New Yaris Hybrid Review

[chrisbeaumont1]

Hi, I'm new here and bought a Hybrid T4 CVT 5 door hatchback automatic 2 weeks ago. I'm enjoying reading other owners experiences on the car but currently we're very pleased with the driving and mpg of 56 around town.

[dcweather]

I'm at the stage where we have had a test drive in the latest 2014 Yaris Hybrid with a view to buy one for my wife. We thought it was brilliant (Have to say the Honda Jazz was as well, making life a little difficult!) . We will almost certainly be getting one. My wife only drives automatics and has had a Micra CVT for the last 7 years which is fine. But this CVT was so smooth it was ridiculous. Smooth and quiet. Frankly we were getting it for the low enissions and good mpg but now I would buy it in its own right as a small auto hatchback anyway. Are all these motoring review journalists just making stuff up or getting back handers? Some of the reviews didn't bare any resemblance to the car we were in. Also we looked at the all electric Renault Zoe which was nice but a step too far at the minute in costs and technology reliability. Whilst we were hanging around I got in a new Clio. I'm six foot and it has a sloping front roof that actually hit my head and I couldn't see the top of the windscreen without ducking down! Read two reviews that said it had excellent space and headroom! They are a joke but thankfully we took a drive in the Yaris and will make our own mind up.

Dave

[Catlover]

Not sat in a new Clio, but are you sure it hast got a height adjustable driver seat. If it has maybe it was set at its highest setting?

[dcweather]

That is of course a possibility although it still would have had this large sloping protrusion in front of you to an extent.

[sammoj]

I have had my Yaris Hybrid for a year now and clocked just over 10k. My advice would be to think carefully about the MPG figures before you commit to purchasing if this is a prime reason. The car can not achieve the advertised figures like most vehicles, the tests are the problem as they are completely unrealistic.

Yes it's a good MPG, I average 65-67mpg during the summer (warmer weather) with summer tyres. In winter this drops to 48-52mpg with Dunlop winter tyres. A good MPG but nowhere near the marketing figures.

It is a nice car to drive, an easy and very smooth drive particularly the gear changes. I always run mine in Eco but if I need to push it drop the Eco off and floor it and it does have good poke and the 0-20mph even in Eco is very good, probably because the electric motor does a lot of the work at these speeds. I never feel unsafe pulling away at a roundabout or junction due to lack of power.

I love the car when in electric mode and all the green stuff really does make you play the hybrid gauge game of getting the best economy. I did once get home averaging 77mpg but that was a REAL effort and a good clear 10 mile run rolling down hills wherever i could.

Motorway is bearable, it is not Jaguar cruiser like my previous car, but it's perfectly adequate for an occasional long distance journey and is no chore to drive distances. Load capacity is good for a small car and we have had a good size suitcase in the back.

Would I buy another, probably not....i think the most likely is for me will be full electric next time and keep the Yaris for the Mrs and longer trips. My reasoning is most of my journeys are more than adequate for electric range, i am an early adopter of tech and having the Yaris as backup solves range anxiety issues. So probably wont buy another one but will keep this one for a while. Build is solid and reliable.

Hope that helps....

John

[Cyker]

Yeah, it can be a bit disappointing if you're expecting the mpg figures, but if you're just buying it to be a very efficient automatic petrol car, it's hard to beat.

The HSD is literally the best autobox you can get in a car right now IMHO. (Well, maybe next to a locking torque converter like the one in the LFA and GT86 :D)

[dcweather]

We have decided to go ahead, probably next week, as long as we get a good deal and I think we will. Personally having looked into electric/ hybrid etc I think the plug-in hybrid is the most workable compromise until long range electrics or hydrogen fuel cells become mainstream. Especially in the family and super-mini classes. If there was a plug-in Yaris that could do just 10 miles all electric that would cover 75% of most people's journeys who were in the market for this type of car.

[eyemdee]

We have decided to go ahead, probably next week, as long as we get a good deal and I think we will. Personally having looked into electric/ hybrid etc I think the plug-in hybrid is the most workable compromise until long range electrics or hydrogen fuel cells become mainstream. Especially in the family and super-mini classes. If there was a plug-in Yaris that could do just 10 miles all electric that would cover 75% of most people's journeys who were in the market for this type of car.

I couldn't agree with you more. I also used to have a Jazz CVT, then a Civic i-Shi*t followed by a Fiesta 1.4 auto. The Yaris Hybrid beats them all hands down. We had a run out to Donna Nook today to see the seal pups and I filled up on the way home. 301 miles on its first full tank and just £33.28 of BP unleaded to brim it. Works out at 50.11 mpg with most of that being short runs into and around town from cold. I don't think there is anything else on the market to compare with that, especially when you consider what an absolute joy it is to drive. Definitely the best auto box I have ever driven and the quietest car I have ever owned.

[dcweather]

Great to see the seal pups at Donna Nook. Do a lot of birdwatching and wildlife photography myself. Anyway - quick question to someone who has the reversing camera. Nice to have but is there any sort of audible bleep if a collision is imminent? A camera is nice but you could still miss something the same as if you were looking which of course you should be anyway.

Dave

[eyemdee]

Great to see the seal pups at Donna Nook. Do a lot of birdwatching and wildlife photography myself. Anyway - quick question to someone who has the reversing camera. Nice to have but is there any sort of audible bleep if a collision is imminent? A camera is nice but you could still miss something the same as if you were looking which of course you should be anyway.

Dave

No, there is no sound at all from the camera setup but there is a red line runs across the screen showing when you are very close to anything. Parking sensors front and rear are a separate option if you want the warning bleeps. My Fiesta had the sensors but I find the camera probably more useful as it gives a perfect view of exactly where the bumper is in relation to the surroundings.

