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1.Would not hesitate to buy again as I move to a Yaris Cross. 2.Apple Car Play ,with Dongle has been perfect & so too Road Side Recognition. 3 Holds its own in all Traffic Situations including busy high speed Motorways 4 The Turning Circle is a Delight & the CVT is Creamy Smooth if a little loud when pushed. 5.A True Mk.4 Yaris in disguise. 6.Delights Mates & Grandchildren. Tel

I think the rollup is an Suv thing. We're too sporty for fixed shelves 🤣 cos we have a 'lifestyle' and all 🤣

It’s finally here. I was a little apprehensive because I’ve never driven an automatic before but it’s a pleasure to drive and very nippy.

See, there's a better way to get people on-side with alcohol fuels!

Alright pack it in you two; As punishment both of you have to include a picture of a suitably cute animal of your choice in your next 5 posts - I recommend kittens (Very cute), guinea pigs (Cute but really really dumb) or capybaras (Cool factor rated at at least 5 MegaFonzies) This is totally not a lame attempt at getting someone else to find cute animal pictures for my nieces.

Finally after 13 months yesterday I picked up my Corolla 2.0 HB Excel. Early impressions are there is marked difference in driveability and EV kicks in frequently. Happy to answer any questions but give me a few days to get my head around everything especially the Digital Dash.

So further to this the dealer has just called to say the car has arrived. Can get it in a few day's time.

Trashed used cars 3 years old are usually ex notability scheme cars. They are ok mechanically but often been involved in crashes some smaller, some bigger and in some cases the owners had rectified the bigger one before returning the car. If me I would stay clear of car like that. Used car prices and particularly Toyota hybrids are out of reality these days. Mk4 basic speck on discount offer which they do now might be indeed a better option but if the budget does not allow perhaps mk3 will do it. A good look around for any signs of major accident repairs will be beneficial to avoid any future problems. Apart from that these cars are generally ok with a bit wearying interiors. That’s my experience as ex used car trader.

I just ordered a 1.8 TS Icon. Estimated lead time September - seems rather optimistic to me based on all the above posts. I'm in a position to wait, however. Managed to negotiate £6k off in total (including Toyota deposit contribution). Obviously high APR negates a lot of that but if you are prepared to pay off the finance then £26k for a very well specified base model seems pretty reasonable in todays market. In fact I think with that sort of discount it's probably the best value automatic family estate around at the moment. I'd normally look to buy a 2-3 year old car with low mileage but they all seem to be ludicrously priced still. Sounds like it's become more expensive but the Icon spec does seem extremely good for a base model. Reversing cam / keyless entry / digital display / adaptive cruise / heated seats as standard is great and means most people can put up with this as a compromise. Plan on keeping for 10 years but my feeling is these Toyota hybrids will hold their value quite well vs a standard petrol or diesel in 3 years time, particularly with the warranty working as it does. Additionally, running something like a VAG PHEV out of warranty, for example, is not a risk I'd personally like to take. Looking forward to contributing to the forum.

Hahah , was the alcohol organic, made from fermentation of fruits? If yes then I understand the funny smell and I can assure that there won’t be a problem. Where I come from not only the cars are running on alcohol but the people too , and some of it home made 🥃🍻😂

Maybe, but I'm a bit worried about his vision... how does it look anything like a Yaris?! The Yaris and Yaris Cross look nothing alike on the outside!! I don't think they share even a single line! If he was talking about the inside then yeah, but definitely not the outside!

So two weeks ago in the middle of the freezing spell with snow on the ground, I parked my car at Tilbury Docks to join a cruise. Having read all the horror stories about how awful the Toyota Hybrids are at keeping a charge in their 12v battery for anything over half an hour, it was with some trepidation that I approached my car on my return this morning. It started without issue… 😊

Does it still have analogue dials on the dash? I test drove one a couple of years ago and the salesman seemed most put out when I said I wasn't interested unless it had a modern dash. He tried to point out how good it looked from the outside but I responded by saying I can't see the outside when I'm driving - only the dashboard 🙂

I'm just pleased that I have the spoiler on the back window of the Yaris to hold it down when doing 50-60 mph on the dual carriageway.😉

Mine is a Yaris (same drivetrain) and it has just completed 8,156 miles after 2½ years of ownership/motoring which makes our annual mileage 3,262ish (at the low end of the 3000/4000 miles quoted) and we have never had a starting problem. So, I guess that blows that theory out of the water so to speak... 😉

Some are quite grumpy too..... 😛

I dunno, some of the older members are really old... (I'm joking I'm joking! No not the bees! Aiiee!)

PCPs have been in the marketplace for at least 25 years, so I would suggest that older members are quite OK with how they work !

