Is Auris Hybrid A Good Motorway Option

[Funkyboy]

Hi All,

I'm looking to buy a hybrid and fancy the auris (old shape) I do 80 miles a day 90% motorway the journey in is mostly stop start do to the volume of traffic so I think the hybrid would cope nicely with that. The journey home is a clear motorway run so would I lose economy? Also do you think the Auris is a suitable commuting car (I'm looking at the t-spirit) I've tried the Prius but think the auris t-spirit drives and feels better. I want to avoid the diesel option for the long term issues they give.

Thanks

[MEP's Yaris GS]

Prius will give you the best over all MPG from what I've seen on here, but the Auris should be a good choice, MPG will still be good, even when cruising on clear roads, so don't let that put you off :)

[Cyker]

Diesel'd probably give you better mileage for the long motorway parts depending on the engine size (The 1.4D4D is hard to beat!) and probably be cheaper to buy but the HSD'd do very well too as long as you keep a nice and steady pace, and the cheaper price of petrol should make it close or cheaper to run even if the mpg is slightly less.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I drove 200 miles to London on the M1 keeping up with the traffic (read 80 mph), drove through central London in heavy traffic, had a day out, drove 200 miles back home at 80 mph displayed. I don't hang around, I overtake, I chill. I returned about 56 mpg. If you get less than 50 mpg something's wrong and if you get less than 45 mpg you're hammering it - hard.

I have a Prius which the Auris hsd is pretty much based on and it will happily sit at 90 mph (so I'm told ). The one thing at those sorts of speeds that is a negative is that if you floor it to overtake the engine will rev a bit. Normally the engine is quite quiet at most times, but flooring it at 80/90 mph does make it rev for a few seconds.

The only way to really tell if you could live with an Auris HSD is to test drive one. When I was considering my Prius I did think long and hard about what if this, or will it do that. It does. People think the hybrid is strange and weird because they've never had one and might have heard some nonsense on TopGear or in the pub. I would never go back to a traditional car unless I had to. Sitting at the traffic lights in total silence with your a/c or heat running with the engine off, or crawling along for 2 miles at 3 mph in that tailback into the town centre in total silence really is a joy and takes the stress out of the daily commute.

£zero car tax with a smooth, quiet automatic transmission car is nice too. I appreciate a hybrid isn't for everyone, in the same way motorbikes aren't. But they hold their value so maybe give one a punt and see if you like. Any questions, fire away.

[PeteB]

and when I do that sort of journey in my Prius I tend to stick to 60/70 on the clock, and generally get around 68-73 mpg on the display for a 250-300 mile round trip (which is on average about 3½ mpg optimistic based on calculated tankfuls), although a bit less in the winter..

I certainly find the Hybrid relaxing, and if you squeeze rather than stamp on the accelerator when going to or near full power, it will be a bit less revvy.

If you're the type that's constantly flooring it to get past people, you may not be so enamoured, but a lot of drivers find once they've bought one they become more chilled drivers, not because the car won't go, but because either they become preoccupied with improving their mpg (which the gauges shout at you) or simply the smoothness makes them feel less impatient.

[johalareewi]

The journey home is a clear motorway run so would I lose economy?

Short answer = No.

Long answer = Toyota hybrids do not go into gas guzzle mode as soon as you hit the open road.

Driving at constant speed along a clear motorway, the hybrid system will still only use fuel when it needs to.

Also do you think the Auris is a suitable commuting car (I'm looking at the t-spirit) I've tried the Prius but think the auris t-spirit drives and feels better.

Yes.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

A lot of people think a hybrid uses electric in town at 30 mph and then runs as a normal petrol automatic car above that speed. They wrongly assume it would then be only getting about 30 mpg.

The Toyota hybrid system (much different to the Honda system) blends the electric across the entire speed range with the benefit of great economy at all speeds, including motorways. The explanations of exactly how this occurs is complicated, but it works as shown by real owners experiences of economy.

[RunningInPleasePass]

A hybrid will give good MPG on a motorway with no trouble, and are in their element in slow nose to tail traffic.

Hybrids feel a little different, but are very relaxing, and I would prefer it to any other type of car after having one for over a year now.

If I was you, and you can afford it, think again about a Prius, it's a bigger car, and it will beat the Auris in a MPG contest, they are also very aerodynamic which keeps the wind noise down on a motorway.

Try and borrow one from a dealer and take it on your regular run.

