Looking at getting an Aurion :)

[jmore1231]

Hi Everyone im abit of a newbie here so i would like to just do a quick intro of myself my names jason and at the moment im thinking of getting an Aurion, Ive always wanted to get one but didnt really now if it would be worth it. I currently own an old Bmw 325i E36 and have just had enough with the maintenance costs ive spent easily $3k+ in less then 12 months and its come to a point where i just cant see it being worth putting money towards it when i can use my money to pay for something more reliable and still have that 6 cylinder power. Thats Basically why im here im not really a fan of ford or holden not that there not great cars its just not my thing. So my question to you guys how do you find owning an aurion, and the costs it entails along with maintenance etc if i were to buy one theres a high chance i would go to the Qfleet auctions and buy a government used or ex cop car version with low ks considering my budget would be max $17000 So what do you guys think hope someone can help me out :D

[benji4138]

Hi Everyone im abit of a newbie here so i would like to just do a quick intro of myself my names jason and at the moment im thinking of getting an Aurion, Ive always wanted to get one but didnt really now if it would be worth it. I currently own an old Bmw 325i E36 and have just had enough with the maintenance costs ive spent easily $3k+ in less then 12 months and its come to a point where i just cant see it being worth putting money towards it when i can use my money to pay for something more reliable and still have that 6 cylinder power. Thats Basically why im here im not really a fan of ford or holden not that there not great cars its just not my thing. So my question to you guys how do you find owning an aurion, and the costs it entails along with maintenance etc if i were to buy one theres a high chance i would go to the Qfleet auctions and buy a government used or ex cop car version with low ks considering my budget would be max $17000 So what do you guys think hope someone can help me out :D

Can only help you out with info on owning one. They are incredible, the power being right there and gives quite a nice kick when fully open and yet it cruises along very smoothly (as well as a car can on these crappy roads), I'm still stunned to this day how such a powerful car can go using not much fuel, and you don't even need to drive it sensible. Plenty of room and always feel safe and comfortable behind the wheel. Even has pretty good cornering and handling abilities for myself. A much nicer car than the equivalent Ford or Holden and I was always tossing up between an Aurion and an XR6. I'm very happy that I chose the Aurion and can't say enough good things about it :D

I do miss not driving a manual though but have gotten used to the auto and have also found that the Aurion has one of the best cruise control's I've experienced. Driven VE commodores and a G6E falcon for work and they're cruise controls are rather erratic, for instance, taking either of the latter mentioned up a hill, you would drop from 100km/h down to 90km/h and by the time you went over the top of the hill you'd be doing 110km/h and would keep going until ~125km/h down the other side before it tried slowing down. Whereas with the Aurion I find it only fluctuates ~5km/h max on a rather steep hill, on most hills though it sits within about 1km/h of set speed.

And I find the seats are incredibly comfortable as well, with a nice feeling of being held in. Toyota did really well with the positioning of the seats stitching as well because the stitches aren't in a place that will attract much wear. My old man has a BA Falcon and his stitches on the seats are in places where you brush across all the time, and because of this the stitches are wearing out which means he'll have to replace the interior or let it decline further.

Can't think of much else to add but it's a great all round car for use in many situations and if your into modding then it's also a solid platform to work off with the forums here being a great place to learn

[DJKOR]

I won't comment with my personal opinions about the car because like everyone else here, you just going to be hearing the same thing which are opinions biased towards trying to convince you to get one. However, I will provide some input on your other questions.

Maintenance costs I would say are reasonably low. This is coming from a DIY perspective however. The engine isn't overly complex to work on and for those moments where you don't quite understand something, there are service manuals available. There isn't much required in terms of consumables for this car, just your usual items like oil, fluids, and filters, all of which can be obtained for reasonable prices from either your Toyota dealer or local automotive store. Parts are readily available as well so you don't typically need to wait for general items to come in.

As for ex-government cars etc, there usually isn't too much to worry about. They don't usually keep the cars for long and as long as they did the service/s, if the car looks to be in good condition, it's usually alright. These cars are pretty hardy so if they were given a trashing beyond what they are able to take, you should be able to pick up on it from an inspection.

