Author Topic: I'm outta here :) (Read 7824 times)

andruec · « **Reply #30 on:** March 25, 2019, 07:22:18 PM »

First impressions:Very, very positive.

She handles well (far better over bumps) and has quite noticeably more poke if you ask for it. Very comfortable to drive and everything feels just that little bit better put together.

Things I like: The electronic handbrake, especially since you can have it come on when you stop and leave the car in D - no more blinding people behind with my lights. The dashboard - a geek's paradise. I broke my own rule and went with built-in sat nav and it shows the next turning in the middle of the dash when you're close (it can also appear on the main screen if you want of course). Otherwise the dash shows whatever you've got as your preference (I went with fuel consumption information). Adaptive cruise control is wonderful.

Things I don't like: Nothing really. I wasn't able to work out how to turn on automatic main beam. It looks like the cruise control switches off every time you stop the engine. So you first have to turn it on then set the speed. View out of the rear window is a bit restrictive. I had to rearrange my garage because although it fits width/length the bonnet is longer so I need to get the car right up to the back wall leaving no room for my shelves in order to clear the support pillars.

Fuel economy:A little disappointing perhaps with a reported 61mpg on a practice run to work and back but it's a new engine and if that figure manages to hold up when doing the journey for real in rush hour that's not bad. My Jazz would probably manage 50mpg doing the same journey at the moment.

richardfrost · « **Reply #31 on:** March 25, 2019, 07:30:40 PM »

On my RAV4 you push the light stalk forward for main beam, and it is automatic if the lights are already set to automatic. There’s a full beam with an A icon that shows up on the dash, and an additional blue light to show when full beam is actually on. If your lights are on manual then main beam is also on manual. Makes sense really.

andruec · « **Reply #32 on:** March 25, 2019, 07:50:29 PM »

Quote from: richardfrost on March 25, 2019, 07:30:40 PM

On my RAV4 you push the light stalk forward for main beam, and it is automatic if the lights are already set to automatic. There’s a full beam with an A icon that shows up on the dash, and an additional blue light to show when full beam is actually on. If your lights are on manual then main beam is also on manual. Makes sense really.

The Corolla also has a separate button below the wheel on the parcel shelf. Hopefully it's a simple on/off switch and doesn't turn off every time the engine is turned off.

andruec · « **Reply #33 on:** May 12, 2019, 07:21:01 PM »

Okay so an update. The simple version: I'm still loving the car and consider it a big improvement over the Jazz. But there are of course some niggles:

* Having to switch audio on then select my iPod every time I start the engine is irritating. But at least it doesn't crash and deprive me of music for a couple of minutes like the Jazz did when I first got it

* Fuel consumption. It's probably marginally better than my Jazz (currently getting ~55mpg which is my typical summer MPG with the Jazz) but I'm somewhat concerned/intrigued by the dashboard display. I know they are never completely accurate but the Corolla seems to be suspiciously inaccurate. On my long trip to North Wales it showed 70mpg when I arrived. After three days of driving to golf courses and one trip through Snowdonia it was saying 68mpg and it was time to fill up. I calculated it at 58mpg. But hey, that was a different filling station from last time so I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Since then I've filled it up twice more and the figures were (displayed/calculated): 59/54 60/55. So it seems like it's just that inaccurate and makes me wonder how many Toyota Hybrid owners have been duped into thinking it's better than it is.
* Electronic handbrake. I like it a lot. And I like the concept of brake hold (when you come to a halt it holds the car in place). But you have to switch brake hold on every time you start the car (not a bug - the manual specifically mentions that). Oh and to raise an old debate it keeps the brake lights on. So whilst I don't need to keep the foot brake pressed I still have to have the brake lights on unless I take the trouble to switch into Park to activate the parking brake. Which of course I won't.
* The auto wipers are no better than the Jazz.
* Not that it's an issue for me but there is less room in the rear seats. It can take three adults back there but I wouldn't want to drive any great distance with an adult in the back. The legroom is borderline.

But it's a joy to be back driving a 'CVT'(*) that has smooth power delivery. LED headlights are great. It looks gorgeous and has more power on tap. Boot storage is as good as the Jazz and actually better for a set of golf clubs as it can take a driver width-wise.

It's not actually a CVT. It's a complicated system of planetary gears. There's some seriously clever programming under the bonnet

http://www.thefullwiki.org/Hybrid_Synergy_Drive#Phases_of_operation

andruec · « **Reply #34 on:** May 12, 2019, 07:22:49 PM »

Quote from: andruec on March 25, 2019, 07:50:29 PM

Quote from: richardfrost on March 25, 2019, 07:30:40 PM
On my RAV4 you push the light stalk forward for main beam, and it is automatic if the lights are already set to automatic. There’s a full beam with an A icon that shows up on the dash, and an additional blue light to show when full beam is actually on. If your lights are on manual then main beam is also on manual. Makes sense really.
The Corolla also has a separate button below the wheel on the parcel shelf. Hopefully it's a simple on/off switch and doesn't turn off every time the engine is turned off.

This turned out not be an issue. The switch 'stays on' when you turn the engine off and as you say just pushing the light stalk forward activates auto main beam.

richardfrost · « **Reply #35 on:** May 14, 2019, 10:10:15 AM »

Sounds like a good move on the whole. When one of my elderly dogs eventually 'crosses the rainbow bridge' I will be moving back to a smaller car and the Corolla is on my list, as I do like the Hybrid setup. Seems like your audio unit is a bit more fuss than mine, which just stays on whatever it was set to, and has steering wheel controls to flip between iPod, DAB etc. Thanks for the updates.

By the way, mine is also excessively random at calculating MPG. There's one place I go to with the dogs which is uphill a couple of miles from here. On the trip there it shows 16 to 17 mpg and on the trip back it is always 99.9 mpg as it is nearly all downhill so it spends the journey on electric and recharging the battery.