Considering An Auris Hsd

[Yossi M. Olaya]

Hi guys, in new in this forum.

I'm considering getting a used Auris hybrid.. Some local dealers have very good offers as far as I know.

This would be my first hybrid.

I want to be as ecological as possible and spend as little as possible on petrol.

I would buy an electric car but I think they are too expensive at the moments plus I can't really charge it at home with the car sitting in the driveway.

I have a 50 mile or so commute to work (Milton Keynes to north London. Do you think this is the right sr for this daily journey?

I've checked the Prius but I think it's way too big, and I'm quite fond of the Auris aesthetics and dashboard configuration :)

Thanks!!!

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Yes 50 miles (is it 100 mile round trip or 25 mile?) is ideal for a Prius/Auris hsd. Don't listen to people who say they don't get good economy on the motorway or A roads - they don't know what they're talking about :) (there are 2 electric motors/come chargers so even at 80 mph one is charging and one is assisting the petrol engine so you will get good mpg's).

At a steady 50 mph you will easily get 65+ mpg (a little less in winter). The car is relaxing to drive, the power at 134 bhp is enough to overtake with confidence and 0-60 in 10.4 seconds is good enough. The Prius and the Auris hsd are pretty much the same as far as running gear.

There are plenty of posts within this forum on what mpg's you can expect, but unless you hammer the car all the time, anything less than 50 mpg is unusual. In fact you will regard any fuel consumption figures below that to be a cause for concern :) whereas in a traditional car you think you're doing well when over 45 mpg.

Ask the dealers if you can have an extended test drive in the Auris hsd. There are some cracking offers on nearly new versions like you say - thousands and thousands off new price.

[Hybrid Harbour]

As Grumpy says, the Auris / Prius are surprisingly good on the motorway, both quiet and relaxing to drive.

I bought mine new but it you want a secondhand one (x demo or pre-registered) then of course they will be cheaper as you are not the first owner.

[ashpole]

I'm retired and bought an Auris HSD in September 2010 - one of the best cars I've ever owned. I second all of the above but would add that you do need to change your driving style (not like a granny, just a little different) to get the best from it. Also, once you're comfortable with the HSD you can read up on some driving techniques that will help you get even better consumption.

For example, I live in Northampton at J15A and often travel to MK. Going I use the M1, MK is slightly lower than Northampton and much of that section of the M1 is downhill! But coming back I go via Newport Pagnell using the Stock Goldington road - on that journey I normally get (from cold) around 65 to 69 MPG going and 72+ on the way back.

Heading south on the M1 through the roadworks at J13 onwards, I set the cruise control to 50 MPH and let the car do its stuff - it gets excellent consumption through that stretch.

The Auris HSD, like the Prius, is extremely relaxing to drive. But, at least for me and some of my friends, getting better and better MPG becomes addictive!

Enjoy!

Mike

[filcool]

Ive had an auris HSD for a few months now,this is my first hybrid car,i agree with what everyone else says about comfort and smoothness of the car.

Ive still not got the best from it MPG wise it currently gets 42.1mpg,having said that,thats because its mostly on the power mode and in the power band,it just seems wrong driving a hybrid fast but i just cant help it at the minute because its so smooth and seamless accelaration,it does it so well.

Im sure if driven sensible it can achieve better mpg as others have proven.

I would just say you have to change your driving style,im not mental and thrashing on doing 100mh just brisk accelaration up to the speed limit and staying there,if you put it into eco mode i just find the throttle very dull and lifeless,i sometimes just leave it in normal which is none of the modes selected,but mpg stays about 42.

If your a resonable fast paced driver it say youll never reach 70mpg,just depends how you drive your current car.

Not a complaint of the car though just some info for you.

phil

[Hybrid Harbour]

I guess the racing wheels and sports tyres do make a difference then :P

As I have said before, to get good economy you have to drive economically.

On trips up and down the M3 to Guildford I set the cruse control to 75 and manage to get 65mpg for the round trip from Poole.

Never pressed the power button, but I do cancel Eco mode (returning to normal) for the motorway, otherwise the car has stayed in eco mode all its life.

[miss_d_bus]

I wonder then what is the exact technique to get the Auris HSD to be at its most economical? I've not fully undetstood what the best technique to adopt. I'm getting about 53mpg on average and going up and down the motorway to and from work and a bit of town driving each end. I thought it would blow my old Aygo out of the water but actually its a little worse and I drove way too hard on the motorway with it but did coast a lot to traffic lights.roundabouts a lot and still do with the Auris.

It is definitely a great car - I got mine at 9 months old with 6k off the new price and low mileage so it is well worth looking for second hand. It was less than the forthcoming new Yaris HSD too.

But I did expect better mpg. I know it is me ... does anyone have some suggestions please? I've seen ideas about pulse and glide but won't that wear up the car more quickly?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Pulse and glide is for the really serious types you want absolutely maximum mpg's at the expense of comfort and possibly other road users.

To get good mpgs, and I mean 65-75 mpg, what you need to do is;

a, Ensure your tyre pressures are all spot on and check them weekly.

b, Use low rolling resistance tyres

c, Ensure your gen3 Prius or Auris hsd actually has 0w20 oil at service (some dealers still use 5w30 which whilst still protecting your engine, will cause a drop of mpg's to mid 50's mpg - ps it's a LOT cheaper than 0w20!).

Follow those and you'll do ok. I know for sure that on a flat motorway in the 50 mph construction zones, my car will return between 75 & 85 mpg average. I could almost guarantee it. If your five minute average on the trip is below 75 mpg in the above circumstances, then I think you either have 5w30 oil, your tyres are low psi, not lrr or you're doing something wrong. I'm also talking just a steady cruise - no pulse and glide, no zooming upto 60 mph and dropping to 40 mph, just a steady 50 mph with cruise control if you have it (and I don't).

