Hey

[beaves]

G'day Guys, First post in here so I will try and not bore you guys, a bit of background.

Been on the hunt for a newer car over the last few weeks and I finally put pen to paper yesterday on an '07 black SX6 (has 15000 kms). I was intending on getting a Subaru or a Honda after the last 4 years of owning a VS commodore wagon (never again will I buy a Holden). My old girl is really showing her age so I thought it was time to upgrade. After driving an 05 Liberty on Friday, I was impressed with it (the $30k price tag i was not real happy about but them the breaks) but being a little taller than average (191cms) I just fet cramped in it though the AWD made the damn thing beautiful to drive, the size was just too much of a negative. So disappointed on the way home, I went past the local Toytota dealer here in Townsville and thought "f$@k it, I should stop in and have a look". They had a green SX6 and a black SX6 and to be honest I never gave much thought to getting Toyota( i had an 88 camry as an 18-23 year old, and whilst she was reliable, she wasn't exactly sporty) so I asked to give the black one a test drive and my *** i was in shock as soon as I got in, classy all the way around, the look of the car is outstanding, I havent seen a car like this look so damn sweet without looking over the top and cheesy. The a$$ end of it just looks damn sporty and the front end has such an agressive look, I was hoping that she drove as well as she looked. Going through various roundabouts and turns the car felt really good and i was initially impressed with the drive. Got the car on the high way and old matey tells me to give her a bit and i slammed the foot down and i was disappointed with the intial acceleration but after about 1-1.5 secs the disappointment was gone as it just hauled ***** through 40-100km/h on the clock. I am not sure as to why there is a lag in the acceleration but i can live with it. Got it back to the dealer and was grinning like a chesire cat on the inside ( i didn't want the salesman to know i was in love with it, gotta have the poker face and all). Came back yesterday with the missus and after she gave it a test drive, the decision was made. She has a VE commodore for a work car and this Toyota $hits all over it in nearly every facet. The only thing that i am a bit concerned about with the new one is the lack of an Aux input for the stereo for my ipod. I would have thought this is a feature that surely would be standard this day and age, so if you guys have any suggestions, I would be happy to hear them. After reading a lot of posts in here, everyone seems to be stoked with the Aurions and I am one of them now as well I suppose. I have driven an SV6 Ve commodore and whilst it is better than the standard VE that my missus has, it still has nothing on the SX6 that we are about to get. I feel sorry for people that just blindly love a brand without trying others to see what they have to offer. I went from a toyota to a Holden, and now I am back, and to be honest I am glad because i have had nothing but dramas with my commdore and when they take it off my hands next week, it won't be too soon. I feel sorry for people that stick with Holden/Ford in this class of car, they are missing out big time IMO.

Take it easy, look forward to posting in here.

Beaves

[Adrian]

Hi,

I too was going to buy the Lib or Forester Turbo, but the Aurion was just better value money. The Sub'ies have a better resale value etc are reliable, but cost more to buy, repair & service.

I drove an XR6 the other day and it was a lot more toey at low revs (torque), great around the corners but I wanted something different rather than another Falcon. I think the Aurion is slow to respond to make it a smother ride, unsure ??

Have a look in these posts, otrher guys have done a mod for an AUX input to the sound system.

Happy riding

[DAR1US]

hey beaves, congrat and welcome!

about a month ago, I myself was car shopping, looking at everything sporty in that price range, i like a bit of grunt in my rides,

everything from rex 08, civic typeR, golf gti, focus xr5.

And after driving the aurion, I was flawed, I know we're talking a different class of car here, but it's a sweet compromise between sports and comfort!

And even though it's class as a family car, I have no problems opening her up no matter what road.

As to your aux issue, I had the same issue, toyota can replace the aurion facia with a camery or carolla one, the only thing is that they are both black, if you can get around the black facia on a silver surrounding, then that's the most obvious solution.

As for the lag when flooring, that will happen if your either in "drive" or your gears are too high in sport.

While i'm driving i usually have my revs at about 2.5k +, so minimal lag (there will still be some compared to a manual, because it is still considered automatic) but it's barely noticeable.

Since your getting black, make sure you keep her clean! I cry when i see a dirty black aurion on the road! Shame on them! =p

get used to washing your car AT LEAST once a week!

good luck with it!

