Although the 1.8-liter version of the car takes 11 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph, the C-HR handles extremely well, combining a comfortable ride with fast handling. The most impressive feature of the 2019 makeover is the brand-new 2.0-litre hybrid powerplant. For starters, there is greater power, with 182 horsepower and a far faster 0-62 mph time of 8.2 seconds. More effortless acceleration is made possible by the additional muscle in this powertrain, which is also more tuned. The 2.0-liter hybrid’s suspension and steering have also been modified to accommodate for the added weight. One of the greatest handling crossovers on the market thanks to the modifications.
The C-HR is a fantastic ownership proposition. Toyota is in good shape because to its robust 5-year/100,000-mile guarantee and 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating. It is encouraging that the company placed fifth out of 29 brands in our Driver Power customer satisfaction poll and that the C-HR achieved a fantastic fourth-place position.
In This Article...
Is the hybrid Toyota CHR reliable?
The C-HR has good handling and excellent fuel efficiency, but the CVT should include some noise-canceling headphones.
The C-HR will check a lot of your boxes if you’re sold on the coupe-crossover concept as a whole (which a lot of people are). Strong features include the eye-catching design, excellent fuel economy provided by Toyota’s ultra-smart hybrid system, and above average driving characteristics. However, it is not without faults. Since practicality isn’t the best, that awful CVT need to have a pair of noise-canceling headphones to muffle the drone when the engine is running above half throttle.
That ticket price has also subtly increased with the elimination of the 1.2-liter engine and the manual transmission option. Sure, soft-touch materials give the interior a more premium feel, but paying 32.5k or more for the engine you really want (as opposed to the one you’ll probably settle for) is comparable to the prices of the base-spec BMW X2 and Audi Q3 Sportback. In other words, pricey.
Is the hybrid Toyota CHR self-charging?
With improved 1.8 and new 2.0-litre “self-charging” hybrid powertrain options, Toyota’s C-HR crossover now offers an all-hybrid lineup.
What should I expect to pay for a Toyota C-HR?
For the 2022 SUV, the Toyota C-HR is offered in a variety of trims for $30,915 to $38,440.
The Toyota C-HR is a small SUV that places more of an emphasis on urban design than it does on luring bargain-hunting customers, as do many of its competitors in this market. As a result, the tiny SUV with a coupe-like design has a restricted price range that starts at $30,915 for the C-HR GXL (2WD) and goes as high as a respectable $38,440 for the C-HR Koba (2WD) TWO Tone Hybrid.
Even while more potent and hybrid variants of the C-HR quickly became available abroad in areas like the United Kingdom and Japan, it was surprising for the often hybrid-obsessed Toyota that it only came with a single engine option.
Is the Toyota C-HR a wise investment?
How Reliable Is the Toyota C-HR? The expected dependability rating for the 2022 Toyota C-HR is 80 out of 100. A predicted reliability score from J.D. Power of 91 to 100 is regarded as the best, 81 to 90 as great, 70 to 80 as medium, and 0-69 as fair and below average.
How far can a Toyota CHR hybrid go?
In addition, even though we’ve grown to like our Toyota C-HR, we tend to spend a lot of time filling it with gas. I can travel 340 miles on a full tank, which is plenty to get me to Devon to see my parents but only halfway home.
However, it continues to be among the greatest driving vehicles in its class. I’ve enjoyed some entertaining back-road blasts around Hampshire and West Sussex by skipping some of my normal freeway routes. Although it isn’t a Ford Fiesta ST, the C-HR combines a smooth ride with agile handling.
What issues is the Toyota C-HR experiencing?
Many Toyota C-HR customers have voiced complaints about their transmission early developing serious problems.
Some owners described the engine making humming noises that eventually changed into grinding and whining noises. When they reported the case to the dealers, they discovered it was a transmission defect.
One particular owner believed her C-HR, which had barely traveled 10,500 miles, had a transmission problem. In some of the further reports, C-HR cars with 35,000 to 100,000 kilometers were involved.
The cost of replacing the transmission was the subject of a few other concerns. Some owners claimed they were forced to buy a used one as a result.
Low Transmission Fluid
This is possibly the most frequent cause of automatic transmission failure. It is almost impossible for the car to operate as smoothly as it should when the transmission fluid level is low. This can be fixed by flushing the transmission, repairing the leak, and revitalizing the system by adding new fluid to it.
A Clogged Filter
Additionally essential to the transmission’s proper operation are filters, which have the unfortunate potential to become blocked. It gets worse when you understand that a blocked filter may cause a transmission to completely fail.
Defective Torque Converter
Given that it is in charge of distributing transmission fluid throughout the whole system, the torque converter serves as the transmission’s beating heart. The pressure is hampered by a flawed torque converter, which causes unpredictable behavior.