[miss_d_bus]

Thanks for the tips. I've only had the car a few weeks so I would *assume* the tyre pressures aren't too bad yet and the oil is topped up - no idea what they used as Toyota did the 10k service just before I collected it. The tyres themselves are the original ones.

I will have to remember to ask about the oil for the 20k service.

The only thing I can think of is that with the Aygo MMT, it is easy to be hard on the accelerator to get it moving so I might be still in that mindset. Once it is up at speed, I know I back right off but 5 years of Aygo driving has left me used to flooring it to get out of junctions to compensate for the sluggishness!

Still early days!

Does it make much difference between the 89g version and the T4?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Never assume about tyre pressures. Many garages just stick them at 30 psi as a lot of cars use that pressure BUT a lot of the hybrids require higher pressures of 36 or 37 psi (does anyone know the correct psi's for the Auris hsd). It doesn't sound a great difference but a lower pressure than recommended by the manufacturer caused more drag on the road which surprisingly uses a little more fuel. In a traditional car a drop of 10% in mpg's is barely noticeable, but in the Prius/Auris hsd, 10% of 60 mpg is significant.

Pop down to your local garage, pay your 20p and check all the tyres and if they're low, pop them up to the required level as shown (usually) on the inside of your drivers door. Be careful not to fill the rear tyres to the higher pressure shown for a fully loaded car - unless of course you fully load it :)

If you're not sure, ask the garage or a passing friendly looking person. It takes 2 minutes and will mean your car handles correctly and you get maximum mpg's.

Regarding the oil used at last service - check the invoice to see what they used. If you can't find out don't worry, the 5w30 won't damage the car, it'll just use a little more fuel and you can always get it corrected at the 20,000 mile service.

With the hybrid, you shouldn't really just floor it upto speed like you would with some cars. I've found that you can give it a little less welly but it'll still go like stink because the electric motor assists.

[kithmo]

I wonder then what is the exact technique to get the Auris HSD to be at its most economical? I've not fully undetstood what the best technique to adopt. I'm getting about 53mpg on average and going up and down the motorway to and from work and a bit of town driving each end. I thought it would blow my old Aygo out of the water but actually its a little worse and I drove way too hard on the motorway with it but did coast a lot to traffic lights.roundabouts a lot and still do with the Auris.

When you say you coast up to T/lights and R/bouts do you mean you put it in neutral ?

that doesn't particularly help economy with the Hybrids as you are losing some regenerative brake charge which has to be made up by the engine running.

[miss_d_bus]

Sorry what I meant was just foot off accelerator pedal and let the car slow itself down. I wouldn't ever put it into neutral like that as I know that would lose some of its control and not a good move for modern vehicles. I hear myself telling my father to stop it - "your car isn't from 1976"...!

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Kithmo's right. Don't get into the habit of putting a Toyota hybrid into Neutral, otherwise the regenerative braking doesn't work (which tops up the big battery) and don't use Neutral when sat in traffic as if the big Battery gets too low it is unable to charge itself back up. If this happens expect a tow to the main agents for them to recharge the HV Battery with their special machine. If the big HV Battery gets too low then it might be damaged. If you leave the car in either D drive or P park (P when stationary obviously) then the car looks after the HV battery automatically.

In fact a Toyota hybrid gets most of its economy from the regen braking every time you let your foot off the gas or when braking. If you try over riding that by slipping into N neutral (as you might on a traditional car), then the hybrid can't charge itself as well and will end up using the engine and thus using more petrol, to charge itself.

[miss_d_bus]

Sorry if I've hyjacked the thread!

Interesting to understand the logic behind the Battery charging but it is taking a bit of getting used to not putting the car into neutral and with handbrake after 5 years of semi automatic driving and rolling back on slopes! I'm still expecting the car to roll back!!

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Does the Auris hsd have the hill start option, where whilst in D drive with your foot on the brake you press the brake pedal a little bit harder until the car beeps. When you let your foot off the brake the car will hold for 2 seconds before double beeping a releasing the brake. That should give you enough time to set off.

Give it a test next time you find a quiet road. No nonesense will clutches and handbrakes.

[Hybrid Harbour]

Yes the Auris does have hill start.

[miss_d_bus]

I'll check the tyres at home on a "average" sort of day as soon as poss.

I'm not able to tell about the oil on the 10k service as I hadn't bought the car then so they had no reason to give me any paperwork on that front as it was thrown in as part of the getting the car ready for sale process with 9k on the clock.

Thanks for all the help. i think the mpg is going up a bit now due to getting used to the car. I do a lot more "gliding" down hills and it does make a lot of difference. Today getting to work was about 65mpg but this was mostly stop start town traffic and a bit of 40 mph roads. I'm happy with that so far.

[ashpole]

does anyone know the correct psi's for the Auris hsd

I keep my at 36 psi all round.

And for best regen braking, depress the brake to bring the "rev counter" down towards zero (the bottom of the gauge) but don't hit zero - that's when the brake pads will start to help out.

[johalareewi]

Hill Start Assist. Briliant feature

Works in reverse too. :)

[Yossi M. Olaya]

Hi, it looks like I'm ahead with the Auris hybrid. I will actually go to my Toyota dealer to look at what used Auris they have.

One question, a few of the cars I've seen in Toyota user cars site have bluetooth. Does it stream music though the cars Speakers, or is it for calls only?

Also, where is the aux audio input port? And the 12V power ports?

[Yossi M. Olaya]

can I download the owner's manual from somewhere??