TBH the hybrids are exceedingly easy to drive, they don't have the annoying gear shifting delay robo-clutch automatics sometimes have, and they can't stall on steep hills or going up a kerb or something without enough power. You'll settle in very easy I reckon, then once you're comfortable you can start experimenting with different driving styles and such. The Mk4 Yaris especially is a very naturally efficient car so you don't even need to really try to drive economically and it'll still get stupidly good mpg, especially as the weather improves (I think the best time to get a hybrid is in the winter as they'll return decent mpg but then the mpg just starts climbing until you get to summer and it's a very nice feeling Going the other way can be quite painful, as the mpg difference can be quite big, esp. on the newer more efficient cars!) The disconnect between engine speed and acceleration is a bit weird tho' coming from a manual, and trying to remember you don't need to push the clutch in when braking also takes some getting used to (I had a slightly sore left foot initially as I kept going for the clutch and hitting the dead pedal instead )

Well, it turns out that my wife was right in calling me a spineless individual. Since arriving in Australia to visit my daughter I’ve had a loan of a Saab 93 1.8T convertible which is very enjoyable to drive in the 30 degree heat and sunshine. However, despite having a comfortable driving seat I’m still getting that lack of support feeling on the left lateral support cushion when turning the car. I don’t suffer from back pain and nothing seems out of alignment but I think my posture has changed somehow and that may be the cause of the problem. So, I take back my slight criticism of the Yaris Cross seat and just have to accept that I now have another symptom of getting older. I hate it when my wife proves me wrong.

I want an AWD RAV because the badge on the back looks cool. And I can say to my mates "yes, it's awd you know" 😀

Apologies to all those waiting since January last year, but I picked up my new 1.8 Icon TS on Monday, replacing a 2021 Icon Tech. I ordered in September, so was surprised that it arrived when it did. Would have had a Denim Blue again, but, as reported elsewhere, this is discontinued, so plumped for Scarlet Flare. Somewhat brighter than on the colour chart, so may have to discourage letter posters. As there are still no brochures, orderers of the Icon need to be aware that the front does not look as dashing as the higher grades, with simple indicators and DRLs. However, the headlights work as well as on the Icon Tech so no complaints about that. Tyres were all in the 45-48 psi range, so I have recommended that my salesman gives the PDI team a kick in the pants. Tyres are Bridgestone Ecopia and are quiet on smooth roads and not quiet everywhere else. I noticed early signs of droning when driving on surfaces with minigrooves in the direction of travel. On the Icon Tech with Continentals this only became noticeable when the tyres were worn down to 4mm. Driving is as per Toyota hybrid and the extra zip in the revised 1.8 power unit is noticeable even with just 100 gentle miles on board. Otherwise it is less a car and more a smartphone with wheels. Logged in to the multimedia at the dealer and got home to discover that all settings were locked into that profile. So no matter how many times I turn off the Lane Track Assist, the next time I start the car it's back on. I don't think the button pushing is particularly intuitive, but I'll get used to it. To complicate matters, my MyT account has been cancelled because the previous car has been sold (Why, when there is a delete car option?) and I can't log on to MyT to connect the car because of "connectivity/server" issues. It looks like a trip to the dealer is called for. This seems to be the Toyota experience. At least I'll get free tea and biscuits!

One trick how to stop brake noises and make your brakes work really well and quiet is to wash the car and leave it for a day without any use. Here is what to do: Disengage the parking brake and leave the car in P. Spray some TFR or any other non acid wheel cleaner on the wheels including brake discs and pads and callipers, let the chemicals work for 3-5 min not under direct sunlight of course and then wash thoroughly with jet wash. Give it a soft brush or soapy mitt with regular car shampoo on the wheels, if you prefer deep wash with brushes all is up to you and then rinse again with water. Complete your car wash and leave the car at least for overnight without driving. Next day the disc surfaces should be covered equally in thin yellowish colour, the normal corrosion but this is the important thing. Start driving as normal and be more gentle on the brakes in the next few stops, similarly to when new pads bed in process. This thin layer corrosion is very abrasive and will polish your discs and pads friction surfaces and will make your brakes sharp and quieter. 👍 Works every time for me.

I think the Prius is testimony to not only the build quality and design but the engineering that has made this car the success it is and the reliability that has lasted since it was built.☺️

The funny thing is a lot of us thought the traction battery would need replacing every 2 years when the Prius Mk2 came out, but I swear most of them are still on their original battery as there've been hardly any threads on here of people needing the traction battery replaced in any hybrid! It amuses me that the Toyota hybrids still beat most EVs in the reliability ratings too You'd think the EVs would have beaten everything else easily given their much touted mechanical simplicity!!

