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Hi Pat,

We put your question to Toyota Ireland, but have yet to receive a response. Hence we can only assume that it's a cost-cutting exercise by the distributor.

If we hear back, we will of course update this answer.

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Hi Margaret,

There should be a spare-wheel kit available for your 2026 Toyota C-HR Hybrid, but I would not buy a cheap wheel-only kit unless the seller can guarantee it is for the current-generation C-HR and for your exact version.

The Toyota kit is expensive, but it is not just the temporary spare wheel; it includes the boot-floor/deck-board pieces and fittings needed to make it sit properly under the boot liner. There are different Toyota parts listed for the 1.8 hybrid and 2.0 hybrid as well so you really do need to do your homework on this.

One way you could do this is get the part-number breakdown from a Toyota dealer for the kit using your car's VIN and then use this information to search online.

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Hi Michael,

There were petrol and diesel versions of the Avensis through the years, though most still on the road are diesel.

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Hi Ron,

If you don't want the Honda or Toyota, then how about something from Nissan or Lexus? The X-Trail e-Power is a lovely SUV, but the only difficulty might be finding an all-wheel-drive one, as most of them sold were front-wheel drive only.

From Lexus, you could get into the luxurious RX for your budget, but it wouldn't be much newer than your existing car, so how about a Lexus NX instead?

Again, most are front-wheel drive, but we did find a few for sale with four-wheel drive, well within budget. Admittedly, the NX isn't quite as large as your Honda.

Lexus has a stellar reputation for reliability and quality, however.

Go and test drive a few options and come back to us if you want any more assistance.

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Hi Jean,

We don't believe anything has changed on that front to help alleviate the situation.

The 12-volt battery in Toyota hybrids is not charged by an alternator turned by the engine as it would be in a traditional petrol engine. Instead, its charge is maintained by the hybrid system itself, via a DC-DC converter, though this is not done particularly quickly – and can only be done when the car is 'running' (even with the engine off, but with 'READY' showing in the instruments).

Unfortunately, during lots of short journeys, with relatively more opening and closing and other drains on the battery, there isn't enough time for the system to keep up with the discharging of the 12-volt battery. This is exacerbated by the fact that these cars use a much smaller-capacity battery than an equivalent petrol car would to start with, so they have a lot less in reserve.

It's not ideal, but the advice is to make sure the cars get a longer run periodically.

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Hi Mike,

We don't believe so. Our information is that the PHEV will be in Sport and Platinum trims only when in two-wheel drive.

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Hi Lynsey,

The only way to do it would be to permanently remove the rear seats and seatbelts and create a bulkhead between the front two seats and the cargo area. It will also require a conversion declaration.

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Hi David,

No it does not. Only the topo-of-the-range GR Sport variant can be had with heated seats, but no heated steering wheel is offered.

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Hi Aija,

If the seller cannot provide this to you, then it may be possible to obtain a Certificate of Conformity from the Japan Inspection Organization, though we've not used the process ourselves. Click on the link to read up on how to do this.

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Hi Angie,

Insurance companies can be a little funny about Japanese imports, even if the cars are identical to those sold new in Ireland. I'm a bit surprised the company demanded proof of it having an immobiliser though – that's not the norm, in that most of the time they take your word for it. Perhaps do some more shopping around on the insurance side?

If the Auris looks the same and has the same powertrain as the cars sold in Ireland, then I wouldn't worry about parts.

In terms of warranty, get the longest one you can of course.