considering buying an auris touring hybrid

[MetManMark]

Evening all

We are thinking of buying a nearly new auris touring hybrid. The other car that we are considering is a petrol civic tourer. We live in Devon and do something like 10k miles a year. We tend not to do much town driving - it mostly rural B roads plus the occasional motorway trip ~1hr and a visit or two to Brittany to visit in-laws.

I like the idea of a hybrid using the energy otherwise wasted during braking but:

• Is it worth it given the we don't do that many miles / we don't do much town driving?
• Reviews often complain about the engine noise when accelerating to join slip roads etc?
• How would the maintenance costs compare with a regular petrol car (ie both likely repairs required and also annual servicing costs)?
• We tend to keep our cars from nearly new till they die (currently have a 18year old saab 9-3)? how would the long term reliability compare with the civic?
• We have two young children (2&5yrs). Both civic and auris are pretty similar in size so no major differences to consider. Over time we may end up acting as a taxi company for the children doing lots of short trips.

 

Our current car (normally aspirated 2L saab 9-3) isn't exactly a sports car. However, it does have enough power to get you out of trouble. Would the auris be able to do likewise or do you have to totally change your driving style?

 

Thanks in advance.

Mark

 

PS We intend to test drive both cars in the coming months but your comments in advance would be much appreciated.

 

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Hello Mark - welcome to Toyota Owners Club.

Moved to the Auris club.

[MetManMark]

I should say that I suggested to my Mum in 2005 that she buy a toyota yaris. It is a 1.3 and it has proven to be reliable and massively enjoyable to drive with just the right amount of power to put a smile on your face.

Mark

[eygo]

with you living in devon i am going to presume its quiet hilly where you live and to be honest

you will be using petrol more than electric when going up the hills

hybrid is in its element on levelish ground and speeds up to 45 mph

i feel your best bet would be to have a 24hr test drive to get a proper feel 

for the car,on a positive note i doubt you would pay any road tax on the auris.

[FROSTYBALLS]

As well as the hybrid, have a look at the 1.2T, which replaced the 1.6 petrol in 2015.

[Anthony Poli]

5 hours ago, eygo said:

with you living in devon i am going to presume its quiet hilly where you live and to be honest

you will be using petrol more than electric when going up the hills

hybrid is in its element on levelish ground and speeds up to 45 mph

i feel your best bet would be to have a 24hr test drive to get a proper feel 

for the car,on a positive note i doubt you would pay any road tax on the auris.

You will also use less petrol and electric when you come back down the hills ;-)

 

[Anthony Poli]

Hi Mark,

When you join the motorway, you can hear the speed increase. It is something that is only heard while getting to your desired speed and it settles back to normal once your cruising. 

It is was of the things Reviewers love to knock the cars for, also they often say they the cars are sluggish. I rarely take the car out of eco, just push my foot down far enough and it pulls away fast enough for me.

Like others have said get one for an extended test drive, let the car sell itself or not.

 

[nielshm]

The Auris Hybrid comes with an automatic CVT gearbox. What about the Civic, do you consider spending extra to get a automatic? I think the Civics automatic gearbox is a traditional one, with fixed gears. 

Anyway, its nearly impossible to compare a Civic petrol engine to a Auris Hybrid. The Civic will feel a lot faster and more sporty. You can't drive the Auris in the same way, the car wont feel as powerfull, and the CVT wont give the car a sporty feeling. 

I have the Auris 1.2t multidrive (cvt), I mostly enjoy that the car is very quiet. The engine is almost impossible to hear, but with the gearbox it wont ever be a sportscar. The engine have a nice torque at low revs, with prevents the gearbox from shifting to low gears and high revs when accelerating. 

[MetManMark]

If we were to buy the civic it would be a manual. We have no real need for an auto - it is just that if we were to go for a hybrid this isn't an option!

M

[Classic Iron]

You definitely need a long test drive, I think they are a love or hate thing. Mine is averaging around 50mpg  (real not trip computer which says 53), My regular runs are motorway / A road which do not really suit it for economy. Having said that it is returning almost the same average mpg as the Octavia 1.6tdi which it replaced. The bonus is around town it easily achieves 60 to 70 mpg on a journey.  Last weekend we were up in the Peak District - Motorway there, then A roads B roads, hills, traffic jams, 4 adults, fully loaded boot and roof box - averaged 62mpg  which I  was impressed with. As Anthony Poli says  above for every hill you climb on petrol power you come down on electric, you're also charging the Battery going up or down.

The petrol engine does get noisy when accelerating hard (not as bad as motoring press reviews) but once up to speed they are very quiet cars. They feel to me a lot nicer to drive in normal or power mode as they are more responsive. Having said that, mine is in eco mode 95% of the time.