[beaves]

yes, the old black paint dramas. I am more worried about the heat issues with black and being up in the tropics but it was either the black of the green and IMO the green looks, ummmm, well I don't personally like it put it that way. I was telling the old girl last night about the new purchase, when i was a kid we had a toyota corolla 4wd wagon in a dark blue, so of course I get the usual reply you expect from a mother "black will be hard to keep clean!!!". Thanks mum, no "be careful" or "awesome, you got a toyota". We don't have severe water restrictions up here in Townsville, so washing her won't be too big a drama. In fact, i miss the days where I took pride in my car and kept her in a pristine order, my old VS wagon doubled up as a gig rig and I havent kept it in decent knick for a while. My mate and I used to do acoustic gigs around the 'Ville and being that all our gear fitted perfectly into the back with the seats down, of course it was the car of choice when hauling our crap to venues. Needless to say, there is some damage to the a$$ end where speakers and so forth were thrown in.

But anyways, I havent been this excited about a car since my first ever car in 1997, i feel like a teenager again. I just hope I don't have the maintentance dramas like my commodore, 2 days after getting it the dealer i bought it from had to change the radiator as it just let go and coolant was pi$$ing out all over the road so it wasn't a good start, I had to do the heads after 130 000kms, I have had a diff change, water pumps, I had the drive pulley at the front let go and take out a whole heap of $hit, the gear box is on the way out, hence why I need the change. Just waiting on the bank to approve the loan, though I am expectin it to take a while being Xmas and all. Would love to have it tomorrow though, an early Xmas present.

On the topic of keeping clean, what products do you people find to be the best for the paint work/shine????

[DAR1US]

you can get toyota's crystal glaze, it should be about $400 or more, it's a special glaze they put over the paint, so you don't have to wax or polish,

just wash and it'll stay perfectly glossy.

[dannywss]

you can get toyota's crystal glaze, it should be about $400 or more, it's a special glaze they put over the paint, so you don't have to wax or polish,

just wash and it'll stay perfectly glossy.

i did it too, didnt even last for 1 month... maybe they hate me as i bought my aurion really cheap, so they didnt wanna apply enough those glazing stuff... $400? i rather pay for full car detailing, enough for twice~

[AcoustiK]

Dont get any of the pre delivery extras, my friend works for Toyota Corp says they are rubbish.

Use Maguires stuff they are good,

As for the acceleration, the lag is bad in my opinion, Im used to accelerating whilst overtaking especially when the other lane you going on to overtake is going faster than the lane your coming from , that 1-1.5sec lag in response makes me hesitant now to freely overtake when there is s short gap in the adjacent lane.

Also makes it a bit dangerous on my part where same situation but you know there is accident just about to happen ahead of you and you need to quickly slip onto the next lane...

[beaves]

The only extra I am getting is the extended 3 year warranty (takes it out to 2013), there is just over 2 years warranty reamaining on the new car warranty but i think $1400 for another 3 years is not bad value, if this air con $hits itself due to heavy use (it will be used every day I suppose, even in winter up here the aircon needs to go on) i think it will pay for itself. I know some people in here are against extra warranty but I suppose it is a bit of piece of mind when buying a near new car. One question, the corrolla face for the stereo for the IPOD input, is that something they can do on the spot or is it more for when you are buying the car new and it gets thrown on whilst being built down south???

Mcguiars products, righto, will give it a go. I havent been this excited about a car since I was a kid. I fix piston engined planes for a living, but I aint going anywhere near the hood on this baby, not only for the warranty voiding it will induce, but it looks far too complicated compared to the 1960's radial piston technology I usually work with, hahaha!!!

Edited December 23, 2007 by beaves

[AcoustiK]

Yep it really depends on your situation, as for me im probably going to sell it in 2 years down, so I wouldnt opt for extended warranty etc.

And sure is much harder than what engines are used to, even recently compared to a CE Lancer (1998 model), you can play with your hearts content with that engine, but by looking at the engine with the aurion you better be careful.

If you had a bit of money I would go an replace the entire HU, ud notice much of a difference especially if your running better speakers etc, and obviously more functionality depending how your $$$ goes...

[ME70]

Congrats Beaves, wise move. I had a VE Calais V, a bucket of snot that was falling apart when it was delivered to me, needless to say, I now have an Aurion and could'nt be happier.

Cheers :D

[beaves]

Cheers guys, appreciate the feedback.

I've been on the net all day looking at various websites/forums on the Aurion, some have negative comments about Toyota/Aurions/TRD version and some have positive. The front wheel drive thing, meh, IMO after owning both RWD and FWD, the is hardly any difference between them, both of them have their positives and their negatives, I think it comes down to the driver and how sensible/skilled they are at driving. I lost control of my old camry on a dirt road and spun off the road due to not concentrating properly (hit loose gravel going a bit too wide on a corner, thankfully i didn't kill myself or the passenger, and i have also lost control of my wagon in the driving rain one wet season up here trying to avoid a dog and ended up facing the wrong way. Both cars need to be gotten used to and driving sensibly is the key. I am nearly 28 and while having a sweet looking/performing car is still somewhat of a priority, getting married and so forth you tend to have other priorities and to me this car serves both the practical and the sporty needs for me (but i can admit that it isn't everyone's cup of tea). The Holden and Ford fan boys with their bagging the Aurion/Sportivo for it's looks are honestly either dumb or blind or both. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder i will admit, but whats not to like about the outside or inside of these new puppies?? The front end is just friggin tough looking.

