Design 1.8 hybrid mpg

[Chriss27]

Hi I am considering getting the 1.8 Corolla hybrid design model. What is a realistic mpg with 17inch wheels. Thanks

[Otleybull]

I test drove an estate and achieved 63mpg with the a/c on, 5 mile drive around town. 

[TazUddin]

I've had mine for over 6 months and it shows 57mpg. I'm a driving school so bare that in mind. 

[Korgrocker]

I find it depends on the ambient temperature - so far this winter I've experienced 55-60 mpg but in the warmer weather last summer around 65-70 mpg (I keep the drive in ECO mode, btw). It also depends on where you're driving. I live in a semi rural location and most of my miles are at 40-55 mph on a 10 mile commute - on longer runs I can get up to 5mpg more. And it also depends on how you drive. If your right foot is generally heavy with harsh acceleration/deceleration then expect much lower mpg. I find that a hybrid is much more sensitive to these three factors than other non-hybrid cars I have had. It might be coincidence, but I have a feeling that wet roads can knock 2-3 mpg off what I would normally expect as well.

[Chriss27]

Thanks. I have taken the plunge today and I am getting a 69 reg demo and it showed 54.6 mpg which I thought was slightly low but I am sure I can improve this.

[TonyHSD]

Good choice, I probably go for design trim if I am buying one , and the wheels may well get them change for 16” but that’s not the first thing. 
Enjoy your car. 👍

[Chriss27]

Well picked up the car and had a  50 mile trip home and mpg showed 71.8mpg, I know that’s probably a few mile out but even so very impressive 

[Catlover]

49 minutes ago, Chriss27 said:

Well picked up the car and had a  50 mile trip home and mpg showed 71.8mpg, I know that’s probably a few mile out but even so very impressive 

Welll it may be 5% out at most I suspect. That still makes it 68.3 mpg. Would you be happy with that - and warmer weather on the way? Plus, if this is your first Hybrid your driving technique should improve with time. Go on You Tube and watch videos, mostly from USA, on driving techniques. Loads with a Prius, principles just the same.

[ApophisAstros]

i have had my corolla 1.2 petrol turbo sports estate since january and it shows 40mpg .🚗

Roger

[Chriss27]

It’s not my first hybrid but from an economy side it’s the best one I have had and well happy with that and not even Summer yet.

[Auris James]

Its been warmer today in the Midlands.

I have an Auris Hybrid and reset the MPG readout and driving round Birmingham had 70-80+mpg in eco mode and averaged 68mpg on my way home. Put £25 worth of fuel at £1.17 in and got 270 mile range. Showed 330 miles but still had 60 miles range left from previous fuel.

I like it!

James.

[Catlover]

Hi James, you must be one of the sensible drivers to get those sort of mpg figures. More then a few of the new Corolla drivers seem to want to put their foot to the floor every journey they make then grumble when they can’t achieve anywhere near the officially quoted mpg figures.

[Timmon]

Agreed Catlover! It is generally known that publicised MPG figures are a guide and usually achieved in ideal factory conditions. In the real world, just enjoy having good mpg figures. But I found if I just drive normally, like I always have, I get better mpg than if I bring up the hybrid indicator, and get paranoid about not going into the "PWR" zone! If I just forget all that, I am always surprised that when I look out of curiosity, the mpg is best. At the end of the day, Toyota know you are going to drive the car, not drive with an egg under your foot. So the set up must be maximised for normal driving, that's my take on it. Whenever it says "use hybrid indicator to improve" , and I do, my mpg plummets.

Obviously, if you floor it every time away from the lights, and use the paddles constantly, you will be on a non stop race to the bottom of the mpg scores. Just drive sensibly .

[Auris James]

12 hours ago, Catlover said:

Hi James, you must be one of the sensible drivers to get those sort of mpg figures. More then a few of the new Corolla drivers seem to want to put their foot to the floor every journey they make then grumble when they can’t achieve anywhere near the officially quoted mpg figures.

The fact is I was still keeping to the 30-40mph limits in Birmingham but still getting good MPG. I would back off when in power mode and re apply the accelerator to get me to the speed limit and almost roll down hills accelerating as needed to the speed limit. I keep to the limit. Hills definitely affect the MPG but get good again as once level Battery power kicks in and MPG increases.

The best MPG was from my Sisters house to my Nans house of around 3 miles as mostly level or slightly down hill and had 94mpg  for a while until settling to 70+!

