Kesawi

I bought a Kluger Grande as our family car as we wanted a 7 seater with a bit of luxury and our other choices were more expensive, slower, not as good fuel economy, not as much space, and too long. I didn't want a proper 4WD, such as a Prado, because they drive and handle like a proper 4WD.

The Rav4 wasn't even considered as it is not a 7 seater, not enough rear leg room (I have the drivers seat fully back and there is still plenty of leg room behind it), not much better economy and doesn't have as many features.

I also bought a Kluger KX-R as my work car. Again, I didn't consider the Rav4 for similar reasons, but the main reason was that there was nowhere near the rear storage room as the Kluger; I can fit a stepladder in the back of the Kluger without folding the front seat forward.

I don't think that many people buying a Kluger would have considered the Rav4 as they are not really intended for the same market.

I generally bought the Kluger KX-S for the same reasons s Mikeyboy. I would have preferred the Prado for 4WD, but then it was more expensive and I wouldn't have really used the 4WD much, if at all. A Landcruiser was too big, and simply out of our price range. The Mrs liked the Rav4 but we felt having the 7 seats was a big plus, and since getting the Kluger we've used them at least once a month.

I took the RAV ZR6 with a few blokes to Nelson's Bay for the w'end - cruising on 110kph on the F3, I flicked into 4th gear to overtake, touched the accelerator and had it at 140kph in a matter of secs before backing off. It certainly is a unique SUV in its class. I recently read about the new super-fast BMW X5 & X6 currently under test in EU but they are obviously in a different class to the RAV V6 and Kluger models. The Kluger would need a super-charger to accelerate its bulk along.

The kluger is suprisingly quick for such a large car (see the topic FASTER THAN R50 V10 TWIN TURBO VW TOE RAG!!! (AWD KX-S Kluger) *7.10 sec 0-100kph and 15.37 seconds @ 146.66 kph (91.13mph) 1/4 mile*, performance and economy analysis of my KX-S AWD Kluger). I've never really found it wanting, even when needing a quick burst of speed to ovetake someone while cruising at 100kph. I've found it tends to suprise some people who don't expect it to be as quick being an SUV (particular those driving SS commodores). Obviously the Kluger would be no match for a superfast X5 or X6, but it would be good if Toyota would do a super-charged TRD version. I believe the sales performance of the FPV Territory hasn't been that flash, so on that basis Toyota might be tempted not to follow Ford's example.

lol, classic. I can just imagine seeing someone driving and going "oh oh grab the phone camera". I think i once tried taking a picture at 100000 in my last car but missed it by 1 km. 100001 just doesn't look right.

Unfortunately I was in an area where I couldn't pull over straight away so I had to find somewhere safe hoping all the time it wouldn't tick over. That happended when I was on 9999km. 12345km is my next target milestone :)

It's interesting to note though that someone said not to chamois your car - i thought using the chamois was the best option as it wasn't abrasive??? I forgot what brand i buy, but it has always been really good... Can someone shed more light on the use of chammies?

Lastly, i've heard that the more you polish your car, the weaker the paint gets - can anyone say if this is true? Correct me if i am wrong but i see an awful lot of toyotas with paint fade/peel/damage, particularly on the roof and bonnets so i have a feeling toyota paint is not that great in any case.

Cheers

Matt

Matt,

My understanding is that with a chamois you run the risk that something gets stuck between the chamois and the paint, so when you wipe it over the car, the trapped grit gets dragged along and scratches the paint. Most detailing related sites I've looked at recommend the use of waffle weave microfibre towels to dry the car after washing. The structure of the MF towels is supposed to draw any grit into the nap of the towel, preventing it from scraping the paintwork as the towel is dragged across the car.

The tools and techniques you use for the washing are also just as important. This has been covered in detail (no pun intended) elsewhere on the TOCAU forums by DaveXR8 in the topic Car Detailing Tips.

If you want more information I've found the Meguiars Online forum site very educational. Yes it is orientated towards the Meguiars range of products, but a lot of the information is generic and I think could be applied to most other detailing product lines.

I suggest you take a look at the following links to answer some of your questions:

What it means to remove a scratch out of anything...

How to wash your car, show car style

2008 Meguiar's Online List O' Links 2.0

Another milestone

I used to run BP Ultimate in my Subaru Forester but when the company I was working for switched their fuel cards to Caltex, I could only run 91 RON. I noticed a definte change in engine performance. I've always run 91 RON in my Kluger as the fuel card won't let me put anything else in.

Had mine sideway's through a corner using the handbrake(footbrake). Now that's tricky. Oh and it didn't roll!

Generally, if the tyres are correctly inflated, you stay on the pavement, and don't hit a pot hole or kerb then you should stay upright. If something happens to 'trip' the car, as was the case in the wheels test, then it's a whole different story. Deliberately attempting to put your vehicle in an unstable situation under uncontrolled conditions is extremely stupid, especially on a public road.