Even the comparisions between the Aurion and Fords/Holdens, the other mob want to compare the aurion's performance with the SS commodore and the XR6T, you have to compare apples with apples, those other cars are going to have obvious advantages over a naturally aspirated 6 for f%$ks sake. Compare it with a normal XR6 and the VE SV6 and after driving both those other cars recently (a mate has an XR6 and the missus borrowed an SV6 for a weekend from her work) the SX6 is superior.

[DAR1US]

you don't have to get the carolla face done at the factory, it can be installed at pre-delivery, you just need to ask!

If you get it done that way, it won't void your warranty for that parts.

Hey AcousticK have you tried shifting down before taking over someone, or flooring it?

there's still lag, but it's significantly less than when going hard in 4th or even 3rd, depending on ur speed.

[m_luke]

So far, the main difference I have found between FWD and RWD (other than having to drive them differently) is tire wear, unless you swap tires front and back after every, say, 10000k; Gen5.5 Camry V6 owner...

Saw a TRD Aurion at a local shopping centre about a month ago and when I checked the tires, the fronts had much more wear than the rear.

Needless to say that the way you drive has a big factor in tire wear.

About the lagging at low revs, its the same in the Camry V6, power (and torque) starts to come on from 2.5k and from 3k you really start feeling it and it's the same in the Aurion - I think its just a characteristic of Japanese vs. American vs. European designed engines.

The Aurion in particular is very interesting where if one is travelling sedately with the trans in tiptronic mode, the lag is much more noticeable when having to shift a gear or two lower to bring on the revs for overtaking. It's as if the ECUs controlling the trans and accelerator don't have enough processing power to action your upshift and hard accelerating request!

[AcoustiK]

you don't have to get the carolla face done at the factory, it can be installed at pre-delivery, you just need to ask!

If you get it done that way, it won't void your warranty for that parts.

Hey AcousticK have you tried shifting down before taking over someone, or flooring it?

there's still lag, but it's significantly less than when going hard in 4th or even 3rd, depending on ur speed.

Normally I drive in D so car should shift down automatically when i floor it from cruise... i take it from my parents older camry and sister's lancer does not suffer from this lag so i expected the aurion not too either.

an example would be im cruising on 60km/h and then flooring it just to overtake some slowing down cars ahead and whalla lag comes in.

Havent really tested a range of speeds but I assume it happens at all speeds except from 0

[AcoustiK]

Cheers guys, appreciate the feedback.

I've been on the net all day looking at various websites/forums on the Aurion, some have negative comments about Toyota/Aurions/TRD version and some have positive. The front wheel drive thing, meh, IMO after owning both RWD and FWD, the is hardly any difference between them, both of them have their positives and their negatives, I think it comes down to the driver and how sensible/skilled they are at driving. I lost control of my old camry on a dirt road and spun off the road due to not concentrating properly (hit loose gravel going a bit too wide on a corner, thankfully i didn't kill myself or the passenger, and i have also lost control of my wagon in the driving rain one wet season up here trying to avoid a dog and ended up facing the wrong way. Both cars need to be gotten used to and driving sensibly is the key. I am nearly 28 and while having a sweet looking/performing car is still somewhat of a priority, getting married and so forth you tend to have other priorities and to me this car serves both the practical and the sporty needs for me (but i can admit that it isn't everyone's cup of tea). The Holden and Ford fan boys with their bagging the Aurion/Sportivo for it's looks are honestly either dumb or blind or both. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder i will admit, but whats not to like about the outside or inside of these new puppies?? The front end is just friggin tough looking.

Even the comparisions between the Aurion and Fords/Holdens, the other mob want to compare the aurion's performance with the SS commodore and the XR6T, you have to compare apples with apples, those other cars are going to have obvious advantages over a naturally aspirated 6 for f%$ks sake. Compare it with a normal XR6 and the VE SV6 and after driving both those other cars recently (a mate has an XR6 and the missus borrowed an SV6 for a weekend from her work) the SX6 is superior.

An SS and XR6T is comparable to the Aurion TRD, not a normal Aurion as this would be comparable only to a NA XR6 or SV6 or any of the NA range of the big cars and yes Aurion wins hand down in almost all departments (hence car of the year).

