2.0L Excel HB - thoughts so far

[PeteB]

On 1/6/2020 at 6:42 AM, nielshm said:

Some how, I just like the cold engine feeling better than the warm engine feeling.

While the engine goes though its warm-up procedure, the engine input to acceleration and cruising is almost nil unless you accelerate very hard or go pretty fast.  The car will feel like an EV during this time because essentially, it is.  You may also notice the HV Battery gauge depleting quite quickly at this time.

During the warm-up phase, the variable value timing is held at an extreme setting (I can never remember whether it's advanced or retarded) but the purpose it to make maximum heat for rapid warm-up (which also causes the drive power to be reduced - this is why the engine is seemingly divorced from the drive process during this period).  It still fascinates me even after 18 years and over 320,000 miles of Hybrid driving.  My car usually reaches the normal temperature in just one mile from a cold start, and during a few quick glances at the temperature gauge I can see it moving!

[nielshm]

Here in Denmark the E10 gasoline has become new standard in 2020 instead of E5. Only V-power and other performance fuels continues with E5. 

It's claimed that E10 holds 2% less energy than E5, wich leads to a higher fuel consumption. More fuel is needed to do the job. That the reason why cars gets better mpg's in Germany, becourse non-ethanol is avaliable. 

What kind of fuel do you have in the UK (and other EU contries) 

[rafletcher]

Currently all UK petrol is E5, but the expectation is that E10 will be introduced at some point.

[deltapapa]

@allen2502

I'm in Cardiff and have a 1.8 Excel with pano roof  and which you are welcome to have a look at. 

Away on holiday though until 20th of this month.

[rafletcher]

Re pan roof. I have one, solely to let more light into the coal-hole interior (my last car I could, and did specify a light grey interior but Toyota, along with many other manufacturers don’t offer the option). It stops you using roof bars, should you want to. I would have much preferred the opening part to be like the old “tilt and slide” sunroofs, but it seems only to have the slide function, not that I’ll use it a lot with climate control. 

[nielshm]

Today I had 2 long trips. 125 miles each, 1/3 motorway with 75 mph, the rest A roads with 55 mph. 

Only difference going out and driving home was a pretty strong wind. Going out, wind was in the back, average 59 mpg. Going home was much different with head wind, only 46 mpg. 

I wonder what makes the biggest difference, wind in the back or in the head??

[TonyHSD]

Strong winds along with wet roads, winter tyres, fully loaded car or going uphill are the biggest enemies to the Toyotas hybrid drive train, no other type of cars are so sensitive against those, performance and efficiency are badly affected. The only way to keep a good economy is to take it easy on the accelerator, and not using a cruise control. 50mpg real world average both ways not bad tough. 
Regards 

[Timmon]

On 1/11/2020 at 10:47 AM, rafletcher said:

Re pan roof. I have one, solely to let more light into the coal-hole interior (my last car I could, and did specify a light grey interior but Toyota, along with many other manufacturers don’t offer the option). It stops you using roof bars, should you want to. I would have much preferred the opening part to be like the old “tilt and slide” sunroofs, but it seems only to have the slide function, not that I’ll use it a lot with climate control. 

Oh, not sure I understand about your sunroof? Mine has tilt, or slide. Tilt option, it does not open much. 

[rafletcher]

14 minutes ago, Timmon said:

Oh, not sure I understand about your sunroof? Mine has tilt, or slide. Tilt option, it does not open much. 

Ah, well, you probably read the instructions!  I see from reading them that one can "press" to opening switch, and well as "slide" it.  I've not tried pressing it (and not likely to until this bloody rain stops!) but that should activate the tilt action as opposed to sliding back.

[Timmon]

18 hours ago, rafletcher said:

Ah, well, you probably read the instructions!  I see from reading them that one can "press" to opening switch, and well as "slide" it.  I've not tried pressing it (and not likely to until this !Removed! rain stops!) but that should activate the tilt action as opposed to sliding back.

Great! just thought I was missing out on a function! So long since I had a sun roof, the the last car I had with one was a dark blue Ford Escort 1.4ltr in 1990! Glad you found the button. I tend to press all the wrong ones with the sun blind going back and forth, so no instruction reading on my part, just pressing everything until I get what I want!

[rafletcher]

Re switches.  I do wish Toyota had spent a little more money and made the window and roof switches backlit. I'd happily have done without the blue mood lighting in my Excel in return for being able to see the controls more easily.

And the volume control on the wheel - it's soo flimsy feeling, and less user friendly than the thumbwheel control I had in my last car.

[PeteB]

Just now, rafletcher said:

... I do wish Toyota had spent a little more money and made the window and roof switches backlit. I'd happily have done without the blue mood lighting in my Excel in return for being able to see the controls more easily.

Absolutely - with you 100% on that.

Personally, I don't like opening roofs (glass or otherwise), but why must the switches be way up there anyway?  When electric sunroofs started to appear the switches were on the centre console - much easier.

[AndrueC]

14 minutes ago, rafletcher said:

And the volume control on the wheel - it's soo flimsy feeling, and less user friendly than the thumbwheel control I had in my last car.

