Yaris Diesel 'auto': What's It Like?

[AllFumbs]

Hello, all: new member here.

I've driven big old S**b petrol automatics for years: torque-converter (hence energy-sapping) 'proper' autos that creep forward at idle when in 'Drive' – very useful at up-hill-facing T-junctions (and less useful at filling-stations).

I'm considering a used Yaris D-4D MMT 'auto' and would value owners' impressions of how different, if at all, I'll find it.

It'll be used for a daily 50-mile motorway round-trip with little town-work either end; and a 170-miles-in-a-day A-road round-trip every couple of months: two-up going and four-up, with luggage, coming back. Whatever the journey I'm no speed-merchant. I'd appreciate views as to the car's suitability, particularly for the m-way jaunt. Is it raucous at 70 m.p.h.? (My hearing was damaged some years ago and after a journey in a noisy car I'm still hearing it hours later.) And on the daily run please say what kind of fuel-consumption I may expect: in fact, look forward to: I'm 'enjoying' 27 m.p.g. from my old battleship.

I'm aware that a test-drive – the longer the better – is advisable but will be thankful for owners' honest opinions.

Thank you.

AF.

[moonstone mart]

Hello, all: new member here.

I've driven big old S**b petrol automatics for years: torque-converter (hence energy-sapping) 'proper' autos that creep forward at idle when in 'Drive' – very useful at up-hill-facing T-junctions (and less useful at filling-stations).

I'm considering a used Yaris D-4D MMT 'auto' and would value owners' impressions of how different, if at all, I'll find it.

It'll be used for a daily 50-mile motorway round-trip with little town-work either end; and a 170-miles-in-a-day A-road round-trip every couple of months: two-up going and four-up, with luggage, coming back. Whatever the journey I'm no speed-merchant. I'd appreciate views as to the car's suitability, particularly for the m-way jaunt. Is it raucous at 70 m.p.h.? (My hearing was damaged some years ago and after a journey in a noisy car I'm still hearing it hours later.) And on the daily run please say what kind of fuel-consumption I may expect: in fact, look forward to: I'm 'enjoying' 27 m.p.g. from my old battleship.

I'm aware that a test-drive – the longer the better – is advisable but will be thankful for owners' honest opinions.

Thank you.

AF.

Hi,

You cant compare a genuine torque convertor auto box to an MMT im afraid.

The MMT box is a standard manual gearbox with actuators etc which change the gear for you.

You wont get the normal lock up on hills as with the proper autos either.

I find them ok to drive but i only drive them short distances (roadtesting) at work - some people like them/ some people hate them.

As you say, the best thing you can do is have a really long testdrive yourself and see what you think.

Oh, and welcome to the site :D

Mart.

[AllFumbs]

Thanks, Mart, both for the welcome and the observation. I think I'll be taking that test-drive . . . .

AF.

[pork_pie]

Thanks, Mart, both for the welcome and the observation. I think I'll be taking that test-drive . . . .

AF.

I have the exact model and the box does need getting used to especially in driving style (you really need to ease off the gas to facilitate a change in ratio. At 60 mph the engine is spinning at just 2000 rpm so it is quite tall.

Whilst the jerky gearchange quality is typical of such systems, the fact highlighted below helps me forget its shortcomings:

Where else am I going to find a diesel self shifter that does more than 60 mpg whose road tax is £35 pa?.

It is unique and never want to get rid. Okay there is the Fiat and Citroen but they are as reliable as a bucket with holes.

[AllFumbs]

That's just what I was hoping to hear so thank you, pork_pie.

May I ask a few more questions, please (that may seem a tad naïve but I've not encountered an MMT 'box before)?

Do you stick it in 'Drive' and thereafter, jerkiness notwithstanding, it changes gear for you like a normal automatic?

When not particularly under load i.e. when just pootling, does it tend to hunt-around for the correct gear or does it seem to 'know' which to stay in? (With only three forward gears but a two-litre engine my S**b petrol autos have sufficient spread of power to get into top and stay there for most road-situations, making a very relaxing drive; whereas a C****ën BX diesel auto I had was forever changing up and down and was tiresome because of it.)

And what range do you get from a full tank when not pressing-on? (Obviously, I don't know your driving-style; but mine will be ahem, less than exuberant, as I'm going diesel again for the economy.)

Oh, and is it noisy or acceptable at 70 m.p.h. on the motorway?

Thanks in advance.

AF.

[pork_pie]

what I was hoping to hear so thank you, pork_pie.

No bother at all

May I ask a few more questions, please (that may seem a tad naïve but I've not encountered an MMT 'box before)?

Do you stick it in 'Drive' and thereafter, jerkiness notwithstanding, it changes gear for you like a normal automatic?

Well you stick it in E mode which stands for "Easy" This mode selects the gears for you automatically.

A few inches behind the gearbox is an Es button which stands for "Easy Sport" which holds onto the gears for longer which I find useful for driving in hilly areas.

There is an M (manual) mode that allwos you to change gears yourself. In this mode tip the lever back to change into a higher gear and viceversa. In this mode Es cannot be selcted

When not particularly under load i.e. when just pootling, does it tend to hunt-around for the correct gear or does it seem to 'know' which to stay in? (With only three forward gears but a two-litre engine my S**b petrol autos have sufficient spread of power to get into top and stay there for most road-situations, making a very relaxing drive; whereas a C****ën BX diesel auto I had was forever changing up and down and was tiresome because of it.)

In Easy mode I feel the car changes into second a bit too late (around 15mph) and changes into the others a bit too soon which means it is in top gear by the time you hit 40mph. In ES mode it does not reach top gear until 45-55 mph. In Manual mode you change gears when you like but the it does not let you change into 2nd until its gone past 15mph just like in Easy mode.

A little infuriating but I accepted it.

