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Showing content with the highest reputation since 04/19/2023 in Posts

  1. After 2.5 days with the 12 month old Corolla I've come to a few conclusions. Firstly, what a superb car this is! The owner and press reviews I read before buying it were all very favourable but I wasn't expecting it to be this good. I popped out this afternoon to get some bits to finish off a new kitchen we've been doing, it was only 3 miles - but almost 50 miles later I arrived back home 😁. I just cant get enough of it, I never thought a daily driver could be so nice. My wife has even expressed a great fondness for it and she never makes any comments about our cars. Yet, there she is this evening on the phone to her mates telling them how nice it is. It's taken me 50 years to achieve that. There are one or two points raised by some journo reviews I've read which I disagree with and some i agree with: Firstly, the so called "disconnect" between accelerator pedal and engine which pops up a few times? Can't say I can feel that, it's just like driving a normal auto. Press the loud pedal and the car shoves forward just fine - no real lack of power as reported in some press reviews either. It's not the fastest thing out there for sure but it's certainly not slow. There's no CVT whine that I can hear, which is another thing i've seen mentioned more than once. Engine sounds noisy and can rev high? - I've not noticed that either. It can rev a bit high momentarily sometimes but it's far from intrusive, in fact it's a very relaxed car to drive. The only negative things I really agree with are the lack of rear seat legroom and the smallish boot, neither of which is an issue for us as we rarely take passengers in the back and our dog fits nicely in the boot area. Before setting off on the little run today I reset the mpg gauge and after my (quite "spirited") run I arrived back home with 59.4mpg average showing. Which is 16.7mpg more than the Peugeot I had before. This equates to 158.65 more miles for the range of the 9.5 gal of the Corolla tank than the equivalent amount in the Peugeot (which has a 14 gallon tank). I bought this car to keep beyond its warranty period as I'm at an age now where it'll most likely be my last car and so far the signs are good that this Corolla and me are going grow old together. A couple of photos, taken on the wet but local "fun" roads that I usually reserve for taking pics of the old 1970s Mini and MG.................
    19 points
  2. First impressions: Nippier than the Red Baron, most definitely. Suspension seems much more taught but that could be because it's new and there was only 4 miles on the clock so hasn't had chance to soften yet. I don't know if it's just me being subjective but I swear that the turning circle is tighter?! My beloved HUD is there and after what seemed to be disaster (Hybrid Assistant shut down with "unknown" in the space for the car model!) and much hasty transfer of debugging logs, the team at Hybrid Assistant quickly "fixed me" and that is up and running great! Happy days! Obviously, I've only driven it 20 miles back to home so check back here in a week or so and I'll try and do a much more objective revue directly comparing it with our dear departed Launch Edition (the Red Baron). So far, so many more dashboards to tinker with!! 🤣 I know it is not usual to show the reg number of a car but I just couldn't resist this as we managed to get a "kind of" status plate by accident when I saw it on the list and it fits me to a "T"!! 😇 (PS. ...and the "new24" is pretty appropriate too!!)
    18 points
  3. Part 2 b. Well it’s here and I must say I’m quite taken by it. The colour is superb (Juniper Blue) although it looks similar to the Cross blue - maybe a little bit darker..... you decide. 4 miles on the clock so absolutely out of the box. This is running round the factory and various harbours. We had some time going through the dash options and there are many single and double clock types. We settled on this double; In the boot, this one has a deck board and while the previous model had a spacesaver, this one has tyre gunk. The accessory kit comes with all Toyota/Lexus models now. The wheels are sensational I’m my opinion, if they were 18 inch, I’d quite like them on the Lexus; Moving to the inside and look what we’ve got here. Really!!! LED lights - thank you Toyota. Nothing in the back on this car but there might be on other models. Why? Well this one has a pan roof option - very nicely executed too. Nanoe-x climate, USB C’s, cordless charging and the usual layout.... Infotainment screen is big and bright although I noticed the rear view camera was a bit grainy. The sound is good. The vents are in a much more sensible place and we could feel them on the 12 mile return journey. It really is beneficial to leave the climate control in the auto position, oh and the app is far better than the Cross was and my Lexus, you can set any temperature and it’s all colour coded. You can also lock, unlock and set the hazard warning to help you find it in a dark car park. I thought I’d have a little look at those rear henges. Weren’t they two bolt fixings? These are single and they have been daubed in a thick coat of corrosion inhibitor. I think the problem was more chemical than rust in origin but we might learn more with time. The boot floor still has the stain from the electrostatic dip - that’s fine. I know, I know, you want to know about the battery. Well all I can tell you is that it has been changed but quite what to I’m not sure. The Mutlu has gone but there are literally no other markings in view and I didn’t think it fair to dismantle my friend's and more than I did to examine it. It looks very much like a different battery but I can’t tell you at this stage whether it is an upgraded Mutlu or something else - the stickers are at the back but you could see them previously. Something to discuss and speculate on!!! Engine layout is the same and still one single tiny vibrating disc horn. Might be my imagination but it did seem a bit more insulated to ride in. It also has safe exit assist to warn about passing cars and bikes. I would prefer Queen Boadicea extending blades to pass bikes but you know I’m a grumpy so and so.
    18 points
  4. Picked mine up today. First ever Toyota so I have nothing to compare it to but it is very nice so far and more than enough power for what I need
    16 points
  5. With great sadness we have parted with our lovely bZ4X after only six months of use. We have suffered a substantial five figure loss. It is a great shame, as the car was brilliant in so many ways. Quiet, comfortable, super good road holding, a great infotainment system, and more... The entertainer Rowan Atkinson says he feels duped by electric cars : https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/rowan-atkinson-feels-duped-by-electric-cars-and-believes-used-cars-are-the-future/285057 Whatever Rowan's reasons are , here is our reasoning : 1. Absolutely unviable charging infrastructure broken chargers that just do not work chargers located where there is no phone signal major motorway service stations with only two chargers for 1000 plus cars chargers that only work with certain cars, and more... 2. Range: we NEVER achieved anything close the claimed range, even in warm weather, ECO mode, no AC etc. and very careful driving. Our best was about 180 miles vs WLTP of 285. 3. Energy costs: these have risen hugely, the cost of charging an EV at public chargers, if you can find a working one, is now considerably more expensive than petrol. 4. Car Tax: despite offering incentives with zero road tax, this will now end in about 18 months and the car will be liable for road tax To be honest we could live with the range, in practice with care and planning, it was workable. The car tax was always going to happen and is perhaps only fair to other ICE owners. Even with massive increase in energy costs since we ordered the car in early 2022, the hope would be they would reduce again over time. But the deal breaker was not being able to reliably know you could get the car charged on the move. A car is for convenience, safety, reliability and of course driving pleasure. When is becomes nothing but stress and worry, and not being able to reliably know you can safely reach your destination, then you have to admit defeat, and a lesson ( expensive lesson ) learned. The silver lining is our new RAV4 PHEV is amazing !!
