Need to know about the Aurion

[mr_grumble2010]

Hi all, my first post and already I'm asking questions !!!!!!

I have just sold my beloved Mitsubishi Pajero :( and am looking for a replacement family vehicle.

I won't accept anything Ford or Holden make and have previously owned a Camry, a Starlet and an echo and find Toyota's to be very good value.

I like the look of the Prodigy and the wife likes the SX Sportivo and are looking for a 2009 model with <10,000km.

I'm researching the Aurion, trying to find things I may have to watch out for. There doesn't seem all that much thankfully.

The two issues I have read on the internet are;

1). Rattles in the dash / console.

2). Transmission gear changes

Are these real issues to watch out for ????

Are there any more I should look for ????

As for determining whether we buy the Prodigy or the SX Sportivo, I'm curious about a few things, things that may sway me (and the wife) one way or the other.

1). Prodigy has leather and the Sportivo cloth...I have never had leather seats before now, and as we have a 5yo, I'm curious as to how robust the leather seats in the Aurion are ?

2). Does the firmer suspension of the Sportivo get anoying eventually, I tested one and it did seem a fair bit firmer than the Prodigy.

3). What eceonomy figures should I expect with easy driving around regional areas ?

Cheers in advanced........

Steve

Edited March 15, 2010 by mr_grumble2010

[DJKOR]

Welcome mate. Nearly all your questions can be answered by doing some searching and reading around this forum, but I will try to get you started.

The two issues I have read on the internet are;

1). Rattles in the dash / console.

2). Transmission gear changes

Are these real issues to watch out for ????

Are there any more I should look for ????

These are real issues to look out for. The dash rattle is more predominant on the pre-facelift models so if you get one of these, then this is something you would be likely to have. It is a warranty job though to get it fixed, but this can take a bit of time to get them to get them to do it for you.

The transmission gear change issue does not exactly show up on all Aurions, but the issue is common enough that a fair few have reported this issue.

Some other things to look for are detailed in this thread:

Aurion recall/ warranty fixes, or

What problems have you had?

Otherwise, just do a search for 'issues' or 'problems' and you will come across quite a few threads that discuss things to look out for.

1). Prodigy has leather and the Sportivo cloth...I have never had leather seats before now, and as we have a 5yo, I'm curious as to how robust the leather seats in the Aurion are ?

With proper care, you can expect the leather to last the life of the car. You just need to remember that it does require maintenance and using proper leather car products can go a long way.

2). Does the firmer suspension of the Sportivo get anoying eventually, I tested one and it did seem a fair bit firmer than the Prodigy.

At first it may seem a little firmer, but the more the drive it, the more you don't notice it. You just get used to it. As long as you aren't constantly comparing the suspension to other cars, you won't notice it after a bit of driving.

3). What eceonomy figures should I expect with easy driving around regional areas ?

As long as you take it easy, you can expect to get economy figures that rival other 4-cylinder cars. There have been posts where people have compared their mileage and posted details of their driving conditions. One such thread would be this one:

Aurion average fuel consumption

[1stKill]

Welcome to the club Steve ...and what he said ^

[mr_grumble2010]

The dash rattle is more predominant on the pre-facelift models so if you get one of these, then this is something you would be likely to have.

Thanks guys....

What dates are we talking about here when we say pre-facelift ???

[Adamsy]

mmm by now you'd like to think that pretty much all the Aurions out there would of had the dash rattle rectified by now?

[Dave89]

The dash rattle is more predominant on the pre-facelift models so if you get one of these, then this is something you would be likely to have.

Thanks guys....

What dates are we talking about here when we say pre-facelift ???

Facelift date was some time around august/september 2009 i believe.

[yoz-r6]

Hi mate and welcome!

1). Rattles in the dash / console - I haven't had any of these in my '08 model, mine id fairly quiet on the road (except for the loud stereo! :D )

2). Transmission gear changes - The only transmission issue i had was the "clunk!" early in the morning, shortly after the first gear change, but the guys in this forum put it down to the ABS self-check, so i guess no transmission problems for me!

The only thing i notice is that at high revs, around near 5000rpm, it takes a while to change gears when in "S" mode, and is not as responsive as say the new FPV GT. but aside from that, all is good!

1). Prodigy has leather and the Sportivo cloth...I have never had leather seats before now, and as we have a 5yo, I'm curious as to how robust the leather seats in the Aurion are ? - I have leather in mine, (although it doesn't smell like leather <_< - maybe something for a new thread?) and i got toyota to put that treatment on it, and its been fine so far. unfortunatly i don't have kids, so as far as how it would fair against kids, can't help sorry mate!

2). Does the firmer suspension of the Sportivo get anoying eventually, I tested one and it did seem a fair bit firmer than the Prodigy.

3). What eceonomy figures should I expect with easy driving around regional areas ? - I seem to be getting over 600kms to a tank of petrol, and thats driving with a mix of styles, flooring it here and there, and just normal round town driving, and i was really impressed with the economy!

Hope its all a big help, and good luck with the decision! personally, i'm in love with it, and am really happy with my purchase!

[DJKOR]

mmm by now you'd like to think that pretty much all the Aurions out there would of had the dash rattle rectified by now?

Only if the person who brings it in for service specifically brings up the issue I would imagine. I don't picture Toyota fixing it unless you complain about it. I reckon some people out there wouldn't complain.

