Nowhere to put stuff

[UncleZen]

So, I got this 1yr old CHR and theres nowhere to put stuff. Let me explain what I mean.

For the first time ever I have a keyfob that lives in a Faraday box and because of this I dont attach my house keys to the keyring. Mainly because I'm in and out of the house and I don't want the faff of opening the Faraday box every time. So they live separately. When I do go out in the car the massive toyota keyfob (biggest keyfob Ive ever owned) has nowhere to go. In my old car I had a "tray" that I could chuck phone & keys and stuff. Toyota have provided a slot for the phone (too small for my phone), but nowhere for the keys (unless you want to leave them in your pocket, I find keys in trouser pockets uncomfortable, so it has to be a jacket pocket). The centre console storage box seems inconvenient, being under my left elbow. If it put the keys in the cup holders they rattle about, (gone are the days when you knew the keys were in the ignition).

So what do other CHR owners do with keys and phone etc?

 

[Roy124]

I feel for you.  My Yaris Cross has 3 good potential places for keys. Invariably Mrs 124 uses none of these.  Either in her hand bag, on the floor, or anywhere else out of reach.  This is all before  she hits garage door close button. 

[Cyker]

You can probably get a silicone case for the key fob off e.g. eBay, then you can put it in the cup holder and it won't rattle.

Otherwise, maybe one of those car storage pouches that you see on Amazon?

I also lament the lack of cabin storage in modern Toyotas - The older ones like the Avensis and Mk9 Corolla had a massive glovebox, and the Yaris Mk1 and Mk2 had a ridiculous number of storage bins and cubby holes to put stuff. They even had multiple gloveboxes and underseat trays! Amazing when you consider they're supposed to be small compact 'city cars', yet have better stowage than most SUVs!

Even my dad's Verso has loads of storage areas; We even found 2 secret storage compartments under the passenger floor mats!

It's one of the things that made me skip the Mk3 Yaris, as that has almost no storage; It's a bit better in the Mk4, but still nowhere near as good as the Mk1 and Mk2. I don't know why, as there is so much wasted space in the new models where they could put more storage bins, esp. in the new Corolla! If they moved the passenger airbag a bit, there'd be a whole section of dash freed up that could be used for storage!

 

[tfc]

I don't know if the CHR fob is the same as the Corolla but I just stuff them in my pocket.

[Big_D]

I have a silicone case for my fob. I goes in my trouser pocket with no ill effects. I also have a centre console tray as seen here)

 

This is where I store my phone.

[Cyker]

I normally keep it in my pocket too (I feel having to take it out kinda defeats the point of it being keyless  ), but I have had to on occasion due to its bulk making the rest of my keys stab me in the leg when I'm wearing tighter trousers... (I'm not fat, the trousers are just shrinking!!)

 

[Haliotis]

I keep my fob in a Faraday purse. It has a lanyard chain, so cannot fall to the ground when I tip it out of the purse.  Usually, I simply leave the purse and fob in the car door pocket whilst driving.

Regarding “nowhere to putt stuff!” I agree that the C-HR is sadly lacking in onboard storage space in the cabin; especially so for rear passengers - although we are in our 80’s, so rear passengers are a rarity.

[Haliotis]

On 5/9/2023 at 10:38 PM, Big_D said:

I have a silicone case for my fob. I goes in my trouser pocket with no ill effects. I also have a centre console tray as seen here)

 

This is where I store my phone.

I have bought a centre console tray like this (in blue to match car colour and trim): quite useful and will discourage me from filling the console with clutter.  I have found a usb adaptor in Halfords, which fits into the 12v socket already located in the console recess.  I already have a short cable for connecting my iPhone to this, and the phone can sit on the provided non-slip mat.  The armrest can be closed and the phone automatically responds to my media system.

I had considered a charging mat, but do not care for a permanently connected mat as this kind of equipment is capable of catching fire (does this socket remain live when the car is switched off?)  The alternative USB cable can remain plugged in, as it becomes open circuit once the phone is disconnected.

[Bernard Foy]

12 volt socket is only live if the ignition is on.

[philip42h]

1 hour ago, Haliotis said:

does this socket remain live when the car is switched off?

No, the accessory socket[s] are turned off when the car is 'off'. If they were to be 'live' all the time it would give drivers an opportunity to flatten the auxiliary Battery (and then complain that the auxiliary Battery wasn't big enough 😉 ).

To be pedantic, the accessory socket[s] are live in Ready mode, Accessory mode and Ignition On mode but not when the car is Off. So, the caution is, if you do put the car into Accessory mode, be sure to step through Ignition On and back to Off before you leave the car ...

[Haliotis]

2 hours ago, Bernard Foy said:

12 volt socket is only live if the ignition is on.

Thanks, that is good to know.  It means that plugging in a phone charging mat, if I did decide to go down that route, and leaving it permanently connected, would be OK without  having to repeatedly lifting out the tray to unplug the mat. mats seem to have their wire permanently fixed at the mat end.

[Derek.w]

My keys go into Jacket pocket, or shirt top pocket then sometimes on the rubber mat ment for the phone. Second phone position near 12volt & 5 volt power points.

The cup holders I put a piece of foam in the bottom  to stop things rattling same type of foam inside arm rest.