    16 points
  6. Hope everyone are doing well :) I finally managed to send back the car to the dealer. They agreed to refund me for the car as well as the delivery fee, so I need to only bear the cost for the return delivery. Not too bad an L after all. In the meantime, I also managed to find a car through the local Toyota dealer. This time around, made sure everything is rust-free or at least has minimal rust. Checked everything else too and did a test drive before buying the car. It's a 2018 Yaris but hopefully not as bad as the one I bought previously. Thank you everyone for sharing lots of advice and experiences. Definitely helped me when viewing this second car. And looking forward to LK-99 solving the EV car problems soon
    16 points
  7. Sorry everyone for the delay to get back here. My daughter fell sick so had to put everything else down the list of priorities. However, I have been able to speak to the dealer again and they seem to dodge the rust issue as expected. They have apparently talked to Toyota about this and been told that the warranty does not cover surface rust. Tell me something I already didn't know lol. Anyway, I took everyone's advice here and told them that I will be returning the car. Might need to take the loss for the delivery to and fro as a result, but don't want to be stuck with a car that's going to cause a lot of problems in the near future. I will update you once I hear back from the dealer. Now onto the things that need to be done for the car return and possibly start looking for another car soon.
    16 points
  8. Hi everyone, as many of you know I have been driving my Auris with a dead battery for some time now this week I had replaced the hybrid battery myself. I bought a new battery from Toyota dealer ( Steven Eagell St. Albans) for £1448. They quoted 3 hrs labour at £487 which was exactly the time it took me to do the job by myself on my driveway saved me these money. The replacement process is very easy, no special tools or equipment are needed, no high voltage gloves or anything other protection wear. You need only a good quality tool set with 1/4 and 3/8 wrenches with sockets 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, two extension bars, long and short, and must have interior panels remover tool, aka clip remover., there are many clips you need to undo. The battery itself comes in a nice box, it is 46 kg weight so you will need help from a friend or do your English breakfast first 😉 I had used this video as tutorial how to , even I made it easier. Here some pictures from my work, the old, the new battery, the controls and electronics you need to transfer, the seat that you need to detach from brackets, maybe the tools you can see. The new battery is plug and play, it is also charged at around 50% or more, so no worries to start the engine. This new batteries seems to be re manufactured which includes new cells, new cables and sensors and new bus bars, just using old metal work, perhaps cleaned or re sprayed as it looks brighter colour. The warranty is 12 months. No mileage been asked about so I believe it’s unlimited. The important bit when buying a new hybrid battery from Toyota dealers in UK, you need to pay upfront at the dealer by card full amount £1448 + surcharge of £1032 for the old battery and when ready you have 20 days to return the old bay in the same box and they will refund the surcharge money. That’s pretty much all.
    15 points
  9. 2-litre Hybrid Touring Sport 5-door Excel 5 door CVT For the last 20 years, I’ve driven or owned 6 Skoda models and have enjoyed them all, as well as receiving excellent service from the dealers. Unfortunately, our last Skoda, an Octavia PHEV estate, was a disappointment. Everything was good: acceleration, comfort, style and economy: the real-world mpg over 11600 miles was 78mpg. However, it was plagued by software issues: numerous error warnings, Skoda Connect never worked and most seriously, the 12-volt battery dropped below 10 volts several times, meaning that nothing worked, including the door key, so I had to use the emergency key, open the bonnet and recharge the 12-volt battery. We liked the car so much that we put up with the failings, until I was due to go out urgently and the car would not start. I’d been looking at CarWow for offers on a Toyota Corolla and found exactly the model we wanted at a dealership 40 miles from home. I contacted them on December 6th, inspected the car on the 7th and collected it on the 9th. The CarWow price was more than £3500 below list and the offer for our Octavia was £1500 more than WBAC and as I’ve never wanted the hassle of a private sale, I accepted the deal. The car is the top of the range and as well as the usual features, it has a panoramic sunroof. My first Skoda had a sunroof and despite aircon, it’s lovely on a warm day to have the roof open to fresh air, so it’s a bonus. The car has many good points. The head-up display (HUD) is brilliant: it displays speed, the current speed limit and when the excellent satnav is in use, it projects details of the next junction. The primary controls are assessed by buttons or knobs, so for example, setting the temperature is done without the distraction of searching for an icon on a screen. The virtual instrumentation is good, because the display can be changed according to preference. Our last three cars have had a DSG, but the Toyota’s CVT is extremely smooth in operation and I am unaware of any disadvantages. The fuel gauge shows both the tank level and the remaining range. The auto headlight option automatically dips the headlights. The collision warning is a bonus,when I park the car in the garage. I’ve put a soft buffer on the central brick column, but when the HUD shows ‘BRAKE’ and stops the car, I’m just touching the buffer, so preventing damage. The automatic rear door opener concerned me slightly as our greyhound (the gorgeous Rosie) travels in there, but it’s not an issue because I open the door with the key fob, press on the door to stop it moving, grab her collar and then push the door the rest of the way up. I like having a 12-volt socket in the front of the car as well as the boot. The other main reasons for buying the Toyota are the company’s reputation for reliability and the 10-year warranty, as long as the vehicle is serviced by a Toyota dealer. I’ve taken out a service plan as it’s approximately equivalent to the cost of three years servicing and extends the roadside assistance from one year to three. The fuel consumption is about 40 mpg overall, but most of our recent journeys have been short runs to and from the supermarket. On a long run, we have averaged between 52 and 58mpg. After the first refuel, the real world mpg was almost identical to the car’s overall mpg, so it seems to be accurate. Conclusions: I was reluctant to leave Skoda, but their current range of vehicles are unsuitable for us. Another Octavia PHEV might have been an option, assuming software glitches had been sorted, but it’s not being made. The all-electric options are not acceptable as I like the option of refuelling quickly and I don’t like their clunky designs. The Toyota meets all our expectations, the design is lovely, everything has worked as it should right from the start and I can highly recommend the Corolla as being a wonderful car.
