Next Prius Model?

[johalareewi]

The honest answer is we don't know if the new Rav Hybrid will be plugin,

My money is on "not a plugin" (in the UK anyway).

[MEP's Yaris GS]

I think a RAV sized hybrid is more then most people want, it would be a bit too large for me,

I'd agree, yet a lot seem to think the outlander PHEV is a direct competitor for the PiP even though this same principal applies in my opinion.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I think a RAV sized hybrid is more then most people want, it would be a bit too large for me,

I'd agree, yet a lot seem to think the outlander PHEV is a direct competitor for the PiP even though this same principal applies in my opinion.

So what IS a direct competitor to the PIP?

Anything that's similar sized, similar powered and similar economy is classed as different, so what IS the PIPs competitor? The Outlander is a PHEV and of similar size and cost, yet is not close enough. I'm waiting to hear of a similar sized plug in vehicle that does compare.

[RunningInPleasePass]

I think a RAV sized hybrid is more then most people want, it would be a bit too large for me,

I'd agree, yet a lot seem to think the outlander PHEV is a direct competitor for the PiP even though this same principal applies in my opinion.

So what IS a direct competitor to the PIP?

Anything that's similar sized, similar powered and similar economy is classed as different, so what IS the PIPs competitor? The Outlander is a PHEV and of similar size and cost, yet is not close enough. I'm waiting to hear of a similar sized plug in vehicle that does compare.

Audi e-tron

[RunningInPleasePass]

And a golf:

http://www.nextgreencar.com/view-car/53975/VW-Golf-1.4-TSI-GTE-DSG-Plug-in-Petrol-Hybrid-Automatic-6-speed

Only trouble is you have to suffer VAG Dealers if you own one!

[MEP's Yaris GS]

As Kevin has said GC.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Hmmm. You're both right :(

Hate VW group products so must blank them from my mind. Not sure about the triple clutch set up they're introducing on the new GTE plug in Golf. If the dual clutch gearbox is a bag of spanners waiting to explode, God knows what will happen with three!

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/about-us/news/583

"The Golf GTE uses a six-speed DSG gearbox with a triple-clutch system specially developed for hybrid vehicles."

[Duffryn]

Yet people still buy'em.

What is is about these German makes - VW, BMW, Audi, Porsche, MB et al - that so endears them to the British public? Germany must possess the most effective propaganda machine ever. Pick up any car mag. these days and it's full of b....y German cars, the journalists seem to search out every last detail spec change to get all excited over and to fill their pages with. (That'll be the journalists that don't have to dig in their own pockets to buy and run their cars of course!)

I'll take a Toyota over a like-for-like German car any day of the week. Rant over.

[RunningInPleasePass]

German cars look like a quality product, look inside an Audi A3 and it looks like the interior of a car costing twice as much, that's what sells them.

German cars look good, but in my experience they are below average for reliability, and the dealers are poor, Toyota cars look cheaper, but are more reliable, and the dealers are far better!

[Grumpy Cabbie]

German cars look like a quality product, look inside an Audi A3 and it looks like the interior of a car costing twice as much, that's what sells them.

German cars look good, but in my experience they are below average for reliability, and the dealers are poor, Toyota cars look cheaper, but are more reliable, and the dealers are far better!

I think that's it.

Japanese manufactuers or perhaps that should be cars manufactured in Japan spend their money on quality running parts and sh*te interiors. The Germans spend more on the interiors and less on the running gear.

Result = Japanese cars run for ever and are very reliable but inside they rattle like an old bus. And German cars have lovely interiors but spend half their life up a ramp at the uninterested and unsympathetic (and expensive) dealers.

[Duffryn]

Totally agree. Back in the early 70's a mate of mine bought a new Beetle, very spartan inside of course but oh so well built, at least compared to my Hillman Imp it was!! (Blimey, did I really own one of those? )

[PeteB]

...Japanese manufacturers or perhaps that should be cars manufactured in Japan spend their money on quality running parts and sh*te interiors...

Know what you mean - both the Yaris I bought in 2000 and the one in 2011 were made in France and both had problems.

At least the 2011 got sorted out professionally by my Norwich dealer, whereas the 2000 one was full of faults when delivered and had loads more over the two years I had it. The North London dealer I used then took at least 3 visits to fix almost every problem, and was well up to the standard of a 1970s BL dealer!

If I hadn't been so taken with the concept of the Prius, I would have never touched Toyota again after my first experience.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

...Japanese manufacturers or perhaps that should be cars manufactured in Japan spend their money on quality running parts and sh*te interiors...

Know what you mean - both the Yaris I bought in 2000 and the one in 2011 were made in France and both had problems.

At least the 2011 got sorted out professionally by my Norwich dealer, whereas the 2000 one was full of faults when delivered and had loads more over the two years I had it. The North London dealer I used then took at least 3 visits to fix almost every problem, and was well up to the standard of a 1970s BL dealer!

If I hadn't been so taken with the concept of the Prius, I would have never touched Toyota again after my first experience.

Your mk1 Yaris would have been Jap imported, they were all Jap builds until 2002 when production moved to France for Europe Yaris'.

Our March 2001 Yaris was Jap built.

[PeteB]

...Japanese manufacturers or perhaps that should be cars manufactured in Japan spend their money on quality running parts and sh*te interiors...

Know what you mean - both the Yaris I bought in 2000 and the one in 2011 were made in France and both had problems.

At least the 2011 got sorted out professionally by my Norwich dealer, whereas the 2000 one was full of faults when delivered and had loads more over the two years I had it. The North London dealer I used then took at least 3 visits to fix almost every problem, and was well up to the standard of a 1970s BL dealer!

If I hadn't been so taken with the concept of the Prius, I would have never touched Toyota again after my first experience.

