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I'm another Toyota Auris hybrid owner. Mine's a first gen from 2012. I bought it in 2013 with ~10k miles on the clock & it's now at 55k. In that time I've had no major issues and it's never let me down. I get low 50s mpg mostly in traffic. On the motorway IIRC it improves to high 50s. I know that Toyota hybrids are not particularly fast but I find that I can keep up with traffic on the motorway easily enough.
People complain about the whine under hard acceleration but that's not a problem when driving sensibly. Under most conditions my Auris is a very quiet car to drive. A few years ago I fitted a set of Michelin Crossclimate tyres thanks to reading HJ which I get swapped round each year. They have made a quiet car even quieter. Wear is good too. After 2 years they are at 6 mm.
Another benefit of hybrids is the low brake wear. My car's coming up to 7 years old and the brakes are 50% worn. Apparently the brakes get so little use because of the regen braking that they often seize rather than wear out. I've started braking hard occasionally to avoid this problem.
Servicing at Toyota is cheap - £120 for a minor, £200 IIRC for a major. That's for a 5+ yr old car. At the last service they gave me a piece of paper confirming the battery warranty up to 15 yrs as has already been pointed out,
Road tax is £0. I bought it for about £11500 and recently was quoted a price from "we buy any car" of £6000 so that's depreciation of ~£1k per year. Overall it's been a very cheap car to run.
I had a test drive in a new Corolla 1.8l hybrid last week which felt good. There's a 2l hybrid Corolla coming too which is meant to offer an even better drive. It's very tempting to change for one of those but think I will wait a few more years as the Auris has been such a good reliable cheap car. Hopefully by then electric cars will have improved, be more affordable & Toyota will have finally dumped hydrogen and started selling electric cars.
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Had a test drive in the 2.0L Toyota Corolla and found it vastly better than hybrids of past, its much more like a conventional car to drive and is moderately quick as well. The CVT controls the revs much better and they don't sky rocket when you put your foot down. I liked it a lot and plan to buy the estate version.
Saw one displayed outside our local supermarket yesterday. It actually looked very nice (some will say boring but inoffensive) and the interior (from what I could see through the glass looked spacious and well trimmed.
If the CVT does control the revs better it may well be a car to consider but it needs to be a major improvement on CVT's I have driven and ridden in before before I would spend my money.
The other issue is cost. My Leon 1.4 TSi averaged about 45 mpg oveall and would do low 50's on a run at the legal limits. The Superb 1.4 TSi is doing about the same overall but on a run at legal limits I have seen 55 mpg on more than one occasion. A work colleague had an Auris Tourer Hybrid and in town it would beat the Leon on mpg but on a run it would do little more than the Leon and only if speed was kept down to mid 50's. It cost several thousands more than the Leon thus as a private purchase was pointless, his was a company car thus great for tax purposes.
The new 2 litre Corolla Tourer is £8000 more than I could get another Superb TSI for and for me to benefit it would need to manage truly astounding mpg figures. Assuming similar running costs and depreciaton rates as the Superb break even over 30,000 miles calculates as approx 92 mpg and that is no realistic.
So still OK for company car users but useless for private buyers.
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I would not argue with any of that skidpan but for me its not so simple. Twelve VAG cars in a row, all bought new and relatively trouble free and my default car would be the estate version of Golf / Leon / Octavia. However VAGs behaviour in recent years has put me right off buying another, dishonest, deceitful, arrogant and with no regard for their customers. Don't get me started
So Focus, Astra, Ceed or Cprolla estate is the shortlist and if the sums don't work out as favourably for the Corolla but its the one I am happiest with then I will live with that.
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I respect people with scruples, but if you take this too far you end up restricting your choice as a consumer. Amazon and Google avoid paying tax, albeit within the law: should I not use them?
I'd like to boycott my pet hate - food manufacturers who reduce the size of their packets buit charge the same price as before. Trouble is, I can't remember which they are.
So it's not always very realistic. I'll go on driving the car I like.
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To be honest Avant I don't feel as if Im restricting my choice more that Im exercising my choice. Realistically its the Toyota and the Kia that are contenders and I did like the hybrid a lot. Interestingly the Corolla costs less than the Golf if you spec the Golf up to match the Corolla.
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Twelve VAG cars in a row, all bought new and relatively trouble free and my default car would be the estate version of Golf / Leon / Octavia. However VAGs behaviour in recent years has put me right off buying another, dishonest, deceitful, arrogant and with no regard for their customers.
