Toyota Test Drive

[Jan&tone]

In addition that pack comes with rain repellent windows which I must admit work a thousand time better than using rainx.

I'll be getting that as part of the Safety Pack, but its only the front windows and windscreen, which seems bizarre when it's the rear hatch windows that need it most.

Once you are moving, the rear hatch glass stays clean, only when you are stationaey does it get wet, then you have a good wiper on the gen3, much better than my old avensis!

[r04drunner1]

By the way reversing beep is annoying would have to get this disabled asap

I asked for that to be done pre delivery but my supplying dealer messed up. They delivered the car to my door (which I greatly appreciated) but that meant I had to go back and get the bleep reprogrammed. It was easy and FOC. Just a 5 minute job at the dealer. Now I only have a single warning bleep when I first engage reverse.

To be honest I've nearly been caught out twice by choosing forwards when I meant to choose reverse. If the reverse tone was continuous then it would have been more clear which way the car was going to go. So I can see how it is safer to have the continuous tone. But I've learned my lesson (no damage done thankfully) and the convenience of not having that dratted bleeping noise all the time far outweighs the risk.

I don't think dealers do extended test drives; I had a one hour drive with a dealer and that was sufficient for me. A colleague got a four day test organised by our fleet manager via Toyota Corporate. Much the better way to go if you are looking at a company car.

[jont-uk]

Does kinda bug me that corporate will organize a 4day test drive for someone whose company will pick up the tab at a discounted rate but Joe Public who are paying for a car out of their own pocket gets a day tops :-( ... rant over

Jon

[r04drunner1]

Does kinda bug me that corporate will organize a 4day test drive for someone whose company will pick up the tab at a discounted rate but Joe Public who are paying for a car out of their own pocket gets a day tops :-( ... rant over

Jon

I sympathize. However that's the reality of buying power and market forces. Now if somebody started a Facebook group for people thinking of buying Prius and then approach Toyota with a potential market of, say, 500 potential buyers... wow, that would make them sit up.

[Doesn'tExist]

I must admit that I probably denied many a potential customer an extended test drive. We have had the dealers demonstrators nearly as long as our car whilst they are trying to sort out my problems.

[Bike Nut]

Pleased your enjoying your time with the Prius, I had two 4 day test drives as well as two test drives at the local dealer before I made my mind up.

I have to say I am really pleased with my decision and with covering 10k since September I spend quite a bit of time in it. I had to drive a 'normal manual' car yesterday through traffic and it was horrible! My left leg & arm was knackered after 10 mins!-)

The Prius just gets you where you need to be with minimum effort.

[Red diesel]

Does kinda bug me that corporate will organize a 4day test drive for someone whose company will pick up the tab at a discounted rate but Joe Public who are paying for a car out of their own pocket gets a day tops :-( ... rant over

Jon

I sympathize. However that's the reality of buying power and market forces. Now if somebody started a Facebook group for people thinking of buying Prius and then approach Toyota with a potential market of, say, 500 potential buyers... wow, that would make them sit up.

I can't understand it either - but i imagine that from a manufacturers point of view - a company

could end up buying 20 or 30 of the things. I agree that 4 days is better than 1 hour and its a bit much to expect a buyer to be able to decide after a short test drive. Your spending practically all of the time on said test drive adapting to the different drive in the new car and thus its hard to judge whether you want one or not. The problem is that the new car feels like a piece of :censor: simply because you don't feel confident in throwing it around the place like your old car. Ive test driven new cars in the past and said new cars have felt completely :censor: in comparison to the 170 000 miler ive left back in the dealers yard. But if you had it (the new car) for 4 or 5 days then you may never want to drive the 170 000 miler again lol. Thus surely its better for a manufacturer to have a central fleet of cars for extended

test drives by all customers. Not just those fortunate to have company cars lol.

If it makes you feel any better - tractor dealers expect you to buy a new tractor without a few day trial on your farm - yet such an extended trial is more important with a tractor - as you want to see how it performs on farm tasks in your working environment. Weirdly

my brother was offered such an extended test on a 7 grand tractor from a used tractor dealer - but not on a brand new Massey ferguson from

a Massey Ferguson main dealer.

Red diesel

[Gmac70]

Ok nearly 200 miles down and 51mpg which I'm pleased with as I have thrashed it on the motorway. Still very pleased with the car, now to try and get a look at a 10th aniv model

[Gmac70]

Ok so the prius has gone back :-( and I've now got the hybrid auris, I'm pleased to say I enjoyed the extended test drive. Having driven both cars I think the prius is for me as purely on size. Thats not to say I wasn't impressed with the auris and the fact it's much smaller it handles more like my Honda civic so can be thrown about more. However I think I wouldnt drive it as economically as the prius. Both great cars and am now officially a Toyota hybrid convert. Hoping my company car order system will let me place an order tomorrow as my current car due back on the 4th august.

[Sagitar]

Ok so the prius has gone back :-( and I've now got the hybrid auris, I'm pleased to say I enjoyed the extended test drive. Having driven both cars I think the prius is for me as purely on size. Thats not to say I wasn't impressed with the auris and the fact it's much smaller it handles more like my Honda civic so can be thrown about more. However I think I wouldnt drive it as economically as the prius. Both great cars and am now officially a Toyota hybrid convert. Hoping my company car order system will let me place an order tomorrow as my current car due back on the 4th august.

How did you find that the rearward visibility compared? Apart from size, what other differences did you notice?

[Gmac70]

Rear visibly in the auris is excellent and no need for a reversing camera it's a bit of a gimmic. However the camera on the prius is a great aid, due to the split level window at the back, same issue on my existing civic and gf's CRZ

The auris dial to show how you are driving is more like a rev counter and didnt encourage me to drive Eco friendly. Interior on tspirit auris I had was have leather which was nice and u get folding door mirrors which I would like on the prius.

Overall auris felt and handled a little sportier which I liked as currently have a type s 2.2 civic but boot and interior size were just to small for me.

[Doesn'tExist]

Interesting what you said about the Auris handling. I thought it felt and handled sportier when I had one for a week until we got back into out Prius and it was clear it was just the rock hard suspension that gave that illusion many a corner you take much quicker with a t-spirit prius I found. I think it is that little car syndrome where you feel you are making progress much quicker than you are in reality. And yes I fully agree with the meters and the dashboard in the Auris, it is just to normal to aid me take a different driving style, the HUD in the Prius combined with eco meter is brilliant, and then add the satnav directions to it and you are smiling :-)