Toyota Auris Hybrid - real consumption figures

Official consumption figures for hybrid cars are more misleading than indicative. Real consumption figures can be found here.

 

0,44 litres/mile (Highway)
0,53 litres/mile (Highway)

Non-rechargeable hybrid cars only charge the batteries when driving. The onboard systems ensure that the braking energy is recovered. The electric motor comes in where it makes the most sense. Everything happens automatically. The message to you as a driver is just to drive as normal.

Toyota Auris Hybrid STW

If you want a hybrid station wagon, you can't go without this car. The alternative is the 7-seater Prius+ Seven with the same drivetrain. 1,8 VVT-i Hybrid Advance where the 99 HP petrol engine plays together with a 37 HP electric motor. There are no other competitors in the same price range with the same space and hybrid drivetrain.

The Toyota Auris Hybrid is one of Terje's cars. Not literally, but as rental cars for various transport purposes. A typical everyday car. I make no secret of my distaste for the CVT gearbox and the Eco setting. And I guess I also added something about that "Auris Hybrid not tempting to take the long way home", or something like that. Well, maybe not until now... On Sunday I took the car out for a drive to measure the fuel consumption and to get a little wiser on Toyota's hybrid concept.

When the petrol engine becomes a generator

The first stage - the motorway between Oslo and Drammen came to an abrupt halt at Asker. Some had found that church time on Sunday mornings was a good time to carry out blasting work. As a result, there was a queue from Holmen to Kjellstad. Queue and hybrid are not really a problem. Then the petrol engine switches off and leaves the rest to the batteries - that is, if you had one had a power, then. Typical too! Every time I take out an Auris Hybrid, the batteries are empty. During the 50 minutes the queue lasted, the petrol engine therefore ran almost continuously at a high idle speed - just like a cheap generator. After all, it was 3 degrees outside and light rain.

"B" brakes without recovering power

Toyota's hybrid solution finds surplus energy during normal driving which it returns to the batteries. This becomes very visible when we step on the brake pedal. Then the charging instrument shows that we are charging. However, putting the gear lever in "B" does not charge the batteries very much in the Auris. Not like in other hybrid and electric cars where the braking energy from the engine brake charges the batteries. Down the Lierbakken, I normally use the artificial engine brake to give battery-powered cars a real charging boost. I like to get an extra 2-3 km of energy. On the Auris, I heard that the petrol engine sped up and braked on the gear, but without to charge the batteries. Here, the precious energy unfortunately disappeared straight into the exhaust!

South of Drammen, I entered Gamle Sørlandske. The road has retained its original speed limit of 70 km/h. It is ideal for economical driving. It is also free of tolls. The average consumption had shown 0,53 on the motorway. Even though I reset the trip computer down the Lierbakkene, it quickly settled back to around 0,50.

Failed attempt to run economically

I alternate between driving in "D" and "B". With the gear lever in "D", the car can roll several hundred meters without a petrol engine. Then it doesn't use any fuel, but doesn't charge the batteries either. Along hilly, speed-restricted roads, I select "B" in the hope that the batteries will receive power - but they are only charged by using the brake pedal. The range of the batteries in the Auris is not much to brag about, but they reach through typical 40 and 50 zones along the country road. A good saving tip is to be careful with the gas when starting from a standstill. Then the electric motor is allowed to work for as long as possible before the petrol engine takes over.

I was not particularly satisfied with the average consumption when I turned into the harbor in Holmestrand. 0,52 liters per mile was far too high. I had been driving at a steady speed between 70-80 km/h. I had been careful with the throttle, especially when picking up the revs after freewheeling. If you press the pedal down just a little too quickly, the CVT gearbox shifts so that the rpm increases. Then the winnings disappear by rolling. Toyota's CVT box could have benefited from being less nervous. I'm sure a dual clutch gearbox would have worked better. Much better.