    15 points
  10. One year report on my bZ4X FWD (Motion) I’ve had my bZ4X for over a year now. Overall, I’ve been extremely happy with it. I kept records of monthly efficiency for exactly a year (until the new MyToyota app in Nov last year suddenly did not record efficiency…). There is always concern about range and efficiency when you buy a new EV so these numbers can be useful for those thinking of buying or as a comparison for others who already have one of the bZ4X models. These numbers were taken from the MyT app. Nov 22 to April 23 were on the original software. May to Nov 23 on the updated software which brought efficiency calculations in line with standard practice. You can see the improvement in efficiency as we moved into the summer months. The driving was a mixture of short/city trips, longer motorway driving and a 2000+ mile trip to France/Switzerland/Italy last summer. Annual Efficiency from MyT app: 4.51 ml/kWh, 22.17 kWh/100ml Annual Efficiency Calculated from actual charging kWh: 4.09 ml/kWh, 24.4 kWh/100ml (and yes, I did record every single kWh put into the car…) (Note that the difference between these two annual efficiency values above represents the losses during the charging process which for me are around 9.5% which seems typical of other reported values) Monthly efficiencies Nov 22 - 26.6 kWh/100ml (3.8 ml/kWh) 833 ml Dec 22 - 32.7 kWh/100ml (3.1 ml/kWh) 811 ml Jan 23 - 30.3 kWh/100ml (3.3 ml/kWh) 638 ml Feb 23 - 24.4 kWh/100ml (4.1 ml/kWh) 417 ml Mar 23 - 25.1 kWh/100ml (3.8 ml/kWh) 445 ml April 23 - 24.2 kWh/100ml (4.0 ml/kWh) 929 ml May 23 - 20.8 kWh/100ml (4.8 ml/kWh) 818 ml June 23 - 21.7 kWh/100ml (4.6 ml/kWh) 2181 ml July 23 - 21.3 kWh/100ml (4.7 ml/kWh) 707 ml Aug 23 - 21.0 kWh/100ml (4.8 ml/kWh) 835 ml Sept 23 - 20.8kWh/100ml (4.8 ml/kWh) 629 ml Oct 23 - 22.2 kWh/100ml (4.5 ml/kWh) 1000 ml What I have liked about the car are build quality, superb driving experience, quietness in city driving, comfort for long journeys. Even diehard petrolheads like the way it drives. Rear seat passengers often comment on the roominess. The software upgrade in May really helped with charging speed on rapid chargers. Its overall efficiency was much better than I expected and in line (or better than) similar sized EVs. There were a few negatives, but mostly minor things. The annoying “cannot Sync profile” which still appears occasionally. Misting up of inside of car on ECO HVAC setting in winter. 12V battery needs extra charging in winter. MyT app is very poor for those (like me) who would like more EV performance data.
    15 points
  11. Just off to get it but I always like the returning car to not be an embarrassment so it’s had a quick clean up. It’ll make somebody a cracking little motor. I’ll show you the new one real soon.
    14 points
  12. 🎄To celebrate Christmas and New Year, members are having a virtual gathering on Friday 22nd December at 8pm 🎄. As suggested by members in the Electric Scooters topic (General Discussions), the gathering is open to all members, who are invited to 'bring their own', whether Guinness or other beverage. Members can use this topic to celebrate together. Hope to see people on Friday to say 'hello' and to raise a glass, or two, in celebration of the seasonal break. Best Wishes - Mike
    14 points
  13. At first I thought this was a wind up that someone could have so much difficulty understanding or even needing to understand the need for services or just what the service consists of. My patience ends when the snowflake card is played and the threat of unsubscribing pops up. If the op not understanding hurts their feelings, that’s their problem and I’m not walking on eggshells for fear of upsetting them. The bottom line is - your car is due for service whether you like it or not, whether you think it isn’t or not, whether you think you might be being ripped off or not. If you don’t service it and you ruin it or end up voiding your warranty, don’t come wittering to us. Welcome to owning your own car, you have to do these things OR….. you don’t but you suffer the consequences. If you want to know exactly what you get for your money, read the service book. It’s in the schedule above too. I’ll summarise; interim service is oil change and kick tyres, full service is oil change and other stuff depending on mileage. Now I’m upset about somebody threatening to unsubscribe and might unsubscribe myself, how about that.
    14 points
  14. Since joining the forum and collecting my Yaris Cross Design in December 2022, I promised that I would submit a 6 month review on my ownership experiences in June 2023. Well, for various reasons I have not had the chance to do so and now that I’m confined to the house over the next few days on doctors orders, this would be an opportune time to do so. As my loyalty to VW/Audi came to an end because neither company had a smallish self charging hybrid in their range that would suit my individual needs, I was drawn to the Yaris Cross Design with it’s good looks and having the famous Toyota reliability badge of honour and excellent customer reviews. Here’s what I found. The Design model was my choice as it had a range of features and equipment that I was generally looking for. The car’s appearance and exterior design is very sleek, modern and has a real purposeful look about it. The interior is well thought out and the ergonomics of the dash area really impresses me. The cabin is light, spacious for the driver and front seat passengers but it can get a little cramped for rear seat passengers on the odd occasion that I have transported them. For me, the drivers seat lacks sufficient support on the left lateral cushion but my wife has no problems with it. Other than that, the interior is a very pleasant environment with excellent all round vision and it’s as good as any car that I’ve driven. Boot space is more than sufficient for my needs and there’s nothing more than I can add to this. I thought that moving from cars with DSG gearboxes to an ECVT system might be a bit of a challenge never really arose. The Yaris box really is good but I know some people who poo poo it as they still compare it to the old 70s Daf cars with the big rubber bands in the engine bay. One of my neighbours has now been enlightened and ordered a Yaris Cross Design model over the weekend. The 1.5 engine has plenty of oomph and I’ve never felt it lacking in power or stamina over the very hilly area where I reside. It’s not the quietist of engines but the radio has a handy little volume button to address this phenomenon. Surprisingly, despite it’s relatively tall stance, the Yaris is more than capable of remaining stable and sure footed with very little body roll over the country roads surrounding me. Some folk on the forum have raised issues relating to the battery losing it’s charge but I’ve never experienced this. In fact, I left my car exposed to the horrible Scottish weather for a six week period in January/February while I was visiting my daughter in Australia. Despite strict instructions to my youngest son to put the car into READY mode every week, he felt that a one off “boost” would be sufficient. Turns out he was correct as the car started first time on my return. However, the brake discs were covered in rust which required a slow drive with my left foot on the brake pedal while accelerating on a quiet road nearby. Worked a treat and brought the discs back to showroom condition. I’m off to Australia again in November but this time I’ll be there for 3 months and I’m a little more apprehensive and doubtful whether my previous actions will be sufficient to keep the battery in a useable condition. I’d be more than happy to receive any advice on this matter. My Yaris is parked in a residents car park which is nearly always in shadow. Where this car really excels is it’s incredible fuel consumption. My last 3 fuel top ups have shown over 70 mpg on every occasion. It really is amazing when you consider that most of my journeys are quite short in a semi rural environment. On the odd occasion that I’ve ventured onto motorways fuel consumption does suffer once you reach the 70mph limit so I’m wondering if it’s the best car for this type of driving. Nevertheless, the Yaris Cross has been an excellent purchase for me and I now nominate it as the best car I’ve owned so far.
