Auris Hybrid Ordered

[BigTom85]

Thanks for the help chaps.

I demo'd a new one for a day, and I thought it was fantastic to be honest. However I can only really afford a used one and the old model wasn't a patch on the new one.

So I've bought a Skoda Rapid 1.2TSI

[Super Slo Mo]

liner33 said:

Seems to be a lot of hate for them though , even on the roads

I don't find that with the Auris, it may as well be invisible. I quite like that about it to be honest.

It must be because it's not an 'aspirational' brand (I hate that term) like an Audi, so no one really has an opinion either way.
It might be a little bland, but it's a whole lot better engineered than a VAG based clone and that suits me.
I've got a bike for fun anyway, although to bikers that too is bland as its a Honda. Can't win really

[liner33]

Super Slo Mo said:

I don't find that with the Auris, it may as well be invisible. I quite like that about it to be honest.

It must be because it's not an 'aspirational' brand (I hate that term) like an Audi, so no one really has an opinion either way.
It might be a little bland, but it's a whole lot better engineered than a VAG based clone and that suits me.
I've got a bike for fun anyway, although to bikers that too is bland as its a Honda. Can't win really

The Prius is much more distinctive and I've never known a car surround by so much misinformation, ill-informed nonsense or simply repeated BS before

I still have a VAG clone as my car and weekend toy and wouldn't swap either but the Prius is pretty good at what it does

[Lowtimer]

I have to say it's very rarely I get treated differently in the Prius on the road than in one of my older beloved dinosaur cars. Just a couple of times on the motorway someone appears to have taken exception to the idea that a hybrid might want to go faster than them, but by the same token I think these days a lot of people mentally categorise it as a possible minicab desperado, not to be tangled-with.

Main issue in terms of people/Prius reactions, which applies equally to the Auris hybrid and full electrics, is that you have to be extra vigilant when manoeuvring in public car parks, because a lot of people genuinely don't hear you silently oozing around and will be startled when they turn around, or step out, and suddenly you're right there. So you have to assume that they haven't seen you unless they've made eye contact with you.

[Super Slo Mo]

Yep, I've come close to squashing pedestrians on a handful of occasions, one of these days I will get one .

[Jonny_]

Passengers in my Auris generally comment on three things: the quiet drivetrain, the various information displayed on the central touchscreen, and the panoramic glass roof!

On the road it generally slips under the radar, bar the odd occasion where someone sees the "hybrid" badging as I pass on the motorway and decide that it's an affront to their manhood. You can probably guess the kinds of cars whose drivers do this...

[Jonny_]

BigTom85 said:

Thanks for the help chaps.

I demo'd a new one for a day, and I thought it was fantastic to be honest. However I can only really afford a used one and the old model wasn't a patch on the new one.

So I've bought a Skoda Rapid 1.2TSI

That little 1.2 TSi is a surprisingly nice little engine. Had a Golf 1.2 courtesy car for a couple of days and it was 1000000x nicer than the diesels; you could barely hear it idling and it was pretty smooth to drive. Outright pace similar to a good 1400 or average 1600 NA petrol, but with more low to mid range torque. Managed just under 50mpg too. The Rapid looks miles better value than the Golf too.

[BigTom85]

Jonny_ said:

That little 1.2 TSi is a surprisingly nice little engine. Had a Golf 1.2 courtesy car for a couple of days and it was 1000000x nicer than the diesels; you could barely hear it idling and it was pretty smooth to drive. Outright pace similar to a good 1400 or average 1600 NA petrol, but with more low to mid range torque. Managed just under 50mpg too. The Rapid looks miles better value than the Golf too.

Thanks.

I was impressed with the 1.2 for sure, and I only test drove the 86PS version, yet I've ordered the 105PS one.

The Rapid Spaceback seems an underrated package to my mind. Hope I get on OK with it!

Bringing it back on topic, I absolutely loved the new-shape Auris I demo'd, and the spec in the Excel model is astonishing. The old model (the one I can afford!), even in T-Spirit spec felt very agricultural, noisy and low-rent in comparison. Shame, as I really wanted to like it.