Holmestrand

The ice-free guest harbor in Holmestrand is a fantastic offer for boaters. The few that were here now were relatively large boats. It is pleasant to stroll along the harbor street. The jetty is shaped like a solid fishing wharf, with recreational fishermen as close as pearls on a string.I know recreational fishermen here who keep their boats out all winter.

Home Tour

Technically, the Auris STW belongs to the Golf class. The boot in the Auris is not among the largest, and there is a bit of a narrow loading opening, but it holds up well as a family car. This car class is now as big as the large middle class was 10-15 years ago. On the road, the weight distribution feels fine. Behind the wheel, you have the security and comfort expected of a good family car.

I reset the trip computer again before starting the journey home. Quite quickly, the average consumption rose to 0,42. It seemed to stabilize there. For the first time, I chose to take "the long way" home with the Auris Hybrid. I followed the coastal road from Sande via Svelvik to Drammen. This road is also speed-regulated for large parts, but it is more hilly and winding than Gamle Sørlandske. More beautiful and funnier. I stopped in a few places to take pictures. I saw others doing the same. They took selfies against the quiet fjord in the gloomy and idyllic winter light.

Better consumption figures

I noted that the Aurisen switched to electricity around Svelvik. Fortunately, the batteries had plenty of power. The "long" trip from Holmestrand to Drammen was completed with an average consumption of 0,44 liters per mile. The motorway between Drammen and Oslo at a constant speed of 100 km/h was covered with 0,53 liters per mile. I think Toyota could have achieved even better consumption figures if the artificial engine brake had had a better effect, and the gearbox had not allowed the engine speed to run so unnecessarily high. Here, the hybrid drivetrain in the Volkswagen Golf GTE works better, although real consumption figures are the same as for the Auris Hybrid.

Hybrid not just to save fuel

Be aware that the official consumption figures for hybrid cars – both plug-in and non-plug-in – never match reality. It is connected to the way the measurements are made, which means that the effect from the batteries counts for more than in reality. The hybrid cars' real consumption is on a par with other, economical engine choices such as turbodiesels and downscaled turbo-petrol engines. There is therefore no reason to choose a hybrid only because of fuel consumption. Yes, hybrid cars pollute less by running on electricity through densely built-up areas. But the most important reason - in my opinion - is the nice downdraft you get when both petrol and electric motors work together. It gives a touch of driving pleasure, - provided you don't touch the "Eco" button.

It sucks out the last drop of anything that might remind of joy.

 

See

 

---

FACTS

The Toyota Sports Touring comes in several variants, including these:
Active Sport Hybrid NOK 314
Active Edition Hybrid NOK 343
Executive Hybrid NOK 362
All have the same drivetrain, 1,8 VVT-i 99 HP + electric motor 47 HP, – Both: 136 HP
Torque petrol engine: 146 Nm/4000 rev., Electric engine: 207 Nm, – Both: 300 Nm/4000 rev.
Top speed: 175 km/h, Acceleration 0-100: 11,2 seconds.
Boot (as 5-seater): 530 litres
Maximum permissible trailer weight (both with and without brakes): 345 kg
(source: www.toyota.no)

Nearest competitors:
Toyota Prius+ Seven, from NOK 331
Kia Optima PHEV station wagon, from NOK 381
Mitusbishi Outlander PHEV, 394,
Toyota RAV4 Active Style, NOK 407

Why given factory figures (EU) are rarely real for hybrid cars
The consumption figures for EU consumption appear according to a norm based on two driving patterns - 1) Urban driving for approx. 13 minutes - approx. 4 km - with an average speed of 18,7 km/h and a top speed of 50 km/h. 2) Road driving for 6 minutes and 40 seconds - approx. 7 km - with an average speed of 62,6 and a top speed of 120 km/h. With a fully charged battery, hybrid cars can achieve very good results in such a test, e.g. almost 0 consumption in the urban driving mode. The problem is that on long journeys consumption will increase significantly because the cars no longer have fully charged batteries. For example, the plug-in hybrid car VW Golf GTE has a stated EU consumption of 1,6 l/100 km. This is only possible with a fully charged battery. The real consumption can therefore be much higher.