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Hi there, Yesterday I ordered a new car, but after 25 years + it’s not a Toyota. I would like to thank those people that have helped me, or those that have taken the time to reply to me. As a Toyota owner I have enjoyed each newer second hand car. Now I am taking on a new challenge and have taken the plunge and going fully electric. This has stemmed from enjoying the electric part of my drives with the last 3 hybrids. Now I appreciate that some will not think I am not wise in doing so, but we all are entitled to our opinion and I hope to share my views on the new car if anyone is interested. 🙂

To be honest if my dealer chose to use my new car as a run about before delivery and I could prove it, I'd be extremely upset to the point where I'd probably reject it.

This is a very strange comment to make. If you buy something new, you expect it to be new or it becomes used. For me, I would either refuse the car or get a price reduction, also I would report this situation to Toyota UK because the dealer is bang out of order.

Don't say goodbye! I for one would be very interested to hear how you get on!! The experiences of real people and not EV evangelists or haters is always of interest to me - I want to know all the pros AND cons!

It's very subjective and depends on your use case. For me, the car will last me long enough with the standard service intervals, which are already much more conservative than many other brands where they go to 2 years or 20k miles & beyond. I don't need to sink a grand into extra oil changes over the next 200k miles so that I can make sure the engine lasts another 200k, because it's not going to happen. Remember that things are different in the US. There's more high mileage vehicles, oil is cheaper and car residuals are crazy high compared with ours. What makes sense for them doesn't necessarily carry over to us.

I'm just OTT with maintaining my own vehicles as I keep them long term. I would rather spend a relatively small amount of money and half hour of my time and do extra oil changes. Hey, it's your vehicle, do what you want! I might be wasting my money or not but I'll only know if the engine is sweet and burning no oil by the time the bodywork falls off it!

If the staff are using new customer cars as 'runarounds', I'd certainly report it.. That is in no way acceptable, and utterly arrogant. Certainly a dealership not worthy of business!

Car nut guy knows well his stuff👍, I agree with most of his content and I also I watch his videos as they are really helpful and educational. I also have been in the trade like him for many years, not anymore for now I only drive a lot in connection with my current job but take care of my cars by myself since it’s what I like to do as hobby. I had chance to work on my car often 5x 10k miles services per year which give me an opportunity to experiment with different oils, filters, additives, fuels, tyre plus other parts and monitor how they affect the car performance, reliability and overall drivability of the car. For the oil change intervals a big role plays the geographic region where the car has been used, US is very different than UK or Russia for example. Air temperatures, humidity, dust, all of that factors will have a different effect on the same car and engine. By default changing your oil more often than necessary will no harm the engine or the environment if it’s done properly the oil goes for recycling, the filter may goes too or perhaps ends in the field somewhere but that’s different topic. When you are late for your oil change on regular basis then it’s where the problems start along with using the wrong oil type and grade, often practice especially in independent garages. When I was trading with used vehicles often seen cars with almost no oil in or more oil in the air filter than in the oil sump😥🤭⚠️, many of these were one owner with low mileage and full service history … The 5000miles mark is where the oil may starts to deteriorate a bit if the car been used exclusively in short town trips, or keep idle for long time regularly. The higher quality is the oil the more resistant to this process will be. Everyone can decides for themselves at what intervals to get the oil changed.I stick will manufacturer recommended 10k oil and filter change plus the cabin filter which is the most important in your car, you can buy a new engine but you can’t buy a new lunges, at least not yet 😉👍 First pic 5k miles Second pic 9k miles Third pic new oil only done 60 miles

I don’t think I would be happy at all about that either particularly as whoever has driven it seems to have been driving somewhat enthusiastically. Was it new new or pre-registered? Assuming new new I would be interested to hear how they explained the mileage discrepancy and driving stats but, just playing Devil’s advocate currently there is a fuel crisis in some places in the country but ‘what if’ it was done as the most convenient way to get some fuel into it? Just one scenario but I would want a full explanation to the point of breaking the deal.

Your new car should not ever be used as a runabout for someone regardless of whether it's for a staff member or another customer. I would ensure you have screenshots of the journeys and make a complaint. If they hadn't already registered the car in MyT then perhaps you wouldn't have known however it's pretty stupid/niave of them to not realise that this gets recorded.

I used to use the hybrid assistant, it was nice to see how well I managed to make the EV mode last. Have had some impressive runs.

