In need of your opinion

[rhath127]

hey all - I wanted to get your opinion - I am in the market to purchase a new car - However after owning a Honda Accord Euro 05 (sold), and currently running a Holden - I don't think I will do Holden again.

I was tossing up between the new Honda Accord, Mazda 6 or Toyota Aurion.

I have never owned a toyota or mazda but both seem to be good in quality. Though the mazda is a little more expensive and with it seem to be getting a little less than the toyota.

I had a few Q's:

1.) How is the resale value of the Toyota?

2.) How is the build quality?

3.) How expensive are parts and labour?

Overall for those of you who drive Aurions - if you had to choose again, would you still go for the Aurion?

Thanks

[boxerboy]

I've had mine for 4Kks now, and find it to be brilliant.

My main purpose for having a car is family transport, and with 2 kids I find the Aurion superior to the Commodore. I traded a C'dore.

Handling and safety are very good. The auto gearbox works better than what I'm used to, but the Honda one would be better I think. Space is plenty, appointments very good, and limited only by your wants and budget. Boot space is adequate for my needs, and power is more than enough.

On a recent 600k+ road trip I managed less than 9litres/100ks. That was total ks div by total litres, not a trip computer.

I was also looking at the Accord, but they were still a tad more $.

Resale is crap for all these cars...expect 50% depreciation at 5 years, 80-90% at 10 years.. Honda may have its nose in front here however. It's not much.

[ELEGNT]

Honda's are really good value for money especially the new model...my folks have got an 03 and love it...BUT the engine is still 147 kw and the car has gotten heavier...good for the money tho!

mazdas are nice build quality is good but with a car the weighs the same as mine and has 125 or somethin kw.....umm thats a major let down

I suspect ur goin to buy an ATX...resale isnt the best i brought my 07 sportivo with 40k on it a few months ago for 23000 compared to the 03 euro that would go for about the same, and they are cheaper to buy new. ud suspect that they would fall quite a bit being one year old but over the long run id say they would be alot better then a ford or holden.

build quality is very good i have no complaints about it at all

from my workshop experience parts are cheap and so is labour. good service too!!

good luck with your decision!!

[Aurion]

You really can't go wrong with any of those cars.

The Aurion is a powerful car, the others less so. But the aurion does have flaw, especially build quality. Resale should be ok, but with the economy like it is, and fuel on the up, resale is suffering (in all markets).

The 6 is a beautiful car, so much so that im seriously considering it as a next car. I have heard they are slighlty underpowered though (a big difference compared to the aurion!!) I personally think the build quality is much better though.

The Honda accord is a nice car, I myself have not driven one but the reviews for them are great. Servicing and parts arn't cheap though.

Answers:

1) Toyota resale is and has always been good. But with the economy at the moment (and no clear future), and petrol on the up, resale is suffering.

2) Let's say Toyota have produced much better cars in the past. They rattle, they squeak and they take time to be fixed. But this is occuring a lot in the newer cars as more brittle plastic are being used.

3) Having a Toyota serviced is cheap. As are the parts. They have special service plans (I did not take it up, I have a mechanic who I have been using for over 15 years and he does it for me...at a greatttttt price...and his not some dodgy kid on an apprentieship) which end up quite cheap.

Have you considered the new falcon? I don't exactly like ford, but the new falcon appears to be quite impressive.

[BONDIE]

Im happy with my Aurion. My first front wheel drive sedan. (still getting used to that) Ive been through a ****load of cars in the past 10 years, usually get bored after about 6-12 months, but this one has sticked. Love the shape, has really potental to be a slick car, with the right mods and touch ups. Good starting point.

I like the honda accord shape, but hate the front end. My old man had a mazda 6, and sold it after 3 months, he reckons the are a gutless piece of sh*t. I reckon they dont look as smick as the aurion either.

Personal opinion really, different people are looking for different qualities in cars.

Best bet would be to take them all for a good half hour test drive one weekend. Make sure you give it to them as well, nothing worse than buying a car and when ya finally put your foot down...........................you find disapointment.

