Waiting for new Corolla news

[HybridLover]

Just brought my new Corolla HB home and driving down ramp to underground carpark have scuffed the bottom of the front wing and the paint has chipped off, wasn't going qucikly down the ramp either, I fear the ride height is a little too low paired with the the long overhang...

[Catlover]

On 8/21/2020 at 6:39 PM, HybridLover said:

Has anyone gone for the Toyota ProTect coating treatment and is it worth it. My order is in scarlet flare.

I bought Carplan No 1 for £8 bottle, treats 4-6 cars depending on size. Polish beforehand with Williams or Renault waterless car wash and wax, and the car looks stunning.

[HybridLover]

9 hours ago, HybridLover said:

Just brought my new Corolla HB home and driving down ramp to underground carpark have scuffed the bottom of the front wing and the paint has chipped off, wasn't going qucikly down the ramp either, I fear the ride height is a little too low paired with the the long overhang...

How low can you go

 

[HybridLover]

Annoying.com

 

[Wudzi]

12 hours ago, HybridLover said:

Annoying.com

 

Ah that's annoying. I'm wondering if there may be a way round it. When I bought mine, I got the Style Pack added which was 350 quid. For that you get some styling trim on the front bumper, the side skirts and the boot.

Looking at where that chip is, I think the front bumper trim might hide it. My car is white and I got the trim in black, but they also do it in chrome or red. The front trim only can be had for just over 100

 

[King Crimson]

Yes i do believe the ride height is a bit too low or at least the bottom trim design makes it so that it's closer to the ground. I scuffed the front wing a few months ago as well but thankfully it's just the bottom part and doesn't show when looking at it from the outside. 

[Timmon]

On 9/15/2020 at 4:29 PM, HybridLover said:

Just brought my new Corolla HB home and driving down ramp to underground carpark have scuffed the bottom of the front wing and the paint has chipped off, wasn't going qucikly down the ramp either, I fear the ride height is a little too low paired with the the long overhang...

Bad luck Claus. I scuffed mine as well, about 4 days after I got it,  but that was in a Devon lane.  The ride is low, but your ramp also looks a bit unforgiving for many cars, I would say.

My previous SAAB grounded on a regular basis, car parks surrounded by curb stones were a constant hazard, to the point I ripped the front end, not realising I was grounded, when I reversed out of a space, on many occasions. But with the Corolla, it glides over the top OK, no problems so far, so the front end is not the lowest out there.

Not sure what to advise. Maybe a bit of trim might protect it, as long as the trim does not further lower the front end.

 

Do you have 18" wheels? If not, would that raise the ride a bit? I guess the dealer could advise.

[HybridLover]

Only 16’’ wheels so guess I’m 1 inch lower than those on 18’’

I got the Toyota Smart insurance which has covered me for the repair work thankfully.

I also put a sheet of plywood down to shallow the ramp so it doesn’t scuff now. I am super paranoid and anxious about any bumps in road now...

[Catlover]

9 hours ago, HybridLover said:

Only 16’’ wheels so guess I’m 1 inch lower than those on 18’’

I got the Toyota Smart insurance which has covered me for the repair work thankfully.

I also put a sheet of plywood down to shallow the ramp so it doesn’t scuff now. I am super paranoid and anxious about any bumps in road now...

I always understood the overall diameter stays the same, or else the speedo/mileometer would read differently. The 2” difference would be made up by extra side wall depth on the tyre of the 16”.  For example, I have the optional 15” wheels on my Prius Excel (standard is 17”).  I wanted 15” because the ride is more comfortable due to more tyre side wall height therefore more flexing, equals better ride for me.

[HybridLover]

5 hours ago, Catlover said:

I always understood the overall diameter stays the same, or else the speedo/mileometer would read differently. The 2” difference would be made up by extra side wall depth on the tyre of the 16”.  For example, I have the optional 15” wheels on my Prius Excel (standard is 17”).  I wanted 15” because the ride is more comfortable due to more tyre side wall height therefore more flexing, equals better ride for me.