And what range do you get from a full tank when not pressing-on? (Obviously, I don't know your driving-style; but mine will be ahem, less than exuberant, as I'm going diesel again for the economy.)

I get at least 500-550 miles from a tank (or at least when the fuel light starts flashing (there are 2 modes of flash where if it flashes madly (as opposed to slowly), its best to stop off asap). This works out to between 58-61mog. The best I ever got was 67mpg.

Oh, and is it noisy or acceptable at 70 m.p.h. on the motorway?

I would say its acceptable considering . The engine can be a little racous at 70mph even though its doing a little over 2300 rpm .

It is a nice engine with 89bhp and as much torque as a petrol 2 litre (140 lbft) but at low revs it can feel underpowered even though this amount of torque is available between 1800-3000 rpm.

However let the turbo spool up and over 2500 rpm it pulls very strongly.

Any more question, post them on here.

Pork Pie

[Geoff H]

what I was hoping to hear so thank you, pork_pie.

No bother at all

May I ask a few more questions, please (that may seem a tad naïve but I've not encountered an MMT 'box before)?

Do you stick it in 'Drive' and thereafter, jerkiness notwithstanding, it changes gear for you like a normal automatic?

Well you stick it in E mode which stands for "Easy" This mode selects the gears for you automatically.

A few inches behind the gearbox is an Es button which stands for "Easy Sport" which holds onto the gears for longer which I find useful for driving in hilly areas.

There is an M (manual) mode that allwos you to change gears yourself. In this mode tip the lever back to change into a higher gear and viceversa. In this mode Es cannot be selcted

When not particularly under load i.e. when just pootling, does it tend to hunt-around for the correct gear or does it seem to 'know' which to stay in? (With only three forward gears but a two-litre engine my S**b petrol autos have sufficient spread of power to get into top and stay there for most road-situations, making a very relaxing drive; whereas a C****ën BX diesel auto I had was forever changing up and down and was tiresome because of it.)

In Easy mode I feel the car changes into second a bit too late (around 15mph) and changes into the others a bit too soon which means it is in top gear by the time you hit 40mph. In ES mode it does not reach top gear until 45-55 mph. In Manual mode you change gears when you like but the it does not let you change into 2nd until its gone past 15mph just like in Easy mode.

A little infuriating but I accepted it.

And what range do you get from a full tank when not pressing-on? (Obviously, I don't know your driving-style; but mine will be ahem, less than exuberant, as I'm going diesel again for the economy.)

I get at least 500-550 miles from a tank (or at least when the fuel light starts flashing (there are 2 modes of flash where if it flashes madly (as opposed to slowly), its best to stop off asap). This works out to between 58-61mog. The best I ever got was 67mpg.

Oh, and is it noisy or acceptable at 70 m.p.h. on the motorway?

I would say its acceptable considering . The engine can be a little racous at 70mph even though its doing a little over 2300 rpm .

It is a nice engine with 89bhp and as much torque as a petrol 2 litre (140 lbft) but at low revs it can feel underpowered even though this amount of torque is available between 1800-3000 rpm.

However let the turbo spool up and over 2500 rpm it pulls very strongly.

Any more question, post them on here.

Pork Pie

[AllFumbs]

Thank you very much again, pork_pie, for taking such time and care to answer my (daft!) questions so thoroughly: I felt as though I'd been in the car. (You'd make a good salesman.)

I will try to get a lengthy test-drive, however, because I realize that it's entirely subjective as to whether a car is acceptably noisy at m'way speeds.

You sound very, very satisfied with your Yaris D-4D MMT; and long may it continue.

Thanks for the invitation to post further questions here. Some are bound to occur to me: usually just as I've logged-out.

Thanks again,

AF.

[pork_pie]

Thank you very much again, pork_pie, for taking such time and care to answer my (daft!) questions so thoroughly: I felt as though I'd been in the car. (You'd make a good salesman.)

I will try to get a lengthy test-drive, however, because I realize that it's entirely subjective as to whether a car is acceptably noisy at m'way speeds.

You sound very, very satisfied with your Yaris D-4D MMT; and long may it continue.

Thanks for the invitation to post further questions here. Some are bound to occur to me: usually just as I've logged-out.

Thanks again,

AF.

Yeah I am very satisfied with my car because I feel it caters for every department very well and does exactly what it says on the time without being too flash.

If I had a gripe it would have to be the stingy specification hike (for a lot more money) over the T3 and the zero scope for upgradability plus the interior plastics are a bit naff. Alsoo I keep farting on about cruise control and I wish it had other toys like rear electric windows and auto lights and wipers. I beleive Toyota have missed a trick by omitting big car features on small cars as there is a market for vehicles with such features and other manufacturers are capitalising on this e.g Honda Jazz - the toys you get for under 13k is baffling.

Then again as I said before where else can I find a 5 door car small car that does 60-70 mpg that changes gears itself and needs only £35 to pay for road tax and is cheap to insure? There are not many about! At the moment I feel I can do without them toys (bites lip) so long as the cost of motoring is kept down and saves me money which is what the Yaris does. I do sometimes look at other cars who have these features as standard but I feel I would be losing out on what my current car offers.

The press are mega biased towards Corsas and Fiestas and to a slightly lesser extent 207's, Clios and Puntos. How do these manufacturers fare for reliability and customer service?!

They always like to kick the Yaris, Jazz and two other unsung heroes - the Fabia and Suzuki Swift.

.

[oldun]

For those of you always complaining about the lack of cruise control just get it fitted afterwards as I have done.

It was a relatively simple task for a control that is independent of the existing car display panel.

I lke the new Yaris gearbox and find the gear change completely acceptable and not at all jerky.

I do have to admit that I am not one of the new school of car divers that always go everywhere with their right foot flat to the floor.