Your mk1 Yaris would have been Jap imported, they were all Jap builds until 2002 when production moved to France for Europe Yaris'.

Our March 2001 Yaris was Jap built.

OK, learn something new every day ... I'm even more shocked now - it was such a rubbish car, and very expensive - top of range 1.3 CDX with auto, crude SatNav and a few other toys, came to over £16k in March 2000! (got £2k discount for cash though).

[MEP's Yaris GS]

£16k :o

And I thought in hindsight that £9.5k for parents GS 5-door was expensive. Was the Satnav on them as bad as it looked in the handbook then?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

£16k :o

And I thought in hindsight that £9.5k for parents GS 5-door was expensive. Was the Satnav on them as bad as it looked in the handbook then?

I think he must have bumped his head. There is no way a Yaris would cost £16k in 2000. I bought my Prius in 2009 for £17,500 - well that was the official price ;)

[PeteB]

... Was the Satnav on them as bad as it looked in the handbook then?

I thought it was ok when it worked, based on what was available at the time. Data on a CD in a unit under the passenger seat, UK only. No moving maps, just the grey/black LCD radio display, showed a symbol and distance to the next instruction, and ETA/distance to destination. when arriving at an instruction, it displayed a plan view with a long arrow showing the path to be taken, and a pointer showing where the car was. Also a small arrow showing the heading to the destination.

There was even a gyroscope and links to the car's speedo - it was interesting to see it reacting correctly when in an underground car park!

The voice guidance was good though, and there was a choice of three levels of verbosity.

One quirk; it would sometimes show a left turn on the straight road, and direct you into a layby, followed by another turn to exit back o0nto the main road!

After 18 months it started plotting the car about 200-300 yards behind where it actually was, so in built-up areas it was quite hard to use. After about my fourth visit to the dealer, I even took some video camera footage (taken from the back seat while my partner drove) so you could see that the view through the windscreen really didn't match the display (which showed progress around a roundabout over 200 yards after it had been passed). The dealer tried to tell me it was within acceptable tolerance!

The Mk 1 Prius had a DVD-based Europe wide system that used the colour display and was closer to a modern system, but cost £2,500 extra! I don't think they sold many.

When I bought my ex-demo Prius, I also spent £1000 on an HP/Compaq Nav kit which comprised an iPaq pocket PC (running pocket Windows), a slide-on Jacket with a SatNav aerial, a windscreen mount, power lead and UK maps on a Compact Flash card.

[PeteB]

£16k :o

And I thought in hindsight that £9.5k for parents GS 5-door was expensive. Was the Satnav on them as bad as it looked in the handbook then?

I think he must have bumped his head. There is no way a Yaris would cost £16k in 2000. I bought my Prius in 2009 for £17,500 - well that was the official price ;)

Have a look at http://www.biwel.com/pmb01/20000324 Yaris Invoice.pdf

You'll see it was £60 shy of £14k - that was with over £2k discount already taken off!

The Gen 1 Prius was £16½k throughout it's life, the Gen 2 T3 was £17½k, which carried through to the Gen 3 T3 to start with...

[PeteB]

Bear in mind when the Prius was launched in the UK in 2000, it was said Toyota lost £4k on each one they sold.

It wasn't until about 2005/6 they reportedly started making a bit of a profit on them.

From the early 1990s cars were much more overpriced in the UK, which was why there was so much of a personal import business - people were even buying British built Austin Allegros in Belgium and driving them back home to save money!!!

My former partner bought (well, actually, I bought!) a 3 door 1.0 Nissan Micra in 1998 with CVT auto and power steering, but no electric windows, no A/C, no central locking, no ABS, one airbag and not much else (it did have a sunroof!) for £10k!

[FROSTYBALLS]

According to the Honest John review, the Yaris T-Sport was launched in March 2001 with a list price of £11,995.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

According to the Honest John review, the Yaris T_Sport was launched in March 2001 with a list price of £11,995.

And that's why I take a lot of honest John's stuff with a very small pinch of salt.

[FROSTYBALLS]

I know that Toyota's weren't particularly cheap in the late 90's. We looked at buying a new Yaris as a second car two or three times, but dismissed it each time as being too expensive for what it offered.

New cars we bought around that time for use as a second car, included a new Corolla 1.3GS 3 door in 1998 which had a list price of £11,995, and a new Honda Civic 1.4 SE 3 door which had a list price of £11,840. These prices were taken from our new car invoices before delivery charges, any extras and discount. We had a £3,172 discount on the Civic.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

£16k :o

And I thought in hindsight that £9.5k for parents GS 5-door was expensive. Was the Satnav on them as bad as it looked in the handbook then?

I think he must have bumped his head. There is no way a Yaris would cost £16k in 2000. I bought my Prius in 2009 for £17,500 - well that was the official price ;)

Have a look at http://www.biwel.com/pmb01/20000324 Yaris Invoice.pdf

You'll see it was £60 shy of £14k - that was with over £2k discount already taken off!

The Gen 1 Prius was £16½k throughout it's life, the Gen 2 T3 was £17½k, which carried through to the Gen 3 T3 to start with...

And then got greedy to the point we're the wrong side of £22k. And sales are now less than 2005. Shame.

[kithmo]

From the early 1990s cars were much more overpriced in the UK, which was why there was so much of a personal import business - people were even buying British built Austin Allegros in Belgium and driving them back home to save money!!!

Austin Allegro making it all the way back from Belgium ? Pull the other one

[FROSTYBALLS]

From the early 1990s cars were much more overpriced in the UK, which was why there was so much of a personal import business - people were even buying British built Austin Allegros in Belgium and driving them back home to save money!!!

Austin Allegro making it all the way back from Belgium ? Pull the other one

Strange - as the Allegro ended production in 1982 .........