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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!

Not ideal to mix all seasons tyres with summer tyres.

Well I did not meant that at all., for some reason is a wide spread myth. The problem with Toyota hybrids and running out of petrol completely is that if you do so you may drain your hybrid battery too and then after you refuel you won’t be able to start the engine since your hybrid battery will be discharged, you don’t have a plug to recharge it and you will end up towing your car to the dealer. Meanwhile you may drain completely your small 12v battery too and just because you let your car without fuel can cost you a replacement batteries. All hybrid owners can decide for themselves if it’s worth the risk. 👍

I wouldn’t recommend to any hybrid owner running dry your tank. Always refuel well before the reserve as running out of petrol completely can bring more trouble. 👍

Happened to me as well, I found my back doors were also locked and could only in hindsight put it down to some setting I had. I went in and changed car to unlock all doors when move to park and it didn't happen again

Which is why I said that they can’t just replace (retrofit) a gas boiler, it won’t work. You’ve touched on one of the main problems, the water temperature generated by an ASHP is much lower (45-50 deg C) than a gas / oil boiler (Non condensing around 80 deg C) therefore all the radiators and possibly pipe work would need greatly increasing in size. Hot water in a cylinder should be stored above 60 deg C to prevent legionella, obviously this can’t be achieved with an ASHP alone so additional hot water heating will be required. ASHP’s work well with UFH which requires lower temperatures than a traditional wet system, but can be very expensive and very difficult to install in some properties. Poorly designed / installed systems can be very expensive to run. ASHP’s, particularly in smaller, terraced homes and apartments can be bulky and noisy as they need to be fitted externally.

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.

It is never a good idea keeping rev above 3500 rpm in most engines unless you have the speed than cool the engine properly. Cleaning throttle body in Toyota is easy as long as you push it gently and release it gently. I did it on my prius 06, auris 2015, Sienna V6 3.5L, without any issue. Make sure clean the meeting surface to the flap and the edge of the plate/flap. I use isopropanol or alcohol.

My 70 plate (nov 20) Design TS doesn't’ have it (it’s a MY21 model too) - or at least not that I can see. can you upload a photo of your door handles? ignore what the brochure says, as it’s often wrong - you get LED boot lights on Design TS, which the brochure doesn’t show

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.

Good luck with whatever you get...hope it gives you the same enjoyment you've had from your Toyotas'

What electric car did you go for? If you have access to charge and can keep distance in range a wise move. I do feel though in a few years there may be better battery/charge technology on the horizon, so buying an electric car may age quickly. We will see what happens. Be interested in your new car thoughts. A big plus as the way we are going, it will be all electric cars in future.

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.

Hi, yes it’s suitable that oil for top up or full change, even 0w20 will be fine as both are very similar but I think you won’t need to top up. Just a yearly or 10k miles service in the dealer will be fine. But yes you can have a litre in the boot if this what you like 👍.

Where is the evidence to backup these claims ? All (excluded a few cases of design flaws) the dozens) of used oil analysis I have looked at for Euro ACEA spec oils can easily manage manufacturers oil change intervals. Also numerous high mileage teardowns I have come across on the web show that excess engine wear due to insufficient lubrication is not an issue.

Thanks. May put some grease around. I believe the pins were corroded and gave away and that’s the reason why all went that way, but waiting for new parts to arrive and will work on and see what exactly happened. If can’t claim warranty on that hub which is likely to be as it’s 1.5 years old I may open it to see the sensor inside . Thanks again for your suggestions 🔬👨‍🔬👨🏻‍💻👍😉 Here I found something interesting, just skip to 4:50 and the amount of water coming from inside the connector is unbelievable.

Me too... My speed sign warning on my HUD often goes red even when I'm a good 10 mph under the recognised by the camera speed sign. I have had my dealer update my software because the settings weren't 'sticking' between switch-offs, however this has made no difference to the amount of false red signs I'm getting.... very annoying 😠

Yeah, there's a lot of terraces up north. For me EV is only part of the solution but has.been fixated on by the government as a magic wand. This is the case in so many things where the planners who live in London think the rest of the country is just like there

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. 👍

One would have thought with all the scam insurance claims that insurance companies would be pushing for dash cams, plus cams can help determine who is at fault in accidents generally. I believe some insurance companies offer a discount to owners with a dascam fitted, but neither I nor the wife has been offered a discount. I with LV, wife with eSure. Any of you guys got a discount or been offered one by an insurance company.

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.

Completed this on my Mum's excel recently, from my checks it would appear that Dynamic, Excel & Launch editions in the UK all share the same Dash wiring harness so as mentioned above the plugs are all there for the 5 dash led ( Footwell x 4 & centre cubby ) the door harnesses do vary and wiring for door handle led are only present on UK Launch edition. The Toyota part number for the led is 81080-33280 ( for all positions ) We did manage to wire the doors ordering: 2 x led as above 2 x led harness plug 90980-11918 4x led harness wire with terminal 500mm 82998-74060 ( these insert into the plug above ) we ran the wires through the door harness grommet and connected to the dash harness where it meets the door harness pins 3 & 18.