Head up display

[Hpaul]

I just taken delivery of a 2019 Corolla tourer Excel. I thought that this had all the bells and whistles, but it doesn’t seem to have the head up display. My previous Prius had it and I miss it.

[DavidTC]

The heads up display is only available on the GR unfortunately 

[forkingabout]

GR Sport has the heads up display but you cant have the JBL audio upgrade.

Excel can have JBL audio upgrade option but no heads up display available.

Toyota really need to look at there optional extra availability, especially when a customer is looking at buying one of the top spec models.

I'm sure there will be people out there that would really like the option of heads up display & the JBL audio system on the same Corolla.

[Cyker]

Yeah, Toyota GB's choices on model specs really boggles the mind - I swapped many e-mails with them trying to get them to change the Yaris Mk4 lineup's options but who knows if they're just sending the e-mails straight to the recycle bin!

It's like they don't know their customer base at all!

It's daft enough putting massive low-profile boy racer rims on hybrids that are primarily bought by people after high fuel economy and ride comfort, but then they remove the spare wheel if you opt for a pano roof citing weight concerns at the same time! It makes no sense! How can you say weight is a concern then stick 17" rims on?! I think the vast majority would rather have the pano roof with 15 or 16 inch rims and a spare wheel instead, rather than 17" and no spare wheel, if weight is such a concern!

Even with the GR Yaris - They should just have a top spec model that has everything instead of being forced to choose between HUD, JBL Speakers, satnav, parking sensors etc. or LSDs and forged alloys!

Ooooh but it just winds me up how nonsensical it is!

 

[Catlover]

I guessing Coker, but reckon I won’t be far off the point. If you load the top spec with all the extras then the cost would be above their competitors, thus sales drop on cost basis. What you think?

[Cyker]

Actually, I disagree. I think people are more likely to get the top spec model if it has what they want on it, esp. if that's not available on the other grades, and even more so if that's not available on other car models.

For people where the price is a big factor, they would never even consider the top spec anyway so sales not affected. With the Mk4, Toyota already expected the bulk of the sales to be the Design grade, i.e. the second cheapest, and to be honest the best 'bang for buck' as it were. The role of the Icon and Design is to be the ones with the most competitive pricing on.

However, the sort of person that would even consider the higher specs aren't going to worry about a few hundred quid difference if the car has what they want.

Case in point - Me: I have a rule about buying new cars (Don't), but since I found myself in a situation where the least stupid course of action was to break that rule, I also have a rule about breaking rules (If you're going to break them, break them hard!), and so when I found out I couldn't have the HUD or Parking sensors on the Design model, I thought sod it and went all in on the Excel with every option they had on it. If they'd have let me have blue paint on it I would have had that too! (But, inexplicably, they don't...)

It was that combination of parking sensors and HUD that really swung the Excel for me - If there was an even higher grade that also had the auto-parking, 360 degree camera view and eAWD, as in the Japanese models, I would have gone for that!

But as I've said before I really don't understand Toyota and their dealer's mindset - As it was, the whole buying experience was exhaustingly laborious and mildly traumatic - It's like, I'm trying to throw more money at them for more stuff and they almost seem like they don't care or want it, throwing up excuses and delays, and me having to constantly chase for updates. I don't think I've ever had such a rubbish purchasing experience!

 

The thing is, the Yaris Mk4 is already more expensive than most of its competitors in this class - The reason most of the customer base are willing to pay for them still (And they really do; I've seen soooo many new Mk4's around!) is because of the incredible amount of kit you get for the money. How many other cars in this class have this much stuff?

People that are concerned about cost as a major factor a) Don't buy new cars, and b) Get other marques like Ford, Suzuki, Vauxhall etc., whereas people that are willing to pay the higher price of a Toyota, do so because of the stuff they get and the reliability of the vehicles, and I think Toyota have realised that, at least a bit, which is why they were bold enough to jack the base price of the Yaris by nearly £10000 over the previous model and still be confident it would sell, despite doubting from reviewers.

I should also mention I was also considering a Honda Jazz Hybrid, because it was cheaper, had much more internal storage and even trick rear seats, which was a hallmark of the older models of Yaris. But what made the Yaris win? It was the kit. Esp. the digital dash and HUD. If it had all the jap-spec stuff, the Jazz wouldn't have even had a look-in!

 

[forkingabout]

A lot of people got annoyed with the Yaris Launch edition because while it came loaded with kit - you couldn't have factory fitted parking sensors or clearance sonar.

CH-R GR Sport, you cant have the optional JBL sound system without having the optional Alcantara upgraded seats first - no heated steering wheel available either.

The lack of some options even being available because the UK is a right hand drive country is another annoyance excuse that Toyota use as well.

 

 

[Redwards]

Can't see why Toyota would use this as an excuse as Japan drive on the left also.

[PeteB]

12 hours ago, Cyker said:

Actually, I disagree. I think people are more likely to get the top spec model if it has what they want on it, esp. if that's not available on the other grades, and even more so if that's not available on other car models...