What to Do
We suggest contacting your dealer or a dependable auto professional if you notice a transmission problem with your Toyota C-HR. Not every gearbox problem calls for a complete replacement; others only require a fluid top-off or filter swap.
It is crucial to treat transmission servicing and general maintenance seriously. If your car is on a yearly or biannual maintenance schedule, this will be simpler for you.
How long does the battery in a Toyota C-HR last?
The typical battery life of a Toyota C-HR is 3 to 5 years, although actual battery life can greatly vary based on factors including battery size, weather, battery type, and driving behavior. Even yet, a battery’s performance may not be at its peak even if it isn’t fully dead.
Are Toyota C-HR vehicles dependable?
Our 2021 Driver Power owner satisfaction poll included the Toyota CH-R, which finished fourth overall out of 75 vehicles. Its dependability, as well as its appearance, economy, and driving experience, impressed the owners.
Toyota as a brand performed well as well, placing fifth overall out of a total of 29 automakers. It surpassed competitors like Skoda (12th), SEAT (15th), and Hyundai as a result (16th). Owners adore the remarkably low maintenance costs and fuel efficiency. Both build quality and dependability are given high ratings.
Toyota C-HR reliability
The engineering is largely tried and true below the striking exterior that we hope ushers in a new era of artistically designed Toyotas. Little about the new car’s mechanical design is likely to raise questions about its dependability or lifespan.
The Toyota Prius, a vehicle favored by urban taxi firms that log high annual miles and for whose dependability is essential, is built on the same chassis. This also applies to the hybrid powertrain, which is commonly considered as trouble-free. Toyota was one of the forerunners of the mass-produced hybrid vehicle. Similar to how the 1.2-liter turbocharged petrol engine was tested elsewhere before being utilized in the C-HR, you can trust it will be reliable if you purchase a used C-HR with this engine.
What are the drawbacks of hybrid vehicles?
Hybrids are less heavily built, more financially advantageous, and have a greater resale value. They also charge themselves through regenerative braking. Although they have drawbacks, their benefits sometimes outweigh them.
Eco-friendly: Because hybrids have both an electric motor and a gasoline engine, they utilize less fossil fuel and emit less greenhouse gases as a result. Additionally, they get better gas mileage than regular cars do.
Financial advantages: Tax credits and incentives for hybrid vehicle owners and buyers have been implemented by numerous governments throughout the world. Additionally, they are not subject to environmental fees.
Higher resale value: People are becoming more inclined to switch to hybrids as they become weary of gas price swings and care about the environment. As a result, these automobiles’ resale value keeps rising.
Lighter cars: Because hybrids are made of lightweight materials, they use less energy to operate. Their lighter weight and smaller engines also aid in energy conservation.
Regenerative braking: Hybrid vehicles use a mechanism known as regenerative braking that allows the battery to somewhat recharge whenever the driver applies the brakes. The method extends the amount of time between manual recharges for the driver.
Less power: Hybrid vehicles combine an electric motor with a gasoline engine, with the gasoline engine acting as the primary source of power. As a result, neither the gasoline engine nor the electric motor operate as effectively as they do in standard gasoline or electric cars. But regular drivers who often navigate the city do just fine with hybrid vehicles.
Hybrids are generally more expensive to purchase than regular vehicles at first.
Higher operating costs: Due to their engine and the constant advancement of technology, it may be difficult to locate a technician with the necessary skills. Additionally, they might charge you a little bit more for upkeep and repairs. Moreover, replacing the battery has the highest running cost.
Poor handling: Compared to normal vehicles, hybrids have additional machinery, which adds weight and lowers fuel economy. In order to save weight, hybrid car makers had to create smaller engines and batteries. However, the vehicle’s power and body and suspension support are reduced as a result.
Risk of electrocution: Because hybrid batteries have a high voltage, there is a higher chance that accident victims and first responders will be electrocuted.
A hybrid vehicle combines an electric motor with a gas or diesel engine. When the car is moving at a slower pace, the electric motor drives the wheels. As the speed of the car increases, the gas engine takes over. The batteries are also charged by the motor, and each time the driver applies the brakes, regenerative braking charges the batteries.
Is buying a hybrid car worthwhile?
We’re getting this one fundamental query more frequently: Is a hybrid worth it? as more hybrid cars hit the market and prices slowly decline.
Although there are numerous factors to consider before making the decision to spend more money on a hybrid car, for the majority of drivers, cost is the primary consideration. In order for you to determine whether a hybrid vehicle makes sense for the way you drive, we’ll go over some fundamental hybrid arithmetic here.
It’s important to keep in mind that the answer to the question is not straightforward until we run some calculations. The value of lowering carbon dioxide emissions and the satisfaction you have from doing so, the sort of power generation in your area, or the cradle-to-grave emissions for a vehicle and its lithium-ion battery might all be taken into account. You may even attempt to place a value on the pleasure of driving an electric vehicle that accelerates instantly or the added comfort of getting into a vehicle that has been preheated by mains power.
