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Just picked up a 2020 2.0ltr Excel Corolla in Manhattan Grey. Had to scour the country to get the right deal and ended driving 700 mile round trip plus a night in a hotel to get one. Thats a story for another day, using internet and phone to deal with 25 dealers . Won't bother listing everything I like all been said here, I've come from high mileage area manager in fast diesels and some decent private cars like tuned Saab and tuned MX5, and now in semi retirement and got this as need to ferry lad about as he hops between university and stuff like that. Only brief test drive in 1.8. Car comfy good interior looks good etc etc and infotainment not as bad as reviewers make out . Anyway, some observations. 330 miles and 57mpg, I'll take that, EV mode at 70 going downhill was nice. Ride on the 18s with those skinny tires is excellent, probably what impressed me most . Chassis ok, but steering very light and not much feedback, not a car to hustle down the lanes. Sport mode and the flappy panels really quite funny actyally, if you use these you've possibly bought the wrong car. All I used was ECO mode and found that flooring the pedal was more than enough to take off around lorries. Watching the total mpg plummet when you did and ECO score drop was a giggle. But the response even in ECO more was fine. The 2ltr has effortless power for everyday driving and in sport mode can keep the company car nutters in 320Ds at bay over 100 yards but I won't be using that, just tested it. Battery is only 3 bars when I got home, went out later and after a mile the eco mode wasn't available. Think the car was stood at the dealer for a while, when I collected it had to have a new 12v battery and it's only 2 years old. LTA and ACC are superb and as good as the Volvo and Audi I've had . Android auto meh, can't get many apps as I have podcasts on YouTube and other apps and can't access it, plus I like the nav directions on the digital dash better with the car system, plus just seems an easier system to use and Google maps not as quick to get me in the right lane as the car system, a pet hate of mine. So just gonna stick with the car . The Manhattan grey really suits it, only one I could find with a dealer willing to deal was a long way away but worth it . So very impressed. Surprisingly easy car to master , a few YouTube's and and away you go. Oh and can't see the point of the hill assist, the creep does it all for you. I suppose someone starting on a literally vertical hill might use it . All in all probably just going to keep it in ECO mode . Best thing so far? The economy is as good as claimed, it looks great and is a very comfortable effortless drive. Worst thing? Probably steering feel but as I've just come from a modded MX5 that's just probably muscle memory . Very good car .

Actual car rather than stock. The satin looks satin in shade and metallic in the sun, similar to to the Audi Nardo

I came from a GT86, and the biggest thing for me to acclimatise to was the light steering. Even in sport mode. I'm not fussed about the roll and soft ride, I've spent most of my life in big Peugeot saloons. There is a knack to hustling a wallowy old barge.

I have 2.0 touring sport in Manhattan grey and I endorse this message.

Particularly useful when you park/reverse in really tight spaces on a hill. It means you can get really close to an obstacle, push the brakes hard to 'lock' the car in place and then change from reverse to forward or vice versa to move off.

I have a 2.0ltr Excel Pan Roof in Obsidian Blue, great car and love driving on the motorway everyday as it’s comfortable and economical. The bigger engine helps with the overtaking definitely, love having the power there when needed, im used to a 1.33 Yaris so a huge step up!

If it's the same as our C-HR then it means you can sit at the lights without your foot on the brake pedal.

I am not sure about the low service cost, that might be in theory. When i checked service cost t of some EVs, i found them no cheaper than conventional ICE vehicles. I might be wrong though.

Gerhard, Yes fingers down inside top edge, then run them down the side, cover pops off.

The wonderful EU in the face of threats of escalating war from Russia and other problems affecting food supplies and onset of deep recession can apparently find the time to bring in legislation that will effectively ban new PHEV’s from 2025. The car industry is stunned and trying to fight back although have accepted it’s a lost cause. Apparently the EU want manufacturers to sell BEV’s at a rate of 3 or 4 times the number of ICE cars by 2025. Nothing like getting your priorities right. I shake my head in disbelief.