    14 points
  15. This is 'Celia' Loving her so far, she's had a run up to my parents and then came home through my local town.
    14 points
  16. Hi all - Monday was a big day for my 1998 Mk1 Avensis (1.8 7A-FE) auto. I clocked up 200,000 miles. It's been a great car in the 18 years I've had it and has been really cheap to run - I've always serviced it myself and taken it to my local garage for the things I couldn't do. Just thought I'd share this with the Mk1 fans out there. I'm planning on replacing it it later this year - I'll be sad to see it go. No doubt a few others can beat 200k?
    13 points
  17. Hi all, It looks like today my car turns 8 years old in my possession. On this date back in 2015 me and my family made a wonderful trip to Leicestershire and found our new( old) car in a small independent used car dealer. It was like unwanted one, back then diesels were the norm. Bought it cheap as chips and had a good discount too to accommodate new brakes and a new set of tyres. What a good motor, long years of services with almost no trouble at all and minimal maintenance costs. Well done Toyota. 👍
    13 points
  18. Just picked it up but cannot drive it because I have a back problem at the moment like the seats drive s well and smooth
    13 points
  19. Little update here. The car has successfully reached 250000 miles with very few parts replaced over than the regular service. However since last week there are faults discovered - front L stabiliser bar link is shoot and rubber bushes are ready for replacement, the front L wheel bearing also developed bad rumbling noise and most likely both hubs will go together with all fluids and oils sometimes next week or week after. It will be a big job, either a day in a garage or two days on the driveway, we will see what I can do first myself. Nothing last forever, but this car did exceptionally well. No Toyota stickers for the mileage this time, next reward sticker is at 300000 miles and this is what I am after.
    13 points
  20. Most on here in ten years will have an EV of sorts 😉 I can see the small EV market is going to be swamped in 5-10 years there are only a few on the market that are mainly all based on the PSA platform
    13 points
  21. It’s at home already. Loving the color ! 💙
    12 points
  22. Apologies to all. I realised yesterday that I am just being paranoid and ridiculous after reading posts from people having problems with their batteries. At the end of the day, a flat battery would be nothing more than a minor irritation. I have got a Noco battery pack, jump leads and RAC membership which I think are the only sensible things I need to sort out any problem. All I am going to do is charge the battery once a week, park my car in the garage again and get the battery monitor fitted when the car is serviced. Other than that I will just drive and enjoy it. Thank you to all the people who have reassured me. Enjoy the rest of your Christmas and have a happy New Year Best wishes Chas
    12 points
  23. My dad used to smoke and lose power when he came home from the pub….🤭
    12 points
  24. Sorry you feel that way. Everyone on here posted to help you. Both you and Max agree you WERE confused which is why you came here. Frosty has given you the answer you need. I would just add that although the main warranty you get when you buy the car isn't officially linked to servicing you might find it more difficult to claim on warranty as Toyota could blame the issue on the car not being serviced properly. So you get 3 years Toyota warranty when you buy the car. One the car reaches 3 years old the main warranty stops and you have choices. You can service at Toyota and get another year of warranty and keep doing this every year until the car is 10 years old. You can service elsewhere and buy your own warranty with a warranty company. Or you can do nothing but you will have no cover if it breaks. I hope you stick around, I've found this forum very useful for sharing info on experiences, faults and stuff.
    12 points
  25. I have completed some work yesterday’s and today. Engine oil this time I had changed at 6000 miles and it looked to me similar to when I change at 9-10k, on the dipstick was clear but dark in the pan. I haven’t used any engine flush this time. Transmission fluid was very bright and almost the exact same colour as the new one, although in the pan looked darker. 50k miles a bit short intervals imo, easily can do 80-100k without problems. Coolant both engine and inverter similar situation, clear and in good conditions without any debris inside. Stabiliser bar bushes , I didn’t take pictures but they looked very good condition too, only a bit harder than the new ones. I done these with wheels on a ramp. One tip though, easiest way to do them is to undo the plastic cover that hides the bar, undo brackets on both sides so you can wiggle to remove and install bushes. No need to disconnect the links. I couldn’t do it anyway, they are corroded and so are the wheel bearings nuts, these two jobs will be a garage thing next week or if not possible there I will give them another try. I bought some aftermarket splash guards from auto doc Germany, abakus a polish brand I never heard before, but they look well made. That was all this time. Almost forgot to mention. Both sides front brake callipers slider where stuck and they were causing some pad dragging on t(e disk. I noticed recently some extra brake dust on FL wheel, so both sides now have new sliders sets. Another thing what to share, this method with touching the spring to confirm if the wheel bearing is bad works great. With wheels in the air I left the car in D spinning it’s wheels and was touching each spring and there was an obvious vibrations on the left side and rumbling noise too. Right side is smooth. The old bushes here.
    12 points
  26. No its a Hybrid, it uses petrol and batteries as a power source 🙃
    12 points
  27. No we don't. The Club is largely managed/moderated by volunteers - currently a team of two, including myself. As we have other parts of our lives to lead, we certainly don't have the time or inclination to change how the Club operates, or devote more resource to managing media contacts, etc. I also don't think the vast majority of members want the Club to move away from a quite informal place, where members can seek and give advice to others.
    12 points
  28. Road trip to Edinburgh - Conclusions Conclusions, what have we learned: The bZ4X is a fantastic car, the seats are by far the most relaxing on a long drive we've ever done. It is quiet, and the road holding is superb. The mirrors give brilliant visibility on the motorway. You feel instinctively safe driving this car during day and night. The range is absolutely fine, we stopped more times than we needed to charge ! Just be careful when estimated range is low, it seems to drop faster then, no idea why. Other EV drivers are very nice people and will often help you ! BUT the infrastructure for charging seems to us dreadful. We consider ourselves very lucky, it could have been a lot worse, we almost got stranded ! This is no fault of the bZ4X. We have this crazy situation were certain chargers will only work with an app, other take a normal payment card. Chargers located where there is no phone signal , insane ! Many are broken, we saw loads of chargers on Zap Map with a status if 'out of service' in RED, some for weeks at a time. Others it seems have NEVER worked ever, you can't make this stuff up. Right now we EV drivers are by far the small monority of vehicles on the road. You really notice that when you get out of town. A major motorway service station having two chargers is surely ludicrous ? Even a modest increase in EV's on the road and the exisiting charging network will absolutely not be able to cope, 2030 realistic ? Not a chance at it stands now. If anyone asked us about getting an EV, the answer, for now, is yes but only, and only if you have a home charger.
