New (Ish) Yaris Excel Hybrid

[Riggers 116]

I'm soon to be taking delivery of a 6 month old ex demonstrator with 4k miles on it. Is there anything I should be paying close attention to in my pick up inspection?

Once I've got the thing any quirks I should be aware of?

This is my first hybrid, any tips for getting the best out of it?

We got 78.5mpg with mixed back road and motorway driving including some queuing, during our test drive, Is that fairly typical?

Does the B setting on the transmission apply the physical brakes or the regenerative braking system?

Thanks

Riggers

[CPN]

As regards the B setting, it's the one time when the ICE actually helps the electric system and not the more normal "other way around". It is primarily for use when descending long steep hills and adds normal petrol engine "braking" to the normal regenerative braking that hybrid units offer (you'll hear a rise in ICE engine rpm when using it)....... And no, physical brakes are not used for this process at all.

[Riggers 116]

Thanks for the explanation, much better than the salesman managed.

Riggers

[MEP's Yaris GS]

Don't use B mode though unless you risk cooking the friction brakes, just sit it in the recharge area if the display on a long hill decent if you can do so while still maintaining safe control of the car, and B wastes energy and as a result will not get you the best of MPGs if overly used too often.

[Rob. S]

I read somewhere (but have lost the link) that when descending a long hill, the Battery will reach full charge, and thus no re-gen braking. All braking forces then go through the discs, and - as Jonathan has indicated in the previous post- you risk overheating them. With 'B' mode selected, the engine is engaged [but not actually 'firing'] thus giving additional engine braking.

I'm not suggesting that this is the definitive explanation.... but I think is more plausible than what the salesman told me. "You only use 'B' mode when towing."

[CPN]

That salesman needs to read the official Toyota manual because that is rubbish!

[Riggers 116]

Thanks guys . I understand it now. It seems like some sales staff need better training.

Any tips on getting the most out of the car? We do a couple of short (1 mile) runs each week followed by a longer trip a few days later. Is it wise to do the short runs on batteries only then recharge them on the long run? I'm hoping to avoid having the engine doing lots of short cold runs. That's hammering our MPG on our conventional car.

Riggers

[Rob. S]

I'm not so sure that you'll be able to do a short trip on just the Battery.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

Don't force the car into EV using the button other than to show off or move the car on the drive. Using EV mode will result in the engine working harder when it does kick in to recharge the Battery, killing MPG.

On short journeys just drive the car normally, and leave heating off if less than a mile I'd have said. Short journeys in any car will unfortunately cripple MPG, unless you've a Prius plug-in etc.

Remember ultimately that you've an Electrically Assisted car and not an EV.

[Seamaster73]

I have had a Prius for four years and never used B yet.

[dcweather]

Crikey - 78.5 mpg! Carry on with what you did then. We've only had ours during the winter so far and driving on journeys up to 5 miles around town gives about 46mpg on the computer. I am a very economical driver judging from my previous vehicles so am hoping to improve on longer runs and in the summer and when it's run in. To be honest i didn't get that in my diesel on that journey. Plus surely average mpg as calculated by the computer over a short journey will surely give a low value because it is starting at 0 mpg and will take longer to nullify the initial low values of the first few hundred metres.

Dave