My New Auris Hsd

[FourFourTwo]

Got it today and I LOVE it!!

[timberwolf]

[ashpole]

Got it today and I LOVE it!!

Good! Enjoy it!

[FourFourTwo]

Yeah, I really like my Auris HSD!

Despite the fact that it is freezing cold here (-7C today), the car seems extremely willing to drive on Battery power alone. I am surprised how often I check the energy monitor and find I am running on Battery, even at speeds quite a bit over 50km/h, which I thought was a cut-off point. I noticed the car running on Battery yesterday while I was doing 62km/h - I didn't think it was supposed to do that!

At the same time, hitting the "power" button and punching the accelerator a bit gives a real "push in the back" kind of feeling. This car is no slouch! :D

The car is really quiet, even when I push it. I really notice how quiet it is when I turn off the fan on the heater. It's almost worth freezing a bit to enjoy that "silent running" experience.

It feels very well built and there are absolutely no squeaks or rattles (yet). I have the TNS510 navigation/audio/Bluetooth unit installed as the standard Toyota satnav isn't available on the HSD here in Norway (for some strange reason). The TNS510 is a great unit with so many options I'm still wading through the manual.

Loads of other nice touches such as the reversing camera, dusk-sensing headlights and rain-sensing wipers (I don't know how effective they will be yet) round of what feels like a quality package.

Add to all that the excellent leasing, insurance and international hybrid-specific assistance package I got from Toyota and I am one very happy bunny.

Put me on the "Toyota Hybrid converts" list.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

It's quite complicated to explain when the car will run on electric only. If you select EV mode then the car will run on electric upto 20 mph and often upto 30 mph in the right conditions and temperatures. However, if you drive normally you can coax the car much higher than 30 mph, though it isn't exactly fast. Mainly you get the car upto speed with the petrol engine and then maintain the speed on electric at say 40 mph on the flat.

There are times when you can go faster than this on electric exclusively such as down gentle slopes at 70 mph or on the level at upto 48 mph with a fully fully charged Battery after you've gone down a steep hill.

In other words there's no hard and fast rule of when the car will run in electric. Well, this is assuming the Auris HSD is the same programming as the Prius gen3.

[FourFourTwo]

Thanks for that info, Grumpy.

I guess the best thing to do is to just let the car do what it wants and sit back and enjoy the ride. :)

[adrian.1389]

Hello, i'm thinking of buyng an Auris HSD and i'm looking for some advices first, and i see that you have an Auris HSD so if you could help me it would be great. My main concern is the real average consumption, because Toyota claims 4l/100km urban but my dealer told me it's about 6l/100km, so i'm very confused, also about the extra-urban cycle, i read in a magazine that it's about 8l/100km at aprox 130 km/h !!! i hope that's not true. I really want this car but i don't want to be disappointed and not see the hybrid results. This would be the last thing in my way of buyng this car. Thanks !

[Ancient Nerd]

Hello, i'm thinking of buyng an Auris HSD and i'm looking for some advices first, and i see that you have an Auris HSD so if you could help me it would be great. My main concern is the real average consumption, because Toyota claims 4l/100km urban but my dealer told me it's about 6l/100km, so i'm very confused, also about the extra-urban cycle, i read in a magazine that it's about 8l/100km at aprox 130 km/h !!! i hope that's not true. I really want this car but i don't want to be disappointed and not see the hybrid results. This would be the last thing in my way of buyng this car. Thanks !

If most of your motoring is on free-running motorways, get a diesel. They are just as efficient and cheaper to buy.

If most of your motoring is very short journeys, less than 10-15 km, get an efficient petrol-engined car.

But if you do mixed driving, with an engine that is usually fully warmed up, then the HSD drive in Prius and Auris is great. You won't get the published fuel consumption. But then you won't get it in any other car either.

The best figures I've seen are the American ones. Convert these to l/100km, and you'll get a good idea of the real consumption. Look at www.fuelly.com for real fuel consumption data.

[FourFourTwo]

Hi adrian. Your fuel economy figures will depend totally on where you live and your driving habits.

4l/100km would only be achievable when driving the car very carefully in perfect conditions on very flat roads. Some US Prius drivers manage to get close to this.

Remember that driving any car over about 95kmh will drop your fuel economy drastically and it could well be that you will only get around 8l/100km if you constantly drive at 130kmh.

Here is my real-world experience with my Auris HSD.

I drive in Norway. It's freezing cold, my heater is on constantly, I drive up and down long steep hills, I have high-traction winter tyres fitted and I do a lot of short journeys. - That's just about as bad as it gets and I am currently averaging around 6l/100km.

I recently did a 150km motorway run and got 4.9l/100km and a recent 80km drive into Oslo on a mixture of urban, motorway and city roads got me 5.1l/100km. These runs were done with average outside temps of -12C.

When Spring comes, things warmm up and I can fit my fuel efficient tyres, I expect these figures to improve a lot.

In any case, the HSD will give you at least as as good, and usually better fuel economy than any other car in the same conditions - and it's a great car to drive.

[johalareewi]

If most of your motoring is on free-running motorways, get a diesel. They are just as efficient and cheaper to buy.

If most of your motoring is very short journeys, less than 10-15 km, get an efficient petrol-engined car.

Unless you must have an automatic, in which case no contest.

[adrian.1389]

Thank you for clearing my head :), i live in Bucharest, Romania, there are no hills here and most of the time is warm and sunny :) even in winter time, about my driving i could say i spend my time mostly in the city, traffic and everything.. just around the holidays i usually get out, but my style of driving is very calm, never fast, right now i drive a Fiat 500 1.4 100 HP, and with my style i got 7.2l/100km - urban, whereas in the book it says 8.2l/100km so maybe i could get 5l/100km with the Auris.

[FourFourTwo]

Thank you for clearing my head :), i live in Bucharest, Romania, there are no hills here and most of the time is warm and sunny :) even in winter time, about my driving i could say i spend my time mostly in the city, traffic and everything.. just around the holidays i usually get out, but my style of driving is very calm, never fast, right now i drive a Fiat 500 1.4 100 HP, and with my style i got 7.2l/100km - urban, whereas in the book it says 8.2l/100km so maybe i could get 5l/100km with the Auris.

It sounds to me like the Auris HSD will suit you just fine.

Good luck with whatever you choose.