Toyota C-HR, any good?

[Mark300zx]

The OH wants one with a budget of 15-20k, are they any good, any models or features to avoid?

[Deerfoot]

My MiL has one.

Nothing has gone wrong and it appears to be pleasant enough round town with decent economy etc.

Hers is the hybrid.

It’s dreadfully claustrophobic in the back though, the small rear side windows combined with a black roof-lining don’t help.

[nick1871]

I had one as a loan car and was pleasantly surprised, I liked the way it drove. It was a 2.0.

Would second the above though, it was not a nice place to sit in the back, small kids wouldn’t be able to see out the window and would feel sick pretty quickly I would guess.

[CABC]

I've noticed a fair number of retirees in them. more 'down with the kids' than a Jazz?

[MondeoMan1981]

My Mrs ran a 1.2T Design on a 68 plate from Oct 2018 to July 2021.

It was a fairly inoffensive small SUV and streets ahead of the Mokka it replaced.

Interior was nice enough and the seats were comfy. The screen was a bit dated and there was no carplay/android auto.

It wasnt particularly economical but it was ok over distance, we covered a couple of 200 mile journeys in it. It was an ok everyday car.

With the tints and sloping window the rear was quite dark.

It went back to Toyota once for a squeaking dash and noisy heater blower, along with a recall for axle studs/bolts.

I'd probably avoid the Icon base model if you can.

[AmitG]

They are very good cars. Very reliable, nice to drive, lots of features as standard, and they look really cool (IMHO). I am not aware of any problems. A few things to watch for:

• There was a non-hybrid version for sale for a short time (I think it was a 1.2 turbo petrol or something). Don't bother with it. The hybrids are the ones to get.
• There are two hybrid powertrains, a 1.8 and a 2.0. The latter is more expensive but much, much better. Check to see which one the car has.
• The infotainment is a bit old fashioned. Try it and see if you get on with it. Might not be a problem if you are using your phone...talking of which, if you are going to do that, check that it has Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, I believe that these came in later during the model's life.
• The rear is a bit claustrophobic as others have said. The beltline kicks up towards the roof, which is great for looks but which reduces the glass area by about a third. It's dark back there.
• The outside rear door handles are near the roof, so small children can't open the rear doors from the outside. Check if that's an issue for you.
• The all-new C-HR is out later this year, so it might be worth holding on a bit if you can. I would expect good deals on the outgoing model, although I doubt you will get a new one for £20k.

[Whataguy]

I've spent a few weeks driving one, the problem for me as in many Toyotas is I can't sit behind myself in the back and I'm just average height.

Rear room is very poor, and in the CHR you can only really get two in the back.

The car uses the same chassis/engine as the Corolla, but the Corolla handles much better and also gets a bit better economy and performance.

There is a serious blind spot in the rear three quarter view you have to be aware of, you can lose several cars each side in it! You can get blind spot monitors though, which are a good idea.

Having driven the new Yaris Cross for a week last month, the CHR is a much better car though.

[imck]

Had a little look at these when researching the Corolla.

Good, reliable cars. A bit different.
2.0 goes MUCH better than the 1.8
You won't get a 2.0 C-HR in budget.

The Corolla estate and saloon have a longer chassis with better rear leg room than the hatch.
Have been in a few Corolla/Prius Taxis with the 1.8 and they are fine for a to b motoring.

[Squadrone Rosso]

We had our launch limited edition on for 3 years. Took our niece & nephew to France a couple of times and my elderly in laws away too. No complaints of being in the back.

Nice car. 32k miles. Faultless. Ours was the 1.8 hybrid. Wanted to go for a 2 litre at the end of the PCP but the boot is smaller due to the relocated 12v battery.

Moved up to a new RAV4. No complaints but the C-HR was funky and still looks great today.

[Mark300zx]

Thanks for the replies, a couple of you have said the 2 litre is better than the 1.8, do you mean performance wise or are there any other factors?

[ZX10R NIN]

The reason people are recommending the 2.0 is because it's a much better drivetrain more torque etc so you spend less time on the throttle like you will with the 1.8, as others have said getting one in budget may be a bit harder:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303024...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303074...

[AmitG]

Mark300zx said:

Thanks for the replies, a couple of you have said the 2 litre is better than the 1.8, do you mean performance wise or are there any other factors?

Much better performance, also the engine doesn't seem to work as hard, so it's quieter and generally more refined and "grown up" in my experience.

[Whataguy]

There's a massive difference in performance, the 1.8 has 122hp and the 2.0 has 184hp.

0-100 time is half in the 2.0, 20 seconds vs 40 seconds in the 1.8