[ToyotaAuris]

Why not think of Petrol Auris 2010 onwards? My 1.33 returns a healthy 51-53 MPG on motorway miles, nearly same as hybrid and costs alot less!

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Hmmm, you entirely sure about that? The official mpg figures for that car don't suggest 53 mpg at 70 mph. I hear what you're saying about relative cost savings in purchase price etc, but there are differences. The 1.3 only has 99 bhp compared to 134 blended, 6 speed manual compared to an auto and a combined fuel economy of 48 mpg at 55 mph compared to 70+mpg at 50 mph. At 70 mph, economy on the Auris hsd improves to mid 50's.

There's a reason why Toyota hybrids hold their value.Try finding a 5 year old Prius for less than £7,000 or £8,000 with less than 100k miles on it. These cars were £17,500 new.

But I guess the OP has their reasons, though they have gone quiet since their original post.

[kithmo]

A work colleague had a mark one Auris hybrid as a company car when they first came out and averaged 55mpg on his 30 mile, 70-80 mph blast up and down the M1 everyday, without even trying.

His previous company car a Diesel Mini One averaged 51mpg on the same journey.

[Funkyboy]

Hmmm, you entirely sure about that? The official mpg figures for that car don't suggest 53 mpg at 70 mph. I hear what you're saying about relative cost savings in purchase price etc, but there are differences. The 1.3 only has 99 bhp compared to 134 blended, 6 speed manual compared to an auto and a combined fuel economy of 48 mpg at 55 mph compared to 70+mpg at 50 mph. At 70 mph, economy on the Auris hsd improves to mid 50's.

There's a reason why Toyota hybrids hold their value.Try finding a 5 year old Prius for less than £7,000 or £8,000 with less than 100k miles on it. These cars were £17,500 new.

But I guess the OP has their reasons, though they have gone quiet since their original post.

Hi guys thanks for the feedback you've convinced me to try a Prius. I did test drive a Prius last year for the wife but older models. The gen 2 was really good .2-3 year old gen 3 I tried was a bit rattly. I will contact my local Toyota dealer and ask for a 24 hr test drive (don't know if they do this) totally agree about the price they've actually gone up since I last looked. I have seen though on drive the deal that I can get a new plugin for 23k (they are doing massive discounts on new Prius) or 22k for a t3 with leather and nav (I think the ride may be better on the fatter tyres of the t3)

I've currently got a 06 plate XJ diesel but my next car has to be petrol due to the issues all diesels eventually get. I'm attracted by the reliability economy and the fact there's hardly any stress on the wearable components on the Prius.

Only thing is I've been spoilt by how quiet my car is on the motorway no wind road or tyre noise. Do any of the Prius's have a decent sound system?

I will let you all know how I get on.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

A new shape gen4 Prius is due to come out later this year so might be worth taking that into account in any discounts.

The Prius doesn't have a great sound system. Acceptable but not decent. I think some have a JDL system which is meant to be much better but I think it's limited to the top end model.

Regarding how loud the car is for wind noise, well it's not the best but I think half of that is because the car is so quiet normally. But it's something you're best trying yourself. One thing, just drive the car normally and don't try to coax the car to stay in electric to get better economy - the opposite happens - see other threads.

Oh and not sure if this is your thing or not but the Lexus CT200h is about £100 less to buy than the base Prius.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

Hmmm, you entirely sure about that? The official mpg figures for that car don't suggest 53 mpg at 70 mph. I hear what you're saying about relative cost savings in purchase price etc, but there are differences. The 1.3 only has 99 bhp compared to 134 blended, 6 speed manual compared to an auto and a combined fuel economy of 48 mpg at 55 mph compared to 70+mpg at 50 mph. At 70 mph, economy on the Auris hsd improves to mid 50's.

There's a reason why Toyota hybrids hold their value.Try finding a 5 year old Prius for less than £7,000 or £8,000 with less than 100k miles on it. These cars were £17,500 new.

But I guess the OP has their reasons, though they have gone quiet since their original post.

Hi guys thanks for the feedback you've convinced me to try a Prius. I did test drive a Prius last year for the wife but older models. The gen 2 was really good .2-3 year old gen 3 I tried was a bit rattly. I will contact my local Toyota dealer and ask for a 24 hr test drive (don't know if they do this) totally agree about the price they've actually gone up since I last looked. I have seen though on drive the deal that I can get a new plugin for 23k (they are doing massive discounts on new Prius) or 22k for a t3 with leather and nav (I think the ride may be better on the fatter tyres of the t3)

I've currently got a 06 plate XJ diesel but my next car has to be petrol due to the issues all diesels eventually get. I'm attracted by the reliability economy and the fact there's hardly any stress on the wearable components on the Prius.