I enquired with the Toyota service department about adjusting the speedo and they quoted me $500. Their reason was the instruments would need to be removed from the dash and sent away to a specialist. I decided that I'd drive to the GPS and save the $500 for other things.

End of the day its upto you but just dont park on grass!!!!

Or a steep driveway or road in the wet. I've seen 2wd vehicles wheel spin and slide backwards when trying to take off on a steep wet paved road.

at least u know that if it rolls it retains its shape pretty well! lol u'd have 2 b doing something stupid to get it to roll, drive sensibly, it aint a sports car.

Damn those alloy rims for misleading me :D

I had a 2004 Subaru Forester to start with, and compared and test drove a Mitsubishi Outlander, Subaru Forester, Ford Territory, Mazda CX9 and Toyota Prado before settling on the Kluger KX-S.

Good fuel economy (much better than a Territory or CX-9)

Lot's of space for the kids

Didn't want to pay an extra $10,000-$15,000 for a Prado (especially as I wanted leather seats which are only available from the VX on)

Preferred the split tail gate compared with the side hinged tail gate of the Prado. I was concerned about being able to get into the back if someone had parked too close behind me.

Preferred the way the 3rd row seats were stowed compared to the Prado. I keep them stowed 95% of the time and the seats in the Prado take up too much space in the back when stowed.

Wanted rear air conditioning.

Wanted full length side curtain airbags.

Good performance and handling.

Liked the looks.

Removable centre seat in middle row so the kids could stash more stuff.

Was happy to sacrifice 4WD ability as I don't go off road that much.

The Mitsubishi Outlander just felt to plastic and cheap. It was also the same size as the Forester with a third row of seats stuck in the back. I don't think even the kids would have been able to fit for a reasonable length journey.

Liked the new Subaru Forester but it wasn't big enough to fit all the crap we normally take when we go away (It was the main reason I was upgrading).

On balance it gave the best combination of features and options for the price (Both the CX9 and Territory were $5000 more when I pimped them up).

It may be mistaken for a soccer mum SUV, but it has a beast of an engine under the hood which suprises those same people who give you funny looks when you unleash it. Have seen a number of suprised faces from people in SS commodores when it takes off far quicker than they're expecting

Hi

did you end up getting this fixed, if so how much? Someone has keyed my kluger (although it was like that when i bought it) but i want to get it fixed. They're completly buggered the tailgate.... bl**dy ppl who have nothing better to do but destroy other ppls' property.

Cheers

Matt

I got a quote about 12 months ago to repair a dent and scratch to the door of a Subaru Forestor after some idiot forgot to tie a fridge down properly on the back of his ute and it fell of when he went around a corner. Was somewhere in the vicinity of $400-500. If it's just a scratch without any panel repair, it could probably be for much less than $400. Best bet is to phone around as there are a number of businesses offering simple scratch repairs.

You could always try doing it yourself. The following links may assist:

http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97634

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=75

If the scratch isn't through the clear coat you may just be able to buff it out using an a polish and some elbow grease.

Hi All,

received some quotes around the 50K ex gst for kx-s awd.

does anyway have an after market roof mounted dvd player installed

any feedback on alpine or viscom.

problem with rear-view mirrors when dvd is running?

thanks

I have an Alpine PKG-RSE2 unit and while it is at the top end of the price range it is extremely good. See the following post for pictures:

http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/inde...st&p=308171

It is much slimmer than the Grande unit and only obstructs the top 50% of the rear view mirror.

yes, 6 L of stock oil is included in that price ($150) up to 60K service.

@$10/L you can get a credit for your own synthetic but why bother if you don't care ;)

If I can get a credit for the stock oil then it would be worthwhile. If the stock oil will get the engine past the kilometres I need to get out of the car and fetch a good resale then it has done it's job.

synthetic 5-40 is a perfect compromise for all year driving, unless central OZ (5-50).

One good synthetic oil change costs less than a full petrol tank!

Fortunately I don't have to pay for the fuel but I do need to pay for the oil. $100+ for the oil seems quite expensive when probably $50 is included in the service advantage fee anyway.

I'm not quite convinced whether going synthetic will give significant advantage over the semi-synthetic. I plan to sell the car after 3-5 years before it reaches the 100,000km mark and I no longer get the depreciation benefits on tax. The stock oil should keep it running well until then I would think.

10067km and going in for first service tomorrow. Right front tyre starting to look like it's wearing more on one edge.

I called the Mobil Lube Line (1800 033 863) and they were very helpful in providing useful information for selecting an oil.

Their recommendation was to use their Mobill 1 5W-30 for winter and Mobil 1 0W-40 for summer if I was really keen. As warmer weather is experienced in SE Queensland all year round, their recommendation was to just use Mobil 1 0W-40. If I was going to be regularly towing or placing the engine under high loads then a Mobil 1 5W-50 was recommended.

