Yaris Hybrid

[BassaJay]

BassaJay, maybe you can ask for a downloadlink to the user manual (PDF) on the UK Toyota Blog. Got mine from the dutch Toyota blog, a month ago. Almost 700 pages of reading (in dutch, guess you don't need that link...) Found the emergency respond guide to the Yaris Hybrid, with all sorts of information about the vehicle and electrical systems:

http://www.toyota-te..._NHP130_erg.pdf

I can't say the road and/or wind noise at higher speeds are distractingly present. If you test drove the T-spirit, I guess it had the 16" wheels. In the Netherlands we have a reasonably maintained road-system, which is quite helpfull reducing road-noise...

I only did 70ish for a very short stretch and thought the road/wind noise was quite acceptable and for the UK, the road surface was quite good. Yes it was a T Spirit on 16" wheels but I have no idea what the tyre brand was as even they can make a considerable difference road noise wise. Yes, I had found the emergency response guide plus the dismantlling manual www.toyota-tech.eu/HYBRID/HVDM/EN/Yaris_NHP130_hvdm.pdf

Unable to find the UK owners handbook download though. For many other marques they seem to be easily available to download, not sure why Toyota do not offer it. .

[wass]

I notice that one or two yaris hybrids have popped up on autotraders website lately. By the time i am looking for a replacement vehicle there should be second hand bargains applenty and all teething problems ( if any) will be identified and sorted!

[BassaJay]

Can anyone confirm if the Yaris Hybrid (or any mk 3 Yaris ) has DAB radio preparation - seem to recall reading it was somewhere but cannot find any info on it now ?

Also is there a positive terminal within the engine bay for charging the 12 volt Battery /jump starting as in the Prius. That one's situated under the fuse box cover's lid in the engine bay. The Yaris auxillary Battery is not in the best of positions for easy access being behind a plastic cover beneath and to one side of the rear seat.

[Teemu]

Apart from the very good mpg, how are you finding the car overall now the initial novelty has worn off - do you feel as though you made the correct purchase decision ? Hope so since I have one on order

Very pleased! First mpg is indeed very good. I have now filled up four times. Best mpg has been 3,8 l/100 km or about 74 mpg, last one 63 mpg and now average shows 3,9 l/100 km or 72,4 mpg! Electricity really cuts down mpg when driving under 40 mph. Engine noise is also very quiet when driving a long. Acceleration is quite good and high revs are noticeable but not bad either.

What I like so far: Easy and fun to drive even a longer journey and there is quite good space on the boot. Build quality seems excellent and the interior is not bad either. Touch & Go is quite good, with the camera very good. Sound system is OK for me.

What I do not like: when driving in dark driving lights are not that good as was on Aygo. Also more room for small stuff like sun glasses inside the cabin would be nice. But thats it, very very happy indeed!

I am thinking getting sill protectors and some fabric mats.

BassaJay, hope you get your Yaris Hybrid soon!

[BassaJay]

Apart from the very good mpg, how are you finding the car overall now the initial novelty has worn off - do you feel as though you made the correct purchase decision ? Hope so since I have one on order

Very pleased! First mpg is indeed very good. I have now filled up four times. Best mpg has been 3,8 l/100 km or about 74 mpg, last one 63 mpg and now average shows 3,9 l/100 km or 72,4 mpg! Electricity really cuts down mpg when driving under 40 mph. Engine noise is also very quiet when driving a long. Acceleration is quite good and high revs are noticeable but not bad either. What I like so far: Easy and fun to drive even a longer journey and there is quite good space on the boot. Build quality seems excellent and the interior is not bad either. Touch & Go is quite good, with the camera very good. Sound system is OK for me. What I do not like: when driving in dark driving lights are not that good as was on Aygo. Also more room for small stuff like sun glasses inside the cabin would be nice. But thats it, very very happy indeed! I am thinking getting sill protectors and some fabric mats. BassaJay, hope you get your Yaris Hybrid soon!

Nice to hear all is going well and you are pleased with your car.