[unclepoo]

If you`re looking for a Auris, the best in the range is the the HSD Hybrid...it`s as simple as that. As good mpg as a diesel, without sounding like a bus, much better mpg than the petrol models, the HSD drive/cvt/gearbox, call it what you will is great, smooth, quiet, it just works without any drama. As for performance or acceleration, press the power button and put your foot down from the traffic lights, it may surprise you, and others too....no lack of performance at all.

[Anthony Poli]

4 hours ago, unclepoo said:

If you`re looking for a Auris, the best in the range is the the HSD Hybrid...it`s as simple as that. As good mpg as a diesel, without sounding like a bus, much better mpg than the petrol models, the HSD drive/cvt/gearbox, call it what you will is great, smooth, quiet, it just works without any drama. As for performance or acceleration, press the power button and put your foot down from the traffic lights, it may surprise you, and others too....no lack of performance at all.

Don't forget you also have stealth mode, one trick a diesal can't do. ;-)

[pmf]

Hi Mark, I have a 2014 auris exel hybrid TS. Prior to that I had a Prius so have done over 100,000 miles in a Hybrid. In my experience, reliability wise I have never had any breakdowns in that time, never had any hybrid power train or hybrid Battery issues. On the prius I did have to replace wheel bearings, brakes, exhaust,  broken road spring etc, the usual stuff you expect given the mileage covered. Servicing costs I don't think are that different from any other car it's size. You can check Toyotas servicing menus to get an idea.

I use a lot on country roads and find it an easy car to drive. Fuel economy is I believe better than petrol only, probably not as good as a diesel particularly on country roads and motorways but I think the hybrid a cleaner option but it is a car so I'm making no environmental claims.

When the car goes into power mode on the economy meter the engine noise can sound harsh but your usually not in that range for too long as you usually go into that range when accelerating quickly, probably most noticeable when accelerating on a hill. Driving a Toyota hybrid is in general easy and normally offers a relaxed drive. The car does have a good pick up from a standing start such as traffic lights, no clutch or gears to slow you down. However I wouldn't claim it to be sporty.

I like the Auris TS and have no regrets. In my opinion it's a roomy practical car and suitable as a family car. As others have mentioned a test drive is essential to help you decide if a Toyota hybrid and an Auris TS ìs for you and give you an idea of fuel consumption with your driving style.  My criticisms are minor, no separate rear passenger heating/cooling ducts, no spare wheel , but I did buy a Toyota spare wheel spacesaver kit for mine. I also have the Toyota rear hitch fitted which takes a  Toyota bike carrier, so great for carrying bikes and I fitted a Toyota cargo mat and rear bumper protector for the dog getting in and out, so made mine as practical as possible overall for my use.

Pete

[unclepoo]

There also seems to be a question mark about how suitable a hybrid is for motorway use....I`d say they`re great. The best I`ve achieved is 72mpg on a 400+ mile round trip that included M1 and M25 stop start traffic, and 62mpg with 4 adults and a boot full of luggage. The new mk4 prius is supposed to be even more efficient. 

[Anthony Poli]

1 hour ago, unclepoo said:

There also seems to be a question mark about how suitable a hybrid is for motorway use....I`d say they`re great. The best I`ve achieved is 72mpg on a 400+ mile round trip that included M1 and M25 stop start traffic, and 62mpg with 4 adults and a boot full of luggage. The new mk4 prius is supposed to be even more efficient. 

 Even with my roof box on and driving up hill at motorway speeds, i managed 60+ mpg, thats with my 2010 auris hybrid. The acid test will be driving to Dusseldorf in Germany by north sea crossing, but i can see i'll be doing just as well as my previous corolla verso but with less fuel. 

[MetManMark]

One of the attractions of the auris hybrid is that I thought from the brochure I have is that they came with a space saver spare wheel. Is this not the case?

[Heidfirst]

afaik it has varied from year to year & also depending upon trim level. Certainly the current brochure appears to have one listed for all Auris.

[Anthony Poli]

I have just looked at the brochure and it's standard. I think yaris owners who have tyre repair kit can change to the space saver. I am not keen on either, since the space savers are not meant for long journeys or motorway speeds.

[MetManMark]

We have a space saver in our Saab. Over the years we have used it a handful of times to get us to s garage to have a tyre fixed. Would not buy a car with a can of gunk. Will only consider one with some form of spare tyre.

M

[Anthony Poli]

If the worst comes to the worst, you should be able to get a suitable space saver to fit in. The well is there and you can remove the insert for the tyre repair kit. Thats how it works on the yaris.