Why ignore VAG when you have been happy just because the opinions and experiences of others has changed your view of the company. Remember its only a tiny minority of VAG owners that have had issues but Forums like this have a hatred of anything VAG and will do anything to rubbish the cars, manufacturers and dealers.
Until proven otherwise I will continue to buy VAG because they are excellent cars. OK the Seat dealers were a bit rubbish but the car was great and we did eventually find a dealer that was good for servicing.
Would not buy a current Octvia estate since all 3 we have tried have been incredibly boomy with lots of road noise, the hatch we tried was fine.
We have had a Focus C-Max and a Ceed SW and both were good reliable cars. But neither have been as nice to drive or as nice a place to be in as the VAG cars thus that is where I will continue to put my money.
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I respect people with scruples, but if you take this too far you end up restricting your choice as a consumer. Amazon and Google avoid paying tax, albeit within the law: should I not use them?
It really is not that easy to avoid using Google, despite what you may think of their practices. I'm sure if there were more conscientious and responsible alternatives, more people would boycott Google.
Amazon?, not that difficult to avoid using them, i don't.
VAG?, actually very easy to avoid them if, like CHarkin, you (rightly) object to the way the company has treated its customers. So good on you, and stick to your guns, there are plenty of other cars out there just as good (or better).
but Forums like this have a hatred of anything VAG and will do anything to rubbish the cars, manufacturers and dealers.
Absolute nonsense, though i shouldn't expect anything other than this kind of kneejerk reaction. Yes, forum members warn against the DSG gearbox, and yes, forum memebers (including you) warn against buying VAG cars with particular engines. But as far as i can tell, after being a forum member for more than two years, there is no evidence to support this absurd statement. Were it not for VAG persisting with the DSG gearbox, we'd very likely be driving a Polo rather than the Jazz. I have recommended various VAG cars, mostly with the (later belt drive) 1.4 TSI, but also cars with the 1.0 TSI, partly through your observations. Plenty of makes and models of cars get singled out for criticism on the forum, most Merc's for example, 4 cyl BMW's, the diesel Fiat engines fitted to various other makes like Vauxhall, Mazda's 2.2 diesel, the automated manuals used by Honda and Toyota etc, etc.
Ironically, most the comments i would consider closest to being described as 'hatred' come from you, such as regarding any small auto but particularly the CVT.
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I agree entirely, BBD. Forums like this by definition don't have a collective view - let alone a 'hatred'. We're simply a number of individuals who like to express our views, and I'm glad that on this forum at least, most of us respect each other's views even when we disagree.
CHarkin may never buy another VAG car, whereas I have another on order for SWMBO - but I completely understand and respect his/her opinion. And to be honest, I probably wouldn't buy a VAG diesel.
Edited by Avant on 12/03/2019 at 23:53
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My disgust with VW has nothing to do with forums, one Facebook group has contributed but mostly from information in the public domain and from personal experience. It all stems from the software fix they applied to cars after they were caught cheating and the effect that had on customers cars and the underhand methods used to avoid dealing with the damage done. I could not start to go through it as it would take a book to explain. One little example, when it became apparent that so many cars were having problems and it was costing them a fortune they changed the software fix to alter the onboard diagnostics so that faults had to be much worse and occur more often before showing a fault code. Dealers were then not allowed to repair cars unless they showed a fault code even when it was obvious the car had problems and kept going into limp mode.
I did look at a Golf GT estate and comparing it to my previous 2010 Golf Sport there is plenty of evidence of cost cutting while Toyota and Kia have raised their game and now feel and look every bit as good as a Golf to sit in.
Sitting in the Golf just didn't feel right to me. An emotional reaction I admit.
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but Forums like this have a hatred of anything VAG and will do anything to rubbish the cars, manufacturers and dealers.
Absolute nonsense, though i shouldn't expect anything other than this kind of kneejerk reaction.
Really. Some on here will only ever slag off VAG products and some of those admit never owning one. But since those posters like Japanese cars its not thought to be biased.
Ironically, most the comments i would consider closest to being described as 'hatred' come from you, such as regarding any small auto but particularly the CVT.
I do indeed hate small auto's, they take away any driving pleasure a small low powered car will have. I especially hate CVT's despite never owning one. A short drive (2003 Jazz) and being passenger in several has put me off for life or until they improve. Plenty on here comment about the all revs and no action you get when you floor the throttle.