Only thing is I've been spoilt by how quiet my car is on the motorway no wind road or tyre noise. Do any of the Prius's have a decent sound system?

I will let you all know how I get on.

At £23k the PiP would be a steal in my opinion, and is as good, if not better than the t-spirit with heated front seats and the JBL sound system as standard.

Also seems to return better MPG in HV mode than the none plug-in due to being a Li-ion Battery. The worst MPG I've had without charging on a tank of fuel in my PiP was 70MPG (manual brim to brim calculation) without driving like a saint.

[Chris Dance]

Early Gen 3s had many rattles. Our previous 2011 model only had a small rattle on very rough roads. Our 2014 model has no rattles and is very smooth running. I am getting 65MPG on most decent length journeys. The prius is easy and relaxing to drive. GC has given very good information on how to drive a hybrid. Remember the car is a computer on wheels. I highly recommend a Prius preferably a T Spirit 2011 or later model. Good luck in your purchase.

[PeteB]

... I highly recommend a Prius preferably a T Spirit 2011 or later model...

My 2012 T3 is also rattle free and very smooth.

Regarding which is the best model, I guess it's horses for courses:

T3:

has 15" wheels which give better aerodynamics, CO2 and mpg plus less road noise and smoother ride. They cost about £40 less per corner than the 17" of the T4/Spirit for tyres. Also, more chance of storing a flat one under the boot floor if you have to change a wheel - can be a godsend if you get a flat while carrying a lot of luggage.

Not badly equipped, especially if, like my ex-demo, it has the built-in satnav. If you miss cruise control, it can be added (only the switch is missing) - I've had that done too, plus my dealer also fitted heated seats (now wasted since my Mum went into a nursing home) and parking sensors both ends,

T3 has heated, electrically folding mirrors, head up display, bluetooth, running lights, front fogs, rear camera, climate control, alarm, keyless entry (driver's door only) and start, and personally, I think the audio system is quite good (but hardly ever have it on because I find the Prius so tranquil!).

Personally, I find not having auto wipers a bonus, as I prefer the variable intermittent that is lost on models with auto wipers.

The only thing the T-Spirit has that appeals to me is the option of paying extra for the Technology Pack, that gives extra safety features and wonderful adaptive (radar controlled) cruise control. I would have bought a T-Spirit brand new just for that if I could have one with 15" wheels, but the 17" wheels and auto wipers are more than I can put up with.

T4

mainly adds cruise control, 17" wheels, auto wipers, full smart entry, better audio

T-Spirit

mainly ads (to T4 spec) auto LED headlights with wash (wash should be a legal requirement on all cars IMHO, preferably with wipers too), satnav, auto rear view mirror

Has option for sun roof with solar panels to run fan in hot weather and remote activation of aircon - I'd like the solar panels, but not the sunroof. This version should come with 15" wheels (and no space saver spare) but at least one of our members ordered one and it came with 17" wheels (which he seems to have gown to like because of their appearance).

Plug-in

like T3 (including 15" wheels), but with satnav, better audio, cruise control, heated front seats, LED headlamps with washers, full smart entry, auto wipers

this would be my favourite, especially with some of the deals available (I'd check out ex-demo too), BUT I absolutely won't go without a spare wheel. Some people have bought a space saver (with difficulty in some cases, as a few dealers seem reluctant to sell them if they know it's for a plug-in). That's ok if you're prepared to lose a lot of boot space, as the plugin loses the under floor storage for both spare wheel and a couple of cubic feet (at least) or extra storage.

I know I get a bit boring about this, but I once drove a company 2007 Gen 2 Prius with a plug in conversion - it not only did 3 times as much EV as the current (no pun!) model, but the tiny firm that did the conversion still managed to leave space for a space saver under the boot floor!

As I said, horses for courses

I'll stick with my T3 for now, eagerly awaiting the Gen 4, but I don't think it will be available to buy in the UK until well into next year. Even then, I wait with a mixture of eagerness and trepidation:

Gen 4 holy grail (for me) = 4 wheel drive plug-in with sensible wheels and a spare wheel with somewhere other than the boot to store it, still has some oddments space in the front of the car (Toyota seems to be minimising that as cars get face-lifted) and digital instruments (my one year in a non Hybrid in 2011 proved to me that I can't cope with 'old fashioned' instruments any more (after 15 years and over 300,000 miles with digital ones)).