I seem to have nothing but questions which I believe is not helped by Toyota's reluctance of making the owner's manual available as a PDF download for some pre delivery studying - most other manufacturers do. There are currently 3 questions I have, maybe you can help with since my dealer does not appear to be very clued up regarding the Yaris Hybrid. Firstly the UK website's configuratort states that the factory fit optional panoramic roof blinds are electrically opereated - which I doubt ? Secondly, is there a facility to turn off/on the DLRs. Finally (at the moment!) the 12 volt auxillary Battery rating, I'm guessing at 45Ah ?

[BassaJay]

Apart from the very good mpg, how are you finding the car overall now the initial novelty has worn off - do you feel as though you made the correct purchase decision ? Hope so since I have one on order

Very pleased! First mpg is indeed very good. I have now filled up four times. Best mpg has been 3,8 l/100 km or about 74 mpg, last one 63 mpg and now average shows 3,9 l/100 km or 72,4 mpg! Electricity really cuts down mpg when driving under 40 mph. Engine noise is also very quiet when driving a long. Acceleration is quite good and high revs are noticeable but not bad either. What I like so far: Easy and fun to drive even a longer journey and there is quite good space on the boot. Build quality seems excellent and the interior is not bad either. Touch & Go is quite good, with the camera very good. Sound system is OK for me. What I do not like: when driving in dark driving lights are not that good as was on Aygo. Also more room for small stuff like sun glasses inside the cabin would be nice. But thats it, very very happy indeed! I am thinking getting sill protectors and some fabric mats. BassaJay, hope you get your Yaris Hybrid soon!

Nice to hear all is going well and you are pleased with your car.

I seem to have nothing but questions which I believe is not helped by Toyota's reluctance of making the owner's manual available as a PDF download for some pre delivery studying - most other manufacturers do. There are currently 3 questions I have, maybe you can help with since my dealer does not appear to be very clued up regarding the Yaris Hybrid. Firstly the UK website's configurator states that the factory fit optional panoramic roof blinds are electrically opereated - which I doubt ? Secondly, is there a facility to turn off/on the DLRs. Finally (at the moment!) the 12 volt auxillary Battery rating, I'm guessing at 45Ah ?

[BassaJay]

Apart from the very good mpg, how are you finding the car overall now the initial novelty has worn off - do you feel as though you made the correct purchase decision ? Hope so since I have one on order

Very pleased! First mpg is indeed very good. I have now filled up four times. Best mpg has been 3,8 l/100 km or about 74 mpg, last one 63 mpg and now average shows 3,9 l/100 km or 72,4 mpg! Electricity really cuts down mpg when driving under 40 mph. Engine noise is also very quiet when driving a long. Acceleration is quite good and high revs are noticeable but not bad either. What I like so far: Easy and fun to drive even a longer journey and there is quite good space on the boot. Build quality seems excellent and the interior is not bad either. Touch & Go is quite good, with the camera very good. Sound system is OK for me. What I do not like: when driving in dark driving lights are not that good as was on Aygo. Also more room for small stuff like sun glasses inside the cabin would be nice. But thats it, very very happy indeed! I am thinking getting sill protectors and some fabric mats. BassaJay, hope you get your Yaris Hybrid soon!

Nice to hear all is going well and you are pleased with your car.

I seem to have nothing but questions which I believe is not helped by Toyota's reluctance of making the owner's manual available as a PDF download for some pre delivery studying - most other manufacturers do. There are currently 3 questions I have, maybe you can help with since my dealer does not appear to be very clued up regarding the Yaris Hybrid. Firstly the UK website's configurator states that the factory fit optional panoramic roof blinds are electrically operated - which I doubt ? Secondly, is there a facility to turn off/on the DLRs. Finally (at the moment!) the 12 volt auxillary Battery rating, I'm guessing at 45Ah ?

