Hybrid T3 HATCHBACK CVT

Does what it says on the tin...

This was my first venture into a Hybrid car. My main reasons were for fuel economy and reliability. I have been more than satisfied with both these aspects. A lot of my driving is around town (London) and I've averaged 52mpg over the 4.5 years I've owned it. Have had over 60mpg on a run including motorway. Also several runs over 70mpg with 75 the best ever.

Reliability has been 100% as expected from Toyota. No hint of any troubles or breakdowns.

Performance is more than adequate for my type of driving. The power mode kicks in when accelerating hard so no problem there.

Finish is a bit utilitarian with grey plastic predominant but this is only the base T3 model.

Boot size is adequate for a family saloon.

The car is not without its niggles. The worst is the droning noise which I have only recently discovered is the CVT gearbox. I reported the problem at every service and was told 'no fault found' or that it must be tyre noise. Better if the dealer had just told me. I should have read Honest John's road test earlier!

There are 3 drive modes: EV, Eco and Power. Can't switch to EV mode when engine is cold so the 2 mile trip to the supermarket gives no hybrid advantage.

The rear window is a pain. You have the rear window then a spoiler then another small 'window'. This doesn't get touched by the wipers or washed by the rain so it just gets filthy and detracts from the rear view.

Overall the car has ticked all the boxes and the benefits far outweigh the niggles. Am about to trade in for a Hybrid RAV4 so I'm sold on Hybrid and Toyota.

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