[VF-X]

mmm by now you'd like to think that pretty much all the Aurions out there would of had the dash rattle rectified by now?

You have to note, eventhough Aurion has 3 year of warranty, the rattle is only under warranty for the 1st year after you bought the car.

I've no clue why. Toyota shouldn't make this 1 year thingy, as it's not fair for the pre-facelift owners. After all, they found this due to lots of complaints from us. Suppose like me, who had this problem and was only told 2.5 years after I bought my car. Was pretty ****** when I found this. Better check it out with your dealer about this thingy. At least this is what I heard from mine.

[Foss]

1). Prodigy has leather and the Sportivo cloth...I have never had leather seats before now, and as we have a 5yo, I'm curious as to how robust the leather seats in the Aurion are ?

I don'y have kids myself, but judging by all the crap I found when I pulled my back seat out, the previous owner of my car had a young daughter. They had it for just under 2 years, and you wouldn't know the back seat had ever been sat in at all, let alone by a young child! I can't say for sure, but I assume the leather is the same material used in both the ZR6 and the Prodigy, so assuming your child isn't a vandal in the making, I reckon the leather should hold up fine. In fact, as much as I constantly hear people say that leather and kids don't mix, I can't imagine why. Have you ever tried wiping spilt drinks or sticky stuff off cloth?

2). Does the firmer suspension of the Sportivo get anoying eventually, I tested one and it did seem a fair bit firmer than the Prodigy.

I think that comes down to personal preference. I like firm suspension, so it doesn't bother me at all. I don't like being in a car that feels like its floating, it makes me nauseous. Just depends on what suits you best.

Edited March 16, 2010 by Paradigm

[banksy]

We went from a Commodore to a March 2009 ZR6 and love the change. We haven't noticed the dash rattle but the transmission clunks occassionally when cold, but this only occurs if I change from Reverse to Drive and I am still moving backwards (D'Oh).

We went from cloth to leather seats and the leather is much easier to clean up after kids. Admittedly we have a NO ice-cream, chocolate or milk rule in the car.

The suspension is great on the open road - we live 230 km from a city - and the passing of B-triples is a smooth and secure job.

We should be able to drive to Brisbane and back which is a return trip of about 700 km on a tank, but the fuel guage and the computer's estimate on fuel left are about 100 km different, and as the last fuel is 140 km from home, I haven't really had the strength of character to test it fully.

My only 2 gripes with the car are the rear airbags which tend to block the view when reversing (a friend with an ATX has the same problem), and the driver's electric seat isn't linked to the key, but the face-lift model has rectified this.

Apart from this I love my car - apparently it gets washed more than the dog.

[tekkyy]

You have to note, eventhough Aurion has 3 year of warranty, the rattle is only under warranty for the 1st year after you bought the car.

is that what Toyota said or what your dealer said?

anyway I had my dash rattle kit put in just before the 18 month optional service

(it didn't do anything though, I think I had dash flex squeaks rather than rattles)

[VF-X]

You have to note, eventhough Aurion has 3 year of warranty, the rattle is only under warranty for the 1st year after you bought the car.

is that what Toyota said or what your dealer said?

anyway I had my dash rattle kit put in just before the 18 month optional service

(it didn't do anything though, I think I had dash flex squeaks rather than rattles)

Well, frankly my dealer said that. But when I asked if it was just them or Toyota. He said Toyota! Yea well, they gave a fix to dash-rattles after more than a year, and didn't say anything about this warranty only for a year. But the last time I went there for the dash rattles again, which was only recently (1-2 months ago), he said the above I mentioned. I guess they're gettin sick of people coming back for the rattles.

[mr_grumble2010]

Anyway, the decision was made, thanks to a bit of advice from you guys.

We pick up our Sept 2009 ZR6 tomorrow

Was listed at our local Toyota dealership as being a Demo, but it turns out the owner of the dealership took this one as his golf buggy tow vehicle.

Has 8,000km clocked up, in as new cond, towbar, weathershields, mat's etc

Bargained down to $36k on-road.

I wanted the Prodigy, but the missus wouldn't be swayed !

Steve

[banksy]

It's a real eye-catcher mate. You won't regret buying the ZR6, they are a tremendous car.

Strangely, my missus preferred the ZR6 over the other models after being forced into a Toyota.

Enjoy motorvating in it!

[yoz-r6]

very nice, very nice!! (borat voice!) :D

trust me you won't be disappointed, and you got the towbar as well! always a bonus, comes in handy when towing your buddies home in their lancers! haha!

p.s. the tail-lights look awesome on that colour!

[prometheus]

Bargained down to $36k on-road.

Wow , that's damn good considering Toyota have been advertising in The Age in Melbourne , AT-X's (2009 models I think) for $33 990.

I wonder what the AT-X's could be bargained down to.

[Silver-Aurion]

Anyway, the decision was made, thanks to a bit of advice from you guys.

We pick up our Sept 2009 ZR6 tomorrow

Was listed at our local Toyota dealership as being a Demo, but it turns out the owner of the dealership took this one as his golf buggy tow vehicle.

Has 8,000km clocked up, in as new cond, towbar, weathershields, mat's etc

Bargained down to $36k on-road.

I wanted the Prodigy, but the missus wouldn't be swayed !

Steve

Woohoo, another silver on the road :P