The is actually one small(ish) auto I quite liked and that was an early 80's Honda dad had. It was a 3 speed Hondamatic and despite only having 1300 cc and about 70 bhp it went really well. Simple reason, it was not a full auto. It had a TC but the driver had to select gears which were "L", "*" and "OD". "*" was used for normal driving but once out of town on open roads "OD" would be used. I never used "L". Since it was only a semi auto it did not keep changing gears for no real reason and the drive was very smooth.
He changed it for another small Honda which came with a 1300cc 70 bhp engine and a full auto with allegedly TC lock up in top. It was truly dreadful, no performance whatsoever. He never had another auto.
Put him (and me) off small autos forever.
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Plenty on here comment about the all revs and no action you get when you floor the throttle.
Not 'plenty', pretty much just you as far as i have noticed.
And yet, i know that our Jazz will go from 30-70mph in about 10 seconds because i timed it. Now i know you don't accept that, because the alternative would be that you were wrong, and that couldn't possibly be the case could it?. I also discovered recently that it will do 0-60 in about 10.5 seconds, more than 1.5 seconds less than the official figure, though i'm guessing you won't accept that either for the same reason?.
That is missing the point though, which is that there is no "hatred of all things VAG" on this forum, at least not from what i have seen.
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Plenty on here comment about the all revs and no action you get when you floor the throttle.
Not 'plenty', pretty much just you as far as i have noticed.
And yet, i know that our Jazz will go from 30-70mph in about 10 seconds because i timed it. Now i know you don't accept that, because the alternative would be that you were wrong, and that couldn't possibly be the case could it?. I also discovered recently that it will do 0-60 in about 10.5 seconds, more than 1.5 seconds less than the official figure, though i'm guessing you won't accept that either for the same reason?.
That is missing the point though, which is that there is no "hatred of all things VAG" on this forum, at least not from what i have seen.
I owned one VAG car: a used dealer stock 1997 Audi A4 TDI.. It was a very nice car and well finished. It also cost the seller's warranty company a fortune in parts for suspension, steering and aircon.. oh and catalyst.. Then it started costing me money - timing belt tensioner collapsed, battery more suspension..I sold it in in 2002
Since then I have owned Ford and Toyota and Honda. Together the TOTAL repair costs (excl normal maintenance) over 15 years have been a fraction of th repair costs for two years of Audi ownership.- despite their average age being double that of the Audi when I sold it..
I don't hate VAG: I just think their products are overrated and their management ethos unacceptable.
Oh and I drive a CVT Jazz.. I like it.. Pity about the ride and the handling.
Edited by madf on 13/03/2019 at 14:12
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Oh and I drive a CVT Jazz.. I like it.. Pity about the ride and the handling.
Is that the current model madf?. I know a lot of the motoring press criticise the Jazz for having a harsh ride, but wierdly the Honest John review goes pretty much to the opposite end of the spectrum, saying this:
During more relaxed everyday driving, both Jazz engines are quiet and refined while the ride quality is phenomenally good for any car, let alone one this small.
I must say, i wouldn't agree with that, ours has the biggest wheels available, the 16" ones, and while i don't mind the ride, it certainly isn't what i'd call 'cushy'!. But i think it handles brilliantly, well balanced with a light and pointy front end. It certainly feels like it enjoys being hustled along twisty country roads and the last of our cars i could say that about was the Ford Fusion we had 14 years ago!.
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A question concerning hybrids. It's always been good practice to warm up an engine to operating temperature to dry out exhaust, remove condensation from engine oil e.t.c,
If you are driving only short journeys around town in a hybrid mainly using electric motor, and the engine is only cutting in at short intervals to recharge the batteries, does it mean that this is detrimental to engine longevity, given that it's not getting a chance to warm up properly? Does this mean that the same rules apply to a hybrid as a standard car - take it on a journey that makes sure that the engine warms up to operating temperature?
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Oh and I drive a CVT Jazz.. I like it.. Pity about the ride and the handling.
Is that the current model madf?. I know a lot of the motoring press criticise the Jazz for having a harsh ride, but wierdly the Honest John review goes pretty much to the opposite end of the spectrum, saying this:
During more relaxed everyday driving, both Jazz engines are quiet and refined while the ride quality is phenomenally good for any car, let alone one this small.
I must say, i wouldn't agree with that, ours has the biggest wheels available, the 16" ones, and while i don't mind the ride, it certainly isn't what i'd call 'cushy'!. But i think it handles brilliantly, well balanced with a light and pointy front end. It certainly feels like it enjoys being hustled along twisty country roads and the last of our cars i could say that about was the Ford Fusion we had 14 years ago!.
Prio model 2012.
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