New Gen 1 Auris Owner Coming Up! New Questions...

[AurisHSD61 5]

Hi all, new member to this site.

Just made a deal to trade in my 50,000 mile, Mazda 2.2 diesel for an 18,000 mile 61(2012) plate gen 1 Auris HSD T Spirit. The Mazda has been great but I feel I'm wanting a move back to petrol and away from the potential DPF / turbo / flywheel etc problems associated with modern diesels. Been lucky with mine but the mileage is creeping up......

I have a 60 mile commute (30 each way) that involves an even split of urban / motorway / twisty country A&B roads and cover about 17k annually. The Mazda returns between 45-50 mpg (seasonal dependant....like all cars!). As I say, it's been a great car and the Auris has a hard act to follow.

I've owned several Toyotas and never been disappointed.The current 5 yr warranty is also a big draw and reassuring.

Though I must confess I once owned a gen 2 Prius and only kept it for a few weeks!

Why? I'm not sure.... Maybe I was a little fazed by the hybrid technology and couldn't gel with it and, looking back, maybe I was a little hasty. It was certainly one of the most comfortable and relaxing cars I've driven! One contributing factor though, was the fact that the 1.5 engine felt underpowered for a car of that size / weight and I'm hoping the 1.8 engine addresses that problem.

This site has been great for research and thank you to all the contributors on the forums which greatly help potential buyers such as myself. I hope to become experienced enough to become a contributor myself one day!

So, at the risk of repeating questions that may have already been asked on here (apologies if they have) can any Prius / Auris HSD owners please provide experience / answers to the following questions:

1. Prius owners moving from a 1.5 gen 2 to a 1.8 gen 3 - did you notice a significant improvement in performance and a better power / weight balance?

2. Auris boot! The MY12 is fitted with the 'boot maximiser' and has an irregular shape. I've seen some models with a shelf that creates a flat boot floor. Is this shelf still available or was it discontinued because it was useless? (i.e. too flimsy) Is it worth getting?

3. My Auris has the keyless entry system. Is the gen 1 Auris plagued with the same Battery drainage problems that are affecting the gen 2 HSD models? (I don't see my car car being left unused any longer than two weeks)

Thanks in anticipation for your help.

Steve

[FROSTYBALLS 3,212]

Hello Steve - welcome to Toyota Owners Club.

[Raistlin 465]

Hi, Welcome to the club... Enjoy

[Grumpy Cabbie 421]

Welcome to the forum.

1, The Auris gen1 has about 134 bhp and 0-60 of about 10.5 seconds. It's not quick, but it's not slow either. Much more than the combined 100 bhp of the original gen2 Prius you had though.

2, Dunno, but the boot is rather small.

3, If you use sensible precautions such as not sitting in Acc with the radio on then you should be fine with the Battery. Also, you're doing a reasonable run too so that will help. The problems seem to occur when owners do very few miles and leave the car sitting and then 'abuse' the 12 volt Battery. If you're really concerned, you might want to replace it when you get the car. They're about £95 fully fitted at Toyota and it would be peace of mind for the future. (they generally only last about 5 years or 80,000 miles).

[johalareewi 249]

2. Auris boot! The MY12 is fitted with the 'boot maximiser' and has an irregular shape. I've seen some models with a shelf that creates a flat boot floor. Is this shelf still available or was it discontinued because it was useless? (i.e. too flimsy) Is it worth getting?

Have a rummage.

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/113046-auris-hybrid-delivery-any-qs/page-6#entry1035001

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/138242-yaris-hybrid-deck-board-missing/page-3

http://priuschat.com/threads/auris-hybrid.76354/

[daveybee 0]

Hi Steve, and welcome to TOC, hope it will be of use.

I have a Gen 1 Auris T-Sprit on a 10 plate (it was the first non-demo model on the road around Bristol) and I've not had a problem with the 12v Battery even though it's mainly used for short journeys.

As far as the "boot maximiser" is concerned, this was introduced within three or four months because of the absolutely pitiful boot depth. That said, the original lower liner was split into three, with the dividers providing support for the shelf. It is very useful as I store all kinds of junk under the shelf (fleece blankets, foot pump, windscreen shade etc. etc.) but it does limit the height between the shelf and the parcel shelf - about the height of a 750G box of Corn Flakes in the middle although you do get a flat load space when the seats are down.

Hope that helps,

Dave.

[daveybee 0]

Just found these from our test drive...

Dave.

[AurisHSD61 5]

Thanks for the pics Dave, that gives me a clearer idea.

It certainly gives the boot a more conventional look even it does appear smaller.

I had a Triumph Acclaim many years ago and car boots don't come much shallower than that ! :-)

Now wondering if the shelf can still be purchased and what it would cost?

[FROSTYBALLS 3,212]

Try sending Parts King a personal message giving details on your car and what you want, and he will come back to you. For Parts King go to the Community page, scroll down to Sponsor's Corner and Lindop Toyota