Edited October 5, 2008 by BONDIE

[VF-X]

I have no comments regarding the power and handle for Aurion, Mazda, and New Euro... New Euro has 2.4L while Aurion has 3.5L, dunno for Mazda... Obviously Aurion leads in this department.

However, for Interior build, I'd have to say I'm in the dissappointment group...Compared to Honda and Mazda, Toyota has the poorest build out of all. The absorbtion and stuff make it sound very cheap... Honestly, I like Honda's million times better. A friend of mine said Mazda is the best in this area.

Toyota's market has been good so far and expecting to float around the same level or even better..

IMO, Honda new Euro's current price is a bit too high.. Coz u just dont get that much 'value' for the price ur about to pay..

Again, all return to ur personal preferences... Some people prefer Mazda 6, they look a bit similar like lexus [well, Aurion does as well].

If i had the chance, I'd still prefer Aurion... Overall, I'm still happy with mine.

[SecaBoy]

do not believe anyone when they say "honda has a really good resale value"... its a load of ****... well, in my opinion anyway...

i had an 06 Euro Lux and i couldnt sell it for 35k after 6mths of owning it... thats a 10k drop in 6mths...

to be honest, it all comes down to your budget and what you want outta the car...

euro: class/luxury, but no balls whatsoever...

mazda6: sporty looking, very comfy, well appointed, but again, no balls at all...

aurion: great car, really comfy, well appointed, a MUCH bigger car than the other two, and it goes very well...

[VF-X]

Haha..Askin this kind of opinion in a Toyota forum.. Kinda bias isnt it?

Try askin the forums on Honda and mazda as well... And try to listen to what they have to say about their cars..

Haha..Anw, good luck with it man...

Lookin forward to ur choice of Car...

Edited October 5, 2008 by VF-X

[lateralus]

if only the new mazda 6 had an engine as powerful as the aurion, but came in manual...now that'd be a damn sexy car

i love the mazdas styling, those brake lights are fascinating, haha

[tekkyy]

1.)

resale wise

Aurion is below Accord and Mazda6

though this is somewhat offset by initial aggressive Toyota dealer discount and ongoing cheaper servicing

2.)

trim wise

GO TO SYDNEY MOTOR SHOW

seat and touch all 3 cars within 30 minutes so your mind can't play tricks on you

3.)

price wise

Toyota dealers are more aggressive

past results here were $3-4K below RRP ($6-7k discount on paper)

less discount for Touring

service wise

"Toyota Service Advantage" $120 cap

up to 4 times within 3 years for Aurion

P.S.

Aurion provides the same power at ~2000rpm lower

plus the 6 speed auto

this makes Aurion smooth and quiet

2GR-FE http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v414/Toy...2gr-feCamry.jpg

[Stealth]

Haha..Askin this kind of opinion in a Toyota forum.. Kinda bias isnt it?

Try askin the forums on Honda and mazda as well... And try to listen to what they have to say about their cars..

Haha..Anw, good luck with it man...

Lookin forward to ur choice of Car...

Good point but the three cars you've chosen aren't exactly in the same class. The Euro Accord is a 2.4L 4cyl and the Mazda 6 is also a 2.3 4cyl. Unless you upgrade to the V6 Accord and the Mazda 6 MPS then it's a different ball game again. The Honda is way more expensive than the Aurion and the Mazda becomes all wheel drive turbo...

Mazda 6 is too gutless and the MPS is too in between (like the TRD Aurion)

The Aurion is all round good value and performance. For an 06 release car, it's still more economical, quicker and cheaper than the brand new falcon (base model falcon to base model Aurion).

I love the Honda. Sound stupid? Like i said the 4cyl is too gutless for me and the V6 too expensive... Go the Aurion.

Having said that, if you've got the money the 3.5L V6 Accord has more power and is more economical than the Aurion. Aside from that the 4cyl version isn't too bad since economy is a better resale factor these days and there are a truck load of standard features on the 4cyl Accord for the same price or less than the Aurion.

Build quality, well they're all pretty good for what you pay. IE the more you pay the better the car (DUH)

Parts etc? Not really an issue. That's what warranty is for. If you're really worried about it, get the extended factory warranty or look to upgrade once the warranty is up.

After market parts? As above... cost more for high end cars.

