Yaris Hybrid

[mcdrivingschool]

Thanks

I choose the Hybrid because in the past I've brought second hand cars and done most of the maintenance myself, last year bought a 2003 focus auto just as an experiment to see if there was a market for automatic lessons in Wrexham, the focus wasn't too bad despite its age but only did 25mpg so had it converted to LPG but this in real terms only took it to the equivalent of 40mpg. The cost of the LPG conversion, maintenance and depreciation over the last 14 months is almost as much as the repayments on the Hybrid without taking into account the fuel saving.

Recently been having problems with Diesels mainly because of the low speeds the driving school cars do, with things like egr valves and cat's getting blocked and wanted to avoid a car with DPF. The last manual car I brought a VW Golf 66000 miles and 3 months out of warranty the air con gave up. VW wanted me to pay £997 for a common fault (I didn't, got a second hand one off ebay).

So decided that I wanted a new car that wasn't Diesel with a good warranty to replace my auto couldn't find anything else that come close to the Yaris Hybrid plus the girlfriend wanted one. only downside is having to get it serviced by a dealer but on the other hand the road tax was £250 a year on the focus.

Martin

[BassaJay]

US style pulse & glide for max mpg

An amusing HSD myth buster video

[Red Yaris 54]

Thanks

I choose the Hybrid because in the past I've brought second hand cars and done most of the maintenance myself, last year bought a 2003 focus auto just as an experiment to see if there was a market for automatic lessons in Wrexham, the focus wasn't too bad despite its age but only did 25mpg so had it converted to LPG but this in real terms only took it to the equivalent of 40mpg. The cost of the LPG conversion, maintenance and depreciation over the last 14 months is almost as much as the repayments on the Hybrid without taking into account the fuel saving.

Recently been having problems with Diesels mainly because of the low speeds the driving school cars do, with things like egr valves and cat's getting blocked and wanted to avoid a car with DPF. The last manual car I brought a VW Golf 66000 miles and 3 months out of warranty the air con gave up. VW wanted me to pay £997 for a common fault (I didn't, got a second hand one off ebay).

So decided that I wanted a new car that wasn't Diesel with a good warranty to replace my auto couldn't find anything else that come close to the Yaris Hybrid plus the girlfriend wanted one. only downside is having to get it serviced by a dealer but on the other hand the road tax was £250 a year on the focus.

Martin

Interesting Martin

How do you stand with the Toyota Warranty when your car is used as a driving school car?

Some manufacturers will not allow cars that are used for taxi work or driving school work to benefit from the standard warranty and impose special conditions

Not sure if Toyota do this......We do have some Prius members on here that use them as Taxis

[mcdrivingschool]

While working for different driving schools I've never had a problem with warranties on their cars Vauxhall, Ford and Renault. Toyota does a package for driving schools and it says on the order form 5 year warranty. I have heard of instructors complaining about manufactures not warranting clutches at 20,000 miles although the manual cars I've had have all done around 80,000 to 100,000 on one clutch.

With the hybrid being automatic there is nothing a learner driver can do to ware it out anymore than any other driver no clutch no wrong gears and no over reeving it, well unless they bump it up a kerb but then that would be accidental damage.

Martin

[BassaJay]

The T spirit does not have Smart Entry? Only Smart Start? Why is this? :( In Italy they can choose smart entry as option.

Probably yet another Toyota UK pecularity/cost cutting decision, I noticed in Australia as in the USA, they get the Prius C instead of the Yaris Hybrid. That has identical running gear to the Yaris Hybrid and is fitted with standard Smart Start & Smart Entry.

Don't start me off again on the car's missing panoramic roof's convenient powered sunblinds, comfy driver's centre armrest with its so very nice matching blue stitching and that very useful luggage compartment's deck board !!!

Guess we should be grateful really, at least Toyota UK never claimed the car actually came with Smart Entry - so at least they got that one accurate.

[ColinBarber]

I can understand not being included in the standard spec but they should allow smart entry as an option.

Same sort of issue with the Auris, you can spec HID lights and a sunroof in Europe but not on a UK model even though they are all made in the same factory in the UK!

[ecodriver]

Hi, my first post on here. I've ordered a Black Yaris Hybrid T4 should get it the end of September. What really surprised me when I test drove one, was how normal it felt to drive. I've never owed a Hybrid before or a Toyota but have had an automatic Ford Focus last 14 months (only does 25mpg) along with my manual VW Golf (not impressed with VW warranty but that's another story)

This Hybrid will be used as a driving school car, I'm looking for some tips on how to get the most mpg.

