2018 Yaris Hybrid Questions

[Leona]

Hi there

We have got a new Yaris Hybrid, coming from a Corsa Diesel.

My partner is the driver and I'm left doing the research and asking questions, hence this post 🙂

She finds when going up hill (lots of hills in Devon) the car is reving very high, is this normal? It's also Very slow going up hill, hard to get up to 30 and the engine is reving heavily, like it needs to change gear but it doesn't, again Is this normal? (we have it in ECO mode).

When going downhill, my partner knocks it into B, for engine breaking and again the engine seems to rev highly, I don't remember it doing this when we test drove the car? again is this right?

We seem to be using a lot of fuel, I'm putting this down to it being new, but we are nearly at 2,000 miles now, so should be 'run in' by now?

I realise that this car requires a different driving style so have been trying to find a tutorial for my partner to watch, no good me trying to explain to her, as I don't drive,  I have tried to explain that she needs to be lighter on the accelerator, but I don't think I'm explaining it right, I guess 30 years of driving a certain way it's difficult to change.  I think she is still driving it like a diesel and a bit lead footed. 

 Other questions.

1, is it possible to have the door auto lock, the Corsa used to do this and it makes us feel safer, especially when she is going to work at 2am!

2, when using the sat nav (we have icon tech) when we get close to home, is there a way to turn the sat nav off when we get close to home and know the rest of the way, it doesn't seem to switch off, we've tried changing modes, doesn't seem to be an exit button.

I think they'll do for now, 

Thank you in advance.

Kind Regards

Leona

(2018 Yaris Hybrid Icon Tech)

[bill.belfield]

It took me a good few months and many miles to adapt from diesel driving (Honda CRV 2.2) to hybrid driving, and I won't go back now I'm 120k miles on. 

B mode is good but it's use is limited,  I only use it on steep downhill to keep the brakes cool. 

ECO mode,  I only use it on the winter and wet months,  prefer the responsiveness over the extra 5 mpg out gives you. 

As regards hills,  give it time and practice , eventually it will click and then it's a matter of keeping at or below the speed limit. Recently undertook a drive to Skye via Glencoe and  the Scottish Highlands, took the hills with aplomb. 

Economy,  I get 58mpg everyday and everywhere,  could get more if I slowed down, turned AC off and used ECO mode, but 58mpg is good on my book after the CRV

[Mick F]

Hills kill any economy.  Devon is as bad as Cornwall for this, and living in a steep-sided valley like we do, destroys and economical driving.

Try keeping the power meter in the Eco section even at sub 40mph climbing the long hill into Devon on the A390.  Can't be done.

You never get back what you put in climbing a hill when descending the other side.  Eco driving is all about finding flat roads.  We can do mid 60s mpg on the M5 and the A30, but locally it's more like the mid 40s.

Reset the trip info and go for a long 60mph drive up the M5,  you'll see the economy in a better light.

Mick.

[007matt]

I only had the Yaris hybrid for 3 weeks.  No auto door lock afaik, which I will missed, having cars in the last 6years which has.  

I find it difficult to keep it on EV even with a slight incline of a hill. I'm learning to drive it, accelerate to the desire speed then off the gas and hold. A bit like driving up to speed limit. 

Yes it's normal for it to rev quite a bit in this car going uphill, that is just how it's going to be in Devon. U won't have fantastic fuel economy with hills for sure on the hybrid. But it's an auto for comfort. 

I drive in congested London, my best mpg trip were a couple of days ago in the evening on a 25 miles or so trip, computer says 72.8mpg, got a lot of EV in during the drive. 

May need to do more miles to the engine before it gets better in economy, others more knowledgeable than me on this car can comment. I don't have a sat nav with mine so cannot comment. 

[Mike J.]

2 hours ago, Mick F said:

You never get back what you put in climbing a hill when descending the other side.  