Tony has 200K plus miles on his Auris, a friend of mine has a 2012 Yaris that has only wanted a battery There are may prius with over 300k that had nothing but the usual wear and tear items like wheel bearings and drive shafts the HSD is all based of the prius system since 1998

You can’t tune up 1.8 to make it more powerful. The engines are exactly the same in both 2019 and 2023, however the changes are huge and on the electric side of the system., new inverter, new transmission, new electric motors and a new battery.

Yeah I don't consider mild hybrids to be hybrids any more than stop-start equipped cars. Ford do have some great stuff; They've always had weirdly nice handling cars, and the heated windscreens are something I wish Toyota had as they make cleaning that early morning ice off your windscreen sooooooo much easier! They're just nice places to be in, and for what you get the cars are generally well priced. Their main achilles heel has always been reliability and consistency - Ford (And Vauxhall) have always been one of the cheapest cars to repair because so many minor bits of them go wrong there are pattern parts all over the place because of the demand! Toyotas don't go wrong, but when they do it's often hard to get cheap parts as there isn't enough demand, and the parts are often far inferior to the Toyota parts, whereas with Ford some aftermarket parts are better than the originals (At least in the past, not sure these days, but it's a bit moot since they seem to be pulling out of the market ) Toyota are generally the least innovate manufacturer - Their modus operandi is continual evolution and improvement, which is why they tend to have the reputation for boring but reliable. They will come up with something new now and then, but then will iterate the heck out of it for years, while other manufactures are always trying out new things but not sticking with them for long enough to make them really good or 'value engineering' them to the point they don't work as originally intended. The french companies have traditionally been the worst for this - They have so many awesome ideas that if they would only refine would be great, but it'll be on one car and then you'll never see it again. I sometimes think that if someone gathered up all the nutty ideas they've had over the years, fixed them so they worked properly, and put them in a car, it would be the best car in the world!

Toyota hybrid technology simplifies the ice cars in general where all others hybrids make the ice car tech more complex, more expensive to maintain and with greater risk of potential failures. To all manufacturers seems it was easy to switch to full evs than copy Toyota technology and implement it into their products. Renault Nissan hybrids are the closest to Toyota currently but they use gears instead of power split device., their hybrids has the engine running most of the time and it’s a generator not the actual propeller., similar application is in Honda. I was after Hyundai ioniq hybrid as my gf has an electric version and I like the car a lot, however once I took a drive in hybrid one and I am not interested anymore, plus the fact that the car has 6 gears gearbox with dct that cost over £3K to replace and its a wearable part decision was easily made, stay with Toyota. 👍

I have watched every review on the planet about yaris cross before putting my order and still, car surprised me in every other aspect (good and bad). They don't talk about the hard armrest (door-arm rest? 😄 ), very average seats, poor AC vents design(and also regulation), no light on back seats, heated steering wheel heat only on specific places, etc. Everybody is different and everybody has their own preferences. Everybody talks about big bottles of water in door bins or soft dashes. Who cares about the soft plastic on the dash, I don't touch it, ever. Most important thing is to do a test drive, ideally, rent a car for a day or two...That will be the best that you can do. Because nothing is better than in-person experience. For example, I very liked Ford puma as a competitor to cross, and reviews were also very good on puma, then I sit in that car at the showroom and I don't like it at all, don't even do a test drive. I just don't like how it looks inside and how things were placed.

Reviews for me are useful for one thing: just seeing the car while ignoring the reviewer. If they say something interesting, or do something interesting, I may watch it again. If I'm seriously interested, I'll go get one and test drive it myself.

No issues. Some people simply not using their cars often or not as intended for and get battery problems. If you drive daily you have nothing to worry about. 👍

I agree there is little similarity between the two Yaris models. I parked up next to a Yaris and I really tried to match them, but it's absolutely nominal. I've often said the Yaris Cross could have been called a baby Rav, and that would have been more realistic. Inside, yes, outside, not so much!

you should get it by that date!!!!! 🤣

It's a trim clip from the rear seat plastics the centre pops out (more than likely the driver's side as that is where the battery lives)

Aye passengers and their strange ways in others cars. My favourite I think is when the passenger releases their seat belt when you stop , and let it twang right on the door pillar causing scratches , and these are drivers themselves btw,who would throw a hissy fit if were done to them. The other ones are usually none drivers, opening the door before you've finished manoeuvring and parked, pointing out none existing parking spaces, and saying just as you are sailing past a junction"you should have turned left there"

Have you bought a car this way before? Do you have any questions about the process? Toyota finance works in the same way any other lender works selling PCP. I'm curious why you specifically mention 14days? If it's because you've read that legally you have 14days to cancel an agreement then that's not what you're asking. If you pay off the loan ( i.e. you're buying the car from Toyota finance ) then with PCP you are not cancelling the agreement, you're settling it. You can settle the agreement at anytime - 3days, 14 days, 44 days 144 days, 400 days, whenever. If someone isn't paying off the loan and just wants to cancel, that's where the 14 day limit kicks in.

