2.0ltr initial thoughts

[Daveya]

Just picked up a 2020 2.0ltr Excel Corolla in Manhattan Grey. Had to scour the country to get the right deal and ended driving 700 mile round trip plus a night in a hotel to get one. Thats a story for another day, using internet and phone to deal with 25 dealers .

Won't bother listing everything I like all been said here, I've come from high mileage area manager in fast diesels and some decent private cars like tuned Saab and tuned MX5, and now in semi retirement and got this as need to ferry lad about as he hops between university and stuff like that. Only brief test drive in 1.8. Car comfy good interior looks good etc etc and infotainment not as bad as reviewers make out .

Anyway, some observations.

330 miles and 57mpg, I'll take that, EV mode at 70 going downhill was nice.

Ride on the 18s with those skinny tires is excellent, probably what impressed me most .

Chassis ok, but steering very light and not much feedback, not a car to hustle down the lanes.

Sport mode and the flappy panels really quite funny actyally, if you use these you've possibly bought the wrong car. All I used was ECO mode and found that flooring the pedal was more than enough to take off around lorries. Watching the total mpg plummet when you did and ECO score drop was a giggle. But the response even in ECO more was fine.

The 2ltr has effortless power for everyday driving and in sport mode can keep the company car nutters in 320Ds at bay over 100 yards but I won't be using that, just tested it.

Battery is only 3 bars when I got home, went out later and after a mile the eco mode wasn't available. Think the car was stood at the dealer for a while, when I collected it had to have a new 12v Battery and it's only 2 years old.

LTA and ACC are superb and as good as the Volvo and Audi I've had .

Android auto meh, can't get many apps as I have podcasts on YouTube and other apps and can't access it, plus I like the nav directions on the digital dash better with the car system, plus just seems an easier system to use and Google maps not as quick to get me in the right lane as the car system, a pet hate of mine. So just gonna stick with the car .

The Manhattan grey really suits it, only one I could find with a dealer willing to deal was a long way away but worth it .

So very impressed. Surprisingly easy car to master , a few YouTube's and and away you go.

Oh and can't see the point of the hill assist, the creep does it all for you. I suppose someone starting on a literally vertical hill might use it .

All in all probably just going to keep it in ECO mode . Best thing so far? The economy is as good as claimed, it looks great and is a very comfortable effortless drive. Worst thing? Probably steering feel but as I've just come from a modded MX5 that's just probably muscle memory .

Very good car .

[Hardy888]

I have 2.0 touring sport in Manhattan grey and I endorse this message.

[alan333]

1 hour ago, Daveya said:

Oh and can't see the point of the hill assist, the creep does it all for you.

If it's the same as our C-HR then it means you can sit at the lights without your foot on the brake pedal.

[Daveya]

20 minutes ago, alan333 said:

If it's the same as our C-HR then it means you can sit at the lights without your foot on the brake pedal.

Fair enough, probably useful in a city lots of lights etc 

[Daveya]

Actual car rather than stock. The satin looks satin in shade and metallic in the sun, similar to to the Audi Nardo

[dee123456]

48 minutes ago, alan333 said:

If it's the same as our C-HR then it means you can sit at the lights without your foot on the brake pedal.

Yes, it's the same. I find it very useful for this very reason.

[Kieranm9091]

I have a 2.0ltr Excel Pan Roof in Obsidian Blue, great car and love driving on the motorway everyday as it’s comfortable and economical. The bigger engine helps with the overtaking definitely, love having the power there when needed, im used to a 1.33 Yaris so a huge step up!

[Daveya]

4 minutes ago, Kieranm9091 said:

I have a 2.0ltr Excel Pan Roof in Obsidian Blue, great car and love driving on the motorway everyday as it’s comfortable and economical. The bigger engine helps with the overtaking definitely, love having the power there when needed, im used to a 1.33 Yaris so a huge step up!

Even in ECO mode the thing takes off around lorries obviously at legal speeds etc etc 

[Daveya]

Ok first drive around town the hill assist is excellent, still creeps with light touch on the break, activates with harder press, very clever, I'm converted

[APS]

12 minutes ago, Daveya said:

Ok first drive around town the hill assist is excellent, still creeps with light touch on the break, activates with harder press, very clever, I'm converted

Particularly useful when you park/reverse in really tight spaces on a hill. It means you can get really close to an obstacle, push the brakes hard to 'lock' the car in place and then change from reverse to forward or vice versa to move off. 

[Obsidian Estate]

I came from a GT86, and the biggest thing for me to acclimatise to was the light steering. Even in sport mode.

I'm not fussed about the roll and soft ride, I've spent most of my life in big Peugeot saloons. There is a knack to hustling a wallowy old barge.

 

[TonyHSD]

Nice car and colour 🚙👌 Normal mode far better feeling and response from accelerator, efficiency it’s the same and climate control settings are unaffected. You can try for yourself if you like it. Enjoy your new car 👍

[Daveya]

1 hour ago, TonyHSD said:

Nice car and colour 🚙👌 Normal mode far better feeling and response from accelerator, efficiency it’s the same and climate control settings are unaffected. You can try for yourself if you like it. Enjoy your new car 👍

Thanks 

[Roy124]

I note you say trips to Uni.  I hope the load capacity is enough.  At least today you don't have a Tower, keyboard, printer and 17 inch VDU to lug around.  Laptop and printer shouldn't take up too much room. 