Ah, that makes sense, so the tyres on a 17 or 18 are lower profile

[MarcusWatson]

I ordered a Corolla icon Tech 1.8 in Denim Blue on 16th August and was given an estimated delivery date of 30th September.  The car arrived at the dealer today, earlier than expected, and I'm picking it up on Thursday 24th at 10:30am.

While I was waiting for the car the MyT app tracked the build and once it was complete I saw the car connect to the server.  The app then notified me of a feature called Hybrid Coaching, which logs your journeys and displays little icons with economy tips where it has detected harsh acceleration or braking.  This feature showed me that the car was occasionally being moved short distances around the huge parking lot at the factory, which was a new and fun experience as I knew it was shuffling closer and closer to the front of the queue for being loaded on a transporter lorry.

Sometimes it feels like not much has really changed since I was a teenager driving my first car (a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 with 44bhp) in the nineties, but this reminds me that it's 2020 😄

Hopefully, the above information will be interesting to others who have just ordered, or who are thinking of ordering a car from the Derbyshire factory.
 

[HybridLover]

Yeah, wait til it loads up fully and you get the fuel level and odo mileage etc.

[DaveST]

Marcus - this is very interesting.  I'm due to collect my new Corolla Touring Icon Tech 1.8 Blue Denim on Thursday too.  Well done on being able to track your car through the MyToyota app, though!  I'm unable to do anything with the App at all. After entering my new car's VIN, I seem unable to do anything else with it at all, even to add the Registration Number (not recognised since it hasn't been taxed yet) never mind tracking delivery, or location.  In fact I have doubts about the usefulness of the App at all, but it's early days.  Hopefully I'll be convinced in the fullness of time.

[Timmon]

12 hours ago, DaveST said:

Marcus - this is very interesting.  I'm due to collect my new Corolla Touring Icon Tech 1.8 Blue Denim on Thursday too.  Well done on being able to track your car through the MyToyota app, though!  I'm unable to do anything with the App at all. After entering my new car's VIN, I seem unable to do anything else with it at all, even to add the Registration Number (not recognised since it hasn't been taxed yet) never mind tracking delivery, or location.  In fact I have doubts about the usefulness of the App at all, but it's early days.  Hopefully I'll be convinced in the fullness of time.

Check when you pick up the car that it has been activated. It sounds like yours has not. When I picked mine up in May 2019, no one in the dealer said anything, so it was September before I finally got it activated. I think things are better now, but you will find My T useful once it is fully working. 

[Wudzi]

Mine was a 3 step process. It firstly appeared in the MyT app when it arrived at the dealer. I could see the VIN number and tell it to connect to the app. 

The progress was at 88% from that point and when I collected it and seemingly everything was working. The dealer said that in a couple of days it would go to 100% which it did. I think the last stage was waiting for the car registration because for those first 2 days, all the functions worked but it only had the VIN and not the reg in the car information screen.

[DaveST]

Thanks for the advice, folks.  I'll certainly take it up with the dealer when I collect my car tomorrow!

[MarcusWatson]

6 hours ago, DaveST said:

Thanks for the advice, folks.  I'll certainly take it up with the dealer when I collect my car tomorrow!

Yes, I'm sure it just requires the dealer to enter some more details, the day I ordered the car I got a MyT activation email and I followed the instructions provided, I didn't enter a VIN.  This is probably the process that all dealers should follow so that the customer can track their car right the way through order, production and delivery.  Some individual salesmen may be more on top of the tech side than others.

My Corolla (and I) will get a baptism of fire as I'm doing a 285mile journey straight after I collect it, that'll teach me how comfortable those seats are or aren't!