One suggestion they did make was to consider a Mobil Super 2000 X2 10W-40 semi-synthetic oil as it is considerably cheaper than Mobil 1. Their opinion was I would most likely have no discernible difference over the life of the car in engine wear, provided I changed it at the intervals recommended by Toyota.

One additional recommendation was to ensure the engine is run on the road for at least one hour continuously every week if the vehicle sits around alot or is only used for short trips to prevent buildup of water and other contaminents in the oil.

Overall they were very helpful, although they did tend to get overly technical at times. The other oil manufacturers have technical help lines and I'm sure they'd be just as useful.

I'm getting my vehicle serviced next week and intend to supply my own oil. Are there any issues with supplying something outside of what Toyota recommend in the manual, ie either a 5W-30 or 10-40?

I don't really know enough about oils to understand what the real difference is between a 0-40 (which is what seems to be recommended) and a 10-40.

I hope so <_<

I asked the ACT dealer if they are aware of this apparently common problem - response - no!

Need to see the car to assess it - fair enough, but the fact that Toyota has not advised dealers about the issue is rather perplexing

Mine goes in Friday week for a service and to have it replaced. I've asked them to check all of the doors. The service centre didn't say either way whether it was a common problem.

I would only want them as they look better than the plastic insert, even if they are never turned on.

Also, I think we only have a need for them in Perth once every 3-4 years. I don't know about elsewhere.

You've given me a new idea for a business venture. Sell dummy fog lights which look like the real thing. Could probably get them made in china for a couple of bucks and sell them for a third of the cost of the real ones. Will achieve the same result as far as looks are concerned but at a much cheaper cost.

Why would anyone actually want to install fog lights? I'm yet to ever see a set of fog lights used by a driver in the appropriate situation. 99% of them blind oncoming traffic.

See http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/li.../fog_lamps.html

I am also in the planning stage to purchase a Kluger. I have decided on the Altitude FWD KX-R until reading many posts here about the usefulness of the AWD version. Now I am not so sure ! My driving is all suburban & free way, with the annual ski trip in winter. I figure that I wouldn't need AWD for the snow given I would have to carry chains anyway, as I have been doing with my X-Trail. I don't mind too much about the occasional wheel slips at traffic lights with the FWD version.

Tyran,

There is a lot of discussion on the Toyota Nation forum in relation to the Kluger's performance in snow. I suggest you browse around there and read some of the posts.

Kesawi, would like to see pics of DVD unit.

Thanks,

Snowy

See pictures below:

From L-R:

• View from 2nd row with unit interior light on.
  
• Unit stowed.
  
• Screen down
  
• View through rear view mirror with screen down (note I'm 6'4 so if you're shorter you should get less obstruction).
  
• Screen down from front (the flip door on the left is the axillary input. There is also an additional input on top to hard wire another source).
  
• Screen down from front
  

The colour doesn't match the roof trim but that is not an issue for me. The unit is quite slim when compared to the Toyota version (see below) and also has a wider screen (10.2 vs 9). It is also not very noticeable from the outside of the car when it is stowed, which is what I prefer.

Overall I'm very happy with the Alpine unit.

I agree that AWD is great especially in the wet. My old Commodore was terrible, the slightest bit of water on the road and taking off was a nightmare. I have never once had any trouble in the Kluger.

I guess you just get use to it but I am much happier knowing I can take off on a wet road without any trouble, especially as the car is FWD .

My sister has a VZ wagon and her economy if not that much better than mine around town and is the same on long trips.

I actually prefer the 17" wheels to the 19" on the Altitude but the DVD player would be nice :-P

I've been having a lot of fun with V8 commodore and falcon drivers recently around Brisbane in the wet. They pull up at an extra lane at traffic lights expecting to get past before the lanes merge again and I leave them for dead while their backend is sliding all over the place. The look of shock on their faces of been blown away by an SUV is priceless (Although my missess always shakes her head at me)

If you want a roof mount DVD player, go for an Alpine PKG-RSE2 as they are much better than the standard Toyota unit. They are an extremely slimm unit, and only obstruct the top half of the view in the rear view mirror, plus they come with interior lights that are much better than the dim standard ones installed. I can post pictures of the install in my KX-S if anyone would like to see how it looks. The screen is also a true 16:9 aspect ratio and comes with two auxiliary inputs (one externally mounted) so you can install a TV tuner (if that's what you want) and hook up an IPOD, video camera, or anything with an RCA output.

My fuel economy is the same as has already been reported.

I enjoy having the AWD combined with the 3.6L engine, great for wet weather driving, taking off at the lights and hill starts.

Don't forget the 19" alloys leave you with no choice for tyres other than the Bridgestones and they are very expensive.

Thanks for the link. I will take a pic of the antenna mount tomorrow Kesawi - I have it mounted on the nudgebar with a GME Electrophone antenna bracket

Thanks holmesie. Where have you mounted the radio in the cab? My thoughts would be either under the FM radio, above the FM radio on the dash or on the side of the centre console in the passenger's footwell.