    12 points
  29. So, coming up to 2 years of ownership of the Yaris. Sitting waiting with my 14 year old son to pick the good lady of the house up. Dad…has this car got Sport mode. No Son. Oh, I miss Sport mode like our old cars had. I’m rolling my eyes 🙄 at this point in disgust of my son’s teenage obsession with speed. Dad. What’s this mode button do. Err, I dunno, the sales person said just leave those buttons alone as the car sorts itself out. (At this point I’m puffing my chest because I’m a man, I never read the manual, it’s built into our genes to never read the manual) So, my lad presses it, ECO, PWR or just normal. Now my lad is all over the button. “PWR” Dad! PWR! I’m gonna Google it. Sheesh, what a world we live in. So, off we go..in PWR mode, I floor the pedal, blimey the Lady Yaris picked up her skirt and lit the road up in thrum of CVT and triple cylinder explosive fun! Don’t get me wrong, we ain’t gonna win many races, but my lad has raised the Yaris in his expectations, and Mum’s car is quite cool 😎. How ridiculous we’ve had the car 2 years and we’ve never bothered with those buttons 🤣.
    11 points
  30. It amazes me how many indignant owners think parts and technical problems only relate to Toyota. I won’t be buying again is the cry in some sort of declaration of punishment but the fact is, Toyota are statistically better than the others and there are woeful examples with virtually every other brand. Go on, sell it and buy something else, that’ll solve all of your problems. Before you do, join the forum of your intended salvation and have a little flick through.
    11 points
  31. As an update to this, I sent an email to SE Cambridge and they offered to pay for the repairs to be done at my local dealership. I went to pick up the car after the repairs were done, and found out that there was a breakdown of communication between the dealerships and the repairs hadn't been paid for. As I needed the car I paid for it. After another email, SE Cambridge reimbursed me for the repair cost.
    11 points
  32. Just back from a 3 month visit to Australia and a 2 week cruise around New Zealand. During that time I hired 2 cars and built up a fair amount of mileage. First vehicle was a Toyota Corolla Hatchback Hybrid which never missed a beat and was an absolute pleasure to drive. I preferred the drivers seat as it gave a little more support than my Yaris Cross. However, not having the elevated height of an SUV, I struggled a little bit getting in and out of the vehicle. Overall fuel consumption returned 72 mpg. Second vehicle was a Kia Sportage ICE with a DCT gearbox. I liked the raised height of this SUV and the exterior design. I was also impressed with the interior which was light, modern with an easy to view dashboard. Seats were very supportive. Driving on the Australian highways and freeways this car behaved quite well. It was another story when it encountered the hills and country roads of rural Western Australia. The DCT gearbox was very jerky at junctions, struggled to select the appropriate gear going uphill and downhill and seemed to stay in any gear for far to long. There was a slight improvement when I flicked from eco drive mode to sports mode and gear changes became more responsive. This car was virtually brand new as it only had 450 kilometres on the clock. Overall fuel consumption was 34 mpg. On returning home it was a real pleasure to be reunited with my Yaris Cross. It was looked after by my son and there were no issues either with the battery or the brake disks rusting up. The main reason why I raised this topic was to show how impressed I am with the Toyota brand, in particular with the Yaris Cross and the ECVT gearbox. Looking for a new car last year, I nearly put off my visit to the Toyota dealer when I found out that the Yaris Cross had this type of gearbox but I can now say it’s an excellent system. It’s so smooth, effortless and doesn’t have the drawbacks of conventional and DSG boxes. I always find it difficult to explain in layman’s terms how this system works but my neighbours seemed to have understood me as two of them now have shiny new Cross’s and another has a C-HR after my recommendation.
    11 points
  33. Hello all, this is my farewell post as today I have bought another car and in one week, I will no longer be an Avensis owner. It's been just over two years nearly to the day (7th Jan 2022) since I collected the Avensis. I came here seeking advice as originally I was looking for a diesel / 1.2 Auris and had reserved one from a dealer in NI.. they were unable to tell me when it would be ready due to Christmas - saying even mid January. I ended up looking elsewhere... sold my old car to WBAC at the time for around what I paid for it (crazy times) and was in a bit of a pinch to find something. I went to look at a white Auris Design which was quite messy inside and not in the best shape. The same yard had my Avensis, £12k, which I never considered but I was won over by the prospect of having - A Toyota, - a large car that'll be comfortable and it was right in my price range. I went for that, committed to buy it and that's where I got involved in this community. I didn't set out to get the Avensis, but I bought it. And in some ways, that's part of why I'm moving on. Frankly, the size is amazing on long trips with a full car, I love how the saloon looks and the space. Driving it isn't that bad apart from small car park spaces, though I've enjoyed the challenge of squeezing it in to some spaces. I knew about the BMW engine and I should have avoided it - I was warned on here on the Auris side, and a quick Google search is also enough to scare buyers. But I ignorantly went for it, thinking it would be fine - "1.6 will be economical even if it's slow", well unfortunately that's just not been the case. I'm getting around 42mpg these days and at best could keep it around 45mpg in the summer. I put up with this as mid 2022 we saw sky rocketed fuel prices. Things are at least back down to earth now.. and it's become apparent that the Avensis is costing a fortune to run. And at that, no performance, awkward gear shifts and really having to thrash it to get it to move as it needs to move on dual carriageways with roundabouts etc. It's - at times - not that fun or relaxing to drive. No, I don't mean fun as in silly motoring journalist fun, but more unavoidable to get the gearbox to comply when trying to retain the smooth, graceful experience it gives when driving straight or at a steady speed - it's a great driving car, but the lack of power and the gears on it I've never gotten along with. The 1.6 is quite strained just making it move at all, turbo gets a hard time and it drinks a lot of fuel - even driving it frugally. I'll give props to Toyota / BMW, it's faster and more competent than you might expect from an engine that size in that car, but the cost is how much it needs its turbo. That, along with BMW engineering, makes me think despite my high level of care to the engines servicing, it might still screw me someday. That's the biggest reason for me selling it, and losing a lot (tyres, battery, other investments). I think it's a great car ruined by a poor corporate choice to use BMW engines. Had I bought a 1.8 auto, in Excel spec.. I think I'd be driving it until 2030+ if I could make it last. I was losing too much sleep over it. On one hand, doing what I could with servicing.. sparing no expense .. but it wasn't giving me much confidence in return. It seems every other month we're reading about someone on here with major issues on a 1WW / 2WW not much older than mine. Thank you to everyone who has helped me out on here. I hope my information / mods and experiences on the forum can pay off and be useful to other and future owners and community members. I'll still be around if I can be use to anybody. For anyone curious, I've just bought a Lexus CT 200h Sport with 70k miles. Not a fresh new car by any means, but the main reasoning: - easier on fuel, - petrol fuel, - smaller but not too small or impractical, - proper Toyota engineering through and through, - a little bit of luxury (a first for me) but still sensible enough and not too sore on the wallet. I'm losing a bit on my Avensis, but that was always going to be the case. I've floated it a few times on AutoTrader.. Motorway, no interest from the private market sadly. I wish everybody on here well and hope that your Toyota's keep running well, and for a long time and many more years (decades) of happy driving in them. Ps, I will share what I have of the repair manual sometime... if allowed. It's incomplete as the Russian based website seems to have went offline permanently. I have Vehicle Exterior, Steering, General, Engine, Power Source / Network, Vehicle Interior all complete. I am missing Audio / Visual / Telematics, Drivetrain, Suspension, Brake. It's a shame as this info is very useful regarding the 1WW as next to no information exists online in other forums or videos about these engines in these cars especially as they get into older age.. I will also likely give away my genuine rubber mats to someone on here if they cover postage. Only bought last summer at £60. Better in your hands than the dealer!