Compared to the original diesel you can - the hybrid has regenerative braking up to around 17kW. But if you use B mode, there is little (if any?) regeneration. B mode is only for long steep hills where you think the brakes will overheat - e.g., Hardknott pass scenarios.

[Mike J.]

16 hours ago, Leona said:

1, is it possible to have the door auto lock, the Corsa used to do this and it makes us feel safer, especially when she is going to work at 2am!

My 2012 hybrid has a manual door lock button next to the electric window buttons - it works without 'starting' the car so even safer than auto locks that engage when moving off.

[Mike J.]

16 hours ago, Leona said:

 2, when using the sat nav (we have icon tech) when we get close to home, is there a way to turn the sat nav off when we get close to home and know the rest of the way, it doesn't seem to switch off, we've tried changing modes, doesn't seem to be an exit button.

It is there under "Options": "Stop Guidance".

[Mick F]

4 hours ago, Mike J. said:

Compared to the original diesel you can - the hybrid has regenerative braking up to around 17kW. But if you use B mode, there is little (if any?) regeneration. B mode is only for long steep hills where you think the brakes will overheat - e.g., Hardknott pass scenarios.

I agree about B Mode.  All it saves is your brakes but you use no petrol at all.

Try riding a bike.  It's hard work up a hill and easy freewheeling down, and you have lots of momentum to get up the next hill, but it doesn't last long I can assure you. Living down here and being a keen cyclist, I know.

Imagine an equilateral triangle but with a long and winding base the same length as the sides. Your car has to go up the hill and then down the other side. Lots of power to go up, and a free ride down the other side.  Lets say it's a mile up and a mile down. Two miles total. One mile is fuel-hungry, the other side is fuel-free.  How about just going along the level base? I don't care how far it is within reason.  Yes, your hybrid Battery fills up coming down the hill, but that's not much use for the next hill, though it helps a bit.  You don't get something for nothing.

Try driving up the hill from here at circa 10mpg and come back down for free.  It doesn't matter how long the hill is.  Hills cost fuel, and lots of it despite having a full Battery at the bottom.

Mick.

[Leona]

7 hours ago, Mike J. said:

My 2012 hybrid has a manual door lock button next to the electric window buttons - it works without 'starting' the car so even safer than auto locks that engage when moving off.

It is there under "Options": "Stop Guidance".

Thank you, yes the 2018 has these buttons too, but I just wondered if this could be engaged automatically, seems the answer is no, shame.

Thanks I will look at this, see if I can find the 'Options' button 🙂

[Leona]

Thank you for all your replies and explanations.

Yes I understand the hills will have an effect on fuel economy, I was more worried that the engine is over reving and it appears to not have the 'grunt' to get up the hills, she just feels very slow, so am wondering if something is wrong or this is normal.  This is the first automatic my partner has driven, so she has no reference really, she keeps wanting to change gear! 🙂

I will pass on your suggestions though and see if we can make some changes 🙂 

[Heidfirst]

23 hours ago, Leona said:

2, when using the sat nav (we have icon tech) when we get close to home, is there a way to turn the sat nav off when we get close to home and know the rest of the way, it doesn't seem to switch off, we've tried changing modes, doesn't seem to be an exit button.

If it is a Touch 2 with Go unit on the bottom right of the map screen there should be 3 dots. touch that

> various icons will appear including a red stop sign. touch that

[Leona]

41 minutes ago, Heidfirst said:

If it is a Touch 2 with Go unit on the bottom right of the map screen there should be 3 dots. touch that

> various icons will appear including a red stop sign. touch that

Excellent, thank you

[Devon Aygo]

1 hour ago, Leona said:

Thank you for all your replies and explanations.