Thanks

Martin

Hi Martin,

I've had a white Yaris Hybrid T4 for nearly four weeks. As a former ADI I will be interested to hear how your pupils find the car. I've driven mine over 500 miles including a holiday in Yorkshire, up and down 1 in 4 hills and along motorways and got about 58.7mpg, so I'm hoping for more on local journeys. I wonder what a DSA Examiner will think when the car is started in complete silence! I've also worked for DSA at Cardington and during my time there have driven their own Honda Civic IMA, which they use to give examiners experience of different types of car. Perhaps I need to take my Yaris back there to show them!

The rear camera will be useful for reverse parking, although I'd only let them use it if stationary. I really like the car, it's so relaxing to drive.

I hope your lessons go well in the Yaris.

[wass]

My wife took and passed her test in our prius Tspirit. The examiner seemed to take it all as normal.

[mcdrivingschool]

Hi, my first post on here. I've ordered a Black Yaris Hybrid T4 should get it the end of September. What really surprised me when I test drove one, was how normal it felt to drive. I've never owed a Hybrid before or a Toyota but have had an automatic Ford Focus last 14 months (only does 25mpg) along with my manual VW Golf (not impressed with VW warranty but that's another story)

This Hybrid will be used as a driving school car, I'm looking for some tips on how to get the most mpg.

Thanks

Martin

Hi Martin,

I've had a white Yaris Hybrid T4 for nearly four weeks. As a former ADI I will be interested to hear how your pupils find the car. I've driven mine over 500 miles including a holiday in Yorkshire, up and down 1 in 4 hills and along motorways and got about 58.7mpg, so I'm hoping for more on local journeys. I wonder what a DSA Examiner will think when the car is started in complete silence! I've also worked for DSA at Cardington and during my time there have driven their own Honda Civic IMA, which they use to give examiners experience of different types of car. Perhaps I need to take my Yaris back there to show them!

The rear camera will be useful for reverse parking, although I'd only let them use it if stationary. I really like the car, it's so relaxing to drive.

I hope your lessons go well in the Yaris.

There's an examiner here that jokes about how noisy my Golf diesel is can't wait to take the Yaris on test and the fuel saving!

[Opifex]

The rear camera will be useful for reverse parking, although I'd only let them use it if stationary. I really like the car, it's so relaxing to drive.

I'd be interested to know why you would ban the reversing camera. Is it because it is bad practice or that the examiner would want to know that the driver could drive without it?

A combination of the Prius high rear end and my aging neck joints mean that I can see a lot more by using the reversing camera and wing mirrors than I can by twisting round.

[ecodriver]

The rear camera will be useful for reverse parking, although I'd only let them use it if stationary. I really like the car, it's so relaxing to drive.

I'd be interested to know why you would ban the reversing camera. Is it because it is bad practice or that the examiner would want to know that the driver could drive without it?

A combination of the Prius high rear end and my aging neck joints mean that I can see a lot more by using the reversing camera and wing mirrors than I can by twisting round.

No, I am in favour of the reversing camera and I believe that an examiner would be too, but any test candidate would need to prove that they were not solely relying on just looking at the camera when the car was reversing. I would encourage them to be looking around and use the camera as an extra check when scanning the mirrors, so if they stare at the camera for too long whilst the car is moving the examiner could rightly fail them.

The main thing for safe reversing is to eliminate any blinds spots and you could add extra external or internal mirrors where needed to cover any angles that you are unable to see by turning around. The reversing camera is useful of course.

I do not know if the Prius is the same, but the Yaris Hybrid usually starts off virtually silent and pedestrians in car parks do not realise that you are about to move off and just stand in the way!

[Opifex]

I do not know if the Prius is the same, but the Yaris Hybrid usually starts off virtually silent and pedestrians in car parks do not realise that you are about to move off and just stand in the way!

Yep - size doesn't seem to make any difference. Even if you start to move they seem to think that it's a trick of the light and you aren't really moving. The only way I've found round this is to put the aircon on so that there is at least some noise to indicate that you have switched on.

[ecodriver]

I do not know if the Prius is the same, but the Yaris Hybrid usually starts off virtually silent and pedestrians in car parks do not realise that you are about to move off and just stand in the way!

Yep - size doesn't seem to make any difference. Even if you start to move they seem to think that it's a trick of the light and you aren't really moving. The only way I've found round this is to put the aircon on so that there is at least some noise to indicate that you have switched on.

Not a bad idea. I believe one manufacturer has added sound effects to their electric vehicles. Perhaps recording a normal car on to a disc and then simply playing it loadly with the windows open would solve the problem!

[Lorna2]

Quite a few pedestrians don't seem to notice any car coming. Mines a non-hybrid petrol and they still walk out in front of me. Then there's the ones who walk out behind the car when you're reversing into a space. Some people don't even look where they're walking to.

