Should I buy a Toyota Yaris hybrid mk4 (2020-present)?

GrumpyDil

Blank11 said:

GrumpyDil said:

Just one thought though. If you are only using the car once or twice a week would another option be to save the money you will spend on the car and use taxis for the occasions you would use the car? 

We live in a remote area so taxi is quite expensive and no where near a train station or bus stop. Probably not as expensive as a car but I think there is the peace of mind knowing if you needed to go out straightaway you can without relying on anyone. I drive to get to and from work. But also to do weekly shops and just feels a little awkward getting taxi for the small errands. There are times where I will see my friends but that isn’t as often. 

Fair point. Was thinking back to my mother in law who kept running a car when she was only doing 500 to 1000 miles a year maximum and used buses to go shopping anyway but she did live where there were a couple of reasonable bus routes.

Blank11

GrumpyDil said:

Blank11 said:

GrumpyDil said:

Just one thought though. If you are only using the car once or twice a week would another option be to save the money you will spend on the car and use taxis for the occasions you would use the car? 

We live in a remote area so taxi is quite expensive and no where near a train station or bus stop. Probably not as expensive as a car but I think there is the peace of mind knowing if you needed to go out straightaway you can without relying on anyone. I drive to get to and from work. But also to do weekly shops and just feels a little awkward getting taxi for the small errands. There are times where I will see my friends but that isn’t as often. 

Fair point. Was thinking back to my mother in law who kept running a car when she was only doing 500 to 1000 miles a year maximum and used buses to go shopping anyway but she did live where there were a couple of reasonable bus routes.

If I had the train station and supermarket nearby I’d be selling the car and not buying another. Sadly the house prices are ridiculous and I will not be moving any time soon. 

nologo

The idea of a trickle (or maintanace) charger is you use it BEFORE it's goes flat, you can always open a door using the manual key, the charger comes with a short lead that can be fitted so the rear seat can stay in place, (it's not easy to just lift up) the charger should be left on most of the time, so you need to have a power supply near to the vehicle. 600 miles a month is what's needed on a Toyota hybrid to avoid flat battery, (I have jumped 3 this week
regards nologo

Blank11

nologo said:

The idea of a trickle (or maintanace) charger is you use it BEFORE it's goes flat, you can always open a door using the manual key, the charger comes with a short lead that can be fitted so the rear seat can stay in place, (it's not easy to just lift up) the charger should be left on most of the time, so you need to have a power supply near to the vehicle. 600 miles a month is what's needed on a Toyota hybrid to avoid flat battery, (I have jumped 3 this week
regards nologo

I will mostly need to check how to get to the charger as most likely may need someone even if I do get the door opened. Sorry might be a daft question but I’ve seen keyless Toyota and they don’t have the bit where you can manually insert key to handle? 

I most likely do under 3k miles a year. 3 cars in a week does not sound great. I’m at my wits end trying to look for an automatic and a reliable car. 

Alanp

My Yaris cross has a jump start/charging point under the bonnet, I think it’s the same with the later Yaris, you do have to lift the cover on the fuse box under the bonnet, then lift a little cover to reveal a positive terminal that you can connect the positive lead from the charger, the negative just connects to the chassis, it tells you in the manual and is easy enough to do so no lifting of the back seat, I also invested in a noco jump starter, as mine went flat over Christmas, my previous mild hybrid ford puma also had battery issues and I know other manufacturers seem to have this problem so it is fairly common, you can leave the car in ready mode for say two half hour segments per week but the engine may start to charge the traction battery if this drops below required voltage, you can also go for an extended drive each week for 20 to 30 min each week to keep the battery charged..

mgfvvc

Blank11 said:

Do you have any recommendations for what charger to buy? 

I have a CTek MXS 5.0, which is a good choice.

nologo

all keyless entry Toyota cars have a mechanical key inside the fob... the dealers sales team would have showed you on handover (or not)

regards. nologo

macman

Not so familiar with the Yaris, but there have been some similar problems with the C-HR, which is Turkish-built. They fitted locally sourced 12V batteries to some, for obvious reasons, and they have been reported as less than robust. These I think have a 5 year warranty, but if they do fail and Toyota won't replace FOC, the worst case is that you spend maybe £100 on a decent Bosch or Varta alternative. 
Batteries are consumables, it is really not an issue.
The 10 year warranty requires a Toyota main dealer service annually.

WellKnownSid

macman said:

The 10 year warranty requires a Toyota main dealer service annually.

It's actually a 12 month / 10,000 mile warranty that gets activated with every Toyota service whilst the car is < 10 years old / 100k miles.  So, if you book a service for your Toyota on the day it's 9 years and 364 days old you'll get another year... 

UncleZen

The hybrid or traction battery is under the rear seat.
The 12v battery is either in the boot or under the bonnet.
If your concerned about the 12v battery going flat leave the car in Ready mode for 30+ mins. If you can safely do this. Gears in P. AC & blower off. You can lock the car using the key whilst doing this. The engine may start for a few mins and engage the generator, or it may not, don't worry. You could also buy a Jump pack to jump start the 12v system, this is what I do, I don't have to be high capacity because it doesn't need to cold crank engine. 
If your unsure of all this you need to do more research before buying.
Then enjoy the yards it's a great car.