    11 points
  34. Maybe we should organise a weekly TOC Tour to keep everyone's 12v battery healthy, where we drive around the UK picking up TOC members in convoy, maybe loop past anch's house so he can fit Yuasa 12v batteries to everyones car without one, swing by flash22's so he can update everyone's ECU firmware, then a short hop to TonyHSD so we can try and figure out how the hell he makes his tyres last so long, then finally stop off at whichever Lindop Toyota PartsKing is at for a steak and ale pie dinner The only problem is we would need to average about 180mph to get round to everyone in time, and revive the Hoverspeed Seacat so we can get to Ireland and back quickly enough, so there may be parts of the plan that need further work...
    11 points
  35. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our members.
    11 points
  36. After 20 years of Skoda ownership, the major software issues with our Octavia hybrid and the disappointing selection of cars now available from Skoda, we have changed to Toyota. Our new car, to be collected on Saturday, is the Corolla Touring Sport 2-litre Excel specification with a panoramic roof. It was bought via CarWow with a saving of nearly £3700. It's pre-registered but only has 14 miles on the odometer. The attractions of the Touring version are the lovely design, the very long warranty and Toyota's reputation for reliability. I'll report further on our driving experience once we've covered a few miles.
    11 points
  37. I think I have got my 12 volt battery worries sorted out. I have connected up an oscilloscope to monitor the various electrical circuits as suggested in another thread. It seems to be working well although right hand turns are a bit of a challenge as it slides out of reach across the dashboard and visibility isn't brilliant. I suppose it just needs a bit of getting used to. I also fitted a big solar cell on the rear parcel shelf to get the maximum exposure to the sun and continuously charge the 12 volt battery . The only problem is the back shelf is a bit flimsy and is sagging so I will pop down to Wickes in the morning for some 15mm plywood to make a proper shelf. I was a bit worried about the cell flying off the shelf and hitting me on the head but I have fitted an accelerometer with an alarm buzzer plugged in to the charger socket. This should alert me in time to duck if I brake too hard and it promotes the good driving habit of not getting too close behind other vehicles. I thought 1/2 mile clearance should be pretty safe. I will of course put the battery on charge every time I come home. I may take out the back seat to install a plywood frame with an easy access panel to get at the battery and some occasional cushions although I can't remember the last time anyone sat in the back of my car. I suppose if I did have more than 1 passenger they wouldnt mind just sitting on the floor. Do you think I should contact Toyota direct to see if they want to include these modifications in the design of the new 2024 Yaris Cross? Finally, if I plan to go out and actually drive the car I will leave plenty of time in case I need to use the noco jump pack. Failing that I have downloaded a copy of the 331 bus timetable and my free TFL pass is always to hand. All bases covered and peace of mind at last. Best wishes Chas
    11 points
  38. Bit of an update...... Felt tube made and wrapped round wiring loom in headliner. Cured! Still rattling from nearside somewhere. Eventually traced to two places...... The panel at the end of the dashboard which has the airbag switch. Solved with a thin, black foam piece between the front edge and the doorseal. The front edge of the interior door trim has a hard edge which rattled on the painted part of the door. Slid in some tiny felt pieces...... Cured! The only noise now seems to come from the hard plastic front dashboard piece. I believe it is where the screen vent and emergency speaker are fitted. To be sorted next weekend when I have access to a wider range of tools and trim removal tools. In the meantime, took time to scroll through some car info. The long term (since we've owned the car and done 2000 miles) fuel consumption is 82.3mpg. Very happy with that. I might actually get to like this Yaris? Thanks again all for suggestions / diagrams etc.
    11 points
  39. Hi, My wife has had her Exel model for 3 years. Had the service & Mot yesterday. It’s on PCP like the C-HR launch edition & GT86 before it. Unlike those, we’re keeping this one. Partly because it’s only done 20,500 miles but mainly because we both love it. She specd it up too so it’s got black wheels, JBL & the 360 degree camera system. The Toyota dog guard & heated front screen too. it’s been perfectly reliable & tends to average high 40s mpg wise. Even when fully laden & fitted with a roof box. The only negatives are the lack of switch illumination on the drivers door panel & the overhead light panels. This can be quite frustrating. Also front tyre wear considering how gently it’s drive (the Dunlops are at 2mm). It’s a shame there’s no phone charging pad or wireless CarPlay too but I’m looking at adding those soon. Overall, a great family vehicle 🙂
    11 points
  40. The problem is now that a new tailgate is only as good as the paintwork and the person that fits it. I’ve seen ballsups like that before on a new car and most of them would go unnoticed which is annoying too. That’s the problem in getting cheap semi skilled people to do the mundane jobs. You pay peanuts, you get monkeys. Inspect your new hatch very carefully. It should be rust treated on the inside and the paint should not just match in colour but finish. To be honest I’d keep that one but treat those holes with paint or rust preventative. You want your first three services free.