Good luck dude.

[rhath127]

Thanks for all the reply guys.....

I was leaning towards the Mazda 6 Hatch, Accord Euro Vti, Camry Sportivo and Aurion Touring SE.

1 point i did forget to mention is that the boot needs to be big enough to fit a pram for the little one. So far i think the camry, aurion and mazda meet this need. I havent seen the new euro in person as yet.

I think after reading posts from Honda forum and Toyota forum - i am leaning towards the Aurion Touring or Prodigy. I hear great things - and in terms of space, i believe the aurion provides big enough space for me and my family.

When purchasing the car - i will be looking at install HID's and in need of a built in GPS (which i believe AUSPACK is recommended). I regret buying a holden 2bhonest, build quality is sh*t. thigns creaking everywhere.

some final questions:

Is the drive smooth? i might go take a test drive to get a feel for it.

More importantly - ATX / Touring or SPORTIVO SX6 ??

and again.....What color? I like the white but it seems like a rental car. All thats missing is an avis sticker lol. Maybe tungsten or Black?

[whitestivo]

New model mazda 6 and accord are much heavier with no real power gain.

Take a look at some of the aurions on this forum, they look great, there's your answer.

whitestivo

[Supercharged TRD]

I feel that the Aurion is a great car that gives you impressive power at not much fuel penalty. For example, I can do 6seconds from 0-100km/h but my fuel average is 10.5L/100km (combined). The biggest letdown is the interior, I think the Mazda 6 and Honda blow the socks off the Aurion. I had to resort to $3,500 worth of aftermarket upgrades to give it the extra features it needed. Toyota is doing well to shed its "fridge on wheels" mentality but I think there's more work to be done interior wise. Having said this, in the end it does the job well. Build-quality wise, it might not be as fantastic as the Japanese-built cars but so far we haven't had any major issues so I can't fault it there.

If you want a large family car that has plenty of power and the interior does not turn you off, then the Aurion is the way to go.

[rhath127]

thanks again.....after reading everyones responses.......i think i will go the Aurion.

I have found the HID Kit and DVD / GPS unit on ebay. Now all i need is the car lol.

Me and the wife have decided on the Aurion Touring in Tungsten.

[VF-X]

Thanks for all the reply guys.....

I was leaning towards the Mazda 6 Hatch, Accord Euro Vti, Camry Sportivo and Aurion Touring SE.

1 point i did forget to mention is that the boot needs to be big enough to fit a pram for the little one. So far i think the camry, aurion and mazda meet this need. I havent seen the new euro in person as yet.

I think after reading posts from Honda forum and Toyota forum - i am leaning towards the Aurion Touring or Prodigy. I hear great things - and in terms of space, i believe the aurion provides big enough space for me and my family.

When purchasing the car - i will be looking at install HID's and in need of a built in GPS (which i believe AUSPACK is recommended). I regret buying a holden 2bhonest, build quality is sh*t. thigns creaking everywhere.

some final questions:

Is the drive smooth? i might go take a test drive to get a feel for it.

More importantly - ATX / Touring or SPORTIVO SX6 ??

and again.....What color? I like the white but it seems like a rental car. All thats missing is an avis sticker lol. Maybe tungsten or Black?

Aurion has the biggest boot IMO so far. Honda can't hold that much of luggages when I tried to fit them the last time.

Drive will go smooth IF u do plan not to change ur rims to bigger ones.. Alternatively, If YES, it will affect ur drive by fair bits.

I suggest TRD :P .. Or Touring. Get the ZR6.

[boxerboy]

Re:boot space.

last week my family of 4 went away for 2 nights.

1 full golf bag and one kids golf bag.

3 medium size overnight bags. Some assorted other stuff...all fit in ok without boot lid pressure.

On the way back we added a few things so it was then getting towards tight.

Seemed almost as good as the Commodore boot we just ditched.

Abour colour...have you seen the new "reef"? Noice!