[Parts-King]

1: Not sure but think it is an electric front and rear panel that slides across, a bit like the Verso

2: No, DRL is standard on this model and a legal requirement, they are not switched

3: According the the parts catalogue, there are a few types depending on market/spec ranging from 45 to 70, sorry I cannot be more specific

Kingo

[BassaJay]

1: Not sure but think it is an electric front and rear panel that slides across, a bit like the Verso

2: No, DRL is standard on this model and a legal requirement, they are not switched

3: According the the parts catalogue, there are a few types depending on market/spec ranging from 45 to 70, sorry I cannot be more specific

Kingo

Thanks for your response Kingo

Just received a call from Toyota UK advising me that the panoramic roof blinds are in fact manually operated - a la non hybrid T Spirit's standard fit one. If this is so then it is a website error on their part meaning I have specified the panoramic roof on my car thinking the blinds would be powered (i.e. mislead) Sounds as though they have mislead you also ?

So the DLR are permanently on with no facility to turn them off and as regards the auxillary Battery I will have to wait and see what it is rated at - I thought generally the hybrids had a lower rating - no starter motor etc. ?

I do believe if Toyota made the owner manual for the car & sat nav available a pdf downloads (many other marques do), all my pre ownership queries and misleading info from the website would have been resolved.

Rant over ...........well, .for now at least!

Oh, just thought of another query and you are The man to answer it - re the exhaust pipe finisher - is a specific one for the Yaris Hybrid's 1.5 engine or is it shared with the 1.33,s ?

[Parts-King]

Just received a call from Toyota UK advising me that the panoramic roof blinds are in fact manually operated - a la non hybrid T Spirit's standard fit one. If this is so then it is a website error on their part meaning I have specified the panoramic roof on my car thinking the blinds would be powered (i.e. mislead) Sounds as though they have mislead you also ?

Well that was me making an assumption, not anybody misleading me, have not see one with a panoramic roof so I should have shurrup

There have been some brochure ammendments announced today for the brochure, minor errors:

Turning circle 4.7m with 15" wheels and 5.6 with 16" wheels

• Page 10— The boot floor is not flat loading and does not include under floor storage.

• Page 11—The ventilated glovebox is standard on T Spirit models.

• Page 17—1.0 Litre Petrol is available on the Edition grade.

• Page 28—Height adjustable drivers seat is available on all Yaris and Yaris Hybrid

Models

• Page 29—Front armrest with blue stitching is not available on any Yaris models.

• Page 29—Driver and Passenger sun visor with mirror cover and lamp is only available

on the Yaris Hybrid T Spirit grade (please note the lamp is not available with a

panoramic roof).

• Page 31—Villadin red fleck fabric with partial leather is standard on SR and Trend

grades.

• Page 32—Glacier Pearl (084) Pearlescent paint is only available on the Yaris Hybrid

T Spirit.

• Page 46— Front power windows are not available with the T2 grade

[BassaJay]

Just received a call from Toyota UK advising me that the panoramic roof blinds are in fact manually operated - a la non hybrid T Spirit's standard fit one. If this is so then it is a website error on their part meaning I have specified the panoramic roof on my car thinking the blinds would be powered (i.e. mislead) Sounds as though they have mislead you also ?

Well that was me making an assumption, not anybody misleading me, have not see one with a panoramic roof so I should have shurrup

There have been some brochure ammendments announced today for the brochure, minor errors:

Turning circle 4.7m with 15" wheels and 5.6 with 16" wheels

• Page 10— The boot floor is not flat loading and does not include under floor storage.

• Page 11—The ventilated glovebox is standard on T Spirit models.

• Page 17—1.0 Litre Petrol is available on the Edition grade.

• Page 28—Height adjustable drivers seat is available on all Yaris and Yaris Hybrid

Models

• Page 29—Front armrest with blue stitching is not available on any Yaris models.

• Page 29—Driver and Passenger sun visor with mirror cover and lamp is only available

on the Yaris Hybrid T Spirit grade (please note the lamp is not available with a

panoramic roof).

• Page 31—Villadin red fleck fabric with partial leather is standard on SR and Trend

grades.

• Page 32—Glacier Pearl (084) Pearlescent paint is only available on the Yaris Hybrid

T Spirit.

• Page 46— Front power windows are not available with the T2 grade

Also the website's configurator has just been amended - the word "electric" has now been removed from the panoramic roof's blind description. So that's now two losses re the pan. roof, not only expecting to get powered roof blinds but also the vanity mirrors illumination has gone - guess there's not enough room for them with that roof.