Well it’s a spare wheel in the modern sense in that it will get you home safely until you get the puncture properly repaired. But it’s not the old style full sized spare wheel that we were used to back in the day. But it’s a mileage times better than the gunk alternative.

SC16HR11 are correct, these engines run like carp on anything but Denso plugs you have to use a 14mm 12 point socket (thinwall) to get down the plug hole eg. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254950678682 IKH20TT 4704 are too cold a plug

As you have android auto you can update Maps OTA either by mobile data or WIFI connection, to keep data costs down the car will only update UK/IE maps if you want the full western EU you need a USB. To access ensure you have a MyT account & data connection press setup button, then on LH menu select Online, then Toyota online, input your MyT account details if you haven't already then scroll down and select map update.

I wish 😁 My printer is playing up and my backup drive crashed and some data was lost on One Drive. Went on a cruise in March, great pile of printouts, quick scan and we were through. Chap ahead could not find his on his phone 😁

Money, fuel economy and boot space were no object!!

Hard to know what you mean by creaking, it's all very subjective. But, high pitched ticking or clicking noises when on full lock would indicate worn CV joints. This would need addressing. The creaking you describe could also just be the rubber gaiters squealing a bit on full lock. This is not much to worry about. BTW - we used to have a Yaris just like yours. A 2010 model with the 1.33 (1NR-FE) engine - from new. I'd say you'd normally get 40MPG around town and closer to 50 on longer journeys. Your black spark plugs do not sound healthy. Could be CO2 sensor - this could be cleaned. But it may be OK since you have not got any fault codes. I'd also get someone to do a compression test on the engine. It's quick/cheap to check and fundamental to the engine's efficiency.

I ran an HKS super hybrid filter in my GT86 for a year, it literally felt no different to when it had the OEM filter in it. So I put an OEM filter back in it.

If money/fuel was no object then I would have a 2.0, it's a superb engine, but a little thirstier than the 1.8. I am currently doing quite a bit of mileage so the 1.8 is better on economy

Nice car and colour 🚙👌 Normal mode far better feeling and response from accelerator, efficiency it’s the same and climate control settings are unaffected. You can try for yourself if you like it. Enjoy your new car 👍

1.8 would meet the needs of a majority of folks. However, if the 2 litre was not necessary, Toyota would not have devised them. Lots of research goes into this, and I am sure Toyota knows more than 1.8 fanboys.

Didn't take long 😆

Ok first drive around town the hill assist is excellent, still creeps with light touch on the break, activates with harder press, very clever, I'm converted

Even in ECO mode the thing takes off around lorries obviously at legal speeds etc etc

Yes, it's the same. I find it very useful for this very reason.

Yeah you have to keep it in Eco/Eco+ as much as possible - I think when you go into PWR band, the dynamic force engines go into Otto-cycle mode and become as thirsty as you'd expect for a normal 1.5/2.0 engine!! Ahh, when I bought my Mk1 Yaris, £35 of diesel would get me 600 miles - I miss those days... I think it's more like £45 for 500 miles in the Mk4...

Agreed printers still necessary. Our daughter has one at uni, makes a mess of the screen if you try and highlight parts of PowerPoint presentations 🤣. We also did a cruise in April, the paperwork was unbelievable, so much easier than trying to find it all on phone (had it all on phone as well though)

Or in a 30mph and it picks up a lorry in front with 70kph sign. It seems the highways agencies are not up-to-speed with where signage needs to be to make this system error proof.

Toyota insurance are so painful to deal to deal with, 1hr on hold then useless service, i just cancelled and went elsewhere

It's also common in many other makes and models - may even be a standard requirement in some markets. It's not just a Toyota thing.

Toyota has thought about this. And then thought again; It would risk locking stray family members left in the car while the driver rushes off to buy a winning lottery ticket - and subsequently forget all about their family in the car. The headlines would look bad "Toyota vehicle holds forgotten family hostage". That's why. Sorry.