[pmf]

Mine came with the can of gunk. There was room for a space saver in my TS wheel well, so I bought a complete space saver kit from Toyota as I didn't like the idea of not having some form of spare wheel. Im pretty impressed with fuel figures many owners are achieving. According to the cars computer I normally average in the low 50s overall. I'm happy with that as I don't overly concentrate on economic driving. I think considering everything the hybrid is a good way to go with technologies at present, although the new compact small capacity turbo charged petrol engines look interesting.

[Anthony Poli]

Mine came with the can of gunk. There was room for a space saver in my TS wheel well, so I bought a complete space saver kit from Toyota as I didn't like the idea of not having some form of spare wheel. Im pretty impressed with fuel figures many owners are achieving. According to the cars computer I normally average in the low 50s overall. I'm happy with that as I don't overly concentrate on economic driving. I think considering everything the hybrid is a good way to go with technologies at present, although the new compact small capacity turbo charged petrol engines look interesting.

Next year things might change again as hybrids lose the zero road tax Badge

So it's either the hydrogen fuel cell or pure electric who get zero road tax.

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[PeteB]

I took my Gen 3 Prius to Devon recently and it was fine on the hills.  In fact, it was the first time on this car I'd seen the Battery max out going down the hills.

Squeezing the throttle down quickly rather than stomping on it gives a slightly more refined acceleration with still quite good performance.  I think all the talk about it revving hard when pressed is overdone; many autos I've driven are pretty noisy in kickdown, as is a manual being thrashed in a low gear.  It's just the Hybrid is so quiet the rest of the time you notice when it raises its voice!

I've done 270,000 miles in Hybrids now (since 2002) and wouldn't drive anything else until an EV or plug-in Hybrid comes along that ticks all my boxes.

In the meantime, I expect to be just as happy (if not happier!) with my Gen 4 Prius Excel that is supposed to arrive at the UK docks today, and be mine in 2-3 weeks!  Can't wait.

[Beekeeper D]

On 21 May 2016 at 8:05 PM, MetManMark said:

Evening all

We are thinking of buying a nearly new auris touring hybrid. The other car that we are considering is a petrol civic tourer. We live in Devon and do something like 10k miles a year. We tend not to do much town driving - it mostly rural B roads plus the occasional motorway trip ~1hr and a visit or two to Brittany to visit in-laws.

I like the idea of a hybrid using the energy otherwise wasted during braking but:

• Is it worth it given the we don't do that many miles / we don't do much town driving?
• Reviews often complain about the engine noise when accelerating to join slip roads etc?
• How would the maintenance costs compare with a regular petrol car (ie both likely repairs required and also annual servicing costs)?
• We tend to keep our cars from nearly new till they die (currently have a 18year old saab 9-3)? how would the long term reliability compare with the civic?
• We have two young children (2&5yrs). Both civic and auris are pretty similar in size so no major differences to consider. Over time we may end up acting as a taxi company for the children doing lots of short trips.

 

Our current car (normally aspirated 2L saab 9-3) isn't exactly a sports car ... do you have to totally change your driving style? 

OK, I'm new here - and I have joined up specifically because I too am pondering a possible used Auris or Civic (estate). My interest is predominantly in the pre-facelift versions of both. 

I've driven a few Auris and Civics, but as yet own neither. 

 

The Civic Tourer actually has rather more, and more usable, luggage space. But a less-comfortable back seat. I think I'd rather do a long journey in the back of the Auris that the Civic. 

The Civic has brilliant flip-up "magic" rear seats, creating a separate loadspace that would take, for example a folded wheelchair.

The Civic's boot is comfortably big enough for my greyhound - he can even turn round. The Auris's is a bit marginal, but should be OK for short runs.  A full wheelchair would have to go in the boot, with the dog on the back seat. 

The Civic has the neater boot cover arrangement, and simple stowage for it (and a 'cargo net' - supplied with some specs) when not being used.  

BUT the Civic lacks footroom (for rear-seat passengers) under the front seats (due to the fuel tank location) which restricts adult rear passenger long-journey posture adjustment. 

 

However, for my many short journeys usage, the Civic's engine options lose out to the Auris Hybrid. 

The petrol Civic engine is sporty/revvy - fine if you still think boy racer! The 1.6 Honda diesel is utterly brilliant, for a diesel with a Diesel Particulate Filter. DPFs are reputed to give trouble with short-journey, no-cruise usage. But the 1.6 Honda's DPF is supposedly as good as they get, and very tolerant of such abuse (much better than Honda's older 2.2). Annoyingly, it gives no overt dashboard indication when it is doing an 'active' DPF regen (which would be better not interrupted by you switching off the car). 