I have opted for a Tesla model 3 standard range plus, friends thought I was mad when I bought the first hybrid. Some thought the same when they heard about this one. Having the hybrids, had cut my fuel bills by 40%. One drawback to my 2 Auris hybrids was I’m sure people thought I was a taxi As you don’t see many that aren’t round here I will report back on how my plunge into something new goes

It's one of the things that you can set via My Toyota > Vehicle settings:

My manual states I've got a 40 litre tank. I usually only get 32 litres in when the light comes on. I once put a 5 litre can of petrol in the boot to determine how far it would go on 'empty'. One dark, wet Sunday night, I got to over 40 miles with the light on before I chickened out. I was heading to a dual carriageway and didn't fancy standing beside the car pouring petrol in. It took 36 litres!

I know it is a gamble, my girlfriend always wants a break every hour. So no difference for an EV hopefully.

In May 2021 there was a MY21.5 announced and for builds from May 21 and sales from June 21 Icon tech, Design & GR sport models gained Keyless entry along with a £230 price increase, depending on stock it is possible that deliveries fron June 21 still included earlier MY 21 cars.

Yes but you won’t convince any of those German car drivers of that. They like we do, consider we drive the best, most reliable cars in the world. The difference is we know with proof how reliable Toyota cars & Japanese designed/built cars are in general, whereas there is evidence that German cars are falling behind in that respect. Seeing how some German car drivers seem to drive at speed & generally seem to abuse their cars, is it any wonder they’re not so reliable. Mind you I’m obviously bias since I’ve got absolutely no intention of buying a German car, after all why should I when I’ve had the first class experience & reliability out of both the Toyota Prius cars I’ve owned!

Definitely make checking the filter part of your maintenance routine if you have doggies! The air vent allows cool air to be blown over the HV battery to keep it... cool. It's not as critical an issue as we approach winter, but especially in summer a blocked vent can lead to an overheating traction battery, which will manifest in the car gradually losing performance for no apparent reason. I check it whenever I wash the car or check the tyre pressures, but so far mine seems to have stayed relatively clean... I imagine doggies, esp. if they are quite sheddy, could lead to it getting blocking up more quickly.

Yeah, it makes me laugh when people talk about German car reliability... german cars haven't been reliable for a while now!

Sure. The two grooves are where you touch to lock the car. On the tailgate, there's a small button just to the right of the main release.

Anthony, I see you are going from the Auris, what are you getting? I agree about pure EV. Provided my range needs are met, what's not to like. Its a shame Toyota are late to that party. My typical journey was as last week 75 miles each way and no convenient charging point had I needed one. Next week it will be 150-300-150-250. As these are all family locations there is no opportunity to recharge. To recharge at a commercial charging point is possible but not convenient. For the moment, Hybrid is the best option.

Add a small amount of ultra violet leak detector fluid. It turns the oil slightly pink/red. I did, to check, when a main dealer incorrectly diagnosed that the rear main engine seal was leaking. No it wasn't, they admitted as such when I told them that it would be a warranty claim! That was the last main dealer service I had.

I wish they'd add some colour - with these thin modern oils I struggle to tell where the level is on the dipsticks these days.

I don't think they can do this. In this case, you are knowingly buying test vehicle, with a discount. @TourVan I would backup data that you have in the app, In case they somehow try to delete it later. Kindly ask them about it. And if they deny everything, show them the data. Then I would check the car, and if everything is in order, I would try to negotiate a discount.

Based on my experience, the information is not very reliable. I would be inclined to refer to your dealer for a delivery estimate and ignore the Toyota order tracker. Mine was 'in transit' for a few weeks before it actually arrived. There's no way of telling what the logistics are really up to.

The continued problem with many chargers where they are available is the need to either have an account and/or they don't fit your car or are not working. The variety of different chargers and capabilities makes for long distance planning a nightmare. Even the motorway system is still poorly served. I know someone with an EV and his journeys have to be planned around his charging points and as he has repeatably said it's a right pain in the BTM if they are being used or do not function. It can and does add hours to a journey.