If you don't need a big car, the Mk4 Yaris is a hoot - It's the closest thing to my old Mk1 Yaris diesel, which had very strong torque at any speed in any gear, and got 60-65mpg. The Mk4 also pulls very strongly at any speed, has even better responsiveness (No turbo to spin up, just instant electric torque!) and gets even better mpg! (I tend to bounce between 70 and 80mpg tank average depending on my mood ) The Mk4 is the closest thing I've driven to a good small turbodiesel - It has the same near-instant torque delivery I loved about the old 1.4 D4D, and is genuinely efficient - You don't have to drive efficiently to get good mpg, which is the hallmark of a truly efficient car. (Of course if you do drive efficiently it will reward you with absolutely stupid mpgs ) The car is also amazingly agile and much more confidence-inspiring than previous Yarisusueesuises on twisty roads - The steering is a bit overassisted and nowhere near as communicative as the hydraulic steering in my Mk1, but the car is muuuch stiffer, wider and lower than any other Yaris before it which all really improve the steering dynamics very noticeably. It's as fun as an Aygo to fling round corners, which is impressive given how much heavier it is, and has near-Fiesta levels of handling feel (Fords typically being the benchmark for good handling for some reason!) It is even passable on long journeys, although I am using my Special Back Support Towel to stave off the spine-crippling seat in mine, but I imagine it would be a good way to loose friends if you had them in the back for said long journey! I also won't want to tow anything in it - It does remarkably well with 4 adults and a boot full of gear, but I could feel it wasn't overly keen on it, esp. on the uppy-downy-twisty roads we were on trying to find Goodwood The hybrid system is much improved over the Mk3's and it will haul said load happily up a twisty hill with much more confidence, even when the battery starts to run down, although the economy takes a nose-dive at that point as it switches from a gentle fuel-sipping Miller/Atkinson-cycle engine into full-power 1.5L gas-guzzling Otto-cycle power mode! By comparison my Mk1 D4D literally didn't car how much weight you put in it - The turbo would just sound louder and it'd continue to haul with barely an increase in fuel usage. The Mk4 has a lot of flaws, but from just a driving perspective it's an amazingly good car.

£30 ? Mine was nearly £200 for the year

It will only lock if the car has been unlocked and no door opened within 30 (may be 60) seconds. This is normal.

The Purecrap if used for short journeys will dilute its oil with excess fuel. The turbocharged versions being direct injection only they carbon up the inlet valves requiring the inlet manifold removing & walnut shell blasting to remove the carbon. The wet timing belts degrade, block the lubrication system & destroy the engine - there throw away engines & not worth rebuilding. The wet timing belt replacement interval was reduced down to 62500 miles / 6 years & its currently on belt revision number 4. As for the Ecoboom / Aquaboost - my mechanic friend left Ford as he was sick of replacing the engines, although he could knock them out quicker the book time.

Are small petrol turbo engines reliable? I often read your technical questions section and see lots of issues with turbos on diesel engines. Do the same issues arise on cars fitted with petrol engines? I note most manufacturers now seem to be selling small cars with a small engine size and fitted with a turbo. What are the good and bad points regarding petrol turbos? Answered by Honest John Petrol turbos would otherwise run hotter so are water-cooled and there can be problems with the water cooling. Ford 1.0 EcoBoosts have had trouble with this. So far, Peugeot/Citroen's PureTechs seem to be the best, but, like EcoBoosts, are held together by timing belts in oil and those belts will not last forever.

Will add something to the list, I'll remove hill hold its fantastic, but add in the wheel arch gap on the rears seems more than the fronts and can't unsee it

https://www.commercialfleet.org/news/van-news/2022/05/30/toyota-to-enter-large-van-market

I read Cyker's piece with interest. I wonder at the various engine variations used by Toyota. The Corolla offers two engines, one with 4x500cc pots and one with 4x450cc. In contrast the Yaris Cross has just 3x500cc. OTOH several other companies use around 1ltr engines. Obviously the Corolla with 2ltr engine has plenty of poke although I find the 1.8 is plenty for my purposes. Keeping the question simple, what are the comparative advantages and disadvantages of the Yaris 1.5ltr?

This ☝️! 👍👍 Likely to be the next great scientific challenge (or advancement, if can be solved without serious environmental damage from mining rare earth minerals etc) of our time. Personal vehicles/cars are one thing, but freight (road/rail/air) & international travel/transport is a massive hurdle for ev tech, but likewise would be a gamechanger for sustainability/environmentally.

