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Sat 1 Nov 2014 16:19

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - ulysses

I'm researching buying my next used car (10 years old) and am interested in the range of small turbo diesel engines about such as the Yaris, Clio, Fiesta, Corsa, Astra etc.

I have only owned petrol engines before and these cars are very inviting with their £30 tax and high MPGs.

Higher cost of buying aside, what should I know about these turbo diesel cars? Are they reliable? How is it different to service a diesel?

Many thanks.

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Sat 1 Nov 2014 16:41

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - oldroverboy.

I'm researching buying my next used car (10 years old) and am interested in the range of small turbo diesel engines about such as the Yaris, Clio, Fiesta, Corsa, Astra etc.

At This age you will be lucky to find a car without huge costly potential problems.

I have only owned petrol engines before and these cars are very inviting with their £30 tax and high MPGs.

You will do better to buy more modern petrol if your mileage doe not justify it, and petrol non turbo at that!

Higher cost of buying aside, what should I know about these turbo diesel cars? Are they reliable? How is it different to service a diesel?

No real difference at this age but I would not advise anyone with your apparent level of knowledge to buy an old turbo diesel.

Edited by oldroverboy. on 01/11/2014 at 16:42

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Sat 1 Nov 2014 17:21

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - Wackyracer

I'd buy a Yaris out of that lot personally. The D4D is a very good engine.

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Sat 1 Nov 2014 18:33

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - madf

We have a 2003 Yaris d4d owned since 2005.

Apart from a battery, disks , pads and ARB links and consumbles (oil, filters, tyres, wipers) it has been 100% reliable. I DIY everything. Annual oil and filter changes...

The engine runs and sounds as we bought it. It has never gone wrong/failed to arrive anywhere. Original exhaust. Later ones with DPF can be problematic on short runs. Ours has no DPF and is OK on short runs...

Edited by madf on 01/11/2014 at 18:34

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Sat 1 Nov 2014 20:26

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - ulysses

Want to sell yours, 'madf'? :)

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Sun 2 Nov 2014 09:39

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - madf

Want to sell yours, 'madf'? :)

Sex and a journey...to you :-)

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Sat 1 Nov 2014 19:24

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - Avant

I agree with the Yaris suggestion but I'd go for the 1.3 petrol: just as reliable and you should get a slightly newer one for your money. Or a petrol VW Polo: VWs are much maligned, but they are solidly built and Polos of that age don't have the advanced electronics that go wrong on newer VWs.

But as always, if you're buying a 10-year-old car, condition and ideally some service history are more important than make or model.

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Sat 1 Nov 2014 20:06

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - bathtub tom

What's your annual mileage?

If it's less than 10-1200 a year, the general consensus is not to even consider a diesel.

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Sat 1 Nov 2014 20:20

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - ulysses

Thanks for your replies. This is a great forum. My mileage is under 5k p/a, mostly extra-urban but looks like could be false economy unless the car's in great nick and a bargain price. I've found a yaris 1.4 D-4D for £2495 87k miles from an on-line dealer. Best avoided with my "aparent level of knowledge about diesel cars" LOL? I intend to DIY service and heard Yaris was easy engine to get at.

Edited by oneladyowner on 01/11/2014 at 20:27

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Sat 1 Nov 2014 20:30

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - mss1tw

Thanks for your replies. This is a great forum. My mileage is under 5k p/a, mostly extra-urban but looks like could be false economy unless the car's in great nick and a bargain price. I've found a yaris 1.4 D-4D for £2495 87k miles from an on-line dealer. Best avoided with my "aparent level of knowledge about diesel cars" LOL? I intend to DIY service and heard Yaris was easy engine to get at.

Defintely go for a petrol. Mainteance will be just as easy if not easier. Oil, sparks, filters. Done.

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Sat 1 Nov 2014 22:16

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - daveyK_UK

go for a petrol, lots of choice.

consider a suzuki swift.

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Sun 2 Nov 2014 13:54

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - oldroverboy.

So "oneladyowner" if you are going to do diy service are you 1. a lady. 2 not a lady.

you fooled me with the user name.