Though looking back the TRD Aurion, you also need to keep in mind we are dealing with HIPO cars here, and being a FWD there is Torque steer to consider. Ive had a family friend almost buy the TRD but backed out because he didnt like the wrestling with the steering wheel when he was flooring it on his test drive. Plus the understeer not to mention, tho it can be a positive and negative. That with the same gear box as a standard Aurion including the lag etc gives no credit to the car whatsoever. Overall the drivetrain sux for it to be performance based.

IMO the TRD Aurion has missed the mark with this car even if I had the money I would not get this car.

About the lagging at low revs, its the same in the Camry V6, power (and torque) starts to come on from 2.5k and from 3k you really start feeling it and it's the same in the Aurion - I think its just a characteristic of Japanese vs. American vs. European designed engines.

The Aurion in particular is very interesting where if one is travelling sedately with the trans in tiptronic mode, the lag is much more noticeable when having to shift a gear or two lower to bring on the revs for overtaking. It's as if the ECUs controlling the trans and accelerator don't have enough processing power to action your upshift and hard accelerating request!

Mate.... Lag in D and Tiptronic all round! only thing to dissappoint me. But in regards to low revs agree with that, but its more the fact the engine lags to open up, it takes 1sec or so for the car to respond to your throttle change.

Edited December 26, 2007 by AcoustiK

[Aurion]

you can get toyota's crystal glaze, it should be about $400 or more, it's a special glaze they put over the paint, so you don't have to wax or polish,

just wash and it'll stay perfectly glossy.

It's a load of rubbish. To get it done they'd be paying no more then $20. Dealers make more money on extras then on cars alot of the time. You will notice alot of the dealers have a special "extras" salesman, which are very smart people and can pursade you easily, but don't fall for it. Do it yourself. How do I know this? My father was a salesman for 15 years, and dealt with alot of this.

[AcoustiK]

And also notice how its a 'Pre-delivery' option, its not mentioned/offered in the initial sales but after when you already shook the hand of the salesman its basically a scare tactic.... you bought a nice new car BUT WAIT ITS NOT PROTECTED!!!!

[DAR1US]

you can get toyota's crystal glaze, it should be about $400 or more, it's a special glaze they put over the paint, so you don't have to wax or polish,

just wash and it'll stay perfectly glossy.

It's a load of rubbish. To get it done they'd be paying no more then $20. Dealers make more money on extras then on cars alot of the time. You will notice alot of the dealers have a special "extras" salesman, which are very smart people and can pursade you easily, but don't fall for it. Do it yourself. How do I know this? My father was a salesman for 15 years, and dealt with alot of this.

Yeah, it definitely sucks! Mine wasn't applied evenly, it's not overly obvious, but while i'm washing the car, and if it's a bright day, you can obviously see the spots where it hasn't been evenly put on. The light bends in the reflection on these spots and makes it look weird.

It doesn't really protect the car much at all, I still find that i'm having to polish the car, I'm considering cuting the glaze entirely back, and polishing the car myself!

[beaves]

well today was the day I could finally pick up my SX6. I am extremely happy with the car, has plenty of balls (when driving it in sports mode) and looks sweet and handles well enough. The acceleration in normal 'D' as i mentioned earlier is a little disapointing, but when it is in sports mode, holy $hit!!!! I can't really notice the torque steer all that much, it has been raining here in the 'ville all afternoon so I haven't been able to really see how well it goes but i am sure keen to do some drivng for once it stops.

The TRD Aurion whilst I have never driven it, does seem strange that it would use the same gear box as the standard Aurion and not be AWD, but I suppose it is a start for TRD. I remember as a kid looking seeing the toyota sports cars on the road and they always intrigued me by their looks and their apparent performance I would read about in magazines, they seem to have lost their way a bit there but at least things are starting to change.. Like I said before, I personally havent seen a toyota like this before in a long time, and I am glad they are realising that you have to put out quality in a car this size to ensure sales, the old avalons seem to have been a failure and the styling is probably a main factor for this, they don't exactly look that attractive. I was in Auto Pro this arvo trying to get moulded car mats and the salesperson was like "oh man, i have a gold sx6" and we had a chat for a while, he had an Avalon before and reckons the new puppies are 10000% better, but it was good to see someone else get excited about a family sized Toyota and not a Holden/Ford.

Anyways, offically I am the PROUD owner of a black SX6 Aurion and hopefully she gives me many a year of hassle free driving, look forward to chatting to you guys.

Beaves

Edited December 27, 2007 by beaves

[saintly]

abit late... but congrats beaves on purchasing an aurion! :)

[Buri_ZR6]

abit late... but congrats beaves on purchasing an aurion! :)

another sportivo owner. wiihuuu :P congrats man.

[beaves]

cheers boys, I am still thoroughly enjoying driving this car, it is amazing how hard you can drive it when you want, sensibily of course though.

[BigBum]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Am glad you are very happy with the car :)

Enjoy your stay here!