Does that also mean no centre armrest on T Spirit hybrid or is it only the blue stitching that's removed from it ?

My anticipated spec. appears to be going downhill at a rate of knots

[timberwolf]

If we are being kind the people who publish the specs make lots of mistakes.

With the Prius Gen 3, I believe they got the specs wrong for the mythical dual control air-con twice in a row, once on the original release and then again on the face-lift. Made me wonder if it really was just incompetence or whether Toyota were purposely being misleading and then using the oops the specs may contain inaccuracies clause.

[Wh1teLeopard]

Just picked mine up today!

My parents are fascinated by it, made me drive them around all day!

I've called it Yasushi

[Cyker]

Woo! Road triiiiip! :D

[don21]

Looks great.

Make sure you post a full report

[Ancient Nerd]

With the Prius Gen 3, I believe they got the specs wrong for the mythical dual control air-con twice in a row, once on the original release and then again on the face-lift. Made me wonder if it really was just incompetence or whether Toyota were purposely being misleading and then using the oops the specs may contain inaccuracies clause.

These are the people who thought up the weasel warranty and still don't realise the damage they have done, both to resale values and to their reputation.

I had originally thought the dual-zone air-con was a mistake. Now I am far from sure.

[RobMagpie]

This also happened with the specs for the prius plug-in. Originally they said DAB radio included and now they have removed this and said it was an error.

[johalareewi]

Just picked mine up today!

Looks good in black.

has it got just the one front wiper?

[BassaJay]

Just picked mine up today!

My parents are fascinated by it, made me drive them around all day!

I've called it Yasushi

Looks very nice in black, how long did you have to wait from ordering? Please post your ownership impressions of it, sorry, I mean Yasushi.

Meanwhile enjoy and I like the idea of getting the flags out .

[Teemu]

BassaJay, DLRs switches on when there is power, park lights dim the DLRs and switches also rear lights on. For dark halogen lights replace the leds.

For charging the 12v it must be done from the rear seat according to manual. My dealer said Battery is small, just like on Aygo I had previously, maybe 45 A?

Wh1teLeopard: nice car, congratulations and happy motoring! Fogs and 16" alloys look great.

And a tip for Yaris owners thinking about getting wind deflectors. Toyota has only for front doors according to my dealer. But HEKO has for both and the price is also lower on their eBay site. Looks nice also..

[timberwolf]

It does look really smart. Black looks great when it is clean, but if you take it on gravel roads/parking its going to get dusty very quickly! B)

[BassaJay]

BassaJay, DLRs switches on when there is power, park lights dim the DLRs and switches also rear lights on. For dark halogen lights replace the leds.

For charging the 12v it must be done from the rear seat according to manual. My dealer said battery is small, just like on Aygo I had previously, maybe 45 A?

Thanks for the reply, I take it the DRL's cannot be switched off/on, ie. driving in bright daylight with all other lights off, the DRL's are always on and not swithchable to off ?

As regards the 12 volt auxillary Battery, I was reading on an American forum that several Toyota hybrid owners who store their cars, some even up to as much as 6 months, successfully leave the 12 volt Battery hooked up to a Battery minder such as a CTEK which plulses in charge as and when required. The big HSD battery appears to be OK even after that length of non usage. Mine will be left garaged occasionally for two to three weeks so I was thinking of fitting a CTEK type battery minder to the auxillary battery on those occasions to keep it in fully charged condition - thus avoiding any potential flat battery/ jump starts on return.

[Parts-King]

DRL's are specifically for use in daylight, NO they dont turn off, they are on all the time (note they do NOT put the rear lights on at the same time) that's why they are very bright

Not a fan myself but a legal requirement on new models so there we are

Kingo

[Wh1teLeopard]

Looks good in black.

has it got just the one front wiper?

It has indeed just got the one front MASSIVE wiper.

Looks very nice in black, how long did you have to wait from ordering? Please post your ownership impressions of it, sorry, I mean Yasushi.

