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Apart from 2 forays into other marques I've pretty much bought Fords, and mostly the XR/ST/RS ones at that, my whole life. I only switched to Toyota due to Ford withdrawing the Fiesta as I really missed the smaller cars. And their obsession with electric only 🤔 So I was always going to be a reluctant soldier and my purchase was going to be full of scepticism and maybe (hopefully not) regret. But I have to say that I absolutely love the Premiere edition because: - I love the blue colour - The body shape is excellent - The economy is amazing - It drives beautifully - It's a technical tour de force. Love playing with the throttle to try and tease as much economy out of it as I can and the HUD is just fab - The adaptive cruise is more intelligent than Ford's - The ability of the speed limiter to match itself to the current speed limit with just one button press is just excellent. I use the speed limiter constantly so this is really good - Mrs Dastardly (Penelope?) loves it - The configuration options on the dashboard are excellent. - It just feels like it's been designed by boffins, rather than people in overalls But it's not all roses 🌹 Some, albeit minor, annoyances. - The engine is quite harsh/growly. Ford's 3 pot system is much smoother and not nearly as loud. - The door handles feel quite flimsy due to being quite thin but I'm sure I'll get used to that. - The positioning of the window controls are a little strange compared to what I am used to. Very high up. Probably just me though - Severe lack of internal storage. Door pockets are tiny, no opportunity to store anything in the centre console - Quite annoying that your personal options, e.g. turning off PCA, resets every time you re-start the engine, unless I'm just being thick - The "Hold" button resetting itself on every journey is bizarre. Should remember the setting or just be a configurable menu option. - Lack of factory options e.g. sunroof, heated seats. Would have paid for both The negatives are just minor/personal really as the positives are so good. Haven't been this happy with a new car acquisition for a long time 👍

You should try riding a 1950s motorbike at night with 6V electrics. 12V sealed beam headlamps were a revelation and then came along halogens.....................................................

I had to buy a car for my daughters lessons/ driving as well. We started with a Fiat 500, nope, she couldn't get on with that. So, then I looked at the Aygo, same choices as yourself but went for the mk 2 as it seemed far more modern and the interiors, infotainment etc felt much better than the mk 1. Then, after quite a few lessons and practise, she wasn't getting on very well, we found out that she was a bit dispraxic. Immediately changed her to an automatic and she got on really well. So, 2nd car (Aygo) was sold, making a little bit of cash in the process. What did we get, another Aygo, another mk 2 auto this time obviously. This did cost a fair bit more than the manual, the price difference is eye opening indeed. She passed her test with just 2 minors and hasn't looked back since. She adores her Aygo, constantly telling me how she loves it and driving it. So, if she's happy, I'm happy. And tbh, it's a really great little car to drive and for me, to work on as well.

Went to the post office in town and got my licence renewed, or at least sent the payment and had my photo taken, which has resulted in me ordering some men’s anti wrinkle/aging/puffy eye cream, I used to look like my dad in some photos, now it’s my grandad, or worse still, someone else’s grandad….

Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it 😉

Hi Bob,no your not wrong, the Premiere Edition boasts a premium JBL sound system for an enhanced audio experience. Blind Spot Monitor,This safety feature is included in the Premiere Edition, helping you detect vehicles in your blind spot. Head Up Display (HUD), the Premiere Edition offers a Head Up Display that projects essential driving information onto the windscreen. These features are on top of what the standard Yaris Cross might offer, giving the Premiere Edition a more feature rich option apparently.

EV mode then power is circa 230hp max but Toyota curtail the power delivery above 50mph. My experience from testing. Hybrid mode then the 306hp DIN is available. Motors plus ICE working together. Battery does not need to be charged to get the full power in hybrid mode. There's a reserve in the traction battery which is near on impossible to deplete. I've tried especially hard and I've got it to almost zero but failed to get it to zero. The second you aren't accelerating that reserve is topped up from the generator on the ICE. This happens pretty quick. I'd say the only risk of totally flattening the reserve is by caning it at 90mph with frequent acceleration bursts towing a caravan up hill. Note that hybrid mode does not give you full 306hp if the engine is cold. Takes 3 to 8 minutes to warm up (depending on outside temperature) before full power is made available. Until then you are looking at 230hp. Again, I've tested this. Personally, I manually select between EV and Hybrid mode rather than use Auto. I know where I'm going and can maximise use of the traction battery to ensure I empty it rather than using petrol. So if I'm on the motorway I'll switch to EV mode when in a jam or it's the average 50mph speed limit thing and when off the motorway I'll use EV mode. Eventually I've got good at deciding when to switch. Whether the above is as good as the Auto mode is another matter. Eco, Normal and Sport modes change the throttle response (sensitivity of the accelerator pedal), steering weight (I think), and the Aircon performance. I usually run the car in sport mode.