[Cyker]

Yeah, even with my D4D which isn't exactly quiet I get that. The problem isn't that the HSD is quiet, it's that people are idiots

I wonder if they'll revise the highway code to allow you to use the horn to warn peds as well as other drivers with all these moden super silent cars?

[wass]

I wonder if they'll revise the highway code to allow you to use the horn to warn peds as well as other drivers with all these moden super silent cars?

I didnt think that they would have to revise the highway code to allow people to use the horn to alert other road users of their presence; I thought that the correct use of the horn was exactly that

The modern misconception of the horn sound is to take is as an insult but I doubt you'll find it in the highway code that the use of the horn means that you doubt the capacity of the other drivers ability to comprehend simple words or parentage,sexual prowess, moral fibre etc..

That said, I do use the horn to warn pedestrians of my presence should the need arise.... this is normally where a vehicle has been parked so as to restrict the view of the road or pavement.

[RelaxedDrive]

Just wondered, are people getting discounts on a Yaris Hybrid or is it 'RRP only Sir' because it is so new?

In particular, if you take out the finance, are there deals to be made?

[Cyker]

I wonder if they'll revise the highway code to allow you to use the horn to warn peds as well as other drivers with all these moden super silent cars?

I didnt think that they would have to revise the highway code to allow people to use the horn to alert other road users of their presence; I thought that the correct use of the horn was exactly that

The modern misconception of the horn sound is to take is as an insult but I doubt you'll find it in the highway code that the use of the horn means that you doubt the capacity of the other drivers ability to comprehend simple words or parentage,sexual prowess, moral fibre etc..

That said, I do use the horn to warn pedestrians of my presence should the need arise.... this is normally where a vehicle has been parked so as to restrict the view of the road or pavement.

I thought so too but apparently the horn is only to alert other road users and not while you're stationary?!

112

The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. Never sound your horn aggressively. You MUST NOT use your horn

while stationary on the road

when driving in a built-up area between the hours of 11.30 pm and 7.00 am

except when another road user poses a danger.

[timberwolf]

I was just wondering, as I believe a driveway isn't technically on the road (i.e. I think you can SORN a car and leave it on your drive?), if you were parked on your drive and sounded your horn?

[Ethanedwards]

Hi,

Just joined. I bought the Yaris HSD Tspirit with Sat Nav in Tyrol silver. No panaoramic roof though.

Whats this about a waiting list? 1st Sept I went to my local dealer with my Nissan Note Ntec 1.6 auto (running LPG) and tested the Yaris. We agreed a deal and I got my new number Wed last week and picked up the car on Saturday.

Still feels a bit strange. I'm getting + or - 60 mpg which is a little disappointing as I was getting the equivalent of 55 mpg from the LPG'd Note. Was hoping for a little more. Cheapo tax is good though. Definitely an odd sensation driving a hybrid.

I didn't want the roof as in 2008 I was nearly killed when a flying TVR bonnet hit the roof of my Xtrail. which is a big glass roof with a narrow metal rim. It hit the rim. Six inches to the left and I and my wife would have been dead. So glass roofs not my thing.

Cheers,

[Parts-King]

Give the car a chance, it's brand new!!

Your MPG will get better with time, there is also a slight change in driving style required to get the best MPG out of your Hybrid, give it time and you should see some improvement

One of our chaps entered a competition with Toyota to make a short home video on the Yaris Hybrid.......He won! Wayne wins a track day courtesy of Toyota

http://youtu.be/RCd3skvzUPc

[Ethanedwards]

Yes your right. It is still 'running in'.

Driving style? My commute is six miles of suburban roads (modest speeds up to 40mph at the end) to the A12 then 65mph on cruise for 25 miles then stop/start nose to tail for ten minutes. I use the EV mode for the last bit and I've left it in Eco mode.

Gentle accelleration keeping the needle firmly in the Eco range. Very occasional blips to 70mph to pass lorries etc.

Anything more than 55 is better though. It's like a pair of leather shoes. The Note was an old comfy pair. The Yaris is a new pair of expensive ones that don't quite feel as comfy ..yet.

[Parts-King]

Yes a change in driving style. There is plenty about the Prius "pulse and glide" on the net, quite a few videos too, but the same principles apply

http://youtu.be/MAocwToZWVQ

[timberwolf]

You lucky owners who bought in the summer haven't been through a winter yet.

When the temperatures drop so does the MPG, if you do short runs then it could be as much as a 15 MPG drop.

[Parts-King]

MPG Drops in the winter no matter what you drive. The Hybrid system is better suited to warmer weather so your best MPG will be in the summer/warmer months

Kingo