What aren't you happy with in your new Kluger?

[snark92]

I recently did trip Melb to Sydney towing a rental tandem car trailer with an old Kombi on the trailer. The first 1/3 of the trip I was getting 22l/100km. Then a tyre blew out on the trailer. After changing the tyre, I pulled into the next servo to check all the trailers tyre pressures. I had 45 psi on the left side of the trailer, and 15 psi on the right side. So I pumped the right side upto 45 psi. I then got 16l/100 for the rest of the trip to Sydney, and the same on the return run with another Kombi on the back until Wangaratta. From there I had an empty trailer, and I was getting 12.5l/100km.

It pays to check tyre pressures. I didn't realize it would make that much of a difference.

I was right! I got a dud.

Even taking it easy on trips (I live in coffs Harbour. so anything out of the suburb is highway)the best it ever does is over 14.

It was so frustrating ,& distracting,watching that screen & trying to keep the economy down just to try & prove it could be done like other posts in this forum, I gave up.

Don't use the fuel screen much anymore, as I said, I got a dud.

[Matty P]

Oh well, guess I got a dud.

Matty, when you learn to read I will reply.

Save your time champ - I don't think you have anything useful to contribute.

[Ronnyboy]

Even though there are a few things alot dont like about the Kluger, it still seems most members here love their klugers to bits :)

[John E Buoy]

I don't think you got a dud.

Please let me explain, and I mean no offence to you.....

When I drive the Kluger locally (to the shops, work, school etc.) I can get the fuel usage to sit in the 12 l/100km range. When the wife drives to the same places, I get the Kluger back showing in the 14 l/100km range. It doesn't matter which of our cars she drives, her fuel economy is crap, whether it is a TDI VW, petrol powered car. So I think it is your driving technique.

At this point I must point out that I think my wife is the best driver in the world. Approx. 20 years ago my wife was driving our old Toyota shovel nose Corona, and I was a passenger kindly giving her some advise on what she was doing wrong. She slammed on the brakes in the middle of the road, leaned over and opened my door, then kicked me out of the car. I had to walk home. Ever since that day, I have come to the conclusion that she can do no wrong with her driving skills, and she is a better driver than me..........But she cannot drive a car economicly.

[Matty P]

That is very true. I find that my wife and I get noticeably different fuel consumption results.

Also when the Kluger was new my consumption was not great (avg. about 14l/100km) but improved a lot over time. Not sure if that was due to the car "loosening up" or whether I was just getting used to driving it economically. Different cars seem to require different driving styles to get the best economy.

We have the fuel consumption screen showing all of the time - I found it useful to keep an eye on that every now and then.

[Redonblack]

The main gripe I have is that the speedo is so far out. I did complain, but was told that it falls within ADR specs, so thats the end of that. The other problem i have had is with the bluetooth for my phone. I have a KX-R and upgraded the radio so that i would have bluetooth and got the 6 stacker unit. Everyone i talk to on the phone says they can barely understand me when i'm travelling over about 50 kph. I brought it up at my last service and toyota are replacing the unit and I'm waiting for the phone call to tell me they have it. Other than that, I love it and have had no trouble. I have done 50000 kms in just over a year.

[Ronnyboy]

Everyone i talk to on the phone says they can barely understand me when i'm travelling over about 50 kph. I brought it up at my last service and toyota are replacing the unit and I'm waiting for the phone call to tell me they have it.

One of my mates had their Unit replaced for similar issue.

Hopefully its not the Head Unit...

[John E Buoy]

The main gripe I have is that the speedo is so far out. I did complain, but was told that it falls within ADR specs, so thats the end of that. The other problem i have had is with the bluetooth for my phone. I have a KX-R and upgraded the radio so that i would have bluetooth and got the 6 stacker unit. Everyone i talk to on the phone says they can barely understand me when i'm travelling over about 50 kph. I brought it up at my last service and toyota are replacing the unit and I'm waiting for the phone call to tell me they have it. Other than that, I love it and have had no trouble. I have done 50000 kms in just over a year.

My brother has the same problem with his Kluger bluetooth h/free.

[Redonblack]

I called the dealer who is replacing the radio to ask how much it would cost to upgrade to the unit with the inbuilt GPS and was told it would be $4000. :o

[Ronnyboy]

I called the dealer who is replacing the radio to ask how much it would cost to upgrade to the unit with the inbuilt GPS and was told it would be $4000. :o

Yep, an after market one with DVD with cost you half the price...

[Rig30mechanic]

My wife and I are very pleased with our move from a Lexus IS300 to a 2005 CVX Kluger. The Lexus IS300 and my previous LS400 made it very hard to look past the RX33/350 when it came to looking at a vehicle to ferry the grandchildren around, but after a test drive in the RX330, we were both very underwhelmed. Too much obvious plastic and poor front parking vision were two areas where the Kluger won over the Lexus.

We have put a few thousand kilometers on the clock in the last month and are very happy with our purchase.

The fuel consumption of 9.9l/100k-highway and 13.5l/100k-town, is acceptable but I would like opinions on highway/town tyres.