[Chris Dance]

I know it was sales talk so that I would buy a new 2014 Prius but the salesman stated he thought the Gen 4 and all future Toyota new models would not come with a spare wheel!! My mate who lives in York got the same message from his dealer. We shall have to wait and see.

I agree with PeteB do not get a car with no spare wheel. My neice in her newish Ford was recently stuck on the side of the road at midnight with a useless can of gunge in her hand and no spare wheel. It was about 4AM before she got recovered.

I had a flat on my other Prius (early hours of the morning) but because the Prius has a "skinny" I called the AA and in a short while was on my way at a slow speed.

[PeteB]

It's surprising how many people don't even know their new car doesn't have a spare wheel until they get caught out!

Now between the late 1990s and 2010 I had some 14 punctures, at least 4 or which wouldn't have stood a chance with the gunge (especially a blow out where there was no rubber left on the rim by the time I stopped!).

Since then, I've had just one in my present car and 1 in the previous car.

All that's in nearly 400,000 miles.

Tyres are getting better, and punctures less frequent than 20 or 30 years ago, and one day they may become so "bullet proof" it does become acceptable to forego the spare, but whether that happens in my lifetime remains to be seen.

Maybe one day we'll have a 3D printer in the boot and can make a new one on the spot!

[PeteB]

... the salesman stated he thought the Gen 4 and all future Toyota new models would not come with a spare wheel!! My mate who lives in York got the same message from his dealer...

at least on some current models (Yaris, Auris) they are listed (on the web site) as optional extras - that's acceptable in my book, if not ideal

[redadair]

Interesting read guys, I use my 2014 auris icon+ HSD and regulary get above 62mpg. I'd recommend the Auris, superb small car but I think you have already made up your mind on the prius :)

[PeteB]

... I'd recommend the Auris, superb small car but I think you have already made up your mind on the prius :)

again, horses for...

my Prius is far too big for me, a Mk 1 or 2 Yaris was perfect - if only I could have a Mk 1 or 2 Yaris with the Hybrid system inserted - I made a very expensive mistake buying a top of the range Yaris in 2011 after 10 years and ¼ million miles of Hybrids, and two years before that in a Yaris with digital instruments - I found I REALLY hated going back to old fashion dials (there's that Marmite again!) and was fatally addicted to Hybrids.

Sadly the Mk 3 Yaris doesn't do it for me personally because:

1. don't like the instruments and loss of HUD and top dash MFD
2. I spend a lot of time in my car and carry a few bits and pieces around - I simply couldn't live with the Yaris minimalist storage (1 tiny glovebox) - the old models were best in class
3. rear is too cramped and the rear roof too low - the sliding rear seats in the Mk 1 & 2 gave more passenger space than an Auris when you didn't need a big boot

Ruled out the Auris for the instruments mainly, but nice to drive.

Having had the Prius with it's head up display I'm surprised how useful I find this - now very reluctant to do without one and only look at the main instrument cluster about 5% of the time

Lucky we're all different or there'd be one hell of a waiting list for the Prius...

[CPN]

PeteB said... "has 15" wheels which give better aerodynamics"

I keep seeing this assertion on these forums and I'm curious...

You are aware that with 16" (or even 17" for that matter) rims matched to the correct sizing of tyre (usually a lower profile), the resulting wheel combo can be matched just about exactly to be the same rolling circumference and width as its 15" counterpart? So my question, why do you think that 15" wheels "give better aerodynamics" when the overall outer size is the same? (only the inner rim space/clearance of the brakes will be different... ½" all round for 16s?)

[PeteB]

As well as the differences on CO2 and mpg quoted for the T3 and the T4/Spirit Prius, the drag coefficient goes up ... [continued below]

[CPN]

That doesn't really answer my question? If that is the case (and I'm guessing that's quoted from the sales blurb) then they haven't done a very good job of matching to the 15" wheel have they?

[PeteB]

Sorry sent before finsihed! Big fingers on small phone!

... drag coefficient goes up from 0.25 to 0.27. Whilst it's possible extra equipment may weigh slightly more, the only external difference is the wheel/tyres, which I think are wider with the 17" ones, hence increased frontal area