Steven

actually the Aurions do drop down a gear to try and stop the car accelerating too much on slopes. It doesn't make a huge difference but you can easily feel it.

well heads up guys, just got an email and it looks like the traffic laws (in queensland) have been amended to say that driving with foglights on in conditions that don't warrant their use with earn you a fine. I never looked up what the law said previously, but this is what it'll mean now. Furthermore even if the light is only half illuminated, you'll have a hard time arguing that they were designed that way from factory to run all the time considering the QPS uses Aurion's themselves. Other changes were something like the driver is now responsible for their passengers not wearing a seatbelt, and something else that escapes me right now.

The new headunit doesn't make it that much easier to fit something aftermarket, that fascia has always been available. Unless of course it's not as wide as the previous fascias and hence doesn't need the infill bits for a unit to sit flush...

yep Presara only. I have a ZR6 with every option and I didn't get that.... Pure ****?

A few good changes, but plenty of rather cheap ones too. I like the new dash cluster for readability, though the previous type did look a bit special despite it's inherent flaw. The carpeted parcel shelf looks neat actually, might even be alot less prone to rattling like the previous type. Everything else though.. GAH! Badges on the front guard look gaudy and out of place. Not a fan in the slightest of the taillights, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were following a Hybrid or something run on electricity. The new radio is obviously something made cheaply and simply using the Toyota fitting kit to try and make it fit in - it looks like a cheap piece of aftermarket junks been fitted. Also that front grill looks very fragile, I can see them easily breaking. Time will tell whether these grow on us or not. Whats that part on the parcel shelf? looks like a blind or something.

At $500 for a replacement, I'd say its worth trying, whats the worst that come happen? break an already unusable light?

AGE: 24 SEX: Male STATUS: Single REASON: Having owned a dying late 90s commodore, I promised myself I'd spoil myself with a semi-new car after I graduated. I did some driver training courses at Mt Cotton, and got to sample the newest Commodores, Falcons and the Aurion (which I had never even heard of before). The commodores and falcons were sluggish, poorly built, handled badly and overall didn't make the grade. The Aurion blew me away, on the track it was fantastic, plus when we took em out around town it was a good cruiser as well. So when I went car hunting, I was only considering getting an Aurion, but I like my creature comforts. There were a few nice Presara's around, but I fell in love with a Gold 07' ZR6 with the Sat Nav/moon roof option for the right price (some haggling). Aside from an ongoing annoyance with Toyota's service (of lack of) department, I havent had any real dramas with it.

Do the new Sat-Nav units come with an AUX input and bluetooth audio streaming as well?

quick update - tried the diagnostic, it goes to the first screen and fails the first test. Decided against clearing the codes as the car goes in on monday and i'd rather they look at it whilst it still has error codes. Here's hoping I get a brand new unit out of this, sick and tired of them telling me how they've "changed a base setting" only to have it keep stuffing up.

internet searching found following for factory satnavs http://coastaletech.com/lockpick2.htm - seems to allow A/V inputs for the screen plus a few other features http://www.vaistech.com/products/sl2vi.php - Ipod related connectivity. Probably already been brought up here somewhere before

considering how long I plan on owning the Aurion, I'm sure they'll start appearing 2nd hand etc around the traps eventually. I've come from owning a commodore where it was common practice to mix and match parts from different models, guess old habits die hard.

any chance of anyone on brisbane's northside with an aftermarket unit (of the stock dropin type) being able to show me it in person? I'd like to see one operating in person before I make any final decisions.

I hope a few of the newer models bits and pieces and compatible with the current model - in particular the dash cluster would be nice so i can finally tell my exact speed.

the factory unit is nice, but having to spend $$$ to get new maps when they're released (which is not very frequent), or around $500 just to plug my ipod in for the adapter, as well as many other limitations of the factory unit have me thinking for something different. It's a very nice unit from the factory don't get me wrong, but it just doesn't compare to even the most basic aftermarket unit in terms of features. As far as GUI goes it's all down to personal preference, I doubt there is much of difference functionality wise between all these units. You're definitely right about dealing with Aussie sellers in terms of supporting locals and warranty, I find though with alot of new products, they tend to first appear on Ebay from a chinese seller, and then shortly lately you'll find local sellers stocking it.