It wasn't meant unlindly, but I got the impression that that was the reason you were asking..

apologies and tell us what you do buy.

ORB

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Sun 2 Nov 2014 08:35

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - brettmick

I own a 2 year old Diesel Yaris and drive 19 miles to work each day on 90% fast roads. I have previously used a petrol engined car to do the journey and outside of the wamest summer months the diesel is only better for fuel economy after the car has driven about 12 miles. A petrol engine warms up quicker and reaches peak effiiciency faster so if you are doing a lot of short journeys go petrol.

With a diesel in the winter you will also be sitting in a freezing cold car all the time as the heater will never have enough time to warm you up.

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Sun 2 Nov 2014 09:07

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - pork_pie

I had this model between 2006-2009 in T spirit guise with the MMT gearbox which didnt give me trouble but I guessed it would have had I kept it longer.

The engine was decent step up from their original 1.4 D4D engine of 2002-2005 where they bolted an intercooler which increased the power from 74 to 89 bhp and torque increased to 122 to 140lbft (later upgraded to >150). It was a nice engine - probably the best of the 1.4 diesel bunch at the time

The Peugeot 70bhp which is still in production is gutless. I had a C3 with the beautiful 92 bhp engine had to be canned in 2006 due to emission regulations. It offered power and economy. Shame the rest of the car was awful

The 3 cylinder diesel 1.4 VW units are rough. in addition the Renaults 1.5 dci units were unreliable as is the 1.3 Fiat diesels

I have no experience of the Hyundai/kia units.

Edited by pork_pie on 02/11/2014 at 09:09

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Tue 4 Nov 2014 12:53

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - xtrailman

I had three diesels and find the car heater soon starts blowing hot, also with my present car the coolant blue light is out in about a mile.

So i suppose it depends on the car.

Personally i dont like small cars from a safety aspect, but i would avoid any turbo or DPF car if reliability is top of your list.

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Sun 2 Nov 2014 09:08

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - pork_pie

I would think twice about buying a 10 year old small diesel car. Youa re better off buying petrol. The slight improvements in fuel economy will not make up for the headaches later on.

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Sun 2 Nov 2014 09:44

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - mss1tw

Spending pounds to save pennies!

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Sun 2 Nov 2014 11:16

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - Wackyracer

I would think twice about buying a 10 year old small diesel car. Youa re better off buying petrol. The slight improvements in fuel economy will not make up for the headaches later on.

What headaches? A 10year old Yaris is unlikely to have a DPF and what other parts of a diesel engine are more likely to fail sooner than anything on a petrol engine??

Regardless of what the OP chooses petrol or diesel, I would never buy anything with a 3 cylinder engine. Those 3 cylinder diesel polo's are awful things and the 3 cylinder petrols are reknown for burning out valves etc.

I'd happily buy the Yaris with D4D over anything else. DPF failures tend to be linked to operator ignorance most of the time.

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Sun 2 Nov 2014 11:57

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - madf

A 2004-5 Yaris is a Mark 1- no DPF..

Watch out for lack of servcing...chain does not like it...

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Sun 2 Nov 2014 19:37

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - pork_pie

One thing I failed to mention was halfway through the warranty period when I had the diesel Yaris (56), the engine management light came on.

The dealer replaced the turbo which, had it been after the warranty period, would have cost £1500 to replace and install. Turbo is one.

The fuel system is another item that can go wrong on a common rail diesel engine. Precision items that cost thousands to replace

The 1.3 and 1.0 petrol engines available in the Yaris range are thousands cheaper compared to the diesel and in the realworld, are almost as economical as the diesels. No matter now hard I tried, I failed to better 55mpg in the oil burner.

When given a 1.3 petrol to tide me over during the turbo replacemrent, always got high 40s.

My folks had a 1.0 version of the T spirit (2001-2005) and gave similar fuel returns and was pretty nice to drive.

Edited by pork_pie on 02/11/2014 at 19:51

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Sun 2 Nov 2014 20:44

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - madf

Scaremongering.

There are LOTS of d4d engines and parts s/h for sale for well under the figures quoted above.

And they are not coded to the ECU - unlike other makers.