[Zeinheiger]

You have an e36 325i and you're looking into getting an Aurion... I did exactly the same thing...

I have an e36 325i as well, I think it's a good car, but you're right about the cost of maintenance... If you don't end up getting an Aurion and stick with the bmw, go to www.pelicanparts.com because that website alone saved me thousands of dollars, they ship quickly too...

Back on topic, I'm glad i've upgraded, the Aurion is quite a bit faster than the bmw, has a great amount of space (You'll see a difference, because the e36 have hardly any room in the backseats and I always hated moving my seat forward for people to get in), better on fuel... And you'll most likely get a warranty if you buy one, also my insurance is cheaper with my Aurion than it is with my bmw... The ATX models range from as low as $15,000 for an 07/08 model and you can still get a warranty, I paid $19,000 for my '08 sportivo with only 50,000k's on it, 3 year warranty too...

But your best bet is to hit up a dealer and go and test drive one, test drive several if you have to, I had driven a few cars that I was looking at buying, Subaru Liberty wagon 3.0R, '06 golf gti, G6e falcon and the Aurion... I wanted the golf, but the price was a bit hard on my pocket, being 4 grand more than the others, the Subaru reminded me of the bmw, had almost exactly the same amount of interior room, the ford drove alright, but it just felt like a tank, the Aurion on the other hand, beautiful, handles alright for a large FWD also.

But like i said, go test drive one

[Denni]

G'day Jason

I'm also a newbie to the world of Aurion (having driven a 2003 Camry until it ticked over 300000km).

I bought mine in October last year from a local dealer. The car is an ex government car and apart from the usual stone chips etc which you would expect in the country the overall presentation of the vehicle was excellent.

The car has a full service history which is something I always like to see.

General comments on my new ownership experience:

Having come from a 2003 model Camry, I see many examples of cost saving measures in the Aurion so far as materials are concerned. Some of the plastic trim etc is nowhere near the quality of the plastic in the old Camry. Much to the Camry's credit after 300000km nothing was broken or had fallen off. I fear this may not be the case with the Aurion.

My major concern (other than noisy suspension noted in my recent post) is the amount of squeaks and rattles which come from the dash/console.

Being a picky ***** I have managed to locate and fix them by simply wedging pieces of cardboard from a packet of smarties in between the offending pieces of trim on the console. I was able to fit them in and then gently push them down far enough so that you can't see them and the squeaks have stopped. Who would have thought that smarties not only taste great but the box has another use.

My attention was immediately drawn to the amount of power this thing generates. After having driven the Camry (3.0lt V6) for 7 years I was amazed how far engine technology had progressed. I was averaging around 480km from a 70lt tank around town from the Camry and now routinely get a little over 600 from the same size tank in the Aurion, in that respect I'm impressed by the amount of go the this has and the fuel efficiency.

My experience on the open roads in country NSW has been good overall, the car cruises completely effortlessly and always seems to pick the right gear for the right situation, sometimes with a little lag between planting the foot and the gear change but I have never been able to wrong foot the gearbox where it changes it's mind after it's already selected a gear.

If you are looking for a competent long distance cruiser I don't really think you could get a better locally produced car for the money when you take into account space, power, safety features, technology & fuel economy. I have found it a little heavy of fuel around the city (Sydney) but really think that it a combination of sitting for longish periods of time idling and my over zealous application of my size 12 right foot.

I bought my car locally, and took it to the dealer in Dubbo, they had a look over the car for me to make sure that there was nothing that I should be aware of, they changed the oil & filter, put in new wiper blades, washed the car and bought it back to me and didn't charge me a cent.

I guess the overall advice is that Toyota's are generally bullet proof provided that you look after them, if you are happy with the car and the price buy it, if my overall experience of the car translates to your purchase, I'm sure that you will be happy with it.

Just take some time to work on the squeaks which you will find in the console/dash area, but there are plenty of posts here to help you sort them out.

Good luck with your purchase.

Dennis - Dubbo NSW