The path of least resistance is the dealer, although it's fairly expensive (Although less expensive than a new set of locks and an ECU if all the keys went missing!) There may be some third-party auto-locksmiths that can do it for less but finding one that can actually do it can be tricky.

Thanks, looks like it has the Tech Pack, but not the Adventure Pack. To be honest, if I view a car and the have to haggle over mats, I'll just walk away anyway. 🍻

That's exactly the same as me, I didn't get on with driving manual due to a learning disability, so I swapped to automatic and never looked back. I tend to benefit with a higher value estimate when the dealer buys it back as I swap for another car, so even though the price seems to be higher at purchase time, it does pay you back eventually.

Right! I never thought of that at all! (I'm way past child bearing age 🤣)

I used to drive an Opel Kadett A with 6 volt electrics. The headlights weren’t so bad, but when dipped they were useless. Fortunately in those days not a lot of traffic on the roads around here.

They’re doing a lot better these days. My mate ordered a Juniper Blue Yaris car, Excel with pan roof on 25/1 with an estimated delivery of 26/4 but it was ready for delivery on 8/3. The app by the way said processing order until the day it was delivered so that was no help whatsoever.

Missus ordered an Excel FWD in Juniper blue first week of April & the dealer estimates July 31st for delivery.

If someone's trying to touch up their paintwork with a sword they're doing it very wrong!

I’d sell the Vauxhall and keep the pipe. It’ll be more reliable 😉

Doesn't need special knowledge/equipment, take it to a local garage to inspect.

Theoretically if it has been serviced according to schedule (intermediate year 1, full year 2, etc) the next full service should be 2025 (10 years/100K miles). The first coolant change will be due at this service, with subsequent coolant changes every 5 years/50K miles. If you use a Toyota dealer for servicing, I'd be inclined to see what they suggest for this year.

I'm open to correction here, but the 2022 Tech pack should include JBL sound system, BSM, and HUD. This is what we have on our 2022 Yaris

Two buttons. Activate then set. Took me a while to figure out. Still haven't figured out how to use the speed limiter!

... you know, I've never used any of the other window switches in my car so I didn't know!

Well I would say that is not true at all. tyres, brake discs, pads, filters are all serviceable items that are expected to be changed when wear sets in. changing a horn would be a modification.

The three stages of a Toyota driver responding to another driver's idiocy. Anger. Sounding the horn to remonstrate. Embarrasment.

Thanks for the detailed review, waiting till June for mine (exact same) so appreciate any good info👍

Just changed our YC and sorted the insurance. Notified them that the new car has dashcam and side steps fitted, but they said as this is how it is supplied from the dealer it doesnt count as a modification. That is with Churchill.

Collected the car this morning. FWD as opposed to AWD, however, 5 weeks old, side steps, dashcam and boot liner. Same colour and have much more confidence in this one. Hopefully put this all behind us.

psi - pounds per square inch sounds very imperial to me ... 🙂😉

Wish mine was that good looking.

I'd be surprised if it needed something so complex unless the Avensis uses double-wishbone or multi-link suspension on the front... Most Toyotas use McPherson struts which have very limited adjustability.

it does seem very hit and miss if it works 80-100%, in some situations like rain and bright sunlight it does not cope that well

Hi Leanne,the garage's information about needing wheel geometry for your Avensis might be inaccurate. A standard wheel alignment typically adjusts toe (angle the wheels point in/out) and sometimes caster (steering axis angle). Wheel geometry is a broader term that encompasses all alignment angles including toe, caster, and camber (vertical tilt of the wheel).Many garages can handle wheel alignment on Toyota Avensis. It's possible some Avensis models have limited adjustability, but a complete inability to do any alignment is unlikely.Your owner's manual should specify if wheel alignment is possible and what adjustments can be made. You need to find a another garage for a second opinion.Hope this helps.

The paint and surface rust warranty is 3 years from first registration, so 2020 car would be outside the warranty.

Hello Two people here that I follow with documented serious opinions, Bper and Cyker, believing that the car is a diesel, you have not clarified anything absolute until their answer. Later you did of course but how you expect an answer to the vague question you asked I can't understand, so many opinions - advice from users do not respond thanks

I agree, the headlights on mine are pretty poor on dark country lanes, and if its raining, driving in the city I often cant tell if I have even got my headlights on. Even the beams of certain cars behind me create more light surrounding the beams on the road ahead of me from my own lights. Considering the standard HIR2 bulbs that are fitted to the Mk3 first facelift models onwards cost so much more than a standard H4 halogen bulb that the earlier 2011 - 2014 Mk3 would use, I would expect them to be much better than they actually are. How on earth Toyota thought the projector units were an improvement on the pre-facelift model is beyond me. If the roads are dry then I can just about get by with them, but on wet roads in winter, it's pretty dire to be honest.