The Honda diesel is fantastically fuel-efficient, even among diesels, BUT high trim specs get wider wheels, and so use a fraction more carbon and thus become liable for road tax. It was Euro 5 emissions compliant, until a production change last summer (some time after the facelift) brought it to Euro 6 - achieved with catalyst magic, still no blue fluid needed! And it is a very very nice engine to drive. But its a DPF diesel ... And who knows what action against diesels may be announced after that referendum is out of the way? 

And the only petrol alternative for the Civic Tourer is, errrr, not particularly fuel-efficient and so costs £145 a year on tax at present. Honest John's website reckoned that the extra initial price of the diesel over the petrol would be paid off in only about 20,000 miles. 

Because its "sporty" the petrol gets a higher insurance group than the diesel. The Auris Hybrid is in a lower group than both Civics. 

I haven't driven the Civic auto (only available on the petrol), but its a reliable if less efficient old-style "slush box". The manual has a lovely "snicky" change, fully in keeping with the firmish ride (exaggerated by the lower profile tyres on the higher SR and EX specs, never mind the comical ultra lows on 18" wheels that Honda chose for some demonstrators). Those higher specs do however include adjustable (rear) suspension, which could mitigate the situation for some. 

 

The Auris Hybrid is magically simple to drive. Steer, accelerate and brake without bothering about what the computers are doing. It just works. Electric and petrol swapping around, Battery regeneration, etc - you can completely ignore it (and on first acquaintance I suggest you do). As such, it really is less stress to drive than anything I've used before. But if you want fun, you'll have to get it from trying to improve your mpg score, rather than from sensual driving pleasure. But even a short journey, from cold, seems likely to return 45mpg or better. 

It occurred to me that it would be brilliant for a learner driver, it is just so simple! 

It is actually rather quiet in normal driving (not least because the petrol engine is doing less than in a normal car), but when you want so much power that the petrol engine has to do serious work, there is indeed a distinct INCREASE in the noise level, not necessarily becoming noisier than in a normal car, but the CHANGE in noise is more noticeable than in a normal car. I don't think this is a problem, but definitely it is something the "teenage scribblers" do pick up on. You don't have to change your driving style, but the car will tend to change it. It promotes a more relaxed attitude - an antidote to boy-racerism. That said, pressing the 'power' button on the dash does produce a much livelier feel (however it achieves it!) 

Maybe a good point to mention the gear selector. Its a switch, not a lever, and requires no force at all ... 

The "eCVT" magic is done with gears in constant mesh (a bit like a differential in concept) and there aren't any belts involved or slippage as the effective gear ratio changes. So, no need to worry as the noise rises and falls. It is mechanically simple (if hard to understand), and seems to be extraordinarily reliable. 

I gather that the Gen3 Prius (on which the Auris Hybrid seems based) is excellent on reliability, if not quite as extraordinary as the Gen2 (first hatchback) Prius. Both Civic and Auris get a tick for well above-average reliability. 

Regarding the transmission, something that may matter in your hilly rural area is that the hybrid magic can get fooled by slippery surfaces (like snow and mud). The traction control won't let you spin the wheels, and the thing just sits there. Obviously 'winter' tyres would help. It would seem that the problem was recognised by Toyota because the newest (facelift) cars have a switch to turn OFF the traction control should the need occur. (I wonder if such a switch could be retro-fitted to older cars?) 

You can get a glass 'panoramic' roof on the Auris, but not the Civic Tourer. It brightens the rather dull and practical Auris interior. Optional pale leather gets you odd pale patches on the fascia, but the doors remain dark - looks odd to me. (The black 'full leather' does look good though.) There are also odd cheap-looking bits to the (pre-facelift) interior, like the led digital clock and the prominent rain sensor on the passenger side of the rear-view mirror. But you can flip the rear seats down from the back hatch, without having to go to each rear doorway. On the other hand the Civic's single central "courtesy light" is bonkers penny-pinching, as is the unsecured washer-bottle cap that disappears into inaccessibility all too easily. 

Its almost as if the designers were trying to make the Auris Hybrid feel as 'ordinary' as possible. The extraordinary thing is how well they succeeded! It doesn't feel 'high-tech', its just a nice comfy easy-going vehicle. 

The Honda interior is very different. Much more dramatic (especially with the after-facelift stitching on the seats). On a practical level, the Honda is much clearer as to whether you are going at just over or just below the 30mph speed limit. But the after-facelift Android "Honda Connect" infotainment unit has plenty quirks, for example disliking phones after they have had system updates. And the tricks the remote locking key buttons need are frankly strange. 

