Back To Toyota - Yaris Hybrid.

[Cowdenite]

I'm back to a Toyota after a few years away. Picked up a new Yaris Hybrid today. The no spare wheel was nearly a deal breaker but the dealer helped out with a spare and kit. Just looking forward to getting used to the car over the next few weeks. It's a bit weird starting off in relative silence but will soon get used to it.

[Nick Brown]

Hope you enjoy your new Yaris as much as as I am enjoying mine.

[IanLorenc]

I hope you enjoy the new Yar-Hyb (that's what I call them).
The Battery indicator shouldn't really go above two blocks from the top or beneath two from bottom (for Battery life), a silica pouch will do the business if you experience a problem with condensation inside, and - contrary to what one might think - the Yar-Hyb seems to get good economy, when sitting at a steady 50-55mph, IME.

[chrisbeaumont1]

Hi, I'm new here and 2 weeks ago picked up a Yaris Hybrid T4 CVT automatic 5 door hatchback

We're loving the energy monitor and rear facing camera and averaging 56 mpg around town. Does anyone know how accurate the onboard mpg is ?

[IanLorenc]

The trip computer is slightly optimistic.
My last fill-up was a couple of days ago, and whilst the trip computer said 62.8mpg, I actually worked it out at 59.48mpg. If yours is currently saying about 56mpg, I would expect that to actually be about 52-53mpg.

If you're interested in what MPG other Yaris Hybrid owners are getting in the real world, check out fuelly.com.

[Cowdenite]

Well we have had our Yaris Hybrid a week now and the car is really good. I'm glad I had a good kook at this forum before we bought it or might well have been upset regarding MPG compared to brochure. figures..When compared with other owners experiences our MPG is OK over 60 MPG (best 64.1) on three trips of over 35 miles country roads no dual carriageways or motorways. The cars now done about 450 miles now and I wondered if everyone else goes easy for the first 900 miles or so as stated in the manual?

I agree with most by saying that the rolling road test brochure MPG figures are totally unrealistic and no use to buyers. Wondered if the rolling road test carried weights to simulate a driver.

Thanks for the good wishes about enjoying the car I'm sure we will.

[FROSTYBALLS]

An extract from Which? on the EU fuel consumption tests: http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/155252-eu-fuel-consumption-tests/

[chrisbeaumont1]

Thank you !

[karris]

Hello All,

Have owned a Yaris Hybrid for a week now and am very happy :)

Excuse my ignorance (this little pap pap is my first ever car!), but when you stop at lights, is it best to employ the handbrake and knock it into neutral, or just hold it with the foot brake?

Thanks.

[FROSTYBALLS]

I would use the handbrake.

Holding a car just using the footbrake can, if the car has been subject to either braking from a high speed, hard braking or a period of sustained braking, where the discs have become hot, be a factor in warping of the discs (due to the heat not being able to dissipate properly). This could contribute towards premature replacement of the brake discs.

From a safety viewpoint, if one were hit by another vehicle from behind, one's foot could come off the brake and one may be pushed more easily into other vehicles or the path of other vehicles (possibly causing them to take avoiding action).

[Cowdenite]

As this is the first hybrid I've owned I too wasn't sure about using neutral when stopped in traffic etc. On reading the manual and various threads it seems neutral is not recommended as when in neutral the engine charging is disabled and the Battery could be drained if lots of accessories are "on" I.e. Air con, radio etc. iI seems to suggest putting selector in Park a thing I'm wary about as if you're hit brom behind it's not good as there is a mechanical lock on transmission when in park.If I'm wrong about this please anyone correct me as I too prefer using neutral.

From the earlier reply it appears that the handbrake is a uses different pads and discs from the foot brake, is this correct? We had a Saab once that used the front disc brakes as a hand brake and it was a real pain to change pads due to resetting the self adjusters.

Brian

[karris]

I'm still working my way through the manual but am sure the dealer advised against using neutral. I really don't know enough about CVT to know what the best option for efficiency and minimising wear and tear is, when stopped in traffic. It creeps forward in drive, so I assume leaving it in D and using the handbrake is a no-go. Any other users out there who can share what they do?

[IanLorenc]

Most of the time - say at some lights - I hold it in 'Drive' on the footbrake. If I know it's going to be a slightly longer stop, I 'Park'/handbrake it. I've never used 'Drive' with handbrake. I only use 'N'/handbrake when I hop out to close the work gates behind me.

I've never used 'B'. Has anyone used 'B'?

[karris]

Most of the time - say at some lights - I hold it in 'Drive' on the footbrake. If I know it's going to be a slightly longer stop, I 'Park'/handbrake it. I've never used 'Drive' with handbrake. I only use 'N'/handbrake when I hop out to close the work gates behind me.

I've never used 'B'. Has anyone used 'B'?

So far, I've just been using D + footbrake, but have been advised that I might be annoying/blinding drivers behind with my brake lights, and that I could cause warping of the discs if I keep the footbrake on (if the pads have heated up a lot due to braking beforehand). I asked the dealer about B. They weren't too sure at first, but told me it's a gear for giving extra braking power when you're going down steep, long, slopes.

[orangezorki]

Hi everyone,

Picked up my new Yaris hybrid today, and am also interested in the question of what to do at a stop, for the reasons mentioned above. On my old car I would almost always knock it into neutral and put on the handbrake.

One thing I did notice on the drive home is that if you bring up the energy flow on the touchscreen, it shows that all energy flow stops after a couple of seconds with the brake pedal firmly down. So at least it isn't trying to pull forward against the brakes.

David

[martswain]

I am on my 4th Hybrid, best thing for short stops is foot on the brake and as David says above, the car will not be trying to move.

If you are on a slope (either up or down) a firm prod on the same pedal will activate Hill Start Assist and lock the brakes on so you can move to the "go" pedal and pull away without rolling.

If not fitted, you have to be quick with your feet, or just yank on the handbrake.

Much easier on the Yaris than the foot-operated parking brake on the latest Prius and Lexus CT.

For longer stops, use P with handbrake, not N, this ensures the Hybrid system can keep charging the 12v Battery if necessary.

I no longer use ECO mode, the fuel saving is minimal and the accelerator pedal becomes mushy.

B can be used on long, steep downhill sections to provide some engine braking and a little more regeneration than just lifting off the throttle, but once again I never bother with it around my local area.

EV mode is useful for moving the car in and out of the garage or driveway without the petrol engine starting, but to fool the system when it is cold, turn the heating system to OFF.

Having played with all the modes Mr Toyota has offered, in normal day-to-day driving just leave it in D and let the system sort itself out.

Driving style and outside temperature have much more effect on fuel consumption than the extra modes provided.