    11 points
  41. Glad to say that I got the refund + delivery fee for the car this week. Big relief and also the other car that I bought has been good so far. Hope everyone are having a good week :)
    11 points
  42. I always quite liked the Mk1 too. Started off my Yaris obsession as it had so many things that no other car did that just made sense to me. I had a diesel one and it was one of the funnest cars I've had - Only the japanese could make a high-revving variable turbo diesel engine with a short-shift gearbox - All that torque in a car that weighed less than a ton made it hilarious to drive anywhere The Mk1s will be tricky to find in good condition now, as they are very prone to rusting in their old age, esp. the front and rear subframes. I do see some good ones around, but most have dents, odd wheels etc. They just don't command enough money to be worth repairing for most people. The exception is maybe T-Sports that are owned by enthusiasts who actually look after them, but they usually hang onto them so they're very rare and you have to have very good luck and timing to catch one when it goes on sale! The Mk2 isn't too bad but it has this squashed been-in-a-front-end-collision look to it that I didn't like, but I have to say it easily has the best interior of the 4 generations of Yaris - The amount of internal storage bins is just ludicrous, and despite being the 2nd smallest Yaris it has the most interior passenger space, in no small thanks to the awesome rear seats, which have the most flexible setup of any of the 4 - 40/60 folding and independent sliding, tilt and fold down with a cantilever mechanism that moves the base down and forward too - The only cars with seats anywhere near that flexible are usually only in MPVs! The Mk3 was the 'safest' - I never liked it much because it threw out all the things that drew me to the Yaris (Digital dashboard, sliding seats, excessive internal storage etc. - All gone ), as Toyota tried to make it appeal to a wider audience. I think they succeeded there, as it doesn't have any weird stuff like having a floating dashboard in the middle of the dash, which put some people off the Mk1 and Mk2, but in doing so it lost a lot of Yarisy character. While it is definitely the most generic of the four, it's still a solid and dependable car, and the cheapest way to get a hybrid one. It also has a fixed version of the 1.33L engine, and later ones even get the 1.5L engine which is, I think, one of the first engines they put into mass production that could switch between the Atkinson/Miller-cycle used in the hybrids, and the Otto-cycle used in all normal petrol cars. In a way, it's a precursor to the one in the Mk4 hybrid... Now, the new Mk4 is a big departure from previous Toyota design and just has the most incredibly angry-looking front of any of their cars that I can think of. I think it looks pretty badass, and am surprised most of the drivers I see in them are still the same old granny-types the other 3 had. You'd think they'd have flocked to the Jazz Hybrid and more hooligans would be driving this, but it might be because it's so ungody expensive and the hooligans can't afford them... The interior is... okay; More storage than the Mk3 but far less than the Mk1 and 2. Has the most cramped and awkward to get into rear passenger space of the four, but if you'rein the front you're fine. They've tried to make the materials seem more premium, but you can tell they are just your normal hardwearing jappy car plastics and board; They'll last but they'll never feel quality like e.g. german cars. The visibility is easily the worst of the 4 - The low roof line means the mirror is in the way, the A-pillars are in the way so spotting pedestrians and even on-coming trucks on roundabouts is not always guaranteed, and thanks smeg the reversing camera comes as standard as the rear visibility is so bad you'll wonder why they bothered putting in a rear window - There is literally more B and C pillar visible than there is glass, from the driver's seat! So it has a lot of compromises and shortcomings. But once you're driving you won't care about any of that - There are two things that makes the Mk4 shine. One is the new platform it's built on; The previous ones were known for their roly poly handling which, while hilarious, was not very confidence inspiring. They tried to fix it in earlier Mk3s with stiffer springs and ARBs, but that just made the ride horrible so they softened it again in later ones (Or so the Mk3 owners tell me!). In the Mk4 tho', they designed handling into it from the ground up - The car is an absolute joy to drive and just feels so much more fun compared to the others and I can't articulate why. You can feel what the car is doing through the seat, as the chassis is much stiffer than in the previous models, and you can chuck it round corners like you can an Aygo, laughing your head off at how stupidly fun to drive it is (It's a Yaris forsmegssake!), but it's still somehow well damped and does a pretty good job of absorbing bumps without being all roly poly. Clearly they got some better suspension engineers in this time to balance everything, and they did a good job! The other thing is the drive train - They fixed everything that was wrong with their hybrid drive train, and now it absolutely *hauls*. It has near-instant response to the accelerator pedal and will just go whenever you demand beans from it. Very few cars will beat it off the line, it's so responsive, and while e.g. the Aygo has surprisingly good launch, it tops out pretty quickly, while the new drivetrain in the Mk4 will just keep hauling until you let go of the accelerator. It's still noisy as heck if you pin the accelerator, but now you get some action to go with the noise. Won't be for everyone, as it's a lot more raucous than the buttery-smooth 4-cylinders, but as a former diesel person I feel right at home The absolute best thing is it's genuinely efficient - You don't have to drive efficiently to get good mpg, it just *is* efficient. I can drive like a jackass and still get a tank average mpg in the mid-high 70's with no effort. If I'm being more disciplined, I can get it into the low 80's! (Indicated; My calculated figures are around 7% down on average, but that's still darn good!) It's by no means a perfect car as it has a lot of... questionable... design choices (Like, would it have killed them to make the rear doors open wider??), but it feels like they stuffed almost all the R&D money into the chassis and drivetrain, and that suits me just fine What? You didn't want a dissertation on the history of Yarisuesisueuees, just want to know what one was reliable? Err... well TBH they're all pretty reliable, esp. if they're looked after and get regular servicing (The achilles heel of most Toyotas is oil changes - Skimp on those and the engine won't be long for this world, but give them regular quality oil changes and the engine will likely outlive the rest of the car!) The ones to avoid are mainly the Mk2s with the 1.33L engine - The 1.3L engine was the same bulletproof unit from the Mk1, but in 2009 they put in a new engine. Sounded great on paper - 0.03 extra displacement (Wooow so much powerrr), £30 to tax (Over £100 less than the old one!), dual VVTi (Now the Exhaust gets VVTi too!), 100HP (30+ over the old one!), but it has a terminal flaw - They used weaker piston rings to reduce friction losses, but this also reduced their ability to do what they were for, and as they aged allowed combustion gasses past and didn't wipe the oil off the bores, so they were prone to burning increasingly large amounts of oil - I experienced this first hand, with it needing a litre a month before I PX'd it, and would advise against a 1.33 Mk2 from 2009 onward unless the paperwork shows it had the dealer fixes done. The other engines are fine (Even the 1.8SR if you can find one ), and the 2008 and earlier ones with the old 1.3L engine were generally fine too. The Mk1s were the rustiest ones, the Mk2s less so, although as always check underneath. The Mk3 seems to have done quite well as I don't hear many rust complaints about that. The Mk4's too new, although there are 2 semi-common gripes that have popped up on this forum - Early ones can get a Hybrid System Malfunction, which apparently is due to them not tightening the damper plate enough and it slipping under specific conditions. It's scary but not actually a big problem - Mine's done this once, and I was still able to drive at 70mph with no noticeable issues. Annoyingly, despite my best efforts I haven't been able to make it do it again (I kinda want to, as there is a fix for it under warranty, but they won't do it unless they see the error! OTOH I'm kinda glad, as it's a very invasive fix, and engines are never the same again when they get taken apart like that, so if I never see it again, even better!). The other is the 12v battery draining out; I still don't really understand why the Mk4 hybrid seems more prone to this than other Toyotas; It seems to be a mix of a bad batch of batteries (Possibly due to being left to drain during the pandemic - This causes permanent capacity loss with car batteries, and just draining to 0% a few times and left there for a bit is enough to wreck most car batteries), and people not using the car enough (Hybrids don't have alternators, so you can't take them on a run to charge the battery; They just need to be left on for long enough so the DC-DC converter has enough time to stuff power into it. Toyota advise 30 minutes minimum.). I drive mine a lot so I haven't experienced this problem, and I don't expect to until the battery reaches the end of its normal service life. If you made it this far, congratulations! Hopefully your eyes aren't bleeding too much.
