Toyota Axio 2014 Hybrid

[Lakshitha88]

Is the Toyota Axio 2014 Hybrid car worth to buy.? 

[Rumesh88]

It is an open ended question. Whether it is worth or not depends on many factors.

You need to find yourself answers at least for the following basic questions.

What is your basic requirement of a car? A daily runner? How many km a day? Is fuel economy a concern? Is performance a concern? What is your budget? Does is match with the price of the car you have in mind? Have you left enough financial headroom for common issues like a possible traction battery replacement and ABS repair for example? I have a 2014 Axio bought at zero mileage. I intended to it sell by the first half of this year. But I had to shelf my idea because of my unstable financial situation due to Covid -19. So I decided to keep the car for one more year because for me it is worth and sensible.

[HaeylM]

I have an Axio 2014 (petrol version, non hybrid 1.5L) 

Well for me its pretty much a decent car for the price point. 

Comfort wise: I like how the seats are pretty spacious (not as soft as a premio but its way better than in hatchbacks like vitz or fit), There is no leg hump in the back so the person sitting in the middle doesn't need to keep their knees up. The headroom is ample and i like how it has adjustable seats. 

Trim and features: The smart push start key is pretty useful as you don't need to go through your pocket to start the car, All 4 doors come with auto power windows so its easier to wind up all 4 windows, The TRC etc. is useful to get through muddy puddles or rain situations without slipping the car much. the power mirrors come with winkers and the projector beam in the headlight is elegant and distributes the HID lights well. Multifunction steering is useful to control the audio while driving but unfortunately there is no cruise control. The faux carbon fiber finish on the door trims and dash gives it a good elegant finish, there are plenty of storage compartments and bottle holders for all 4 doors. the boot is pretty good enough for daily use. Audio system comes with a good 4 speaker system with tweeters in the front. AC system is a automatic climate control and includes a NANO-E air purifying system. Car has ample lighting for the interior and the handbrake and CVT gearbox adds some better feel for me to the car compared to other toyotas that come with the E brake or foot break. There are plenty of aftermarket accessories for the car. 

Driving wise, the car is very soft even on averagely bad roads, the cornering is pretty sharp and the turning radius is good enough to do U turns in Colombo traffic without the need to reverse and recut. Engine pulling power is decent and not as boaty as a carina (But this might be different in the hybrid car as it has a different powertrain), Car comes with 15 or 16 inch wheels and run flat tires (expensive to replace) . Gear changes are smooth and the ground clearance is not bad for a subcompact. 

overall its a decent family car for its price point, you get a lot of car for its value along with the Toyota reliability. I would recommend the car well specially since it has got past its depreciation, so you can find one for a good price nowadays. 

[ijayath]

Thanks HayIM, very useful feedback

Is there price difference between Hybrid and Non Hybrid Axio 2014?

[HaeylM]

1 hour ago, ijayath said:

Thanks HayIM, very useful feedback

Is there price difference between Hybrid and Non Hybrid Axio 2014?

There are more hybrid imports of axio than the petrol version but the price difference is very minimal (+- 2lakhs, sometimes petrol is cheaper). 

The hybrid one was actually more expensive back then but now its almost the same price since the hybrid batteries in the hybrid version cost almost 390K to replace. (factoring hybrid battery replacement at almost 4 yrs, there isnt a big difference in the savings from hybrid version compared to normal petrol one, i can do around 9-11 in city traffic and 13-14 in mild traffic, outstation around 16-18, once 20 but a once off) 

The wagon version (fielder) is a lot cheaper than the sedan, you can find it around 5-6 lakhs cheaper than the same year axio sedan. 

[iRage]

17 hours ago, HaeylM said:

The wagon version (fielder) is a lot cheaper than the sedan, you can find it around 5-6 lakhs cheaper than the same year axio sedan. 

Would be interesting to see why. Is it because Sri Lankans have this thing against wagons ? or the general shape ? It used to be because Sri Lankans imagined the bare bone Corolla, Sunny, Lancer vans (the commercial variants) that were popular and hearses everytime they thought of wagons.

[HaeylM]

6 hours ago, iRage said:

Would be interesting to see why. Is it because Sri Lankans have this thing against wagons ? or the general shape ? It used to be because Sri Lankans imagined the bare bone Corolla, Sunny, Lancer vans (the commercial variants) that were popular and hearses everytime they thought of wagons.

I guess it has it both ways, When importing from japan itself the CIF value for the fielder is cheaper and so you can auction a fielder for a few lakhs cheaper from japan and by the time you clear it in Sri Lanka itself it is a little cheaper than the sedan. I guess the appeal for wagons among the general community here and back in japan plays a role in this? Its almost the same car and packs the same features. 

[iRage]

5 hours ago, HaeylM said:

I guess it has it both ways, When importing from japan itself the CIF value for the fielder is cheaper and so you can auction a fielder for a few lakhs cheaper from japan and by the time you clear it in Sri Lanka itself it is a little cheaper than the sedan. I guess the appeal for wagons among the general community here and back in japan plays a role in this? Its almost the same car and packs the same features. 

Wagons have been more popular than the sedan over the last few years until the crossovers started booming.  Even ith the new Corolla the TOuring wagon has sold more than the sedan. 

[HaeylM]

On 7/25/2020 at 7:57 PM, iRage said:

Wagons have been more popular than the sedan over the last few years until the crossovers started booming.  Even ith the new Corolla the TOuring wagon has sold more than the sedan. 