Also the cruise control. Many times I've pressed what I thought was Resume and nothing has happened. Either it just ignores me or somehow the CC ends up in a cancelled state, I've never worked out which. They both need a tactile 'click' and a raised bump to make it clear where you should be pressing.

And while we're on the subject rear window wash would be better on the rotary control along with rear wipers. Rotate it in the opposite direction against a spring to get a wash/wipe.

[rafletcher]

1 minute ago, AndrueC said:

And while we're on the subject rear window wash would be better on the rotary control along with rear wipers. Rotate it in the opposite direction against a spring to get a wash/wipe.

Horses for courses - I actually find the rear wash a non-issue 🙂 although I rarely seem to use it atm, there's so much rain about!

[Roger F]

Pick up my corolla excel 2.0 with pan roof in Denim blue on March 2nd. My first Toyota. Forgot to ask dealer, does it have Qi phone charging. 

[rafletcher]

12 minutes ago, Roger F said:

Pick up my corolla excel 2.0 with pan roof in Denim blue on March 2nd. My first Toyota. Forgot to ask dealer, does it have Qi phone charging. 

Nope. 

[allen2502]

I can confirm. As long as it's the 2020 edition it does 100% now come full leather.

It's got updated Apple play and android. Cant remember if he said qi

[nielshm]

I noticed visible white smoke/steam in the rearview mirror, when I'm accelerating hard (revs going above 4000 rpm.) I guess that's just harmless, whatever, hot air meets colder air = white puffs. Or what?? Engine oil and coolant levels are fine and filled to max.

I never noticed anything with my old Auris 1.2, but of course the 2.0 puts out a lot more exhaust gas.

[nielshm]

I got some issues, am I the only one? 

Wireless charging disconnects after 30 min. or so. The phone feels slightly warm and the charge plate likewise. 

Phone disconnects every 15-20 minuttes, and reconnects again by it self 10 sec. later. 

Some time the boot takes 2 or 3 pressures within the handle to open up. 

I love my car, but all the new gagdets seems a little un-tested, hopefully software can cure most troubles. 

[OXYGEN]

Also the wireless charger is unable to actually charge a modern smartphone with normally big for these days battery.

It can only kinda keep the level, which otherwise would drop while the phone is connected and used for tethering and calls/maps/music during driving.

[MagicBoy]

On 1/14/2020 at 11:36 AM, PeteB said:

Absolutely - with you 100% on that.

Personally, I don't like opening roofs (glass or otherwise), but why must the switches be way up there anyway?  When electric sunroofs started to appear the switches were on the centre console - much easier.

Personal preference I guess. My favourite was the late 90s VW rotary switch above the rear view mirror. Turn one way for tilt with about 5 predefined clicks, the other way for slide with about 8 clicks. 

Just twist to set by feel. No need to hold the switch down.

[OXYGEN]

My personal record so far. This converts to 122.8 UK mpg...

 

 

[nielshm]

It's crazy to see how much influence rain, wind, slightly up hill/ down hill, has on the mpg's.

I can't wait to get my sommertyres on, I've never tried them, only wintertyres. I believe, that "window" there the car can drive in EV mode or in very efficcient hybrid mode, will be much improved. Average so far from new is 52,5 mpg. 

By the way, why's the CHR rated with 184 hp and the corolla 180 hp? Not that is makes any difference, but it must be engine or electric motor that's tweaked a bit more.

[Catlover]

On 1/28/2020 at 7:17 AM, OXYGEN said:

Also the wireless charger is unable to actually charge a modern smartphone with normally big for these days battery.

It can only kinda keep the level, which otherwise would drop while the phone is connected and used for tethering and calls/maps/music during driving.

That means it is charging, otherwise if it wasn’t charging and you kept using it eventually your music or maps would stop playing. It’s a positive not a negative.

On 2/1/2020 at 3:38 PM, OXYGEN said:

My personal record so far. This converts to 122.8 UK mpg...

 

 

isnt that showing the fuel usage over a 18.1km journey, approx 11mile. If That is so then it is misleading to say your car is doing 122.8mpg. Did you do a lot of downhill on that journey, maybe with slow moving traffic?

[OXYGEN]

50 minutes ago, Catlover said:

That means it is charging, otherwise if it wasn’t charging and you kept using it eventually your music or maps would stop playing. It’s a positive not a negative.

isnt that showing the fuel usage over a 18.1km journey, approx 11mile. If That is so then it is misleading to say your car is doing 122.8mpg. Did you do a lot of downhill on that journey, maybe with slow moving traffic?

Well, my understanding is that the main purpose of a charger should be to recharge a Battery. But obviously with our cars this is not possible unless in a very long journey. More than 5-6 hours and not with a totally empty Battery.

 

Yes, it is the consumption for a single 18km trip. It was a weather above 15 degrees, almost no traffic and enough descends to top-up a bar of the Battery from time to time.

But I don't understand why this can be misleading. Yes, we do not use mpg, we measure liters per 100 km and this is a conversion I made. 

How do you measure the consumption of a single trip in UK?