Cheers

Rig30mechanic

[Ratheesh Kumar]

Hi Rig,

You did right thing by selecting Kluger and they are fantastic machines with confort and fule economy.I was getting 8.2L/100 KM when i purchased my AWD grande and after 6 month service it changed to 8.6 Ltr/100 on highway and 13.5 Ltr/100 on town. But not too bad.Really love my car.

Cheers mate

[CROCO]

Hi everyone,well I have had my kluger just over a year now,and I can put my hand on my heart and say it been a great car, to be honest I didnt think I would bond with it as much as I have,its become a mate and I ADORE it

Thing I love are space and comfort, I can drive allday and I arive at my destination with no aches or pains and not tied after the jorney, the kluger eats up the miles and I actually look forward to going away in her.

Space wise there is plenty of room for all my luggage and on the weekend I chuck all my tools or camping gear in the back with out a drama, and 2 big blokes can sit in second row without there legs being around there elbows.

power and performance, the 3.5v6 is a absolute perler, the kluger goes like a scalded cat, it acellerates like a sports car and its the best car I owned for overtaking power and I have owned some powerfull cars, like my old ss commodore, it had a 5.7 v8 and I reckon it goes better, sure the ss might be quicker in a drag race, but I reckon the kluger power is stronger and more ready avaliable and the kluger seems to wind out better for overtaking

economy the kluger is fantastic on fuel, people have the perception a v6 petrol is heavy on fuel ,not so with kluger, I adverage 11L100 around town and the late 8s on the open road, I even had mine down to 7.5 L 100, which is brilliant for a 2 ton v6 wagon, it betters a lot of 4 cylinder suv and cars at the pump and they dont offer the space or power and performance the kluger does.

Another thing is the looks, I reckon toyota have done a great job with the styling, the kluger is absolutly beatifull and is one of the best looking cars on the road, them and the prados, just beatifull.

Now to answer the question what arent you happy with your kluger, well now im nit picking now , the steering seems to be a bit vague it wallows a bit on bends and around corners, but its not to bad and after all its a big heavy 2 ton car so its not going to handle like a sports car ,the interior leather seems to be made out a cheaper material which isnt as nice as a lot leather in a lot of other cars, its the same with the interior plastics, they seem to hard plastic that squeaks a bit when cold,the dash also rattles when cold, the quality of the trim materials dont see be as good as my old prado, but in general everything seems to be pretty well screwed together, other things that could be added such as remote tailgate lifter standard on all models and keyless pushbutton start on all models and have a bigger screen for the reverse camera, but as I said im only nit picking, I love my kluger to bits and would buy another one in a heart beat.

[11/16Aurion 12Kluger]

Had my new Kluger for 11 months now and I only have one complaint... I can't stop wanting to go & drive it. I have had many cars in my 50 years of driving but the Kluger is just another world away. Visibility, comfort, power, economy, etc are all 10/10 for me for the money.

If someone said I could choose anothe car tomorrow I would be in another Kluger without a doubt.

Mine is 2wd... have never experienced anywhere that awd would be of any use at all. If you go to the snow then it may be needed then? Traction and stability is excellent in all weather and on all surfaces, never a sign of slip. I have had it on a very steep grass slope and was surprised how easily and sure footed it was going up it. I think it would climb a wall if it had to?

Fuel economy 9.5 city / 8.3 highway but have had as low as 7.0 on good road at a constant 120kmh for 160km. For the motor, the weight and the power it delivers it would be more econimical than most mid sized sedans. Include the very low maintenance costs and reliability into the equasion and you are even futher ahead. Why 99% of the country are not driving these cars is beyond me?

[Rumz]

How the hell do you get 9.5 in city??

The best I could get in city is 13.5!!! Highway & City 12 and Highway alone around 8-9.

I do have one complaint about the car.. Its crappy gearbox, I get a slight hesitation in gears when turning in low speed, it just doesn't know which gear to hold or shift, it hesitates and then changes gears. I know this is not a common problem but theres been at least one other person on forum with this problem.

I told service guy at 1,000km service and he reckons nothing wrong but it happened again as soon as I pulled out of dealership.

Next service I will not take car home until this crappy problem is fixed.

My suspicion is this is also adding to higher fuel consumption.

[11/16Aurion 12Kluger]

How the hell do you get 9.5 in city??

What is yours... AWD or 2WD. Did you notice that I mentioned mine was a 2WD? They are very economical whereas the AWD does use much more fuel. That is the same with all AWD vehicles.

The best I could get in city is 13.5!!! Highway & City 12 and Highway alone around 8-9.

All I can think of is driving style?? The worst I have had was 12-13 highway but that was towing a caravan :-)

I do have one complaint about the car.. Its crappy gearbox, I get a slight hesitation in gears when turning in low speed, it just doesn't know which gear to hold or shift, it hesitates and then changes gears. I know this is not a common problem but theres been at least one other person on forum with this problem.

One of the best features of the car is the smoothness and consistency of the gearbox. Been driving almost everything that has had wheels attached to it for almost 50 years and nothing comes close to the Kluger. If yours is not this good then it is not normal.

I told service guy at 1,000km service and he reckons nothing wrong but it happened again as soon as I pulled out of dealership.