Modern oils are very good, I've seen plenty of used oil analysis over the years and there is no need to do anything different from manufacturers specified intervals. Best example I've seen is an 80s Saab turbo (10w40 factory spec), run on Shell 0w30 long life, managing 19k mile intervals, with regular 100mph plus Autobahn use (500 miles a week). No excess metals, additives pack still good for approx 23k miles according to 3 or 4 used oil analysis, for a car that was supposed to have its oil changed every 10k miles. PS USA intervals used to be short due to a mix of high levels of Sulphur in fuel that sledged oil with high frequency (a much rarer issue over this side of the pond) and much lower oil quality specs compared to Euro/Jap cars, fuel quality is much closer/same now and US spec oils are not that far behind (though they don't seem to have anything to match Euro long life oils).

Nothing to worry about - the repeated operation of it caused it to overheat (the manual advises this can happen). If it is now operating as normal with no warning lights or messages on the instrument panel then all is well. If there is one thing I could change about my car then it would be replacing the EPB with a manual one!

Hello! I just registered and I thought it would be good to introduce myself :). My name is Alberto, I am from Spain but I have been in UK for the last 10 years. I currently live and work in Oxford, same as my partner. Long ago, in Spain, I used to be a totally amateur rally driver. I crashed a fair number of cars in my teens and early 20s, but when I was 23 I was given a Golf MKIV TDI and I still have it (even if it is in Spain). The car is heavily modified and, although I used it both as my normal vehicle and in quite a few races for the longest time, it is a survivor and still going very strong. Sadly, I don't get to use it much anymore. In UK I have a 2016 Honda Jazz CVT, the most useful and boring workhorse ever made, and I recently bought a Yaris MK1 for my partner, since she needed it for work (a commuting of just 5 miles). Funnily enough, and despite being a very slow car, I am having a lot of fun driving and tweaking it. The little car belonged to a lady, it is 18 years old but in excelent condition (besides the bouncy suspension) and I like a lot how it feels. My partner will stop using it in one year, so my current plan is to sell it and maybe but another Yaris, a T-Sport, or something along those lines, to make a cheap track car out of it. My idea was to replace the Jazz, a car I truly hate, with a Yaris GR and take it to a circuit, but I recently realized that something much more humble will be equally fun if I prepare it. And that is it :). At the moment I am just getting familiar with the little Toyota. I service it myself and I found that it is a very easy car to fix and mantain, something that I like a lot. Cheers!

After the test drive yesterday I’m sure it will. I thought my Auris was easy to drive, within 10 minutes I had got used to the increased regen when you take your foot of the peddle. the 30 minutes just flew by. Sadly no photos of my big grin lol

Looking forward to it. Hope the Tesla serves you as well as your Auris has. James.👍

Yeah, that's why I'm sitting and waiting too - There's no advantage in jumping onto the EV bandwagon early; My car is a work horse, so I like to let the leisure people deal with all the problems first! Must admit I thought we'd be further along than we are right now tho'!! They were very smart! I think even from the original Prius they realised the key to extending the life of the battery was keeping it in a middling level of charge. My Mk4 almost religiously tries to keep the SoC as close to 50% as it can which bodes well for its long term health. EV's don't have this luxury tho' - The only way to do that is by restricting the usable charge. Manufacturers like Tesla, who bothered to study such things, left a large battery buffer so it would never get anywhere near 0% or 100%, sacrificing a lot of potential range to do so, but extending the life of the battery. However, some others did not, which is why their cars are now having so many premature battery problems. When you see an EV which has a lot more range than its competitors on the same capacity battery, alarm bells should ring while you should wonder how they're doing that! It's one reason I'm disappointed with super capacitors, as with this massive handicap I thought they'd be able to compete with lithium, since supercaps can be used from 0-100% all day long and as much fast-charging as you like without any degradation, but even that advantage hasn't been able to get them anywhere near a useful capacity vs chemical batteries.

Interesting. Our new build house (9 years ago) has an Air Source Heat Pump. It is economic and drives our wet radiator central heating system which keeps us warm when the mercury has went as low as -15c. In saying that, the radiators are enormous given the lower temperature generated by the system. However, having read all the manuals it has not been installed strictly as Mitsubishi state. It is obviously installed with our keen winters in mind and achieves its purpose at an economical cost. Sorry to go off topic.

What do you hope will be the outcome of the “Italian tune up”?

