Toyota Auris vs Alfa Romeo MiTo

The Toyota Corolla is an exceptionally famous vehicle. Gathering more than 40 million sales since production began in 1966, presenting it as one of the world’s best-selling nameplates. In the UK, the title was succeeded by Auris in 2006. And here we catch a glimpse at the second generation model, which was for marketing from 2012-2018.

The first generation Auris debuted in 2006, before the opening Auris hybrid appeared in 2010, with Toyota gracing the first and only company to allow a variety of three powertrains in the family hatchback section.

Auris mk2

The Auris Mk2 is given as a hatchback or Touring Sports estate – both of which were produced at Toyota’s plant near Derby. The second-generation model pulls up where the old model dropped off in giving a no-frills, efficient, and dependable variety of family car.

Competitors introduce the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, Nissan Pulsar, Peugeot 308, Kia Cee’d, and Hyundai i30, although the hybrid variant provides the Auris a significant USP in this competitive section.

The Alfa Romeo MiTo was announced as a rich supermini. To stand beside the matches of the Audi A1 and MINI when it was begun in 2008. It positively resembles them for attention. It’s still considered as one of the most attractive superminis on sale. Even if it strives to meet competitors outside. An update in 2016 pinched the aspects somewhat to mirror those of the far more modern Giulia saloon. But it was a case of too little, too late to begin the MiTo up to scratch, so it was abandoned in 2018.

Outside

While the MINI and A1 were the chief dummies of the MiTo when it first appeared, figures located it around between those models and competitive superminis such as the DS 3, SEAT Ibiza, VW Polo, or Vauxhall Adam. And if you’re seeming for a stylish Italian city vehicle, then the Fiat 500 is arguably a more reliable pick.

On the outside, the MiTo (whose title is a mixture of Milan and Torino (Turin), the Italian cities in which it was created and developed) seems fascinating with its bumper grille, rounded lines, and varied styling feels motivated by other models in the Alfa Romeo series. But examine under the surface, and things unwind rather swiftly.

The Toyota Auris has eternally blundered on the safe and responsible side, rather than giving any kind of whip motion. That’s no evil thing as it’s fairly convenient and comfortable to ride, but so is a Leon or a Focus, and they both give more in terms of steering feeling and control on the street.

The 2015 facelift discussed tweaks to the steering rack to develop directness and character, which were mostly victorious. New restraints also enhance the low-speed drive, but body roll is yet obvious and it never seems like a vehicle you would enjoy hustling along a country lane. Many Auris buyers won’t mind this, nonetheless.

Turbo

The new 1.2-liter turbo petrol is the highlight of the engine series: It increases performance significantly over the normally aspirated 1.33 unit, and its 114bhp and 185Nm of torque expect it’s resilient and stable. It’s also quiet and cleaned at low revs, but a Leon 1.2 TSI has a more extended power band, agrees on it for the economy, and sounds sportier.

The new BMW-sourced 1.6-liter diesel is more beneficial than the 1.4-liter unit and is punchy enough, but it’s not particularly polished. If a smooth ride is what you’re after, then the Auris Hybrid should be a more suitable choice.

The Alfa Romeo MiTo yields its platform with the Fiat Punto and early generation Vauxhall Corsa, and sadly, Alfa hasn’t been capable to provide it a sporty edge. The handling is secure and guarded, but there’s not much pleasure to be held.

Alfa’s DNA switch is attached to the middle console ahead of the gear lever, and this changes driving modes from Dynamic to Natural and All-Weather environments. This improves the response of the engine, steering, brakes, suspension (on vehicles with adaptive dampers), and gearbox (on TCT auto-equipped models). Nevertheless, none of the settings gives an especially sweet spot in the driving experience.

Response

You’re both left with overly active throttle response, solid suspension, and rigid gear shifts in D mode, or more potential responses and slow gear shifts in N mode. All-Weather mode gives the best accommodation around between these two, although it’s still not satisfying.

Light steering indicates the MiTo is simple to manage around town, but it doesn’t motivate many resolutions at higher speeds. Models with bigger wheels also smart from a jittery, firm drive that crashes over bumps and potholes.

There’s no doubting that the Toyota Auris is one of the more conservative family hatches on business, but notwithstanding fuel-saving technology, an aerodynamically effective design, and weight decrease, it’s not truly the most effective vehicle in the class.