Yes I understand the hills will have an effect on fuel economy, I was more worried that the engine is over reving and it appears to not have the 'grunt' to get up the hills, she just feels very slow, so am wondering if something is wrong or this is normal.  This is the first automatic my partner has driven, so she has no reference really, she keeps wanting to change gear! 🙂

I will pass on your suggestions though and see if we can make some changes 🙂 

Having the car in ECO mode will have the effect of making the car feel slower as it dampens the throttle input needing more throttle to get umph out of the car, try turning the ECO mode off this will make the car feel swifter. With regards over revving, you can't the car won't let you and although it may sound harsh the engine is never anywhere near the sort of revs a conventional petrol would be able to rev to, afaik the engine maxes out at around 4800 rpm a conventional petrol is up around 6000 rpm.

[frenchreg068]

Having had our Hybrid since January, have found the most economical way to drive is to use the cruise control whenever possible, (but this in France, where the roads in our location are fairly quiet and not many hills). We get about 4.4 litres per 100 Km  so just about 60 mpg.  Also always have the air con on re-circulate as recommended in the French instruction manual, as the air con does not work so hard having to cool or warm the outside air. We currently have a daily afternoon temperature in the mid 30's, and set the car temp as 19.5C  May be the UK version does not mention this. Also using ECO mode does not seem to do anything, maybe its for driving in cities.

Edited August 6, 2018 by frenchreg068
spelling!

[Mike J.]

1 hour ago, frenchreg068 said:

Also using ECO mode does not seem to do anything …..

Check out the fan speed on your aircon - ECO reduces the fan speed and also the aircon compressor energy use.

[gabemc1]

Hi there. We've had our new Yaris Hybrid for a month now - 1500 miles. Coming from an Astra 1.8 140hp(however, 32mpg average😨), you can clearly see a difference, especially when driving uphill- you really have to put your foot down. 

On 8/1/2018 at 10:37 PM, Leona said:

We seem to be using a lot of fuel, I'm putting this down to it being new, but we are nearly at 2,000 miles now, so should be 'run in' by now?

Economy wise, the worst I had was 52mpg, for the first couple hundred miles. After that, it started to settle down. 2nd fill with an average of 62mpg, 3rd with 65.8mpg. Currently, halfway through the 4th fill up, with 66mpg. That's based on a daily 40 miles commute, 20 of which on the motorway. Aircon always on, recirculate off. Never tried ECO for a longer period, so I can't say. So far, We're really happy with it. 

 

[jordic4rs]

On 8/2/2018 at 11:06 PM, Leona said:

Thank you, yes the 2018 has these buttons too, but I just wondered if this could be engaged automatically, seems the answer is no, shame.

Thanks I will look at this, see if I can find the 'Options' button 🙂

hi,

you can find on eBay or a famous chinese marketplace an obd module that locks the doors when you arrive at 20km/h and unlock when you put the gearbox on P

the module actives the warking lights when you active the rear gear and when you open the doors

some modules can also close the windows when you push 2 time on the close button on the remote controle

otherwise, don't try to be always in EV mode, try to be at the limite of the EV mode and the power zone, it's where the car is more efficient and you will use less petrol. 

my record is 3.9l/100km

[Mick F]

6 hours ago, jordic4rs said:

my record is 3.9l/100km

That's about 72mpg in British units.

Very impressive.  Over what distance was that and at what average speed?

Mick.

[gabemc1]

My best short trip was this one. Carsington Water to Derby.

[Mick F]

Carsington Water to Derby?  364.7 miles?

Which route did you take? 😀

Mick.

[jordic4rs]

16 hours ago, Mick F said:

That's about 72mpg in British units.

Very impressive.  Over what distance was that and at what average speed?

Mick.

it was near 740km but i don't remember the average speed

now I can't reproduce it, my job has changed and the road also, I have more highway and traffic. And another point, I use more often superethanol E85

[gabemc1]

11 hours ago, Mick F said:

Carsington Water to Derby?  364.7 miles?

Which route did you take? 😀

Mick.

Through Cardiff🤔. We missed a left turn and 3 hours later we were in Cardiff. Oh well...

 

Just kidding. My A trip is usually since last refuel.