TOYOTA AURIS HATCHBACK REVIEW

My car

I took ownership of the T4 version with the larger wheels in September '10. The car has been great to drive, especially on long journeys. However, I have one major gripe. The car is sold on the basis of its excellent fuel consumption (70mpg+). This was one of the major factors influencing my decision to buy the car. However, the best I have managed is 59mpg and in this colder weather I can't get much above 52mpg. I have taken on board all the advice about eco driving and pushed and pulled all the buttons in the car that are supposed to enable optimum fuel use but my fuel consumption remains little better than on the Honda Jazz that I used to drive. Have taken the car back to my local Toyota dealer and they shrugged their shoulders.

My car

Bought this car used in 2008 from a Toyota dealer. This is the first Toyota I have owned. I have to say that my experience of Toyota dealers has been excellent but the car has been a little disappointing. The engine is agricultural when cold but does settle down when warm and is reasonably refined at motorway speeds. Running costs are pretty good, but the overall quality of the car is a let down - the cabin plastics feel very low rent and the seats are quite soft which becomes a problem on long journeys. Also the in car audio sound quality is the worst I have come across in a modern car. The standard level of equipment is pretty good auto lights & wipers and keyless entry are nice touches. I can't help feeling that Toyota built the Auris on the cheap which is a shame because it could have been a really good car. Overall I would say that it does the job but is merely average.

My car

Deeply disappointed with this car. When I was considering buying a reliable (nearly new) car I test drove this and a Focus 1.6 petrol.

The dealers testdrive didn't include any motorway driving. On the motorway at a actual 70mpg the car sits at circa 4,000revs.

The gearing in town is fine and I feel the car is geared to make the most out of the 1.6 engine.

As such I never topped 33mpg. I tried everything- shifting as the car prompted me with its up and downshift indicator. I also tried early shifting and holding high revs. Still got nowhere near the stated official 40mpg average.

One of the reasons why I chose the Auris over the Focus was the better fuel economy. There are a few reviews out there with the actual Focus's economy in the real world being around 31mpg. Ontop of this I wanted more peace of mind with a Toyota-backed warranty and customer service.

Other points: - The steering feel is also highly inconsistent, sometimes too light, then weighted then in the next breath over-light again for no obvious reason. - Its Turkish-built so you are not getting 'Japanese quality'. - I had a moment when the accelator peddle stuck wide open after fowling under the floor mat. I have never had this happen on any car in my life. Luckily I dipped the clutch and reached down to tug out the mat.

In a nutshell, I feel there are far better cars out there. With a track record and more rounded for the money.

My car

Have had my 1.33 for one year now, although only just completed 5000 miles from new. Now that the car has got a few more miles under it's belt, fuel consumption has improved - 36 to 40mpg around town, and between 45 and 50mpg on a run (often with a full car - two people, seats folded forwards and luggage filling the boot). Just come back from two weeks in Yorkshire where the car averaged 50mpg. I think the 1.33 is a very underated car, and is well worth a look.