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I've just joined here (five minutes ago) so this is my first post. I ordered a AWD Excel with no options in June and it's arriving tomorrow. Brace yourselves for lots of daft questions!

The PHV's battery capacity is 8.8kWh, but it's managed so that only 7kWh is usable. No need to worry about always topping it up, because it will never be technically 'full' anyway.

5068 miles on the clock at the first service. On-board MPG gives 113.3. Maximum charge through the year was 37.5miles - in Summer - now Autumn and it's dropped to 34.5. Just back from Skye, around 750 miles done on HV mode, averaging 80-90 MPG. That damn boot capacity is the only real bugbear with the car, especially packing for hols!

The most I've been able to put in mine is just under 6.5 kWh, so that leaves just over 2 kWh of unused reserve capacity.

The miles per kWh figure is on one of the MFD screens - the figure only resets when you dig into the menu and tell it to, so it will be an 'overall' since the last time it was reset.

Well all the best on getting your new car. I have the Excel as well and had it now for 4 weeks. I and my family love it. Next Friday it is going back to have a tow bar fitted. Pretty expensive but I could not find anyone willing to fit a towbar being it is a reasonably new model or the price was similar to Toyota’s price. I did not want to invalidate the warranty so stayed with Toyota fitting it. I also need Toyota to correct the light position as the drivers headlight is set too low compared to passengers. Now more noticeable as evenings are getting darker. This should have been found on pre-inspection. Also I am finding the steering feels lighter on one side so I now wonder is tracking is incorrect. I will take this to my tyre centre that I know has the full equipment to test this out. The tyre pressures are slightly incorrect being set at 36 and 37 psi but I doubt this will effect tracking so dramatically. I suggest if you do have questions on you Excel, do a search first to see if the same question has been asked. I made this mistake and people corrected me. Anyway enjoy you Excel.

With the Rover SD1, oil goes down the middle of the mainshaft to lubricate items that won't get splash lubricated. My conjecture is that oil is also pumped down the middle of the two epicyclic gear sets (around the oil pump shaft) for the same reason. Check out holes in the shaft of the Power Split Device Planet Carrier.

I followed @TonyHSD instructions and the creaking noises had stopped. A lot of dirt was stucked there. It's a really easy job since the lower suspension arm is easy accessible, everyone can do it. I've used WD40 Water Resistant Silicone Lubricant: https://www.amazon.co.uk/WD-40-Specialist-44217-Lasting-Grease/dp/B00KMRDEMW/ To access the right suspension arm, you have to turn the wheel max to the left. To access the left suspension arm, you have to turn the wheel max to the right. I have attached a picture where you should lubricate. Hope it helps.

I was advised, by my Salesman, that it doesn't hurt to always have the car on charge. Like you, I do many 'short' journeys, always topping up. I guess there's software on-board that 'helps'!

So ............. the question still remains. Why can't you tow a hybrid Toyota? The gearbox is lubricated ........... and the MGs won't overheat as no power is generated in N with the power off. The traction battery is out of circuit. I would like to read chapter and verse of technically why you can't tow one. I understand Toyota say you shouldn't, but they don't say why. Mick.

I've found Hybrids to be particularly good at keeping moving on snow/ice over the last 17 years, but the main reason I started using winter tyres about 5 years ago is that there is so much evidence (and demonstrations) that summer tyres generally perform much more poorly at temperatures below 7°C when braking or steering - variously 30-50% worse stopping distances on dry roads due the the rubber compound hardening in the cold. Of course, winter tyres get going better too. I don't often need to do unanticipated evasive manoeuvres, but prefer top be properly equipped just in case.

Hi, why do you think the gearbox wasn’t lubricating, main lubrications comes from the spinning gear of the differential, it sends oil to the top of the gearbox and from there to the other gears and bearings. Oil pump is for extra lubrications and or extra cooling . There is a heat exchanger outside the box of some of the hybrid transmissions. Your car has only an oil that is lubricating and cooling the transmission, no coolant is circulating through. I think Yaris owners should change that gear oil more often than other hybrid owners, the guy from the videos said that the oil he drained prior to open the transmission for video and education was really dark.

Point of order here, and completely off topic! Alston, Cumbria shares the highest market town in England title with Buxton. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alston,_Cumbria Princetown up on Dartmoor is at 1,500ft and is a town, but not a market town. You could argue that it's not a town at all, as it doesn't have a mayor or a town council, but if you take the name "town" in Princetown, it's 50% higher elevation than Buxton or Alston. Mick.

I have a 1.8 Hybrid Design hatchback (17" wheels). Just had a longish trip away with quite a lot of motorway driving. The mpg was not any better than my more usual town driving use. All my calculations so far have been between 60-63 mpg regardless of journey type. I'm pretty happy with those sorts of figures, though.

I drove from Gothenburg, Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark and back: 629 km (390 miles), 95 % highway, 110-130 km/h (68-80 mph) = 5,25 l/100 km (53.8 mpg UK). 3 adults + one toddler and some luggage. Dry condition and with AC on full time. 17” wheels.

Several recent articles I've seen also say because Hybrids' engines don't run all the time and are inherently cleaner they leave the precious metals in a more valuable state, hence a preference for stealing Hybrids' cats.

Protection against thieves? Well, it used to be called the law but then all sorts of protectional clap trap was introduced by do-gooders and found more easy to enforce than actually stopping the people from taking what doesn't belong to them. Now, you aren't allowed to give the individual who is helping themselves to your property a good pasting. Apparently, one of the most effective deterrents is prayer and the fear of being smited for ones sins by the almighty or in the case of prius catalytic converters, hope that God is looking and lets the jack slip.