I take the same view.  I'm very annoyed too that Prius have had Head Up Display since 2009, and once I experienced it I realised what a significant aid it is to safe driving and reduced fatigue on longer journeys (less eye refocusing).  I've had my RAV4 Excel for 2 years now and still miss the HUD greatly, along with several other features my Prius Excel had and my vastly over-priced RAV4 does not.

Worse, in the US and Canada, their RAV4s can come with about a dozen very useful features that we can't have at any price.  While I don't regard my car a good value, I still would have paid another £2k for a package that contained to missing North American features.

[Ian.S]

I have a 2.0lt TS Excel and would gladly have done without having the auto parking. I think that it is the biggest waste of money that has been fitted to cars for years. It has been on the last 4 cars I have and I used it once and realised very quickly that haI can park far quicker and more accurately myself. Wouldn’t want upgraded radio included either. 

[flash22]

5 hours ago, forkingabout said:

A lot of people got annoyed with the Yaris Launch edition because while it came loaded with kit - you couldn't have factory fitted parking sensors or clearance sonar.

CH-R GR Sport, you cant have the optional JBL sound system without having the optional Alcantara upgraded seats first - no heated steering wheel available either.

The lack of some options even being available because the UK is a right hand drive country is another annoyance excuse that Toyota use as well.

The yaris has them, but it's part of the BSM and RCTA

I do believe you can retrofit the HUD

[forkingabout]

18 minutes ago, flash22 said:

The yaris has them, but it's part of the BSM and RCTA

I do believe you can retrofit the HUD

 

The Yaris Launch edition while it has standard BSM & RCTA cannot be had with front or rear ultrasonic parking sensors from the factory - there not available even as an option.

Front & rear parking sensors with auto braking are standard on the Excel & optional on the Dynamic ( City pack ) 

The front & rear parking sensors use ultrasonic sensors mounted visibly in the front bumper / grill & rear bumpers.

The BSM & RCTA use a pair of radar sensors mounted at the rear corners of the car.

[flash22]

it's all part of the package, hence why you can't option both items

[forkingabout]

2 minutes ago, flash22 said:

it's all part of the package, hence why you can't option both items

The Launch edition cannot have factory fitted parking sensors with automatic braking - there just not available in the UK.

The BSM & RCTA is a completely separate safety system to the parking sensors.

[Cyker]

Yeah, that was a really weird omission I noticed too, esp. since the Launch edition was supposed to have everything and more (It even has the footwell 'mood lighting' which no other model has).

Again, part of the reason I decided to go with the Excel + HUD option.

I don't think the HUD could be retrofitted, not easily anyway. Maybe if you went to heroic lengths like DorinA did to add the all-around sensors you could, but it's a factory option for a reason! The dashboard top would need to be changed or have a massive hole cut in it, the surround, module and screen put in and aligned, and if it's like the older Prius it might even need a different windscreen - I remember quite a few members here who had their windscreen changed found their HUD became all blurry, and it turned out the HUD-equipped Prius used a different (and of course more expensive) windscreen than the normal ones that compensated for the double-reflections from the HUD.

[PeteB]

7 minutes ago, Cyker said:

Yeah, that was a really weird omission I noticed too, esp. since the Launch edition was supposed to have everything and more (It even has the footwell 'mood lighting' which no other model has).

Again, part of the reason I decided to go with the Excel + HUD option.

... if it's like the older Prius it might even need a different windscreen - I remember quite a few members here who had their windscreen changed found their HUD became all blurry, and it turned out the HUD-equipped Prius used a different (and of course more expensive) windscreen than the normal ones that compensated for the double-reflections from the HUD.

Yes, I needed a new screen on my last Prius and was really nervous about it.  A local owner actually got them to replace his screen 3 times before he was happy!

To my great relief, the Autoglass depot I visited had the correct (Toyota branded) screen all ready for me, and the chap who fitted it seemed very knowledgeable about them.  They were also able to recalibrate the Safety Sense camera and sensors at the same time.  I came away well impressed.

As it happens, I just had a new screen on my RAV4 at the same place, and while it didn't have the HUD concern, the Excel version has a heated area where the wipers park and happily they coped with that satisfactorily too.

[forkingabout]

Looking at a parts catalogue the Yaris mk4 with HUD fitted use a different windscreen part number compared to a normal Yaris mk4 - so its not an easy retrofit. 

Shame you cannot add the auto dimming rear view mirror & heads up display on to the Dynamic spec when you order one.

A Yaris Dynamic with the optional City pack plus the above 2 options would suit me perfectly.

[Cyker]

Yeah, same - I wanted a model with keys, a dark interior and in blue; A Design-spec with the City and Tech pack would have been my ideal choice.

The Excel actually has things I didn't want; Mainly the keyless entry and 17" rims, and you can't have it in blue, but I wanted the HUD and all-around sensors more than I didn't want those!  

So glad I got the HUD; I can't actually see the dash unless the steering wheel is straight and knowing my speed without having to take my eyes off the road is just one less thing to deal with! It also seems to be the only way to know the RPM of the ICE!

