Hi there!

Not actually a hybrid driver, but I thought I should introduce myself anyhow.

I drive a Toyota Yaris diesel - not the current version, but what some of the Canadians will recognise as an Echo HB - that has Toyota's 1.4 litre turbocharged and intercooled common rail diesel engine. Despite my very leaden foot, a power upgrade chip and quite a lot of urban driving I'm getting about 46mpg(US) which I think isn't too bad.

Here's a piccy and there are more stats here.



Anyhow, if you've got any questions then please ask away!



Alan

 

Nice little car. Only recently have some of my fellow countrymen figured out that if you're going to drive a lot, a little car like yours makes much more sense than a seven-passenger Suburban 4x4 "Chelsea Tractor".

The website has "hybrid" in the title but don't let that stop you from posting.

 

What a cute car, and great fuel ecnomy.

 

Hey, nice car.I think I like that styling more than the Yaris we finally got.
46mpg is very good -pretty much what folks here get with the Prius, but the numbers in "our" data base are biased by the mpg fanaticism of many members.
Hey, is that picture in Scotland? The mountains in the background look like they have snow on them?? Is that just some artifact or is there actually snow on them.I didn't think the mountains in Scotland we very high-maybe 2500 meters max-is that about right?
The picture could have been taken in our Rocky Mountains-evergreens etc.
Are those stock wheels?They look too nice(expensive) to be OEM, and the sidewalls looks a little short to be OEM?? I do prefer that more rounded look.
Welcome aboard.Charlie
PS We-USA- are SOL (out of luck) in respect to Diesels.We can get very large 3000 KG pickups with 6 lt TDI and a very few VWs, but nothing else.During and after the 1979 Oil Embargo we had diesel everything, but they all faded away once oil dropped below $10/barrel. They will make a big comeback-especially if they can be sold for a small ~$1000 premium over a spark motor.If they end up costing >$4000 more-like a full hybrid, they won't sell so well.

 

Thats for all of the kind words!

The photos was taken in March/April - the week before Easter - and the snow was very later this year. The highest mountain in the UK, Ben Nevis, is a little over 4400 feet high (btw, any mountain in Scotland over 3000 feet is called a "Munro" after the guy that first catalogued them - Wikipedia entry for Munros)

I'm a regular posted over on Echofans and a couple of other US-based forums containing TDi drivers, so I know about the poor-quality diesel you guys have and how it is inhibiting the import of some of the really good European and Japanese diesel engines that are available elsewhere in the world. Still, Honda seem to be developing a US-specific diesel engine so your luck may well turn (where Honda go, engine wise, others will follow).

The wheels aren't stock, they're 16" OZs with Toyo Proxy T1-R tyres. They really don't help the economy, ut they do make going around corners more fun. The car's also got 30mm lower than stock TTE/Eibach springs. Talking about non-economy modifications sounds out of place here, but over Easter I filled up with diesel in Zebrugge, drove the 250 miles to the Eiffel Mountains in Germany, did another couple of hundred miles driving (including a few hardish laps of the Nurburgring) and still managed 44mpg(us). The MR2 and Honda S2000s in the group with me almost beat me to death for boasting about that

Erm... think that's all.

Thanks again for the warm welcome!

Alan

 

4400' -wow, they look kinda rugged for low mts.Our east coast mts are about that height, but they are generally very smooth looking-maybe the glaciers carved your mts up.
Hey,I would claim the 20mm lowering as a FE mod!!Especially if you had to explain it to a wife,girlfriend,etc.Heck,she might even buy it.The fancy wheels(lighter than stock!), I would claim then also.Now the wide ,sticky tires-it might be tough to make a FE case for them, so they become a "safety" mod. The trip to Germany to runone of the most famous racecourse in the world would be "necessary safety testing!"
We probably have low sulphur diesel now(the new diesel regs were slowed by Katrina).The NOX regs are the fly in the ointment now.Everyone is hoping that the 2008 model year will bring us all the high tech Euro Diesels.
How much of a premium did you pay for the diesel version of your Yaris?We-USA potential buyers-hope the diesel premium isn't as much as the hybrid premium.Try to factor out increased "trim level".Whenever some interesting option is offered here,it is usually bundled with some POS increased trim level that makes it hard to figure out how much you are paying for the good option,and how much you are paying for the two toned leather etc.Thanks,Charlie

 

lol - you use a similar justification system to me.

I think the diesel was about £500 more than the equivalent 1.3 litre petrol (we only get a version of the 1.5 litre motor found in the NA-market Echo in the "T-Sport" model with all the bells and whistles). Whilst diesel is more expensive than petrol here in the UK (~2p to 5p a litre...) the mileage I've done (30,000miles in about 20 minths) means that I have made the premium back whilst also enjoying the diesel torque whilst driving the thing.

Thankfully our option system doesn't normally work like the "package" system you guys have to suffer in the US.



Alan