The system on my Mk4 tells me shows the pressures on each wheel and can tell which sensor is on which wheel after I've driven for a bit and it's able to ping them all...

I think that Toyota's TPMS system is not "smart" and will not tell you which wheel has problem, so you can rotate without any problem

First post on here. Had our 2.0 Excel new just 3 weeks ago and absolutely love it. Wife did want it in Scarlet Flare but not available on excel - think the Decuma Grey does look good though. Definitley glad we went for the 2.0L, enough grunt when needed and still averaging 54+ mpg

Hi all.....There are 1000's of retirees like me that welcome an intermediate transition to BEV. At time of purchase I reckoned on a 5/10 year window for PHEV's. Retired means mostly suburban miles with a longish journey now & again. The RAV (46mls) with convenient home charging is the perfect fit in my case. I have no desire to move to a BEV in the foreseeable. Barry Wright, Lancashire.

It can be as little as 90 miles and around 2.5 hours. I do quite a few journeys through mid Wales with winding roads, junctions and roundabouts and that really fills up the event limits. On motorway journeys it can be quite a bit further and longer.

More fuel to the fire 🔥 regarding the poor state of Toyota's connected services. The major problem for Toyota is that they record so much data in their Hybrid Training analysis. Think that it's a bridge too far and by no means a must have as far as I am concerned.

Hybrids have always made more sense to me - The problem is it's only recently with the current gen HSD that I've felt they were set up 'correctly'. IMHO turbos just don't work in petrol cars except where pure performance is the goal at the expense of everything else. They have to have so many compromises (Lower compression ratios, deliberate overfuelling to reduce knock, lots of cooling to stop it melting itself etc.) to make them work it's just not worth it. Diesels are where turbochargers really shine as there are almost no downsides or compromises needed by comparison and almost all advantages. The fact that diesels have had variable turbos for over a decade, which practically eliminate lag and let them work at all speeds, while petrols are still stuck with the same fixed turbos and have to compromise between lag or choking the top-end just shows how fundamentally unsuitable they are. For any kind of motive power, electric motors have always been far superior to any other kind of motor - More power and torque in a smaller, lighter package than any other kind of motor; Their only weakness is a reliance on electricity, which we still have no way of storing as well as we can with chemical energy, but when paired with an ICE you get the best of both worlds, esp. as both engines can support each other, reducing the burden and wear across their lifetimes - Despite naysayers say it's twice as many things to go wrong, hybrids have consistently proven to be in the top percentiles for reliability - Even beating out most EVs! IMHO Toyota's biggest mistake with hybrids was trying to engineer them for economy instead of power in the beginning - The early ones were really un-fun to drive and weren't even that efficient compared to diesel and they've never been able to shake off that stigma, even now (Despite my best efforts ); If they'd only used more powerful electric motors from the get-go I think it would have helped a lot, would have probably made them more efficient too! I feel like we've really been lagging behind for mpg improvement - I'm so used to having a 60+mpg car from my Mk1 D4D, now about 17 years old (!!) and it doesn't feel like we've made much progress at all - We're still only just beating it now with things like the Mk4. I honestly thought we'd be in the low 100's by now when I first got that D4D! Of course it's mostly moot since we're shifting to pure EVs, but even EV efficiency has been going the wrong way - We had ones capable of averaging 4-5miles/kWh but for some reason that has been dropping with each new EV and now 2-3 average is considered good! Does not bode well for my yaris-sized can-do-300-miles-at-70mph-in-winter EV criteria...!

👍 Mine was ordered 20th Dec, still on processing. TS 2.0 GR Sport in Obsidian Blue, maybe they are doing the blue ones tomorrow 😀

originals will be SC20HR11 these are now replaced with SC16HR11, a worn plug will lead to a weak spark in turn you end up with unburnt fuel or a poor burn - in time that will burn out the Coil(s) with these Iridium plugs, the points wear down and gaps open up

Pictorial size guide