 

[forkingabout]

Nothing wrong with keyless entry - I know on the C-HR that Toyota now use motion sensing keyless fobs to defeat the relay theft risk.

No idea if this has filtered down to the mk4 Yaris.

To test if it has, lock the vehicle & place the keyless fob down on the floor next to it then wait at least a minute.

Try & open the door - if it stays locked then the keyless fob is the newer type with motion detection built in.

 

[PeteB]

5 minutes ago, forkingabout said:

Nothing wrong with keyless entry - I know on the C-HR that Toyota now use motion sensing keyless fobs to defeat the relay theft risk...

I would respectfully suggest it reduces the risk rather than defeating it.  If you put you keys down and don't touch them, I'd agree it seems effective.  However, if they are in a pocket, I suspect the key will stay active.

If I had one of these keys I think I'd still do what I do now, which is habitually put the key into 'Battery save' mode (*) whenever I've locked the car and am either at home or somewhere when I'm fairly close to the car, like a restaurant or a friend's house.

That said, I'm not aware of thieves targeting the likes of the Prius, RAV4, Corolla, Yaris etc. - they tend to go for things like Range Rovers (a £90k one was reported stolen this way near me a while ago), but it's still worth being cautious.

(*) Battery Save' mode is enabled by holding the lock button on the fob in and quickly pressing the unlock button twice at the same time.  2 double flashes of the little red light confirms it's worked.

[Woofwoof]

You can easily wire an aftermarket unit to the obd scanner port and hide all wires out the place

[RzrAzr]

On 7/30/2021 at 10:21 PM, Cyker said:

Yeah, Toyota GB's choices on model specs really boggles the mind - I swapped many e-mails with them trying to get them to change the Yaris Mk4 lineup's options but who knows if they're just sending the e-mails straight to the recycle bin!

It's like they don't know their customer base at all!

It's daft enough putting massive low-profile boy racer rims on hybrids that are primarily bought by people after high fuel economy and ride comfort, but then they remove the spare wheel if you opt for a pano roof citing weight concerns at the same time! It makes no sense! How can you say weight is a concern then stick 17" rims on?! I think the vast majority would rather have the pano roof with 15 or 16 inch rims and a spare wheel instead, rather than 17" and no spare wheel, if weight is such a concern!

Even with the GR Yaris - They should just have a top spec model that has everything instead of being forced to choose between HUD, JBL speakers, satnav, parking sensors etc. or LSDs and forged alloys!

Ooooh but it just winds me up how nonsensical it is!

 

No way in the world I would buy a car with 15 or 16 inch rims. Unless I get a good deal on it to justify aftermarket BBS, OZ or anything else super fancy. I've ordered Corolla because I liked how it rides, I need a daily driver that is reliable and economical, but I wouldn't be too concerned about 0.5L per 100km more of fuel burned because the wheels are bigger to be honest. And even then, the difference wouldn't be that much more. My FJ cruiser burns about 0.7L more with heavy all terrain tyres on 18" rims as opposed to stock highway Dunlops on 16"...and that's a 2 ton monster with a 4.0 V6

I don't disagree with you, you are right in your conclusions, but any manufacturer cares about what majority will go for, or how it looks when you compare it competition. Take any Leon or Golf of more or less similar price range with the Corolla, and they will at least have a 17" if not 18". 

I am guessing Toyota knows what the majority of their customer base is, it is just you who doesn't fall into that group because you try to apply common sense and not emotions LOL

[Yugguy1970]

Heh.  I was attracted to the RAV design because its 18inch wheel sidewalls are bigger than the Excel 19inch, and I wanted comfort.   I've gone beyond rubber band tyres these days.  I quite like Toyota's conservatism in that way.

[Cyker]

Yeah while I may not have a majority viewpoint I don't think I'm alone either - A lot of others have shared my view on here so I feel it's worth something! The thing is, the sort of person who tends to buy german cars would definitely benefit targeting with larger rims, but I feel Toyota's core customer base isn't that sort of person, and doing stuff like this just puts off their core audience, while still not really attracting anyone from the other audience.

Anyway, Toyota, and most manufacturers for that matter, offer larger rims as an option, so why not keep the base car with smaller rims and just do that? Or, flip it the other way and offer smaller rims as a no/low-cost option - That would also benefit their CO2 rating, as smaller rims=lower CO2 emissions!

I hated the 17"'s on my Mk4 so I put my money where my mouth was and 'downgraded' to 15"s, and I am so glad I did - The ride is so much better, the road noise is much less harsh, tyres are nearly half the cost, don't have to worry about kerb or pothole damage - These are things that are important to me! The 17"s will likely just sit in the shed for the next 10 years (Hopefully by then I'll have built up my EV fund again, and an EV that is worth buying will actually exist...! But then I had to wait what, 15-odd years for the Mk4 so...)

 

[forkingabout]

Steel rims of a sensible size with decent looking hubcaps & sensible profile tyres would be my choice.