Need some advice and help!

[Cerb666]

Admin please delete if it's not allowed. 

 

Evening ladies and gents, 

I'm looking at getting a 2024 Toyota Corolla GR Sport 2.0L Hybrid and I have a few questions that I'd like to get the answers to. 

• What are the pros and cons that you guys have came across with them? 
• Are there any issues that I should be aware of before committing to getting one? 
• Does the engine also have a wet belt? 
• If the car fails to start, can it be jump started because of the Hybrid Battery and does the Battery drain very fast if the cars not being used? (I do stints away for work so it's left for 2 weeks at a time before it's used again)

Any other advice or information would be greatly appreciated. 

(Sorry if it's silly questions, I'm new to the whole Hybrid and Toyota club)

Cheers everybody! 

 

[Bper]

Hi Sam,there's absolutely no need to apologise or feel silly for asking questions. Curiosity is how we learn, grow, and understand.Never hesitate to ask your questions they are always welcome and valued.👍

 

[dannyboy413]

Totally agree with Bob. You might be advised to read the various threads on 12v batteries. I had one problen with a flat Battery when I had my 2021 Corolla - that was totally my fault, I had been sat there watching music videos, in 'accesory' instead of 'ready' mode and never noticed the Battery warning come up! Otherwise a lovely car.

[Cerb666]

Cheers Bob! I really appreciate the warm response! 

Cheers for the insight David, I'll have a gander now and read up on some posts about the batteries and get a better understanding! 

[TonyHSD]

Most of the things mentioned will not be an issue . The 12v Battery when not used daily will be questionable but there are solutions like solar chargers or smart chargers. Toyota cars has timing Chains and no belts, actually no belts at all in hybrids. If you haven’t done an extensive test drive will be good idea to drive one of these for at least 20-30 min and on various roads including motorway to see if it will be your cup of tea. Usually these cars are good ones with minimal or no trouble. 

[taxidriver50005]

Hi and welcome, 

12v is easy to jump start, it may be an issue if left unattended for long periods but most of this is down to keyless entry systems constantly scanning for your keys.. This can be disabled through infotainment system so that should sort that. 

As above no wet belt or belt of any kind... Chains are wonderful. 

2.0 model has had isolated cases of injectors failing but the general feeling is contaminated fuel is causing this issue. 

Can't actually think of anything else to be concerned about. 

1.8 is also a good choice but 2024 models are actually less efficient than 2.0. 

Only thing I can think of is check you can put up with all the chimes and bleeps as the car has all these new speed limiter warning things onboard, and also 2.0 loses a little boat space as Battery is in there where 1.8 its in the engine bay, not really a issue with touring sports model but on hatch it may take up more room than you'd like. 

 

[MC1216]

As above 2024 RSA always defaults to on every time you start the car...if you can live with the bongs beeps etc it's a lovely car.

Mine is an early 2024 January and dosen't do this and i do find the boot small so i may sell for a touring/estate in the new year.

[Cerb666]

11 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

Most of the things mentioned will not be an issue . The 12v battery when not used daily will be questionable but there are solutions like solar chargers or smart chargers. Toyota cars has timing Chains and no belts, actually no belts at all in hybrids. If you haven’t done an extensive test drive will be good idea to drive one of these for at least 20-30 min and on various roads including motorway to see if it will be your cup of tea. Usually these cars are good ones with minimal or no trouble. 

Perfect! I’ve done more research into it and I can’t find anything regarding the chain needing to be checked or replaced in the servicing plans/maintenance plans?
 

I’ll definitely try and get a good test drive and see how it feels. I’m going from a modified Focus ST225 to this so it’s gonna be a hell of a difference! Thanks for the info! 

[Cerb666]

5 hours ago, taxidriver50005 said:

Hi and welcome, 

12v is easy to jump start, it may be an issue if left unattended for long periods but most of this is down to keyless entry systems constantly scanning for your keys.. This can be disabled through infotainment system so that should sort that. 

As above no wet belt or belt of any kind... Chains are wonderful. 

2.0 model has had isolated cases of injectors failing but the general feeling is contaminated fuel is causing this issue. 

Can't actually think of anything else to be concerned about. 

1.8 is also a good choice but 2024 models are actually less efficient than 2.0. 

Only thing I can think of is check you can put up with all the chimes and bleeps as the car has all these new speed limiter warning things onboard, and also 2.0 loses a little boat space as battery is in there where 1.8 its in the engine bay, not really a issue with touring sports model but on hatch it may take up more room than you'd like. 

 

Thanks for answering the questions, much appreciated! I’ll definitely be looking at disabling the keyless entry and (hopefully) the chimes 😂 I always run V-Power or 99 Momentum for fuel so I hope it’ll keep the fuel system happy

 

2 hours ago, MC1216 said:

As above 2024 RSA always defaults to on every time you start the car...if you can live with the bongs beeps etc it's a lovely car.

