aircondition etc?

Am I correct if I assume that with Hybrids you can have the aircondition switched on while the petrol engine is off and car stopped? Like this will drain the battery very fast? If you have an idea how long you can keep the aircondition on only on battery power please kindly let me know.

Welcome!

Yes aircondition works also when petrol engine is off and when running on electricity and brakeing.

Yaris Hybrid is really great car, i have now driven about 2050 miles and just love driving! With driving around city I have gotten to 80-83 mpg!

Fitted ScanGauge, wind deflectors, front mud flaps and will be getting carpet mats and scuff plates soon...

[johalareewi]

Under regenerative braking does the aircondition be still powered by the battery?

Am I correct if I assume that with Hybrids you can have the aircondition switched on while the petrol engine is off and car stopped?

If you have an idea how long you can keep the aircondition on only on battery power please kindly let me know.

With Toyota hybrids, the aircon is electric and powered by the big high voltage (HV) Battery so yes, the aircon works even if the petrol engine (ICE) is off.

How long you can run the aircon with the ICE off depends on how much charge the HV Battery has to start with, how much cooling the aircon has to do, and if you are in ECO mode or not. If the aircon does run the HV Battery down, the ICE will come on to prevent the HV battery being damaged due to being discharged too much.

[Reuben80]

Under regenerative braking does the aircondition be still powered by the battery?

Am I correct if I assume that with Hybrids you can have the aircondition switched on while the petrol engine is off and car stopped?

If you have an idea how long you can keep the aircondition on only on battery power please kindly let me know.

With Toyota hybrids, the aircon is electric and powered by the big high voltage (HV) Battery so yes, the aircon works even if the petrol engine (ICE) is off.

How long you can run the aircon with the ICE off depends on how much charge the HV Battery has to start with, how much cooling the aircon has to do, and if you are in ECO mode or not. If the aircon does run the HV Battery down, the ICE will come on to prevent the HV battery being damaged due to being discharged too much.

Thank you very much for your detailed explanation johalareewi and Teemu. Looking forward to the Yaris Hybrid in Malta. I think for a small island like Malta with no highways and a lot of uphills and downhills Hybrids are perfect.

[BassaJay]

Hello, I'm new and I came here because I want to buy the Yaris Hybrid but have some questions about HSD.

Under regenerative braking does the aircondition be still powered by the battery? I mean can the battery be charging but at the same time power the aircondition etc?

Am I correct if I assume that with Hybrids you can have the aircondition switched on while the petrol engine is off and car stopped? Like this will drain the battery very fast? If you have an idea how long you can keep the aircondition on only on battery power please kindly let me know.

Welcome!

Yes aircondition works also when petrol engine is off and when running on electricity and breaking.

Yaris Hybrid is really great car, i have now driven about 2050 miles and just love driving! With driving around city I have gotten to 80-83 mpg!

Fitted ScanGauge, wind deflectors, front mud flaps and will be getting carpet mats and scuff plates soon...

Pleased to hear you are enjoying your car 2000+ miles on, at that rate you will be our long term/hgh mileage tester. Regarding the mats & scuff guards, there must have been a hold up on those as I had to wait for them to arrive. The 'Hybrid' scuff guards for such a small item are IMO very classy and really provide a nice ambience as you open the door . Just a shame they do not have matching ones for the rear.

How useful do you find the ScanGuage, something else to possibly consider ?

[Gav 18]

Secondly, is there a facility to turn off/on the DLRs.

Not sure about the Yaris HSD, but the user manual for the Auris HSD tells you that there is a fuse than can be removed to disable the DRLs.

[BassaJay]

Secondly, is there a facility to turn off/on the DLRs.

Not sure about the Yaris HSD, but the user manual for the Auris HSD tells you that there is a fuse than can be removed to disable the DRLs.

Appears to be the only way to turn them off. On my last car you had a choice as they were switchable via one of the car's display menu's. On a sunny bright day I'd turn them off and back on when the weather was more cloudy/overcast.

[Teemu]

Hello, I'm new and I came here because I want to buy the Yaris Hybrid but have some questions about HSD.

Under regenerative braking does the aircondition be still powered by the battery? I mean can the battery be charging but at the same time power the aircondition etc?

Am I correct if I assume that with Hybrids you can have the aircondition switched on while the petrol engine is off and car stopped? Like this will drain the battery very fast? If you have an idea how long you can keep the aircondition on only on battery power please kindly let me know.

Welcome!

Yes aircondition works also when petrol engine is off and when running on electricity and breaking.

Yaris Hybrid is really great car, i have now driven about 2050 miles and just love driving! With driving around city I have gotten to 80-83 mpg!

Fitted ScanGauge, wind deflectors, front mud flaps and will be getting carpet mats and scuff plates soon...

Pleased to hear you are enjoying your car 2000+ miles on, at that rate you will be our long term/hgh mileage tester. Regarding the mats & scuff guards, there must have been a hold up on those as I had to wait for them to arrive. The 'Hybrid' scuff guards for such a small item are IMO very classy and really provide a nice ambience as you open the door . Just a shame they do not have matching ones for the rear.

How useful do you find the ScanGuage, something else to possibly consider ?

I had ScanGauge on Aygo and now on Yaris it shows some info not available, like voltage, rpm and temperatures. On Aygo it was more useful with mpg info, but quite nice now also.

I haven't seen many accessories yet on local dealers.

[Reuben80]

The T spirit does not have Smart Entry? Only Smart Start? Why is this? :( In Italy they can choose smart entry as option.

[mcdrivingschool]

Hi, my first post on here. I've ordered a Black Yaris Hybrid T4 should get it the end of September. What really surprised me when I test drove one, was how normal it felt to drive. I've never owed a Hybrid before or a Toyota but have had an automatic Ford Focus last 14 months (only does 25mpg) along with my manual VW Golf (not impressed with VW warranty but that's another story)

This Hybrid will be used as a driving school car, I'm looking for some tips on how to get the most mpg.

Thanks

Martin

[Red Yaris 54]

Welcome to TOC Martin :)

Interesting choice for a driving school car!

Please keep us informed about your adventures with your Hybrid

[ColinBarber]

Hi Martin

This is the best advise:

To accelerate with optimum efficiency, use full throttle for a short burst of maximum power. When the desired speed is reached, lift off and immediately press the throttle again to put the meter in the eco zone to maintain your speed.

more tips here:

http://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/reference-library/index.tmex#/HybridDrivingTips