Don’t waste your money on silly ‘headlight refurb kits’, they are a pain and sandpapering headlights fills me with dread. These kits are a real faf too, don’t use them in sunshine, but when you put the UV protection liquid on you need sun to dry it quickly! Sunshine in the U.K. 🙄 I tried 3M Rubbing Compound, picture attached. I could only get it off Amazon, it might be USA only product? After just three minutes rubbing with a rag they really were as good as new!

ah you will get a bus through there, that's a standard London side street these days BTW try not to DOX yourself edit. the golf parks there a fair amount, the Leaf driver is a numpty

There isn't really such a thing as 'idling' with a hybrid. The ICE is either doing useful work or it's off. The ECU will ensure that should the ICE have a reason to run it will do so at the most appropriate RPM for the task being performed. If the vehicle is stationary and the ICE is running it is charging the battery and it will do so at the optimum RPM for that task depending on how much of a charge is required. [quote] Is this normal for a plug-in hybrid engine?[/quote] Corollas are not plug-in hybrids. They are 'self charging' hybrids. Although it makes no difference in this respect.

Sorry couldn't resist -

Mikw said “I must admit my standard reaction when i see i'm about smash in to a pothole is to stop acclerating, holding the steering wheel as tight as i can to stay in a straightline. I never accelerate when i see one coming. I guess if i don't see a pothole and accelerate fully i could be in trouble. The roads are so awful at the moment, it's like driving over a lunar landscape there's so many craters.” We used to drive on the left, now we drive on what’s left 😱

Well I guess that is an advantage vs chain drive.... but you know what also has a similar advantage? A normal belt!!! One that isn't in oil!! In fact I'd wager the belt in oil has a higher friction than a normal belt due to the extra drag from the oil (Oil has a much higher viscosity than air!!) All the advantages in that quote are the advantages of a normal dry belt vs a chain! Quieter, less mass/inertia, 'springy' so can absorb small shocks without being damaged etc. I wouldn't go that far... it's just a cheap half-assed way to bring CO2 levels down slightly on paper with minimal R&D but doesn't really improve efficiency all that much. Toyota has normal ICE engines that have the same efficiency ratings as other manufacturers mild hybrids!! I mean, if that's all they want to do then fair enough, but what gets my goat is how they try and intimate that they're almost as good as a 'real' hybrid, when in reality they aren't even in the same league! Maybe it's because I have the Mk4 and it's made me a hybrid snob (I totally am now...), but it feels insulting that mild hybrids are allowed to even have the word Hybrid on them when what they have is basically a slightly beefed up starter motor!

New Member, been lurking for a couple of weeks before joining. Currently split 60-40 UK/Spain. Ordered a Yaris Gr sport in Spain on 23 Jan. Been given a delivery guesstimate of August.

I’m off to Australia tomorrow. Do you think this exchange of views and robust debate will be over before I return at the beginning of April?

I'll look at any and all reviews. I didn't mind this one, even though it was a little inaccurate. It's good to get all different perspectives. That said, I think it's really important to know how a car works, to review it or even drive it properly. Seen too many reviewers complaining about Toyota hybrids when it's actually because they don't understand how it works. I've seen post on the Toyota FB group from people asking how to charge up a HEV and why it only goes a few miles on a charge. I've even been told I'm being elitist or something by expecting people to do a bit of research before spending 40k.

You only need to top up the blue one. Get some screenwash from the supermarket or Halfords and use it all year round. If it’s concentrated, dilute it 50:50 with water, if it says ready to use, just put it straight in. It will help you clear flies and such in the summer and stop you getting into trouble with freezing pipes and blown fuses as many do in the winter. Don’t use anti freeze like my daughter did, that’s not for the screen wash. All them other reservoirs, leave them alone. Being a little low doesn’t matter. Apart from anything else, you can severely scald yourself if you open when hot. The only one you ever touch is the blue one.

Cheap and good value don't always conflate; Toyotas, especially now, definitely aren't cheap, but I still consider them decent value considering what they can do! My Mk4 may not be as fun as say an MX5 or as fast as an Aventador but it's near enough as fun to go on a hoon and, crucially, doesn't bankrupt me at the pump The only other car I've driven that could do that was my old Mk1 D4D! For me this is one of very few have-your-cake-and-eat it cars; Usually you have to choose between performance or economy, but this nails the latter and fakes the former well enough for me

I bought the genuine Toyota rubber mat set for my Yaris , they may not be as comfortable underfoot as the carpet mats but will hopefully protect what's underneath. And if and when I sell it , I'll put the new mats back in..