2022 Yaris Hybrid ride quality, your opinions welcome.

[kernowjim]

Hi all

I have a 2022 Yaris Dynamic that has covered 19,000 miles and I have owned it from new.  I am getting increasingly frustrated with the noise and rattles from every part of the interior over anything but the smoothest roads.  My local Toyota dealer charge me for whenever I take it back for them to investigate, as they always say they can't find any faults.  I mean they could be correct and this is just how it is constructed, with cheap hard plastics.  I also find the noise and vibration very tiring for any sort of long distance, the short wheelbase coupled with the 205/45 17" tyres mean I feel every bump and undulation on the road.  I understand that as a result it handles very well and looks good but doesn't equal a comfortable ride.  I avoid using the car unless I have to as I don't find it a pleasant experience.  

Would I be better trading it in (the PCP is due soon) for a Corolla or is that a similar affair regarding interior build quality?  I get the general impression from commenters that all Toyota's are cheaply made and all rattle and if I want a well constructed Toyota product I should buy a Lexus?  This does seem unfair when the Corolla I'm considering is £32K.  I would assume the heavier, longer wheelbase Corolla will be a more pleasant drive on Britain's modern roads?

Your opinions are very welcome.

[TonyHSD]

Hi, 

I haven’t experienced Yaris or Yaris cross yet but I did a new Aygo x and recent Corolla excel. 
The Aygo x is a brilliant small car. Drives like big one, it’s super comfortable at low speeds over bumps and potholes, cracks or anything. Absolutely pleasure to drive on motorways, no noises no drama. It was pure model with 17” Michelin tyres. 
The Corolla was excel on 18” Falkens, the car had hard and bumpy suspension at low speeds and a horrible road and tyre noise coming from the rear axle, I mean unacceptable. 
All new Toyota cars are the same, the major dis in the road surfaces, conditions, and the tyres - types, sizes, and pressure. 
Check your pressures on cold and make sure they are spot on, then if you like change the tyres to something better, all seasons can reduce noise a bit. 
That’s all you can do. The rest is the horrible road network in uk, which currently is the worst in eu and worse than third world countries. 

[kernowjim]

Yes that's half the issue is the state of the UK roads.  I have changed the tyres from the nasty OE Bridgestones and whilst marginally better (Falken FK520's) it's still a harsh ride.  I have heard the Corolla is noisy from the rear axle, particularly the estate.  Aygo-X is too underpowered for me and too small. 

[TonyHSD]

11 minutes ago, kernowjim said:

Yes that's half the issue is the state of the UK roads.  I have changed the tyres from the nasty OE Bridgestones and whilst marginally better (Falken FK520's) it's still a harsh ride.  I have heard the Corolla is noisy from the rear axle, particularly the estate.  Aygo-X is too underpowered for me and too small. 

You can try a chr. Some owners find it much better car then the rest of the range. Another good one is Lexus ux.  Falken tyres aren’t the very best and particularly at these sizes. These are UHP, you need touring summer or all season v shaped tyres and the noise levels dB means nothing. 
Goodyear vectors or efficient grip performance 2 can change the car nvh levels. Michelin cc or premacy.

[Mojo1010]

I have the design spec on 195/55/16 and ride comfort is good, it's one of the main reason I did not opt for the excel or other spec which has your tyre size. My car does not rattle, it has OEM Bridgestone and it's fine. So worth considering getting a set of wheel/tyres on 16". The corolla will be a better car perhaps choose 17" wheels. 

[Kental]

When we got our Yaris in Sep 21 we got a Design, not only does it have 16" wheels, but also forgoes the Sport suspension that afflicts the cars at that point with 17" wheels.

This September the Yaris was traded in for a Yaris Cross GR Sport with 18" wheels and sport tuned suspension.  I find the ride better than the small wheeled Yaris we had before.  Probably benefitting from the longer suspension travel.

Our other previous car was a 1.8 Corolla Design hatchback with 17" wheels and after a few months Goodyear all season tyres and with those especially the ride was very good, but still with accurate handling.

Our current Yaris Cross & Aygo X will be having all season tyres Pirelli & Continental respectively fitted at the end of the month & I will report the differences thy make.

[John Shearer]

Hi Jim, All the UK roads are becoming very bad, and all cars are responding in the same way, but I Won't be racing around changing expensive cars and tyres trying to rectify it,  just live with it or drive accordantly. IMHO.

[kernowjim]

40 minutes ago, John Shearer said:

Hi Jim, All the UK roads are becoming very bad, and all cars are responding in the same way, but I Won't be racing around changing expensive cars and tyres trying to rectify it,  just live with it or drive accordantly. IMHO.

You're absolutely right.  Some of the roads in Cornwall right now would make a Bentley rattle 😀

[John Shearer]

3 hours ago, kernowjim said:

You're absolutely right.  Some of the roads in Cornwall right now would make a Bentley rattle 😀

Jim have you tried reducing tyre pressure to say 28-29 PSI and see if it smooths it out

[Cyker]

Toyota have been aiming at a younger audience, and it does show with the Mk3 and especially Mk4 as they have a noticeably harder ride than the Mk1 and Mk2.