10,000k service?

Next service I will not take car home until this crappy problem is fixed.

Unless your dealership is a very bad one (they do exist) try a calmer approach. It is common for service managers only to notice if doors or wheels are missing... otherwise everything is ok by them. I know this from many years of new cars and dealership fob offs with warranty problems.

A good way to corner them into doing something is to write out a description of the fault in a formal type letter ... sign and date it and hand it to the service manager. Tell them that you would also like to have the reporting of the fault recorded on the computer system.

Remain calm and polite... that is the most effective. Tantrums and abusive behviour only work with at home or school.

My suspicion is this is also adding to higher fuel consumption.

Are you the fastest off the line at the lights? I'm always a close second... :-)

If you drive like a kid that has had too many cans of caffiene booster then never expect any sort of economy.

Economy was the last thing on my mind when I was young & hooning :-)

What tyres are fitted ? 17" 19" ?? what pressure are you running? What grade of fuel do you use? I find that Shell premium works the best in mine.

Put your model KXR, KXS, Grande + 2WD or AWD + whatever spec in your profile so it shows up next to your name in posts. It can be a big help to others.

[CROCO]

I actually forgot to mention the gear box hestitation in my post, most of the time the gearbox is precise and seamless, its only when driving around a corner or exiting around about the the gearbox doesnt know whether hold a gear or change down, its like theres a bigger gap between 2nd and 3rd and it feels theres a bit hole between the two gears, but as I said only when driving slowly around a corner or slowly driving around about, I actually remember the prado doing somthing similar, I think these gearboxes get a memory of how you drive and change gears to match you driving style, most of the time mine justs putts around and I dont drive mine hard at all, so whether thats why it does it i dont know, I know I heard from different people you need to drive them hard occasionary or they get a memory, just a thought.

In general Im happy with the gearbox, the v6 goeswell with the transmission, I might get them to look at it at the next service, but im not too worried about it.

This doesnt stop me from loving the kluger though.

[holmesie]

A 6-speed auto, like the Ford Territory has would make the Kluger the perfect car IMO

[Rumz]

How the hell do you get 9.5 in city??

What is yours... AWD or 2WD. Did you notice that I mentioned mine was a 2WD? They are very economical whereas the AWD does use much more fuel. That is the same with all AWD vehicles.

KXR 2WD 2012 Current millage 3,000km

The best I could get in city is 13.5!!! Highway & City 12 and Highway alone around 8-9.

All I can think of is driving style?? The worst I have had was 12-13 highway but that was towing a caravan :-)

The car barely sees revs above 3,000rpm, most times around 2,000rpm. No towing.

I do have one complaint about the car.. Its crappy gearbox, I get a slight hesitation in gears when turning in low speed, it just doesn't know which gear to hold or shift, it hesitates and then changes gears. I know this is not a common problem but theres been at least one other person on forum with this problem.

One of the best features of the car is the smoothness and consistency of the gearbox. Been driving almost everything that has had wheels attached to it for almost 50 years and nothing comes close to the Kluger. If yours is not this good then it is not normal.

I figured this is not normal as it occurred on the first round about when driving out of the dealership. As crocco mentioned, this is only happening in low rpm, when turning, and also when accelerating off speed humps. It just hesitates not knowing which gear to engage.

I told service guy at 1,000km service and he reckons nothing wrong but it happened again as soon as I pulled out of dealership.

10,000k service? 1,000km complimentary check up

Next service I will not take car home until this crappy problem is fixed.

Unless your dealership is a very bad one (they do exist) try a calmer approach. It is common for service managers only to notice if doors or wheels are missing... otherwise everything is ok by them. I know this from many years of new cars and dealership fob offs with warranty problems. What suggests I was aggressive? All i'm saying is the car will stay with dealership until it is fixed. I'll rather drive a car I am satisfied with than complain about it.

A good way to corner them into doing something is to write out a description of the fault in a formal type letter ... sign and date it and hand it to the service manager. Tell them that you would also like to have the reporting of the fault recorded on the computer system.

Remain calm and polite... that is the most effective. Tantrums and abusive behviour only work with at home or school. Service manager was quite friendly and as I was to him. Even in follow up call he said to drive it around until 10,000km service and if it persists they will perform full investigation. All has been noted on Toyota data base.

My suspicion is this is also adding to higher fuel consumption.

Are you the fastest off the line at the lights? I'm always a close second... :-) As mentioned prior car rarely sees past 3,000rpm

If you drive like a kid that has had too many cans of caffiene booster then never expect any sort of economy. No kid drivers.

Economy was the last thing on my mind when I was young & hooning :-) As mentioned prior car rarely sees past 3,000rpm

What tyres are fitted ? 17" 19" ?? what pressure are you running? What grade of fuel do you use? I find that Shell premium works the best in mine. 19" Grande Wheels fitted after problem existed at 1,200km. Car currently has 3,000km so tyre pressure should still be the standard from factory. Shell Optimax.

Put your model KXR, KXS, Grande + 2WD or AWD + whatever spec in your profile so it shows up next to your name in posts. It can be a big help to others.