[Daveya]

15 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

I note you say trips to Uni.  I hope the load capacity is enough.  At least today you don't have a Tower, keyboard, printer and 17 inch VDU to lug around.  Laptop and printer shouldn't take up too much room. 

You are still behind the times Roy, no printers anymore 😅

[Daveya]

Will add something to the list, I'll remove hill hold its fantastic, but add in the wheel arch gap on the rears seems more than the fronts and can't unsee it

[Daveya]

Usb map updates, gotta buy a USB stick? What is this 1998?

[Roy124]

4 hours ago, Daveya said:

You are still behind the times Roy, no printers anymore 😅

I wish 😁

My printer is playing up and my backup drive crashed and some data was lost on One Drive. 

Went on a cruise in March, great pile of printouts, quick scan and we were through.  Chap ahead could not find his on his phone 😁

 

[Kental]

22 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

I wish 😁

My printer is playing up and my backup drive crashed and some data was lost on One Drive. 

Went on a cruise in March, great pile of printouts, quick scan and we were through.  Chap ahead could not find his on his phone 😁

 

Agreed printers still necessary. Our daughter has one at uni, makes a mess of the screen if you try and highlight parts of PowerPoint presentations 🤣.

We also did a cruise in April, the paperwork was unbelievable, so much easier than trying to find it all on phone (had it all on phone as well though)

[Devon Aygo]

2 hours ago, Daveya said:

Usb map updates, gotta buy a USB stick? What is this 1998?

As you have android auto you can update Maps OTA either by mobile data or WIFI connection, to keep data costs down the car will only update UK/IE maps if you want the full western EU you need a USB.

To access ensure you have a MyT account & data connection press setup button, then on LH menu select Online, then Toyota online, input your MyT account details if you haven't already then scroll down and select map update.

[RzrAzr]

11 hours ago, Daveya said:

Actual car rather than stock. The satin looks satin in shade and metallic in the sun, similar to to the Audi Nardo

I jokingly call mine Nardo Grey for poor people. 

11 hours ago, Daveya said:

Even in ECO mode the thing takes off around lorries obviously at legal speeds etc etc 

Around town I’m usually in Normal mode, on the highway however I’ve noticed ECO speeds up a lot smoother when the adaptive cruise control is activated, which is nice. 

10 hours ago, Daveya said:

Ok first drive around town the hill assist is excellent, still creeps with light touch on the break, activates with harder press, very clever, I'm converted

I’ve noticed that when you’re on a hill and try to balance it by either letting off the brakes, or slightly tapping the accelerator to keep the car from rolling back It does consume the Battery according to the display. So I’ve since converted to using brake hold on long red lights to avoid wasting the juice in the Battery.  
 

great car, welcome to Manhattan Grey gang!

[TonyHSD]

15 minutes ago, RzrAzr said:

I jokingly call mine Nardo Grey for poor people. 

Around town I’m usually in Normal mode, on the highway however I’ve noticed ECO speeds up a lot smoother when the adaptive cruise control is activated, which is nice. 

I’ve noticed that when you’re on a hill and try to balance it by either letting off the brakes, or slightly tapping the accelerator to keep the car from rolling back It does consume the battery according to the display. So I’ve since converted to using brake hold on long red lights to avoid wasting the juice in the battery.  
 

great car, welcome to Manhattan Grey gang!

If you do hold the car on a step hill using accelerator you are also adding extra heat to the electric motor. I do use sometimes left foot on brake, right foot on accelerator and works well, no need hill start assist or brake hold function. 👍

[Cyker]

I just use it as a substitute for a handbrake since the EPB sucks so much. It's almost impossible to move off smoothly with it because you can't time it to sync up like you can with a clutch and real handbrake and it always jerks.

I only use the EPB in conjunction with Park and use the brake hold for all other times.

This is not a good habit tho' as I tried to drive a normal autobox car off with the handbrake on the other day because I seem to have forgotten it's a thing  

[Daveya]

12 hours ago, Roy124 said:

I wish 😁

My printer is playing up and my backup drive crashed and some data was lost on One Drive. 

Went on a cruise in March, great pile of printouts, quick scan and we were through.  Chap ahead could not find his on his phone 😁

 

Lol, cruise users save printer industry!

 

 

[Daveya]

10 hours ago, Devon Aygo said:

As you have android auto you can update Maps OTA either by mobile data or WIFI connection, to keep data costs down the car will only update UK/IE maps if you want the full western EU you need a USB.

To access ensure you have a MyT account & data connection press setup button, then on LH menu select Online, then Toyota online, input your MyT account details if you haven't already then scroll down and select map update.

Awesome thanks, I'm all synced and set up with MyT so will do that .

 

Next Google search , can the Touch 2 screen be swopped with the newer one