Weeks of toing-and-froing later, the HSD
was still sickly. The vehicle was taken to a local technical centre and a few
more specialists were called in. By a process of elimination, the plug leads,
ECU and CVT were all ruled out. Eventually, the driveshafts were found as the
culprits. New items had to be ordered from Japan and, by the time the car was
returned to me, it had been away for nearly three months (which explains why
this report is so late). In the repair process, the technical-centre manager
also approved a new set of tyres for the car because the driveshaft issue had
apparently caused uneven wear in the original rubber.
Once returned, I resumed the
mileage-accumulation process. I always took the long route home and lent the
car to my colleagues whenever someone needed to leave town.
The
Auris HSD features a CVT; you drive the car like a conventional automatic
In the subsequent months, and with the
engine loosening up, fuel consumption dropped steadily. It didn't come close to
matching the claimed figure, but mid-6.0 litres/100 km was fair for a hybrid
that spent a lot of time outside the city grind.
As 15,000 km appeared on the odo, I booked
the Auris for a routine service at Market Toyota. The car was inspected and I
was dropped off at our offices without much of a wait. Later that afternoon, I
was called to collect. I waited for some time before the car was presented and
upon inspection noted a scratch across the right-rear door and fender that
definitely wasn't there before.
Although the service manager agreed that
the dealership would repair the damage, it shouldn't have happened in the first
place. Toyota SA Motors eventually agreed that it would fix the scratch after
we returned the Auris. I also asked that the service personnel inspect a
sunroof squeak, but they failed to find anything amiss. I dearly heard it as I
drove away. Sweetening the disappointing after-sales experience slightly was
the fact that the service cost of $95 was covered by the standard
five-year/90,000 km plan.
Rear
occupants will find the Toyota accommodating and comfortable
After the service, a number of colleagues
helped to see the Auris to just over 20,000 km. Technical editor Nicol Louw
enjoyed the relaxed nature, good ride quality and fuel efficiency, but was
annoyed by the CVT, while the light steering and odd brake feel left him
puzzled. Lightfoot Lutjeharms commented favourably on its open-road comfort,
although he did lament the lack of overtaking punch at higher speeds. On his
daily 70 km commute, the HSD was definitely lighter on fuel than most other
petrol-engined cars.
We received no feedback from readers
regarding Auris HSD models, so we can only assume that there are very few out
there.
Just before its return to Toyota, a
travel-fatigued colleague had an unfortunate coming together with a high kerb.
A scratched front rim meant a few days at a local mag-wheel repair shop.
Despite the very particular shade of tinted silver, the repair was flawless.
Wraparound
taillights sport aerodynamic fins that blend seamlessly
Test Summary
I didn't think that I would enjoy living
with the Auris as much as I did. A hybrid is not quite my cup of chai, but I
can see the appeal for someone who requires a car of this ilk.
The comfy ride, automatic transmission and
electric drivetrain make it an ideal car for a city dweller. In fact, on the
occasions that I drove in the Cape Town CBD, the Auris cruised along for some
time without firing up the petrol engine, doing so silently much to the
surprise of dawdling pedestrians.
Couple its positive characteristics with
the fact that it is about $5,645 cheaper than a Prius and the Auris HSD
suddenly looks like a good deal. It begs the question: why aren't there more
around?
