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I am shortly to be getting a Toyota Auris Hybrid Hatchback (looking forward to an autobox but a CVT - yikes!). I don't have any choice in work cars but as this one is free I'm happy!
Anyway, I can't get a towbar to fit it so my lovely Thule rack will have to go. What sort of space is inside one? Anyone got a roof rack? Unfortunately they don't have fixing points or a rail so they have to have those fixings that wrap around under to door seal which are a bit ugly. I was thinking of getting some Whispbar closed end bars and keeping them on all the time.
Any ideas gratefully received!
I had the same issue with no rails etc on my jaguar xe. I have said ugly clamps that reach down round the roof seals - after a while you forget they’re there, but it’s not ideal. I’ve got jaguar branded bars - but they’re Thule wingbars - the box even had Thule on them when they arrived. I like the bars and fittings slide on to them which is easy. Had a few bike carriers on them and used a roofbox too.
The auris hybrid has a very shallow and odd shaped boot as I remember - had one as a hire car once. If the back seats fold down you may get a bike inside but not ideal.
http://rica.org.uk/4918 for dimensions - with seats down it's a slightly longer but narrower space than a Golf hatch. Bike is fine with just front wheel off.
The first gen auris hybrid had a weird boot, later ones are more conventional as it was designed with the hybrid drivetrain in mind.
Simon - yes I understand the new Hybrid has the batteries under the rear seat rather than in the boot space as the previous version did. When I went to look at one in a dealers it didn’t seem shallow - but it did seem small compared to my current Focus estate. 🙁
It is possible to get a bike carrier specific tow bar for the Auris.
Pretty much any boot is going to seem small after a Focus Estate unfortunately
It is possible to get a bike carrier specific tow bar for the Auris.
I probably can’t modify the car though as it’s a work lease car - are you sure this is for the hybrid version though?
Pretty much any boot is going to seem small after a Focus Estate unfortunately
I know. 🙁
But I don’t have any choice and there’s only 2 of us, no kids or dogs to carry. We used to go on hols in a Nissan Micra so I’m sure we can cope!!
With my company car scheme we’re not allowed to put tow bars on the cars - might be worth checking.
With my company car scheme we’re not allowed to put tow bars on the cars – might be worth checking.
Yes I think it’s the same for me. I ordered a towbar as an optional extra for my Focus but I didn’t have that option with the Auris - it is heavily restricted as to what extras we can get.
I know. 🙁
But I don’t have any choice and there’s only 2 of us, no kids or dogs to carry. We used to go on hols in a Nissan Micra so I’m sure we can cope!!
i feel your pain, looks like we’ll be giving back the company van soon and having to get something (considerably cheaper/smaller) ourselves...... and there’s now 3 of us to fit in it 🤦♂️
Yes, it's def for the hybrid as there are other tow bar options for non hybrid cars. Prob not marketed as a tow bar as not rated for towing but bike carrier or similar. No doubt only through Toyota and spendy though. No chance of an auris touring sports instead? Can fit bike in the boot with wheels off in mine, also roof rails as standard
When we had Hitachi as a lease company I fitted a removable tow bar to my car and just didn’t tell them. When they collected it no one checked, they just take them straight to auction, a nice surprise for the next owner.
I doubt inchcape will be any more thorough but it depends how much risk you’re prepared to take. Chances are they’ll never see the car again, most are delivered straight to a 3rd party to be prepped for auction.
Surely you’ll just use that hoofing great huge Volvo you’ve got when you need to haul some cargo?
👍👍
I can fit a bike in the back of my Yaris hybrid with the seats down and front wheel off no probs. Auris is bigger so shouldn't be an issue. I've also used a (cheap Edinburgh Bike Coop) bike rack loads of times on it, careful set up and some heli tape on contact points and it's fine.
(Also the Toyota hybrid CVT is rather nice once you get used to it, smooth and quiet in slow stop-start traffic and similar boring stuff, which lets face it is where most people spend most of their driving time...)
No chance of an auris touring sports instead?
Unfortunately not.
When we had Hitachi as a lease company I fitted a removable tow bar to my car and just didn’t tell them. When they collected it no one checked, they just take them straight to auction, a nice surprise for the next owner.
I doubt inchcape will be any more thorough but it depends how much risk you’re prepared to take. Chances are they’ll never see the car again, most are delivered straight to a 3rd party to be prepped for auction.
I have a feeling we word for the same government department..... 😉
Also the Toyota hybrid CVT is rather nice once you get used to it
I'm glad to hear that, I am looking forward to getting an auto as I have to drive in a lot of stop-start traffic. What sort of MPG are you getting?
Surely you’ll just use that hoofing great huge Volvo you’ve got when you need to haul some cargo?
If I going on a long distance holiday I'm not taking it as the price of fuel is equivalent in cost to hiring a private jet... 😉
If I going on a long distance holiday I’m not taking it as the price of fuel is equivalent in cost to hiring a private jet…
tell you what, work out the cost of stuff to use the Auris as a bike carrier (Racks etc) and divide it by how many times you're likely to actually use it.... My guess is that it'll pay for the extra fuel/supertanker to follow the Vovo around on top of what the Auris would be.
Reduce it to numbers.....
Reduce it to numbers…..
On fuel alone I’ve just calculated with 2000 miles on hols a year I would save £260 in fuel using the Auris. If I used the Volvo I’d also have to pay around £250 extra a year in insurance (currently on limited mileage classic insurance for £180 pa and regular insurance was £430) and with the Toyota I don’t pay for tyres/maintenance/breakdown/wear and tear.
Blimey.
Yes, same company.
I can make back enough of a difference in fuel costs for my 3cyl Fabia vs my Toyota Hilux ‘big car’ in a 1000 mile holiday to buy a set of Thule 591...
Carwow review..
This is interesting. I think a few of us must work at the same place!
We have an Auris Touring Hybrid (the estate version)
The hybrid engine is very good between 30-60 and returns my wife around 65 mpg on average on her commute which is country lanes and urban. It is totally rubbish on motorways where it struggles to achieve 40mpg at 75ish
It does however mean that when driving below 20mph in urban traffic it runs on EV for most of the time which means no tailpipe emissions......which is nice.
The easyclick towbar option is very expensive (around £900 including rack) and limited to 2 bikes. I just fitted a towbar to mine - in the EU its no problem to have one on a hybrid so its purely a UK nanny state nonsense thing.
and yes I realise that if I get caught its solitary confinement on robin island etc
It is totally rubbish on motorways where it struggles to achieve 40mpg at 75ish
Surprised it's that bad, my non-hybrid touring sports will do 45mpg up and down the motorway and the prius i used to drive was about the same. Mine is pants round town though!
What sort of MPG are you getting?
Averages out around 55-60ish, depending on weather and stuff, it's quite hilly round here. I usually get better MPG on the motorway, but then I tend to just settle down and chug along in the inside lane at 70 most of the time, and the Yaris is smaller so probably benefits from the engine more, I dunno. It's cheap to run, anyway.