[sammoj]

Just make sure your happy the camera is properly aligned. I have raised the alignment with my dealer twice and still when i park the car it is too far to the left compared to the grid markings.

[dcweather]

Thanks for the quick reply. Just confirms what the dealer told me - but can get rear only audible sensors fitted as extra for £200 approx so will do that.

Dave

[dcweather]

Wife's Hybrid Icon now ordered in Tyrol Silver on 30 month 0% PCP plan.

[Berisford]

It's well worth adding the radar sensors, the camera is all well and good (not as good as the VW system) but the added audible warnings from the sensors are of greater use.

Also, the Yaris camera lens gets dirty very quickly, fogs up easily, is almost useless in the wet and is set to give a very limited view of the area behind.

Why the men from Toyota think 20% of the screen view should be the rear bumper I just don't know! I've tried to 'adjust' the camera view on ours but it's not easy given the way it's mounted on the rear door.

[mrpj]

You have exactly the same model Yaris as me Berisford.

I agree that the camera is next to useless in the wet and also after driving in the wet. But I don't see any part of the rear "bumper" at all on the screen. Whether there is any adjustment I've no idea. It appears to be fixed into position with no movement possible.

The only thing I use mine for is as a double check for anything behind that I've missed with my eyes. The red horizontal line is fairly accurate on level ground so I do use that as a distance to go guide occasionally.

Something I would ask you about your cvt which I intend to bring to the attention of the dealer when it goes in for the first service.

Do you find the transmission very reluctant changing to a lower ratio when needing a faster acceleration or to go up a steep hill? My transmission seems to want to operate as soon as possible in the highest "gear" almost to the point of stalling the engine - or gives that impression. It doesn't like any engine revs above 2000.

I really have to press the accelerator pedal almost to the floor to induce any revs increase above 2000.

[Berisford]

Now then mrpj, I know exactly what you mean re the 'high gear' business. It is, I'm sure to try and counter the main criticism of earlier CVT systems, that is, all noise and little action.

For me (or to be correct, the wife) it's not a big problem as we don't have that many hills here in the Trent Valley. Yes, the accelerator pedal has to be pushed well down to break into the power zone, but when pushed (so to speak) there's a fair turn of speed available.........

However, that long squeeze of the gas pedal goes against the grain for my old school economy right foot and I have visions of wasted fuel running through the exhaust (I know it's not) so whenever I drive the Yaris I tend to use the steering wheel gearchange paddles to get the extra umph when needed.

It'll be interesting to hear what your dealer has to say about it though.

[eyemdee]

As this thread is specifically about the Hybrid it is perhaps worth pointing out that the "standard" CVT gearbox is a different arrangement from the Hybrid transmission. The Hybrid uses a beltless system of sun and planetary gears between the petrol and electric motors which does behave more like the traditional CVT gearbox. Under hard acceleration or while hill climbing the engine does indeed rev very freely - I have seen mine on one occasion rev almost to the maximum point on the power meter when the cruise control was trying to maintain speed up a long incline. As the Hybrid does not have a tachometer I cannot comment about the rpm but the engine note was distinctly audible!

[MikeSh]

Something I would ask you about your cvt which I intend to bring to the attention of the dealer when it goes in for the first service.

Do you find the transmission very reluctant changing to a lower ratio when needing a faster acceleration or to go up a steep hill? My transmission seems to want to operate as soon as possible in the highest "gear" almost to the point of stalling the engine - or gives that impression. It doesn't like any engine revs above 2000.

I really have to press the accelerator pedal almost to the floor to induce any revs increase above 2000.

It's called 'kickdown' :P

(On older Borg-Warner type boxes there was often a detent/notch that you had to break through to get to it.)

[Madasafish]

On some CVT systems there is a "Sport" option so the gearbox always stays in a lower gear for better acceleration (Honda's Jazz CVT for example)..

[CPN]

I have a bluetooth OBDII adaptor on my Yaris and use the excellent Torque android app along with it which gives me a rev counter for the ICE amongst other useful stuff. Even in kickdown mode the highest the ICE gets to is 4,500 even though it "sounds" much higher than that. I find that the acceleration at those revs is brisk enough given the car's normal demeanour. During normal (even motorway) driving, the ICE very rarely goes above 2,500 and is more typically around the 1,500 mark during normal town driving (when it's actually running of course) ...

[MikeSh]

Even in kickdown mode the highest the ICE gets to is 4,500 even though it "sounds" much higher than that.

According to a quick Google the 2012 Yaris Hybrid engine produces "73bhp at 4,800rpm and 82lb ft torque from 3600rpm-4400rpm", so 4,500 sounds about right to me.

[Lustral]

There is a 'Sport' Button on the Mk3 Yaris SR Multidrive S ;) im assuming the same for the Mk3.5 Yaris Sport Multidrive S , I use it every now and then as it keeps the RPM to about 3-3.5K

[vanilla.coffee]

I have just ordered a Yaris Hybrid today, expecting delivery early January.

Test drove one yesterday then again today before deciding yeah, this is a very nice car.

I have bought an Icon trim level spec and upgraded the head unit to the touch go Nav version.

I shall update once I've had it a few days with a quick review.

Quick question if I may -

Can cruise control be retro fitted or is it a no go? (Wiring connectors in the loom - just connect a switch?)

[CPN]

I very much doubt that's possible. There's a bit more to it with cruise control than just "a switch"...

[Madasafish]

Cruise control works from speedometer (to set the speed), brake (to disconnect cruise control) and accleator (to increse/decrease fuel flow to keep a onstant feed).

On a hybrid, likely to be very complex. If it ain't designed for the specific car, it's unlikely to work - and may interfere with other functions. Modern car electronics are very complex.