Thats interesting. I thought that people in Japan did not use crossovers or SUVs as much unlike USA. In the contrast that they use more Kei cars and subcompacts to help with easy parking and daily commuting. But yes, the appeal for wagons have declined over time due to the trend of people wanting to have a utilitarian vehicle (anything from a jeep, SUV all the way to a pickup) as it ticks the boxes on cargo and also gives the additional features such as AWD and whatnot. I had a wingroad some time back and even with the bad fuel economy the car was still loveable cause of the driving feel and the cargo space that i once fitted with 8 people LOL. 

On a separate note, Well the new corolla touring does look sick, I mean the design is pretty eye catching. 

 

[iRage]

35 minutes ago, HaeylM said:

Thats interesting. I thought that people in Japan did not use crossovers or SUVs as much unlike USA. In the contrast that they use more Kei cars and subcompacts to help with easy parking and daily commuting. But yes, the appeal for wagons have declined over time due to the trend of people wanting to have a utilitarian vehicle (anything from a jeep, SUV all the way to a pickup) as it ticks the boxes on cargo and also gives the additional features such as AWD and whatnot. I had a wingroad some time back and even with the bad fuel economy the car was still loveable cause of the driving feel and the cargo space that i once fitted with 8 people LOL. 

On a separate note, Well the new corolla touring does look sick, I mean the design is pretty eye catching. 

 

Well...if you take the average family..they would have a kei car for city driving....but they would also have a larger family car....these used to be sedans which got taken over by wagons...and then they got taken over by crossovers. Most Japanese buy cars to meet the practical needs and kei cars for city driving (and beginner drivers) and proper cars for other work. Manufacturers leave kei cars totally out of the market statistics for non-ker cars. In fact even legally...non-kei cars are classified as a personal transportation asset (thus things like changing the number plates have to be done under supervision and mounting screws are sealed) whilst kei cars are left as transportation tools so does not require any of the mumbo jumbo that is required for full sized cars (it makes more sense in Japanese...I have no idea how to put it in English). 

The Japanese are not as crazy about SUVs anymore (so the place is not crawling with Pajeros and Land Cruisers (although the diesel Prado seems to be around)..instead you do get a large amount of mid to mini sized crossovers. For most people the practical vehicle is the MPV followed on by the Crossover.

[ijayath]

On 7/24/2020 at 2:13 PM, HaeylM said:

There are more hybrid imports of axio than the petrol version but the price difference is very minimal (+- 2lakhs, sometimes petrol is cheaper). 

The hybrid one was actually more expensive back then but now its almost the same price since the hybrid batteries in the hybrid version cost almost 390K to replace. (factoring hybrid battery replacement at almost 4 yrs, there isnt a big difference in the savings from hybrid version compared to normal petrol one, i can do around 9-11 in city traffic and 13-14 in mild traffic, outstation around 16-18, once 20 but a once off) 

The wagon version (fielder) is a lot cheaper than the sedan, you can find it around 5-6 lakhs cheaper than the same year axio sedan. 

I also look to buy axio..my budget is 3.5-4 mil

I can go for below options as i see so far

Axio 2007-2010

Axio 2013-2014 hybrid 

Axio 2013-2014 Non hybrid ( add from ur reply)

Actually i did not find any non hybrid 2013-2014 yet and searching, may be not fit to my budget..

I do drive 40km daily in colombo city limits..

I do like sedan option and agree fielder much cheaper with all same options

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gayanath]

On 7/24/2020 at 2:13 PM, HaeylM said:

There are more hybrid imports of axio than the petrol version but the price difference is very minimal (+- 2lakhs, sometimes petrol is cheaper). 

The hybrid one was actually more expensive back then but now its almost the same price since the hybrid batteries in the hybrid version cost almost 390K to replace. (factoring hybrid battery replacement at almost 4 yrs, there isnt a big difference in the savings from hybrid version compared to normal petrol one, i can do around 9-11 in city traffic and 13-14 in mild traffic, outstation around 16-18, once 20 but a once off) 

When we are reluctant to buy hybrids at the same price as a non-hybrid car, why do Japanese people buy hybrids at 27% more (I mean otherwise Toyota will suspend hybrids if it does not buy hybrids, right?)

In Sri Lanka, if you buy a new battery from an agent, an HV battery will cost less than 12% of the car price and if you buy it elsewhere it will cost less than 8% of the car price. Just for a fruitful discussion....

 

[iRage]

4 hours ago, gayanath said:

When we are reluctant to buy hybrids at the same price as a non-hybrid car, why do Japanese people buy hybrids at 27% more (I mean otherwise Toyota will suspend hybrids if it does not buy hybrids, right?)

In Sri Lanka, if you buy a new battery from an agent, an HV battery will cost less than 12% of the car price and if you buy it elsewhere it will cost less than 8% of the car price. Just for a fruitful discussion....

 

 

Well...you can't really compare Japanese vehicle purchasing with Sri Lanka vehicle purchasing.

When you go to buy a car in Japan  they interview you...how much it will be used...long distances, etc..so that the sales people understand you. Then if you do not use the car for that much....they will talk you out of it and recommend a gasoline or diesel car as well. They do calculations, etc...and show you what your costs would be which would also account for taxes, and such and if you are going with manufacturer loans, etc...including the negotiation of residual values for the car.

Yes..Hybrids are more expensive in Japan (base car)...however, when you factor in the tax breaks (at registration) and other subsidies the government gives the final drive out price of the gasoline car is almost the same price of the Hybrid car. Then when you take in to account the reduced road taxes and and such...the Hybrid is only marginally more expensive and quickly makes up for it if you run a lot.

Then on the other hand....an average Japanese person would own a car for 3-5 years (rarely 8-10). The first 3 years are covered automatically by the warranty and you can get an extended 5 year warranty for almost next to nothing. An 8 to 10 years would be a little bit more. So the Japanese consumer does not have to worry about the high costs of the Hybrid components that would lose its potency.