To keep things straightforward, though, we’ll concentrate on the price difference between a comparable ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle and a hybrid, and determine how long it will take to make up the difference in fuel savings.
Your driving habits
A few numbers will be necessary for this. The first is an estimate of how much of your driving is done in cities versus on highways. City driving is regarded as stop-and-go traffic for testing purposes, with an average speed of 34 km/h and a top speed of 90 km/h. Highway driving is defined as traveling at speeds between 78 and 97 km/h on interstates and rural roads. According to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the ratio of gasoline consumption is 55 percent city and 45 percent highway. The division between your city and highway may be significantly different. When driving in cities, hybrids typically give the greatest fuel savings.
The cost of gasoline where you reside is the second important factor to know. According to Statistics Canada, the average price of regular gas in Edmonton as of January 2019 is $0.92/litre. In Vancouver, a litre costs $1.34. In Toronto, a litre costs $1.02.
How many kilometers you drive annually is the last figure you’ll need to know. It will take much longer to repay the additional expense of a hybrid vehicle if you travel 10,000 less miles per year than if you drive 25,000 more.
Types of hybrids
Hybrids are not created equally. Some people use electricity far more than others. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) have larger battery packs that can be recharged from an electrical outlet in comparison to mild hybrids that can charge on their own. PHEVs produce no tailpipe emissions when operating exclusively on electricity. Your driving style has a significant impact on the annual operating cost of plug-in vehicles. A PHEV makes sense if you primarily do short trips (3050 km) and have access to overnight charging.
The calculation
Take the difference in purchase price and divide it by the difference in annual fuel cost to determine whether a hybrid is cost-effective. That will tell you how many years of driving it will take to make up for the higher initial cost of a hybrid.
In other words: Years to recover hybrid cost = Purchase Price Delta / Annual Cost Delta.
A helpful tool for evaluating vehicles is the online “fuel consumption ratings search tool” from NRCan.
We’ll make the same assumptions as NRCan for the examples below: 20,000 miles per year, 55 percent city, ordinary gas at $1.02 per litre, and electricity at $0.13 per kWh.
Toyota Rav4
Costing $32,090, the 2019 Toyota Rav4 hybrid AWD. Costs for a standard Rav4 AWD are $30,690. The difference in buying price is $1,400. Fuel costs for the hybrid will be $1,224 annually, while those for the standard Rav4 will be $1,693. The difference in cost per year is $469.
Continue with us? As a result, 1,400/469 = 2.99 years. After that, owning a hybrid will be less expensive.
Honda Accord
Costs for the 2019 Accord Hybrid Touring are $41,876 plus $1,020 in year fuel costs. The Touring grade without a hybrid costs $37,876 and $1,550 annually. To make up the gap in this example, it would take around 7.5 years. It would take 5.8 years if you reside in Vancouver, where the cost of gas is $1.32 a litre.
You’ll recover the additional cost of the hybrid in 1.2 years when compared to the Accord 2.0 Touring, which costs $40,876 and features a thirstier 2.0-litre engine.
Kia Niro and the trouble with estimating PHEV cost
Fuel expenditures for the standard Kia Niro hybrid are $938 per year. The annual maintenance fee for the front-wheel drive Kia Sportage SUV is $1,877. After only a few months, the Niro hybrid will become more affordable because the difference in purchase price is only $200.
The Niro is also offered as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), which has annual gas and energy expenses of $33,965 and $753/year. Compare that to a similarly equipped Niro hybrid’s $29,695 and $979 yearly cost. You won’t make back the additional expense until you drive the PHEV for more than 17 years. That may sound terrible for a PHEV, but it can be deceptive. Depending on how you drive, the NRCan annual cost estimate that we are providing here may be drastically off. You might quickly recoup the investment if you generally make short journeys and run down the battery before starting the gas engine. Or, if you never plug the PHEV in, you might never recoup the additional expense. Remember that the NRCan estimate uses an assumed power price of $0.13 per kWh, but if you charge overnight, as most people do, the price in Ontario is now $0.065 per kWh, which is half that amount. The employment of different PHEVs’ gas and electric motors creates comparative challenges, which further complicates problems. But we’re now getting really lost in the weeds.
Is it worth it?
There isn’t a firm rule in this situation, so I apologize if you didn’t want to perform all that arithmetic. As you can see, the time it takes for any hybrid to make up for the extra cost depends greatly on your driving habits, the cost of petrol where you reside, and how far you go. From brand to brand and model to model, there are huge differences in the extra pricing for hybrids. If you reside in British Columbia or Quebec, the government provides sizeable discounts on PHEVs, which frequently tips the cost equation in favor of greener options. However, conducting your research could end up saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over the course of your next vehicle.