Mine is an early 2024 January and dosen't do this and i do find the boot small so i may sell for a touring/estate in the new year.

I just hope there’s a way to disable it but it’s good to know everyone says the same: they’re very good cars so gives me a good indication of what I’m potentially coming into

I’m hoping it’s not going to be too much of an issue because it’s mostly going to be me only and I haven’t actually seen the hatchback boot space yet, only the touring, so I’m gonna go to the place and see if I can test drive and get a better feel the car 😊

[MC1216]

10 minutes ago, Cerb666 said:

Perfect! I’ve done more research into it and I can’t find anything regarding the chain needing to be checked or replaced in the servicing plans/maintenance plans?
 

I’ll definitely try and get a good test drive and see how it feels. I’m going from a modified Focus ST225 to this so it’s gonna be a hell of a difference! Thanks for the info! 

My other car is a 19 plate VW Golf R and the Corolla surprised me...it's smoother with the eCVT than my DSG and pick up with the 2.0 Corolla is fine up to 50/60mph but does get a bit noisy when giving it beans joining a motorway etc.

However my Golf is averaging 31mpg long term and that includes motorway runs so it may go soon as with my mother being ill and me doing more miles i can't justify 2 cars however much fun the Golf is.

[Cerb666]

45 minutes ago, MC1216 said:

My other car is a 19 plate VW Golf R and the Corolla surprised me...it's smoother with the eCVT than my DSG and pick up with the 2.0 Corolla is fine up to 50/60mph but does get a bit noisy when giving it beans joining a motorway etc.

However my Golf is averaging 31mpg long term and that includes motorway runs so it may go soon as with my mother being ill and me doing more miles i can't justify 2 cars however much fun the Golf is.

That’s interesting. I’ve never owned an automatic so I can’t really comment, I hope the Corolla won’t set the bar high for autos and I get let down by other cars in the future 😂

Sorry to hear that, I hope all goes well with your mother. Yeah I’m at a point where I need to change my priorities. As much as I love my Focus and it makes me beam from ear to ear, I can’t justify the fuel consumption with travelling now and the “what if” something goes pear shaped on it. I need something that’s reliable and good on fuel and I’ve been impressed with Toyota, nobody has said anything bad about them so fingers crossed the Toyota warranty will also give me peace of mind. 

[Cyker]

You came in at a good time; I'm slightly suspicious Toyota have kidnapped some chassis engineers from Ford as the new TNGA-platform cars have *vastly* better handling than their predecessors, which tended to be set up for more of a soft vague rolly-poly ride.  

My Yaris is nearly Fiesta-like in its handling, and I normally use the Fiesta as a benchmark for good handling in a normal car.

The hybrid system in the newer ones has been tuned to be 'less boring' and while they aren't actually very fast, they do a very good job of pretending to be very fast for short periods (Very few cars can beat my Yaris away from the lights bwahaha ahem I mean lalalal ). The beefed up electric motors give that instant push when you press the accelerator which makes them really nice to drive whether you're slogging through traffic or on a twisty country road hoon  

Thankfully no wet belts - As mentioned above, the hybrids don't even have any belts as everything is driven by electric motors, even the AC compressor, and all modern Toyotas since maybe the mid-2000's have all used timing chains which, unlike e.g. french chains, are designed to last the life of the car and will if it's maintained properly (Its only weakness is if rubbish oil is used, or not even changed, as it stops lubricating the chain properly and allows acid to build up in the oil which attacks the chain)

The 12v Battery has been an issue in the newer hybrids for some reason - I think Toyota tried to save money by using cheaper low-capacity low-tech batteries (e.g. the Mk3 Yaris used a state-of-the-art AGM-type 12v Battery, but the Mk4 uses some random turkish-made wet-cell circa 1970; It's not even an enhanced-type wet cell! But it means replacement is much cheaper...)

The Corolla doesn't seem to be affected as much as the Yaris, and it mainly only hits people that don't drive much - I still have the original turkish Battery in my Mk4 but it's still working fine, but I drive a lot every day! You can get e.g. Yuasa replacements that have higher capacity and resilliance, and people that get fed up normally just do that and mostly don't have any further problems.

They 'jump-start' like a normal car, as in you just hook up the jump leads, but all you're actually doing is supplying the computer with power so it can engage the big traction battery contactor relays, so you don't need a big jumpstarter that can pull 9 thousand amps. I keep the smallest Noco jumpstarter they sell in mine, but haven't used it on my car yet (Ironically I have on several staff member's ICE cars  ).

