Taxi Driver Online

Has anyone tried the Toyota Auris Hybrid for hack/ph work?

I have one on a 2 year lease from one of the leasing companies as a trial and so far it's proved very reliable and economical, also a talking point amongst passengers when they get in and the engine stops as you pull away!

the down side, when you pull up outside their house, they often don't hear you arrive so you sit there ages waiting for them to come out!

whats its overall mpg and is there a mileage limitation on the lease?

what does the lease cost?

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

mpg is 56.9 over a year, the mileage limit is what you want it to be, we went for 35,000 miles a year and have done just over 30,000 in a year. lease costs about £407 inc VAT a month. I'm vat registered so get that back anyway. It's also NIL road tax and you can park in electric vehicle charging point bays even though you don't have to charge the car!

MPG may improve if the car is used in town; I work mostly rural so very little stop-start work. the hybrid system will work better in town as the battery charges every time you take your foot off the gas, and every time you brake. Also, be gentle pulling away helps.

It's remarkably smooth and quiet with a simple forwards and reverse gear stick, no gears to worry about as the electric motor doesn't need a conventional gearbox. 0-60 is about 10 seconds, so it can be quite rapid!!

Drawbacks?

The drivers seat is bit squashed after a day's driving if you're a big person;
servicing is every 10,000 miles but can be done other than at a main dealer (change oil & filter)
every 20,000 miles the brake fluid must be changed as well, only at main dealer as they have the computer to reset everything!
Can be a bit tight with 3 big bods in the back seat.

Otherwise a very reliable car so far.
Turning circle is almost as good as an FX4 too.

I've got the car on a 2 year lease so if it doesn't work out it can go back!

So how much in fuel are you saving??

Ive never had a Car on a lease before how does it work?

Do you pay a lump sum up front, then So much a month and so much per mile after your declared 35,000 expected mileage?

Might be a decent alternative to HP over 60 months as the lease might absorb some of the vehicle depreciation costs.

That's not just for a Toyota I'm enquiring about but any Car Manufacturers lease scheme?

If you Lease ~~~ you will never own it.

At the end of the Lease it reverts to the Lessor.

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

who covers repairs under the lease?
did you have to pay a deposit?
its petrol+leccy or diesel+leccy?
whats the pure leccy range?
whats the charge up time from 1/4 to full?
standard 240v 13A supply needed?

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Yes, 3 months lease fee up front;

petrol/electric

pure electric range up to 3 miles

it doesn't have to plug into anything, the petrol engine cuts in and out when required, magic stuff!

Have a test drive at your local dealer and feel the difference.

Fuel saving, well, difficult to compare as I've not owned another small car, but my diesel Chrysler Voyager does 28 mpg when used on the same sort of work, so 50% less fuel used for about the same monthly outgoings, and we don't get higher fares for the 6 seater!

With a lease car you never own it, as someone said above it goes back to the lease company at the end of the period or you can extend the period of lease or get another new car; it depends on how you want to portray your public image! The lease company suffers the depreciation, so the lease fees are taken straight off your profit line without the hassle of depreciation over x years. Maintenance liability depends on the lease arrangement. Built-in maintenance will probably cost more than you paying for it separately.

I can recommend a lease company if anyone's interested by private memo.

I had my own business 15+ years ago and seem to recall that the advantage of a lease was that the whole monthly cost of the lease was an allowable tax expense whereas ownership meant you could only write down a %age of the capital value against tax. May have changed now.

I see no benefit in owning a tool of trade myself so would be very tempted by such a deal (seriously thinking now about getting my own PH). I am surprised co's will provide a lease on a "taxi".

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Nobody told me to use my initiative. To err is human to arr is pirate.

3 miles leccy range is absurb, it would do 45mpg as purely petrol, equivalent 80mpg on just LPG, or 54mpg on diesel, and why are hybrids petrol and not diesels? seems stupid not to use diesel engines, they work harder and last longer and CAN be cleaner

nope, not for me in afraid, my 2 x 40 mile loops per day would not be cheaper, especially taking into account I own my car and have no HP or lease to pay on it, its emissions may not be as green but it was built 6 years ago, if i buy a new car the factory+steel works who make that one will be churning out greenhouse gases.....

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

All this green stuff is just bollox to extract more money of your pockets and people fall for it, 3 miles on a charge ffs you gotta be kidding
As wannabee said why not diesel instead of petrol, bad design again. I've got no HP, full NCD on insurance and do my own repairs/servicing. Oh and after 2 years you can hand it back oh aye right....... you've just gave them 10grand If you never own it why bother?
400 quid/month??? I've got better to spend my money on

The 3 miles per charge is irrelevent. The petrol engine keeps the electric motor charged up. I have been thinking of a Toyota prius for a while now.

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Grandad,

What hybrid cars are available? We've had Toyota's Auris and Prius mentioned in this thread. Are there any others?

milk floats go further on 1 charge

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Honda have the Civic and the Insight. There is a Lexus available as well.

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Grandad,