    11 points
  43. I believe it’s a non true statement. In real life the 1.8 will be the more efficient variant. In Ireland the 2.0 it’s not even available anymore on standard Corolla. The 2.0 engine has thermal efficiency of 41% where the 1.8 of 39% , not really a huge leap. Then we have the 2.0 variants extra weight and extra unsprung mass. 40-80kg total extra weight and the larger and heavier front brake discs 298mm vs 282mm on 1.8 will make it less agile. You see everyone who had tried a Yaris and is coming from a Corolla especially the 2.0 versions they noticed how quick and how light is the Yaris and how much more engages the ev drive and obviously it is more efficient. The key is the total light weight, light weight wheels and regular size tyres, less unsprung mass. Now if you research adverts for used Corolla you will notice that barely any of the 2.0 shows averages consumption pass 50mpg or max 55mpg where the 1.8 oftern exceeds 60-64mpg. These are inaccurate results but just an examples, same you can notice from the reviews. The 2.0 has larger e motor, larger battery, larger brake discs and drive shafts and often the larger wheels, all that reduces overall efficiency. If you drive exclusively on motorways and at higher speeds with car fully loaded the 2.0 will definitely has better performance and may reach or exceed the 1.8 mpg. In any other cases the 1.8 will be the more efficient variant from the two. 👍
    11 points
  44. Just completed a 1400-mile trip in the EU in the Yaris Cross Excel AWD, visiting France, Germany and Belgium. For the TL:DR folk, my fuel consumption averaged 71 mpg and I remain very impressed with the car The journey was a (kind of) circular route, including Amiens, Evreux, Paris, Dijon, Strasbourg, Cologne and Leuven, using motorways when possible (toll and free, I have a toll tag to make life even easier at the French toll booths). The roads encountered in the EU were pretty much pristine, except for a very few imperfections in the some of the smaller Belgian villages/towns. The very smooth surfaces pretty much eliminated road noise, so one discovery was that the YC - at the speeds I was driving, 95-100 km/hr on the motorways - doesn't have too much wind noise: what I thought was wind noise in the UK was actually the higher harmonics of road noise.... With essentially no road noise, it was far easier to judge engine noise - or lack of. Sure, on some of the steeper gradients, the engine is vocal and a bit vibratory (wonder what difference the balancer shaft would make, as fitted to the new Lexus equivalent?) but that was rare: even when the engine is working, it's pretty quiet, and indeed on the flat and cruising at, say, 50-80 km/hr, the engine is barely audible. Driving on the EU 'back roads' is a very pleasant experience, with their super-smooth surfaces and low traffic density. So the suspension - for small-bump absorption - didn't get much of a test The temperature was fairly brutal for the trip, 31-32C, and the YC's air-con coped OK (previous Yaris Mk3 really struggled above 25C) although the central vent placement isn't ideal and takes some experimentation to get the best 'aim'. Got to really appreciate the electric boot open/close, more than I thought I would, especially the 'close and lock' button. The boot's 12V socket, a 'must have' for us, was used every driving day for a travel fridge. Since there were not going to be any rear-seat passengers, I removed the rear headrests prior to the journey, which improves rear visibility noticeably. The overall visibility, especially with the lovely large door mirrors, is very good, and the tight turning circle and car's compact dimensions proved invaluable in some of the older car parks with tight access Fuel consumption: 71 mpg for the entire 1400-mile trip. The trip was kind of an experiment - we need 2 cars in the family and the other car is an EV, charged at home. Yes, the EV is overall quieter, but once up to speed, the difference isn't huge. And with rapid chargers typically 70p per kWh, the YC was about half the 'fuel cost' of the EV. Charging in the EU though is generally much less problematic than the UK's unregulated pile of poo charging infrastructure, which is especially lacking on motorway services Whilst in the EU I tried some E5 petrol (not much of a price increase) to see if I could tell the difference. I might try and convince myself that the engine was slightly smoother and quieter, but it might be placebo effect, and can't comment on any fuel consumption change, since I don't have a valid control experiment Yes, overall, was very pleased with the car and although we'll probably revert to the EV on the next EU trip, if for any reason we had to use the YC, it wouldn't be a problem
    11 points
  45. Hi everyone, I had some work done on the car over the last two days. I gave the lady a good wash including the door shuts and engine bay. It wasn’t that dirty, however I do like to do that once a year to clean the salt and grit accumulated during the winter months. Nothing fancy really, just simple cleaning with tfr, pre wash snow foam and car shampoo, jet wash and dry. With the car nice and clean now there are a lots of visual signs of being on the older side. There are tons of stone chips all over, rust here and there , paint peeling off even on the rear hatch door shut, that was a surprise to me to discover. I had a quote for re spray the doors both for £500 and probably would have done it but after cleaning and seen it all the paint issues I don’t think is viable to spend money on paint. Will carry on with vinyl wrap and save for a new car in near future. Now update on the tyres: after 17500 miles I rotated them as per the book diagonally, measured fronts were at 6mm where rears at 7mm. Wheels are still ok with some stone chips too, but not bad for 100k miles covered. The car also had received its new rear brake discs and pads, new slider pins , fronts are still good , just got them cleaned and lubed. Well that’s pretty much all the work I have done. Egr system will be next, hopefully in the upcoming weeks. Here some photos.
    11 points
  46. Last time I had fun in a car I had to get married..👀
    10 points
  47. I leave mine connected while I’m away for a month at a time but I have got a hive plug I can see the current draw and I can disconnect it remotely from another country. I can also see the car and the charger on CCTV. It gives me a certain amount of control and a big benefit is that, accepting the damage is already done if it does catch fire, I can watch it burn from a safe distance.
    10 points
  48. Following on from my post in the Corolla Forum, I have just collected my Yaris GR Circuit Pack and couldn't be more excited!!
    10 points
  49. Hammer a nail in at 3 mm
    10 points
  50. New battery is £1251 + vat + installation
    10 points
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