One important thing is you can't jumpstart other cars with hybrids, as you risk blowing up the DC-DC converters as they're not designed to handle the sort of current a starter motor pulls!

 

[Mr Billiards]

I took delivery of a new 2ltr GR Sport Hatch in October 2023, I cannot fault the car. After 10,000 miles the only issue I had after delivery was a squeaky rear wiper blade which the dealership changed straight away for me.

Fuel consumption ranges from 50mpg to mid 60mpg depending on driving conditions. The 2ltr is very nippy and fun to drive, its also relaxing on a long distance drive. It took me a while to get use to the auto as its my first automatic car after 50 years of driving. However I wouldn't go back to a manual now.

I always run the car on Shell V Power or Esso Premium.

For the last 20 years I have had new Mazda 3 or Honda Civics, and they were excellent cars, however I think the Corolla is the best car I have owned for many years. 

 

 

[taxidriver50005]

Well you can jump other cars but you must switch yours off first. Better to have yours isolated. 

 

[taxidriver50005]

Ok I've been thinking.... There is a downside to corolla ownership and it affects 1.8 and 2.0.... Doesn't matter is hatch or sports touring........ 

*ITS THE  HORN**

I'm struggling to scare pigeons out of my way with this feeble effort. 

[MC1216]

17 hours ago, taxidriver50005 said:

Ok I've been thinking.... There is a downside to corolla ownership and it affects 1.8 and 2.0.... Doesn't matter is hatch or sports touring........ 

*ITS THE  HORN**

I'm struggling to scare pigeons out of my way with this feeble effort. 

Easy solution...🤣

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126105994731

[Cyker]

Yeah, it's very 'japanese' - Polite, understated. Very "Um, excuse me but could I possibly catch your attention good sir?" rather than the more GET THE *&5$#@ OUT OF MY WAY YOU #@$%*(£$ german-style horns  

[ThomasL]

Nobody had mentioned this, you may already know. You may or not care:

You don't get a spare wheel. Only the compressed air goo repair.

On the 2L hatchback the Battery goes where the spare wheel should be.

On the estate you can fit an after market spare for a couple hundred ££. Not sure about the 1.8 hatchback if a spare fits in the boot.

Can I ask why you selected the GR Sport trim? Are you aware it has not got a sportier engine, only different gadgets and looks.

[Heidfirst]

5 hours ago, ThomasL said:

Not sure about the 1.8 hatchback if a spare fits in the boot..

It can but the cost of parts is about 3x that for the estate if you want all the moulded holder etc. https://toyotadirectparts.co.uk/?s=corolla+spare+wheel+kit&post_type=product

[Mr Billiards]

8 hours ago, ThomasL said:

Nobody had mentioned this, you may already know. You may or not care:

You don't get a spare wheel. Only the compressed air goo repair.

On the 2L hatchback the battery goes where the spare wheel should be.

On the estate you can fit an after market spare for a couple hundred ££. Not sure about the 1.8 hatchback if a spare fits in the boot.

Can I ask why you selected the GR Sport trim? Are you aware it has not got a sportier engine, only different gadgets and looks.

I have a 2023 2ltr GR Sport Hatch, and I bought a Toyota space saver kit at the time of purchasing the car. The space saver fits in the boot floor wheel well to the left hand side of the 12V Battery. The Toyota space saver kit consists of the wheel, jack, wheel brace and mouldings required to fit the wheel and tools into. The dealership fitted it for me prior to me taking delivery of the car. The boot floor fits perfectly over the space saver.

[Cerb666]

On 10/20/2024 at 12:19 PM, Cyker said:

You came in at a good time; I'm slightly suspicious Toyota have kidnapped some chassis engineers from Ford as the new TNGA-platform cars have *vastly* better handling than their predecessors, which tended to be set up for more of a soft vague rolly-poly ride.  

My Yaris is nearly Fiesta-like in its handling, and I normally use the Fiesta as a benchmark for good handling in a normal car.

The hybrid system in the newer ones has been tuned to be 'less boring' and while they aren't actually very fast, they do a very good job of pretending to be very fast for short periods (Very few cars can beat my Yaris away from the lights bwahaha ahem I mean lalalal ). The beefed up electric motors give that instant push when you press the accelerator which makes them really nice to drive whether you're slogging through traffic or on a twisty country road hoon  

Thankfully no wet belts - As mentioned above, the hybrids don't even have any belts as everything is driven by electric motors, even the AC compressor, and all modern Toyotas since maybe the mid-2000's have all used timing chains which, unlike e.g. french chains, are designed to last the life of the car and will if it's maintained properly (Its only weakness is if rubbish oil is used, or not even changed, as it stops lubricating the chain properly and allows acid to build up in the oil which attacks the chain)

The 12v battery has been an issue in the newer hybrids for some reason - I think Toyota tried to save money by using cheaper low-capacity low-tech batteries (e.g. the Mk3 Yaris used a state-of-the-art AGM-type 12v battery, but the Mk4 uses some random turkish-made wet-cell circa 1970; It's not even an enhanced-type wet cell! But it means replacement is much cheaper...)