Unsurprisingly, the most efficient engine (in official figures) in the Toyota Auris series is the 1.8-liter petrol-electric hybrid, and with its CVT automatic gearbox, it delivers 81mpg and releases 79g/km. Sadly for Toyota who established hybrid tech, these estimates have been improved by the Germans – the VW Golf BlueMotion achieves 88mpg, although it releases more CO2.

MPG

The 1.3-liter petrol engine achieves 52.3mpg with 125g/km of CO2, which is logical, but the 1.2-liter turbo is more useful in this respect. In Icon spec, it achieves 58.9mpg and releases 112g/km, somewhat better than the SEAT Leon 1.2 TSI.

The sluggish 1.4-liter diesel engine upgrades for 2015, achieving 80.7mpg and shooting just 92g/km. The 1.6 unit only achieves 67mpg and 108g/km by contrast, but it is the more suitable option in terms of performance.

While the Alfa Romeo MiTo was originally thrown as a competitor to the Audi A1 and MINI, it was valued somewhat lower than these two and with a more conventional kit. Special editions served to take costs down additional by allowing vehicles with more kits for even more limited money.

One of the MiTo’s toughness is its affordable running prices. The 1.3 Multijet diesel has a pronounced economy value as high as 83.1mpg combined, while eruptions went as low as 89g/km, so if you can find a vehicle with this engine recorded before April 2017, you’ll spend no street tax.

MPG

Even the most potent turbocharged petrol model should achieve to pay close to 50mpg, gratitude to a stop and start system that forms the engine in interrupted traffic. The petrol models will be more affordable to purchase than the diesel alternatives, too. The only disappointment in the series is the TwinAir two-cylinder model. It ensures a large economy on paper, but in certainty, you’ll be blessed to deliver more than mid-thirties mpg.

That’s because while it might be useful in examination conditions, you require to rev the engine hard to improve, and as a decision, you’ll be using far more revs than are ever taken in the standard economy tests.

Toyota Auris

Like the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus hatchbacks, the Toyota Auris practices the tried-and-tested two-box hatchback form.

The layout of the Toyota Auris is rather awkward and the nose highlights some sharp-looking headlights. As well as a small grille, which is managed by a central firm Toyota badge. It’s practical and unfussy, but this isn’t fundamentally a bad thing. As the styling of the most advanced Golf could also be defined as understated.

The 2015 facelift combined additional chrome strips and new LED headlamps. Which improves things a little bit, but various chief competitors are more dynamic-looking.

Interior

Toyota has taken over the straight-line statement to the interior of the Auris. So while it seems rather tough the strong, sometimes weak substitutes fail. And the dashboard could study a thing or two from the ergonomically sound Volkswagen Golf. The switches are spread over the dash and steering wheel. But one genuine thing is that the primary touchscreen is simple to utilize.

The 2015 facelift combined new gloss black trim on the dash. And some unique filling, but not much different is updated and it still lingers behind the solidity. Design, and classy touch of the most reliable in the business.

Alfa Romeo MiTo

When the Alfa Romeo MiTo first arrived, it created a feeling. With its conventional shield grille, big round bulbs rear caused by the 8C Competizione supercar, and small three-door form, it assuredly seemed separate from any other supermini on sale.

It endured mostly unchanged through its production cycle, although an update in 2016 did combine front-end styling that caught its ideas from the Giulia saloon. But as smoother and more dynamic-looking opponents hit the scene, the appearance of the MiTo began to seem a bit upright and dumpy.

Personalization

Still, Alfa gave a kind of personalization choices, including silver or dark grey surfaces for the headlight, circles and side mirrors, and various alloy wheel patterns. Classical Italian racing red caused the best out of the MiTo’s attention, but dark colors tend to obtain them seem a bit dull.

Inside, some Italian flair was combined attention of the cowled controls, rotary switches, and annular air vents. But the minor switchgear is delivered directly from the Fiat Punto, and it’s fairly weak, while the big, thin-rimmed steering wheel and strong plastic column stalks take away from the MiTo’s upmarket ambitions.

Looks

Top-spec Cloverleaf and Veloce models highlighted sportier looks and could be had with bright Sabelt sports seats. The real difficulty with the MiTo was its inconsistent build character. Autos we examined would have problems with badly appropriate trim and padding that had been ruined in places to make it fit correctly.