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Sun 2 Nov 2014 22:35

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - Wackyracer

One thing I failed to mention was halfway through the warranty period when I had the diesel Yaris (56), the engine management light came on.

The dealer replaced the turbo which, had it been after the warranty period, would have cost £1500 to replace and install. Turbo is one.

That sounds more like a wastegate actuator fault and they do not require a whole new turbo!

The fuel system is another item that can go wrong on a common rail diesel engine. Precision items that cost thousands to replace.

You say that like it is one component, in reality it has a very similar contruction to a petrol fuel system - A pump(or in a modern diesel 2 pumps), A fuel rail and some injectors.

On a well maintained car, diesel fuel system components have a much better life than petrol ones do as diesel is a much better lubricant than petrol.

If we were talking about a Ford Focus 1.6tdci then I'd say stay well away but, A Toyota with the D4D is different kettle of fish.

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Mon 3 Nov 2014 19:16

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - pork_pie

I state again, the turbo was replaced.

Look lets not get overly sentimental because of the fact its a Toyota unit.

It is a good engine but its certainly not one of the best. The BMW-sourced diesel units will filter down to non verso models and "about time too" which is what the Toyota dealer said to me a few weeks ago

If you think I am bashing the marque then fear not as I currently drive a Toyota.

I just think now, small diesel engined cars do not make any sense when you consider the perfectly decent petrol units available in the Yaris range.

Edited by pork_pie on 03/11/2014 at 19:20

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Mon 3 Nov 2014 23:17

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - HandCart

...and let's not forget that the OP quoted their annual mileage as being "less than 5k" !

Whilst the 1.4 D4D is one of the best diesel engines, with that sort of mileage there really is no reason to get fixated on having to have a diesel.

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Tue 4 Nov 2014 10:09

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - Wackyracer

...and let's not forget that the OP quoted their annual mileage as being "less than 5k" !

Whilst the 1.4 D4D is one of the best diesel engines, with that sort of mileage there really is no reason to get fixated on having to have a diesel.

It's all down to personal preference really, I have a diesel car that does less than 4k most years. Never have any problems with it.

The OP said she wanted a diesel and if that is the case there is no good reason to dissuade her from buying a diesel Yaris.

The rest of the "buy a petrol" opinions are based just on personal opinion and not on good reasons not to buy a Yaris diesel.

Your right on one thing though, The D4D is one of the best diesels on the market.

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Tue 4 Nov 2014 10:58

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - madf

See tinyurl.com/kcw6ju3

Later d4d s have DPFs. They are NOT trouble free.

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Mon 3 Nov 2014 23:20

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - APV

I have a 51 plate 5 door 1.0 petrol Yaris (made in France, incidentally) purchased 1 year ago on 84k for £1300 as a cheap runaround second car. It now has 98k on the clock. It has been completely reliable, and I get a real 50mpg (computer says 53) using Shell 97 as recommended by HJ. I drive it hard; you have to!
It's the cheapest car I've ever bought, and also the best. Extraordinary versitile, enjoyable to drive, cheap to run, looks good.
I've changed the oil and filters myself. Couldn't be easier.
I'd recommend the car without hesitation. I did shop around a bit to get a decent one with history and nice tight even panel gaps. They really are well made. As long as on EPR the previous owners hasn't crashed or neglected it, I'm sure you'll be fine.
Get GS spec or above: power steering.

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Mon 3 Nov 2014 23:29

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - Avant

Made in France, but (like Toyotas, Nissans and Hondas made in the UK) with components, costings and working methods designed in Japan. There's nothing wrong with French or British workforces: the virtues or vices come from further up the management chain.

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Tue 4 Nov 2014 05:55

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - gordonbennet

Avant gets it, well said that man.

Leadership, including setting an example, has long been the bane of this country, and still is.

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Tue 4 Nov 2014 15:37

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - madf

Avant gets it, well said that man.

Leadership, including setting an example, has long been the bane of this country, and still is.

Our politicians set an example..

In lying and thieving.

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Tue 4 Nov 2014 14:18

Toyota Yaris D-4D - Small turbo diesel cars - APV

Precisely.
Some suggest French built Yaris are inferior but my experience supports your view, which I share.

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