Meanwhile enjoy and I like the idea of getting the flags out .

I ordered it 10 days before collecting it - however it was already in the country and built, if I'd gone with my original intention of a white T-Spirit it was an undetermined wait - roughly the end of September time. I decided I really didn't want to have to wait that long and thought the colour scheme inside and out worked very well with a black exterior.

Wh1teLeopard: nice car, congratulations and happy motoring! Fogs and 16" alloys look great.

Thank you very much. Was my first trip to work today since collecting it and it went down a storm there! I think it has 15" wheels... but without going outside to check I'm not 100% on that.

It does look really smart. Black looks great when it is clean, but if you take it on gravel roads/parking its going to get dusty very quickly! B)

Ironically my partner who's very good and keeps my cars clean for me, said I wasn't allowed another white car... but I was allowed a black one... I know he'll regret that hehe.

OK sorry for the long post then, but (and I hope this is the right place, but here's my review so far):

Firstly a little bit of background. I love little micro Japanese cars, I have 3 already (a Suzuki Cappuccino, a Honda Beat and a Daihatsu Copen) - so to me the Yaris is a large car - please bare this in mind. To earn my bread I work at a large production plant in Gaydon as a SERP engineer, so I'm not 100% ignorant of cars, but this is my first hybrid. My work is 43miles away down motorways, so mileage and efficiency are important to me. Lastly my previous Toyota was an Aygo Go! Which was very nice as long as you appreciated it was a budget car at the end of the day - not designed to compete with luxury models - so expectations were high of the Yaris.

I'll start with a summary:

WOW! What a car!

What originally drew me to the Yaris?

In truth - the singing speed camera advert got my attention at first. The bold front end, slightly more aggressive stance - and I've had a growing interest in hybrid technology.

Did I buy it for environmental reasons?

No - I was attracted by the MPG and not having to worry about wasting fuel in traffic jams on the motorway.

What do I like best about the Yaris?

The level of tech you get is superb. You forget you're in a Yaris when you're inside, it's more like the cockpit of a fighter jet - so many pretty lights and so many buttons to play with.

What problems have I encountered so far?

A colleague wanted to see it today and asked if I'd take him out in it as he'd never been in a hybrid before. Travelling around the site is restricted to 20mph so most of the short journey was spent running on the Battery and electric motor. The problem really, if you can call it that, is pedestrians. 3 nearly walked into my car not realising I'd 'crept' up behind them. This prompted much debate in the office. The only other issue I have, which might be isolated to mine, is the bootlid. I have to shut it pretty hard, and I don't like doing that!

Can I sum up why I like the Yaris HSD so much in one journey?

I can indeed!

Today it proved what a good investment it was. I intended to start the SatNav off before leaving work just to see which way it would recommend I go home... but I forgot. Anyway, got on the motorway and just before the services the traffic slowed and stopped. I looked up on the SatNav what the problem was and found out almost instantly I was in a long queue because of a multi-car 'incident' 2 junctions up. I rode the entire queue on just the electric motor, that's 2 junctions (9.8 miles) without using any fuel at all. Simply using the brakes to keep the Battery charged, and using little squirts of the electric motor to get me rolling again. I couldn't help but smile all the way through the jam.

Once we were out of the traffic I reset the mileage/trip counter on the touch and go, and recorded an average of 81.7MPG for the remainder of the journey.

I picked up my little sausage dog and headed up to my grandads. Got his shopping list and went shopping. Did a few other errands on the way back too. Lots more boot space than I'm used to too! Each trip/errand that I did I 'updated' the trip meter:

So in conclusion the honeymoon certainly isn't over yet, I am very VERY pleased with my purchase and look forward to many more journeys .

Here's some more photos for anyone who's interested:

[BassaJay]

DRL's are specifically for use in daylight, NO they dont turn off, they are on all the time (note they do NOT put the rear lights on at the same time) that's why they are very bright

Not a fan myself but a legal requirement on new models so there we are

Kingo

Thanks for that.

On many VAG group cars there is the function within the car's computer menu to switch the DRL's either off or on, I wondered if it was a similar situation with the Yaris Hybrid.