[DaveST]

Thanks - I guess my dealer didn't know.  I'm trading in my Verso but rather sad to see it go, because of the Tardis-like capacity.  Good luck with the long drive - and feedback your MPG...:-)

[Timmon]

2 hours ago, MarcusWatson said:

Yes, I'm sure it just requires the dealer to enter some more details, the day I ordered the car I got a MyT activation email and I followed the instructions provided, I didn't enter a VIN.  This is probably the process that all dealers should follow so that the customer can track their car right the way through order, production and delivery.  Some individual salesmen may be more on top of the tech side than others.

My Corolla (and I) will get a baptism of fire as I'm doing a 285mile journey straight after I collect it, that'll teach me how comfortable those seats are or aren't!

Good luck with the long drive, I'm sure you will enjoy! My dealer played down the "Running in" aspect when you first get the car, but I was careful the first 1000 miles, and I'm sure it pays off in the long run, with better mpg as the engine beds in. ( Officially first 1000KM, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to take care for 1000 miles).

"Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing
the following precautions is recommended:
●For the first 300 km (186 miles):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 800 km (500 miles):
Do not tow a trailer.
●For the first 1000 km (621 miles):
• Do not drive at extremely high
speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for
extended periods."

[MarcusWatson]

Very nice people on this forum, thanks guys!

The journey was great, the adjustable lumbar support came in very handy so I felt pretty fresh after 4hr 30m of driving.  I think the hybrid coaching part of the app still requires some improvements and it hasn’t quite picked up all parts of my journey (I’m sure they will continue to refine it).  However, I do have a section that I’ve screenshotted between Wolverhampton (where I stopped at the services) and Preston (not sure why it stopped recording there).

The ride and handling are far better than I expected, it felt like it was made specifically for the winding A roads In the Yorkshire Dales, feeling compact, agile, precise and unperturbed by poor surfaces.  Throughout the journey I was surprised to find I was regularly cruising and even gently accelerating on electric power alone at speeds as high as 45 to 50mph.  I did also seem to get a small amount of EV running at up to 70mph when not going uphill.  This is good because it means that the system is capable of deploying recuperated energy at motorway speeds.

[DaveST]

That's great feedback, Marcus.  Impressive stats too, especially the percentage of EV.  I've only driven about 50 miles from collecting my new car from my dealer in the Scottish Borders, but like you I find the handling excellent especially along the winding drive through the Cheviot hills on the way home.  I don't have the feedback yet from the MyToyota app,which tells me to wait 24 hours to fully connect.  I'll be patient.  However my overall MPG for that journey was over 54mpg, so no complaints on that score!  It's way above the average on my Verso diesel, which would have been in the mid to upper 40s for the same journey.  Happy motoring!

[Timmon]

Thanks for the feedback Mark. Glad you had a good trip, and your positive comments.

I found my EV time rose as time went on. My T was not connected for me until Sept 2019, soI have a full year now, and EV time for the year is 43% cumulatively, but for the last month alone it is 53%. This will be partly down to my driving style adapting to Hybrid driving, and the systems "bedding in".

I have little city driving, mainly open rural roads and some motorway, so I am happy with that. I expect you will find the same, so enjoy your new hybrid experience.

[HybridLover]

Where exactly are the hybrid (traction) batteries located in the 1.8 and 2L? The manual doesn't tell you. I know you can read in reviews the 1.8 is under the bonnet and in the 2L it's in the boot but I can't find diagrams anywhere!?

[RabButler]

Under the back seat. That's why the handbook tells you not to block the ventilation grill in the seat edge on the driver's side. The Battery under the bonnet on the 1.8 and in the boot on the 2.0 are for 12v engine management and accessory power not traction.

[Catlover]

I suppose it’s nice to know where bits are but you don’t need to worry about the hybrid Battery, it is not something you or I should tinker with, there is no need to and it can be dangerous to you if you do try and tinker with it. Yes, it is under the back seat, but not easily accessed, and that is for a reason. Don’t be tempted to interfere.