The Corolla doesn't seem to be affected as much as the Yaris, and it mainly only hits people that don't drive much - I still have the original turkish battery in my Mk4 but it's still working fine, but I drive a lot every day! You can get e.g. Yuasa replacements that have higher capacity and resilliance, and people that get fed up normally just do that and mostly don't have any further problems.

They 'jump-start' like a normal car, as in you just hook up the jump leads, but all you're actually doing is supplying the computer with power so it can engage the big traction battery contactor relays, so you don't need a big jumpstarter that can pull 9 thousand amps. I keep the smallest Noco jumpstarter they sell in mine, but haven't used it on my car yet (Ironically I have on several staff member's ICE cars  ).

One important thing is you can't jumpstart other cars with hybrids, as you risk blowing up the DC-DC converters as they're not designed to handle the sort of current a starter motor pulls!

 

Thank you for the insight! I test drove the Estate 1.8L and it handled rather well, even for an Estate it felt well planted and handled well, Toyota done a good job kidnapping the Ford engineers if that’s the case 😂 The dealership said the new Corolla can go almost 4 weeks until the Battery goes flat and it can take as little as 1 mile to fully recharge the Battery back up (something and that, I maybe talking BS) and if I’m still concerned then it’s worth to just keep a booster pack just in case but it shouldn’t be needed 🤞

 

9 hours ago, ThomasL said:

Nobody had mentioned this, you may already know. You may or not care:

You don't get a spare wheel. Only the compressed air goo repair.

On the 2L hatchback the battery goes where the spare wheel should be.

On the estate you can fit an after market spare for a couple hundred ££. Not sure about the 1.8 hatchback if a spare fits in the boot.

Can I ask why you selected the GR Sport trim? Are you aware it has not got a sportier engine, only different gadgets and looks.

I’ve seen the difference between the 1.8L boot space and 2.0L and I’m confident the boot space for the 2.0L is more than enough that I need. It’s mostly for the extra 50BHP because I still need a little bit of poke though the 1.8L wasn’t too bad. Thanks for letting know about the emergency goo repair, I didn’t have a clue about that. Are they run flats or is it also worth getting a tyre puncture repair kit just as an additional backup? 
 

I went for the GR Sport mainly because of the looks, I wasn’t aware about the gadgets inside and it’s fairly overwhelming for me but I’ll get used to it (I hope 😂 ) I’m aware it’s the same 2.0L engine but it’s mostly for the looks. 

[Cerb666]

So, yesterday I went to the dealership, asked some questions (a lot have been answered by you guys on here so thank you very much for that!) and they didn’t have the 2.0L hatchback in store (they sold the one they had the day prior, Sod’s Law) so I took their demo 1.8L Estate out and I must say it was very good and I enjoyed it.

Only issue I have now is that the New Corolla I was looking at was actually the 1.8L and not the 2.0L.. so now I’ll have to wait until March before I see the Corolla so I guess I can still enjoy the Focus in the mean time 😊

[taxidriver50005]

I have a spare but always carry a tyre plug kit, I use this kit more than I would ever use the spare but I personally want the spare too. 

Tyre plug kits get some bad press by some and rave reviews by others, some say temp fix others say permanent. 

I've personally had plugs in tyres for over 30,000 miles with no issues. 

 

[ThomasL]

On 10/21/2024 at 3:39 PM, Mr Billiards said:

I have a 2023 2ltr GR Sport Hatch, and I bought a Toyota space saver kit at the time of purchasing the car. The space saver fits in the boot floor wheel well to the left hand side of the 12V battery. The Toyota space saver kit consists of the wheel, jack, wheel brace and mouldings required to fit the wheel and tools into. The dealership fitted it for me prior to me taking delivery of the car. The boot floor fits perfectly over the space saver.

Nice, pleasantly surprised it all fits! Do you have a photo you can upload here?

[DamoGR]

I just got a space saver off eBay for £60 delivered… very happy with it 

Ordered the jack and handle from Toyota direct for £27 which is getting delivered today as well

A new space saver alone would be £135 on its own, so I’ve saved a fair bit.

 
Not bothered about the trim as I have lots of my bits and pieces to fit inside and around the wheel when it’s in the well 

Got it because I wasn’t comfortable driving around without a physical spare, especially on my 550 mile round trips from Sheffield to Edinburgh