The Mk4 suffers more because it seems to have almost no sound deadening so you hear everything and it often sounds like a window is slightly open

The other issue is the Excel and Dynamic both come with 17" rims and 'Sports Suspension' for some inexplicable reason (I still don't know why anyone at Toyota thought putting "sports suspension" on a mainstream-spec Yaris (As opposed to the GR or GR Sport...!) would be appealing to anyone!).

On my Excel I put on some £40 15" steel rims and that has helped with the NVH and shock absorption (And also tyres are MUCH cheaper!), but it is still tends to not actually absorb shocks unless you're going quite fast compared to the Icon and Design.

I do enjoy the chassis stiffness and far improved body dynamics compared to the amusingly roly poly Mk1 and Mk2, but I must admit a few more zots in NVH refinement and ride softness would have been appreciated!

[Hadrian1]

Our 2021 Yaris seems to drive pretty well. I've not noticed any undue noise.

[kernowjim]

20 hours ago, John Shearer said:

Jim have you tried reducing tyre pressure to say 28-29 PSI and see if it smooths it out

I tried this today and it made a noticeable difference.  I measured them from cold, brought the front down to 29 from 32 (10%) and the rear from 29 down to 27....within 10 miles of driving the pressures were showing 33 and 30 so I might tweak it so it shows 32 and 29 all the time (when warm)....it definitely feels better.  I'm considering getting hold of a good set of 16" wheels so I can run the 195/55R16's as I'm convincied these would ride better than the 205/45R17's that are fitted

 

[Tommy X]

28 minutes ago, kernowjim said:

I tried this today and it made a noticeable difference.  I measured them from cold, brought the front down to 29 from 32 (10%) and the rear from 29 down to 27....within 10 miles of driving the pressures were showing 33 and 30 so I might tweak it so it shows 32 and 29 all the time (when warm)....it definitely feels better.  I'm considering getting hold of a good set of 16" wheels so I can run the 195/55R16's as I'm convincied these would ride better than the 205/45R17's that are fitted

 

Be careful of reducing tyre pressures too much it causes the tyrewalls to flex and heat build up 

[kernowjim]

7 minutes ago, Tommy X said:

Be careful of reducing tyre pressures too much it causes the tyrewalls to flex and heat build up 

yeah it's a balance, I think as long as they are showing the correct pressures when hot (32 and 29) I should be OK.  The correct pressures from cold are 32 and 29 and on the road this translates to 36/33 and even higher in the summer or on the motorway.  I'll keep an eye on it

[ColinB]

It does annoy me that they fit the largest possible wheels with low profile tyres nowadays, Toyota aren't the only ones of course. My YC Premiere edition is fitted with 18" wheels, I would have preferred smaller wheels but I wanted the extra oomph and toys. The ride isn't good, but then again my I used to drive original Minis where static seat belts were required to stop me hitting my head on the roof going over bumps. 

I'd consider a Citroën for the comfort, but I don't fancy non Toyota reliability.... 

[TonyHSD]

I don’t know anyone as crazy as me and to play with tyres pressure as much or as often as I do but I can tell that this is ultra important thing for the road handling, tyre wear, vehicle stability and comfort. All mentioned above is absolutely correct. 
The tyre pressures should not be lower than what is shown on the door shuts label on cold. Reducing the pressure to gain comfort is not ideal  and the risk of overheating and tyre burst is high. The pressure numbers are given for cold, which means before start driving and away from direct sunlight, these two affect the pressures a lot. 
Best practice is to have a good quality gauge, measure the pressure early morning and set dead on recommended numbers or slightly above, if 2.3 bar is required set at 2.33-2.35 bar instead. All that at ambient air temperature 15C°. 
In the winter when cold or below 10C° you can stay close or exactly at recommended numbers. If you lower the pressure to gain more grip in certain conditions like blizzard 🌨, ice or mud then drive slower and for limited time mileage and then when you stop , wait 30 min top up air and set correct pressures. 
In the summer when pressures are set at cold in the morning, then after the sun sees the car in the afternoon this could off set and rise high the pressures but this is not a problem as after in the evening the pressures will go back to pre set levels when temperature drop down. All these variables are thought by the manufacturers and pressure set on cold been precisely recommended. 
Finally smiler wheels with chunkier tyres are not only more comfortable but also provide more grip and last longer than ultra low profile tyres. 
If your car equipped with its original tyres and wheels is bumpy and noisy, first thing is to check and adjust pressure, then replace tyres with better ones, and then of not happy replace wheels and tyres. 

[kernowjim]

@TonyHSD I agree and I don't usually like stepping away from manufacturer's recommendations.  I am tempted to revert to recommended pressures tomorrow morning and live with it.  I am considering changing the Yaris for a Corolla Sport Tourer (1.8 Icon) with the 16" wheels as standard.  Just waiting to see what Toyota can do for me.