Unlike many of the scribblers, I had no difficulty whatsoever in getting a good and comfortable driving position in either car. And I didn't feel as if I was sitting "high" in the Civic. 

Both cars have a tyre deflation warning system. I believe Toyota's is done with expensive valves, whereas I know that Honda's works indirectly, with the ABS sensors detecting different wheel rotation speeds and inferring a circumference (and thus pressure) change. 

Both may see odd brake wear. The Auris Hybrid through under use and hence disc corrosion - due to most braking actually being done (utterly undetectably) by electric regeneration. The trick seems to be to occasionally put it in neutral and force the brakes to do their job, thereby keeping the discs clean and effective without being abrasive. Oddly, Civics can sometimes see the rears wearing faster than the fronts (and I wonder if this could be caused by an over-active Vehicle Stability Assistance system). 

Interesting that pmf has a towhook fitted. I'd been told it wasn't available for the Auris Hybrid. Seems it is! 

Some dislike the Auris's headlights - but I read on here that there seems to be a free fix available on demand if you don't get on with them. 

As standard, the Auris beeps constantly while in reverse gear. Its absolutely horrible! Not all salesmen seem to know that it can be very easily turned off (single beep when reverse is selected) when the car is hooked up to the diagnostics computer. 

There's a freely downloadable Auris Hybrid driver's manual for you to study, but Honda don't publish their's online in English (some other languages though!) 

Toyota's warranty is extendable, and the Battery (only) can be covered for up to 11 years from new (renewed immediately before the 10th birthday) through the "Hybrid Health Check" scheme. 

I've driven an Auris Hybrid with 40,000 on the clock (after 2 years) and was impressed that it felt essentially no different to one with 10,000 (and one year). 

 

 

Generalising wildly, it seems to me that used Auris Hybrids sell quite quickly through Toyota dealers, whereas Honda dealers tend to have a more unrealistic initial sticker price, and slower turnover. Should you find a used Auris that you like, don't count on it still being there next week! 

 

All in all, I'd love the Toyota powertrain (ideally with a TC switch for reassurance) combined with the Honda 'magic seats' and loadspace.  A Prius+ has a rather higher loadfloor and sill, and a new Rav4 hybrid is waaay over budget. I need loadspace(s) for mainly short journeys. I'd like super-efficiency and reliability with low cost of long-term ownership. And anything that "looks like a van" has to be ruled out. So I'm going round and round in circles between these two. I'm probably missing something obvious... 

I hope this helps you, as it helps me set out the pro's and the con's for myself!  

 

Yes, do go and drive both Civic and Auris Hybrid and see how you get on. But, for your usage I'd say it sounds like you shouldn't automatically exclude the diesel Civic - they are very much more common than the petrol ones, seemingly for good reason.  

And because of different specs at different times, you will need to consider exactly what you mean by "nearly new" - there aren't any Civic Tourers or Auris Hybrid TS that are out of warranty yet! The "facelifts" provide obvious break-points for spec changes, but there are others. 

 

 

Spare wheels. IIRC, the Auris spare became standard with the facelift. Before that it had the wheelspace under the boot's lower floor, occupied by the gunge kit padded into a wheel-size foam block. The Honda has space for a spacesaver, jack and wrench, but the space is square and more easily accessible - in fact trimmed and expected to be used for hidden luggage space (gunge lives elsewhere). The spare has not been standard on any Civic Tourer spec, but is readily available. 

However, given that both cars have the appropriate stowage space (unlike my brother's 5-series estate), the approx £150 cost of the complete kit shouldn't be a deal-breaker. 

[Anthony Poli]

I took my Gen 3 Prius to Devon recently and it was fine on the hills.  In fact, it was the first time on this car I'd seen the battery max out going down the hills.

Squeezing the throttle down quickly rather than stomping on it gives a slightly more refined acceleration with still quite good performance.  I think all the talk about it revving hard when pressed is overdone; many autos I've driven are pretty noisy in kickdown, as is a manual being thrashed in a low gear.  It's just the Hybrid is so quiet the rest of the time you notice when it raises its voice!

I've done 270,000 miles in Hybrids now (since 2002) and wouldn't drive anything else until an EV or plug-in Hybrid comes along that ticks all my boxes.

In the meantime, I expect to be just as happy (if not happier!) with my Gen 4 Prius Excel that is supposed to arrive at the UK docks today, and be mine in 2-3 weeks!  Can't wait.

I fancy a new Prius. Just don't have the bank balance to go with it ;-)

It is true they are less stressful to drive

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