Edited October 6, 2008 by boxerboy

[blink_me192]

The Mazda 6 is a 2.5L inline 4. The Euro is a 2.4L inline 4 as well. From most of the reviews so far, even though the 6 only has 125kw compared to the hondas 140 or so kw's, it is still faster and more responsive. its got more low down torque than most other NA 4 cyclinders. Both the Honda and Mazda drive a lot better than the Aurion (mainly because they are a lot smaller) but the ride is more stiff than the aurion. If you don't plan on pushin the car to its limits, the Aurion does everything very well. Its got the power, fuel economy, refinement, handling is competent and its also a lot more roomy. I think the aurion actually has better fuel economy than the accord v6, even though its got cyclinder deactivation. Probably more to do with the aurion having more low down torque and a 6 speed trans.

Interior quality wise, aurion is a little below Honda and Mazda, but its still not too bad. A lot better than the Commie and the new falcon. The boot in the mazda 6 hatch is actually really big. The honda's boot is a weird shape and the opening isn't all that big. Price is probably the biggest factor here, as the honda and mazda are about mid 40k for top spec models. The honda is reasonably equipped, but the mazda for its price is missing a few things, e.g. sat nav. I think toyota has done a good job with balancing the price and specs of the car. All 3 cars are great cars, so your gonna have a tough decision. But practicality wise, i think Aurion may have the others beat. Cheaper initial price, cheaper servicing and parts, and similar fuel economy with the extra power. The mazda though has killer looks and a fine chassis on its side. And honda is between to two.

Good luck with whatever you decide on.

[insi]

thanks again.....after reading everyones responses.......i think i will go the Aurion.

I have found the HID Kit and DVD / GPS unit on ebay. Now all i need is the car lol.

Me and the wife have decided on the Aurion Touring in Tungsten.

if you don't mind, please let me know the price that you are getting, at the moment drive away for $34K which is very good price consider last year drive away price before bargain close to $39K.

You can send me private message if it is not a good idea for public to know. Thanks.

In my opinion aurion is better in term of boot space because my friend sold his previous euro model because the boot space too squeze to put in the pram (i think with a new model similar in size or bigger a little bit).

I have 2 prams with aurion so far it fits nicely and interior space I believe also bigger so if you are planning to keep this car for long then you made the right choice in case you have 2 kids ;)

Edited October 7, 2008 by insi

[prometheus]

It needs to be pointed out that both the Mazda 6 and the Honda Euro both require Premium Unleaded Petrol while the Aurion will happily run on Standard Unleaded.

So , despite the Mazda and Honda being more "economical" due to the smaller engines and power outputs , this is negated price wise because of the extra cost of Premium Unleaded , usually around 10cents per litre more expensive than Standard.

I have also heard that the Hondas are expensive with regards to servicing and parts.

[dave262]

It needs to be pointed out that both the Mazda 6 and the Honda Euro both require Premium Unleaded Petrol while the Aurion will happily run on Standard Unleaded.

So , despite the Mazda and Honda being more "economical" due to the smaller engines and power outputs , this is negated price wise because of the extra cost of Premium Unleaded , usually around 10cents per litre more expensive than Standard.

I have also heard that the Hondas are expensive with regards to servicing and parts.

Agreed about the price of parts. We've owned two Honda Oddysey's in the past, and although the first one needed nothing more than a few belts replaced - those were expensive enough!

The new one has major issues with the engine and EGR system - with the engine requiring a complete rebuild due to a worn piston sleeve (it burns oil heaps). The EGR also blocked up and caused consistent cut-outs at idle - which we fixed by getting the valve cleaned, but the issue seems to be starting to reappear again as the idle is getting rough again. To replace the valve would cost $400, and for the piston sleeve about $2000 - as the engine must be rebuilt essentially. I think it may need a rebuild soon though, as it is steadily getting weaker and weaker...

Anyways - I think the Aurion is a good buy on value and features - as it gives all the essentials, but nothing more - for a decent price. The Mazda I think is more a status symbol than anything, as they do seem to have a bit of a reputation these days, but I think generally the value for money isn't really there. The Honda is a very nice car, if you can afford it - and is focused more towards the modern day business-person who wants luxury - but they aren't the most fun to drive, or as practical as an Aurion when it comes to family.

[Fidzeh]

nice! been driving my new aurion for a couple of weeks now and i'm not disappointed one bit B)