My Mk3 projectors are very good. They are better than many/most cars I've had before. Then again, I don't go that fast round corners, so YMMV.

It's not a rant, those that had the MK3 (me) or halogen projector headlights unit knows what you are talking about. The only legal way to improve it is to get those 150% short life bulbs. I went the not so legal route, installed hid. Had the car for 5 years, no way would put up with those awful light units.

https://www.temu.com/goods.html?_bg_fs=1&goods_id=601099520300992&_x_msgid=210-20240418-02-B-722880903952879617-506-BVKSSzYX&_x_src=mail&_x_sessn_id=dxdauc18dq&refer_page_name=bgt_order_detail&refer_page_id=10045_1713548630903_svrmd17jhe&refer_page_sn=10045 Always handy to have these in stock.... And cheap too

So I think I solved this problem and just wanted to pass on the information to anyone finding this thread in the future. The boot has remained dry for a while now despite heavy rain and trips to the car wash. For me the problem was the boot vents, the one in the right side in particular. Toyota quoted me £65 per vent for two new vents so I decided to just seal around the vents with some liquid gasket stuff (Sikaflex) from the inside instead before purchasing new vents with new seals. This has seemed to do the trick. I accessed the vents from the inside by removing some trim in the trunk and pulling up the carpet to allow access around the vents. Before doing the vents I also replaced all gaskets around the rear lights. They didn't really look like they needed replacing despite the car being a 2009 so it wouldn't be the first place I would look if I were you. This video here was helpful in locating the vents and showing what trim you need to remove to access the vents. You don't have to remove all of the side panels, you can simply pull the carpet a bit up. If you're struggling with water ingression I would advise your plan of attack to go like this: Check the two boot vents Check tail light gaskets Check the weather seal around the boot Check hinges for gas struts (holding up the bootlid)

I’ve currently got Yokohama, I think they are Blue Earth, tyres on my gen 4 They have much more tread on them than I first thought so won’t be changing just yet Reckon I’ll get the Goodyear EG’s when I need to change them as I live on the south coast and we don’t get much bad weather so probably the Michelin CC’s would not be necessary

is your AC and alternator seized?

Good tip. I would also check the main crank pulley, which normally has a rubber layer between the inner and outer parts, and damps the vibrations to the belt. The rubber can split and cause the belt the shred and snap. The inner and outer halves in the pulley will slip, especially under load from the alternator and air-condition demand. Also the pulley may wobble! Also check the water pump just in case it is about to seize. My water pump was beginning to sound noisy, and the coolant level dropping slightly. My engine is the petrol 2ZR 1.8 Valvematic. I took the belt off to check the water pump and started the engine for a short time to eliminate the cause of the noise. Sure enough it was the water pump. A few days after replacing the water pump, I tried to turn the old pump and it was totally seized! I also checked the crank pulley and alternator pulley (including the freewheel), they were fine. The diesel has more more pulleys so check the two idler pulleys for smooth rotation and play.

I couldn’t give any precise figures, but I always had my car serviced at the main dealer so it had the right oil. I also never had any reports of it having low oil at change time. I always checked my oil monthly due to the miles I did and had a litre bottle in the boot encase of top ups. The only time I had to top up was between 70 - 80k for some reason it used a bit, but never again.. I was having an oil change roughly every 4 months with doing 35k per yr. I hope that helps

Likewise - always been great. Opie and Millers are both very well known, but mostly within enthusiast and track-rat circles. Opie has broadened their service parts catalog, which will probably make them more mainstream.

Point taken , but all I was saying is 10w30 isn’t correct for a modern hybrid car

I learned something this week. The number after your driving license number on your license is the number of licenses you have had. Thirteen in my case. You r license info is here: https://www.viewdrivingrecord.service.gov.uk/driving-record/licence-number

My Auto is about 52mph and I do treat it pretty rough sometimes with the revs (mainly because EVERYONE behind me just doesn't want to behind an Aygo) 😂

I used bosch on previous auris and was disappointed. Have used with no problem on other cars. Current car was struggling for a rear and got bosch and poor - smears and juddering. Now I just use OE wipers from toyota or their ebay store and they do a good job. Maybe toyota has an odd shape/glass/coating

I imagine it is a bit revvy on some of those welsh hills!! I remember once we had a conference there and we were 3-up in a colleagues' 1 litre VW Polo... that was a mistake; Poor thing could barely get up some of the hills without going into 1st!

Already been checked, arms are straight.

These are my preferences. The blank box above the fuel gauge displays the track or station if music or radio is on.