Buying a new car

[ErinAoife]

I know nothing about car and have no one to talk about it. My 12 years old Toyota Yarisis on its last leg so I will need to replace it. I don't know if I should go for a hybrid or an electric car. I want a car same size than the Yaris. Is electric car OK or is it better to go for a hybrid? I really don't know what to do? Grateful for advise. Thanks

We're about to change our Toyota diesel to a Toyota hybrid. We're going for a hybrid because the charging point infrastructure for electric vehicles isn't great around in the area we live in. It's the first thing we looked into when deciding the best option for us.

Thks for the input. Infrastructure is OK where I live but outside no great so don't know what to do. I always as well take my car when I visit my family in Belgium so don't know if an electric car will be a good buy.

There’s a very good new Yaris hybrid with some great lease deals - my daughter’s looking into getting one for 3-4 years until EV infrastructure’s improved.

This one. It’s bigger inside than the old Yaris and reviews are pretty positive.
leasing.com/independent-brokers/leasing-options-limited/toyota/yaris-cross/L0102610000009583215/

Thank you so much

What sort of driving do you do? Do you do lots of long or short journeys? Do you have a driveway and can charge at home?

I switched to an EV in 2018 and it's been great but I don't do many long journeys and have a driveway. To be honest I've done some long trips and don't mind the variable UK infrastructure but some people hate it. Electricity prices are rising but I'm on an economy tariff so charge up at night for 5p/kWh. This makes my EV way, way cheaper than petrol/diesel and an occasional wait on the motorway acceptable.

Whether a hybrid is worthwhile also depends on charging (if you go for a plug in) and the sort of driving you do. A lot of plug in hybrids have 20-30 mile ranges so are perfect if you have a short commute and can keep it topped up. You can then drive mostly on electricity and use petrol for longer trips.

A compromise is a self charging hybrid and Toyota are great with these (probably the best) as they've been making them for so long.

You say that you go to Belgium occasionally so an EV may not be the best unless you're happy researching the infrastructure on the mainland. For the UK zapmap is excellent and the app is easy to use to find out where chargers are. If you're not confident then a self charging hybrid could be the best bet as it'll be just like driving your current car, be more economical and a step in the right direction.

As @GiantKitten has mentioned, the Yaris Cross is a great choice. The current Corolla is also excellent if you'd prefer a regular hatch, as opposed to an SUV style crossover.

We purchased a Toyota Rav hybrid last year and we are thrilled to bits with it. It sips fuel despite the size, is very comfortable and lovely to drive. We do long trips in Europe and the infrastructure just isn't there for fully electric. Where we live (offshore) the speed limit is 35 mph so most of our driving is in the EV mode. Toyota were the hybrid pioneers and now have a 15 year warranty on the battery and 10 years for other stuff provided you get it serviced at the dealer each year. Highly recommended in general and sure you would be delighted with a Toyota hybrid.

Ours is self-charging rather than plug in.

Budget, this should lead your decision. What can you actually afford to do comfortably. If budget is no problem and the infrastructure near you is good then go for a. Plus boot space isn't a problem then mileage comes into play. How many miles does it need to do? Long journeys hybrid, short electric.

Self charging electric would be the ultimate