My 21 design ts does not have keyless entry, didn't know it was an option on the design

I did have two cars at the same time, once. They were in different countries, though, and separated by a big chunk of Ocean. One of them was a Toyota. In those days, I had little sense, and no wife. I can't even do 150 miles at a stretch, not in my present car, at least. I managed 200+ with a Hyundai Sonata rental, though, so it's down to the seating position which I have never been able to get "just right". I would be prepared to make some concessions for an EV, such as easy access & tariffs for ICE/HEV/PHEV rental for much longer trips. Where I live it's not impossible, but not easy as someone living near to a significant airport or railway station, where the major car rental companies operate. Then there's the administrative hassle of it, you either have to find somebody to drive your car back to your house or be able to park it securely at a reasonable cost where you hired the car.

My car sat in the compound from the beginning of the first lockdown until lifted in the June, so sat there for 3 months. The tracker app showed exactly where the car was and when the dash cam was fitted during the PDI prior to collection it gave me the footage of the inside of the workshops/staff and being driven carefully back out to the compound. If my car was identified as being taken off site for any reason I would have had more than strong words with the dealership, especially given your evidence, and be asking them what they are going to do to make this right. Personally I would threaten to refuse the car and see what they do.

Agreed...it may have left the factory and technically be in transit but could have moved to a compound awaiting a transporter...mine also was showing in transit for some time and then another week almost after it had "arrived" before they contacted me. It was then going to be the following week for collection but I arranged for week after due to commitments

Many people won't do more than say 100 miles on any given day, for the most part it would be the daily commute and/or puttering around for shopping. For a two car household, one EV makes a lot of sense, and especially if home charging is not a problem. For my daily needs an EV would be fine, but we are a 1 car family, so the occasional 200 ± roundtrip makes me nervous. I don't need or want a car bigger than a Yaris, and the Zoes and E-208s just don't have the range to calm my anxiety.

As i learnt, the RCTB used 2 Quasi-milliwave sensors behind the rear bumper @CPN remember this post See my post above

I can't find the pre-order spec's it may be the case it wasn't added to the early cars the press archive may have something

This is very very true, I have seen a number of cars over the years with full service history but with very old air and pollen filters, makes me wonder if the correct oil is used.

I think I’d rather stick with what is recommended by the manufacturer than take the advice of a self proclaimed “nut” on YouTube.

I would also argue that if it was mounted low on the "swept area" such that it lies in that area of visibility blocked by the bonnet (and this is quite a significent portion of the lower windscreen with my driving position in the Rav4 design) can it be proven obstructing the drivers vision of the road or surroundings. Marcus

Couple of things. My last trip yesterday did not show up in the MyT app but overnight it has appeared. I did try various ways to refresh the data last night but obviously it was a server delay or a communication from the car to Toyota. Second for those who might be doing business miles or what to separate various trips into two categories there is a switch in the MyT app that can designate the trip Private/Business (previously discussed). However, if you log into the MyToyota web site via a browser and go to Driving Analytics you can download a summary of all your trips for the last three months. This can be PDF or CSV and shows Start and Finish destinations, Milage and designation. This might be useful for tracking, accounting? Update: there is also a report generator in the MyT app.

Usually water can go through all doors as normal occurrence in heavy rain or after a car wash and there are some little square holes for drainage all around the edges from the inside. This arrears inside the doors are filled with some sort of rust treatment like wax that melts and leaven nasty sticky marks on when the car is new, easily seen particularly on white cars. This is also to be considered when adding any sound deadening insulation inside as if it’s fit incorrectly can withhold moisture and accelerate rusting process. 👍

Do Toyota have a "Wish my car had this" wish list URL? If so I wish I could find it!!

Again, I say Citroen ConnectedCam - been around on C3 for several years e.g. https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/tech/does-it-work-citroen-c3s-connected-cam-built-in-dashcam/ & I believe coming to C5.

I had mine serviced by this main dealer from new. They always overfilled the oil, disconnected the dashcam (why?), scratched the bumper (denied it, but offered a free MOT), charged for a keyfob battery that wasn't included in the schedule, begged me to give a good review (as if), lost a GB plate and various other things that I can't remember. Unfortunately there isn't another Toyota dealer locally. I guess I'll be looking to Korea next.

I think all of here on TOC forum know the first service (12month/10000 miles) is an Intermediate. Pity Steven Eagle Birmingham didn’t seem to know what they were doing/did. It will be good for your mindset to actually have seen Toyota paperwork confirms a service was carried out, and that has been verified by a visual inspection of the engine oil. Surely “things” can only get better.