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If you want a car that’s easy to live with and feels like it’s built to last, a Toyota could be just the thing. It’s a brand to consider, whatever type of car suits you best because the Toyota range is very broad – you can choose from small city cars to big SUVs.
Toyota is well-known for its hybrid cars in which a petrol engine and an electric motor combine to give you very good fuel economy and low carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Some Toyota cars are still available with regular petrol or diesel power if you prefer.
There’s a wide range of used Toyotas available including hatchbacks, saloons, estates, SUVs and coupes, all in different sizes. Toyota hatchbacks include the compact Aygo and mid-size Auris and Corolla.
The range of Toyota SUVs stretches from the Yaris Cross to the mid-size C-HR and RAV4 and all the way up to the very large Land Cruiser.
You’re spoilt for choice for hybrid cars within the Toyota range. As well as a number of full hybrids – which Toyota call ‘self-charging hybrids’ – there are also plug-in hybrid versions of the Prius and the RAV4. A single pure-electric model is available – the bZ4X.
Toyota was the first brand to popularise hybrid cars with its big-selling Prius. It offers more hybrid models than many car brands, with full hybrid (which Toyota calls ‘self-charging hybrid’) versions of the Auris, Yaris, Yaris Cross, Corolla, C-HR, Camry and RAV4 available alongside the Prius. Plug-in hybrid versions of the Prius and RAV4 are also available.
Toyota’s only current pure-electric model is the bZ4X, although it plans to introduce a number of electric cars over the next few years.
A small hatchback, and one of few available with low-emission hybrid power that gives you great fuel economy. It’s great value, too, because all models come with lots of features as standard.
A distinctive small SUV that’s fun to drive and very fuel-efficient thanks to its hybrid power. Its striking looks are a big selling point and it’s practical enough for family duties, too.
This city car is a favourite of first-time car owners because of its low insurance group ratings. You get excellent fuel economy, so your overall running costs should be low.
It has a huge amount of space inside, but this family-friendly SUV is compact enough for easy about-town driving and parking. The latest version, sold new since 2020, is available only as a hybrid.
Available as a hatchback, estate or saloon, this mid-size family car has fuel-efficient hybrid power as standard. It feels great to drive and comes well-equipped across a wide range of trim options.
The main Toyota SUV models are the Yaris Cross, C-HR, RAV4 and Land Cruiser.
The Yaris Cross is a small SUV based on the Yaris hatchback that’s a rival for cars such as the Volkswagen T-Roc and Skoda Kamiq. The Toyota C-HR is a bit larger than the Yaris Cross but it’s still fairly compact – you might consider it alongside a wide range of cars, including the Ford Puma, Mini Countryman, Nissan Juke and Renault Captur.
The RAV4 is a mid-size SUV that has a roomy interior and is a great option for families. If you want something even larger and that has off-road ability to match a Land Rover, the large Toyota Land Cruiser could be the car for you.
The cheapest modern used Toyota car is the Aygo – a compact hatchback that was sold new from 2005 to 2021. It was replaced by the Aygo X in 2022 – a slightly more expensive model with a higher stance and SUV-style design. Other cheap used Toyotas include the Yaris and Auris – both very cost-effective options.
Toyota was founded in Japan, and is still based there, but its cars are built all over the world. Most Toyotas sold in the UK are built in Europe – the Corolla in England, the Yaris in France and in the Czech Republic, where the Aygo is made. Some models are still built in Japan, and some Toyota models are built in the US.
The most popular Toyota models – the Yaris, Corolla, C-HR and RAV4 – are available as hybrids, while the Prius is available only with hybrid power. Toyota was one of the first car brands to make a big-selling hybrid model and it still offers more hybrid options than many other car companies.
Toyota’s hybrid cars use a combination of a petrol engine and an electric motor to give better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions than you’d get with a petrol engine alone. All come with an automatic gearbox as standard and will allow you to drive at low speed for a (very) short distance using electric power alone. Toyota calls them ‘self-charging hybrids’ since there’s no need (and no way) to plug them in to recharge the battery pack.
Some models are available with plug-in hybrid power, where a larger battery pack and motor give an electric-only range of 30 miles or so – if you keep the battery charged up.
You can find out more about how hybrids work here.
EV mode is a feature in a Toyota hybrid model that allows you to prioritise pure-electric power. Press the button marked ‘EV’ and it changes the car’s settings so that it gets its power from the battery wherever possible. You still only get a limited amount of electric-only travel, however, and EV mode is overridden if you need to accelerate hard or there’s not enough battery charge to make it work.
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