Today drove 3 miles into Burton on the A38 at 70mph from cold to do a quote and only a few islands to go round in the 30 mph limit and came back and MPG 53mpg. I did go into the power range though.

James.

[TonyHSD]

Can I show off a bit,

ok that was in the winter of 2015 with Prius plus, I was driving in the night through London streets, impossible to achieve on motorway no matter how easy I drive. 
 

[AndrueC]

3 hours ago, Timmon said:

But I found if I just drive normally, like I always have, I get better mpg than if I bring up the hybrid indicator, and get paranoid about not going into the "PWR" zone!

I've found that with the gauge visible I get better economy than without it. But then my natural tendency is not to hang around. I prefer to get to the speed limit as quickly as I can. Left to my own devices I will accelerate at around 3,000 to 4,000 rpm but when following the hybrid indicator 2,000 is the limit.

I've actually started trying to follow the blue line when there's no-one behind me but I haven't noticed a huge difference there. I do find it interesting though that the line isn't trying to limit absolute acceleration. It's just trying to make you apply power more gradually under some conditions.

[nielshm]

For me medium-slow speeds are the worst. 40-45-50 mph, and the car allmost runs without hydrid drive enabled. 55-60 mph is usually more economical. 

[AndrueC]

38 minutes ago, nielshm said:

For me medium-slow speeds are the worst. 40-45-50 mph, and the car allmost runs without hydrid drive enabled. 55-60 mph is usually more economical. 

Yup. I've noticed that 50 mph is a sub-optimal speed. I think it's too fast for the electric motor to help out for long but unlike higher speeds does not allow for maximum Battery recharge.

[Timmon]

21 hours ago, AndrueC said:

I've found that with the gauge visible I get better economy than without it. But then my natural tendency is not to hang around. I prefer to get to the speed limit as quickly as I can. Left to my own devices I will accelerate at around 3,000 to 4,000 rpm but when following the hybrid indicator 2,000 is the limit.

I've actually started trying to follow the blue line when there's no-one behind me but I haven't noticed a huge difference there. I do find it interesting though that the line isn't trying to limit absolute acceleration. It's just trying to make you apply power more gradually under some conditions.

That's interesting. I still don't like revving the engine too much, except on the dual carriage way up hill from the M40, which I just accept the car needs to be let go going up there! I must start using the car's equipment more, things like park assist, I never even think of trying it out again.

[Timmon]

21 hours ago, nielshm said:

For me medium-slow speeds are the worst. 40-45-50 mph, and the car allmost runs without hydrid drive enabled. 55-60 mph is usually more economical. 

Yes, it does not like that speed. The Battery does not charge well at that speed either, and the ICE is cutting in and out constantly. Unfortunately, many roads in the UK are now restricted to 50.

[TonyHSD]

I found driving constantly with 50-55mph fuel consumption is great even though ICE is running all the time. 45mph is the one that causes ice to cut in and out frequently and probably doesn’t charge well enough the hybrid Battery. 

[AndrueC]

52 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

I found driving constantly with 50-55mph fuel consumption is great even though ICE is running all the time. 45mph is the one that causes ice to cut in and out frequently and probably doesn’t charge well enough the hybrid battery. 

I do get pretty good economy on my 50 mph commute but it feels like the car would rather stay on the ICE. I can almost imagine it sighing in exasperation as I persuade it to go electric yet again. On a 60 mph jaunt it's a different feel. The car will often drop into electric mode without me even trying - it almost feels eager to go electric. At that speed it's like the car is shouting "Look at me! I can do electric!" 🙂

 

Over the year that I've had the car I've tried letting it do what it wants (ICE almost all the way on my commute apart from a 30 mph section) and me forcing it to use the Battery by lifting off the accelerator on the longer gentler slopes. The best economy seems to be from a combination of the two. So me forcing it into electric mode is reducing fuel consumption but it feels like the car isn't convinced 🙂

[Catlover]

Have you Corolla drivers tried the “trick” to getting more mpg by increasing tyre pressures. Up to 4 psi is the norm. Maybe get slightly harder ride but even 2 psi will help. Reports say no detriment really to tyre wear etc.  When I take my car in for Toyota service I let them know tyre pressures are set x psi higher.

[nielshm]

Please note, that tyre pressure increases 1,6-2,0 psi every 10 °C. So until summer temperatures arives, correct tyre pressure can be a bit tricky.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_inflation_pressure

[Catlover]

So, Neils, that shows how important it is to check tyre pressures but not only that, but to check them regularly, especially now in spring as temperatures, hopefully, are on the increase.