New unit spotted on Ebay, seems to have a very nice GUI, and all the usual features to boot, good price around $550 delivered. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/TOYOTA-CAMRY-AURION...id=p3286.c0.m14 Im seriously considering selling my factory satnav unit and changing to one of these, as the only thing holding me back before was the somewhat cheap looking GUI all the other aftermarket units seem to have. Anyone seen or used this particular type before?

I wasn't saying the gps only lightly relies upon the gps, I was saying MY unit seems to only be lightly relying on it, otherwise it wouldn't still be showing me being several suburbs from where I currently am and staying that way no matter how often I drive. And without good GPS, it's using the vehicle's own sensors to sense direction and speed to traverse the maps as best it can.

Thanks for that link! Although I haven't had a chance to try it yet, I do now have a theory behind the stuff up - that is, it's using the vehicles own sensors to decide on my position, and get only slight feedback from the GPS if any, hence why when i go through some roadworks where the roads have changed I end up doing something the vehicles own sensors and maps cannot cope with. Still it should get satellite at least sometimes and realise just how screwed up it is and reset itself...

Long story short, the cars got to be booked in for a 3rd time now to have this same issue fixed. First 2 times all they did was tinker with the settings, and let me go saying it'll definitely work fine now.... However i was actually fortunate enough to see the exact moment it stuffed up. Going through the roadworks at redcliffe southbound onto the deagon deviation, it somehow jumped me onto the pedestrian bridge, where it stayed not coming back on. Then when i drove past the gateway it had me on it, and travelling further away from where i currently was. It didnt like it but refused to let "me" off the gateway, for several minutes. Then it came off the gateway, and it's been showing me that far away from my actual location ever since, slightly changing all the time as it coincidently jumps onto other roads and tries to travel along them. The map dvd is 2008, so obviosuly there are alot of new roads im on and I think this is what confuses it, but Ive never seen a GPS never correct itself before. I wonder if this is a known fault with the factory unit, software wise?

I too am a fan of the stock, stealth factor. The Aurion is a quick street car, but goes mostly unnoticed and underrated by other drivers out there. The result, in stock form, is a car that isn't going to get every boy racer out there wanting to challenge you, and yet perfectly capable of blowing the doors off most competition should the need arise. I always maintain though, each to their own. It's your car afterall

Guys I've noticed sometimes now the GPS will show me at a completely different location, and no matter how many times I restart the car it keeps showing me there (fine day, no clouds either). I need to manually reset the location via the menu function. Even then it doesn't stick to the road all the time, nor shows me going in the right direction. Anyone else have this issue? I'm going to bring it up to Toyota as a possible warranty fix, could it have anything to do with the Auto headlight function not working? Recently I took it in to have the dash rattle fixed and it came back with the auto function not working (tad peeved).

Remember guys (At least in queensland) - even if your phone is in a holder, regardless of whether you're using it for GPS or bluetooth etc, you cannot use the phone whilst driving. By use I mean pushing a button on the phone, even if it does have a GPS running. Bluetooth devices get away with it legally cause when you answer the phone, you're doing so by pushing a button on the bluetooth device to answer/call and not the phone itself. Alot of people don't know this, and have been pinched... mind you it would have to be a very zealous cop to get you for it.

It happened when a friend was on circuit in sequential mode, and he hit it a little too hard going up a gear hence making it jump out into R. Wasn't my car, and that car didn't seem to suffer greatly from it... however we were about 200m and it sounded like a gun going off.

I know from experience that an Aurion will attempt to go into reverse at around 80km/h... makes a very loud bang noise too

can't wait to see these changes in the flesh - might be tempted to check how many of these new parts fit the current model. Can't imagine it being too different

wonder how the newer stereos compare to the current selection. I can see AUX on the base model stereo there that's a move in the right direction, wonder if they'll finally add DVD compatibility and/or ipod connection? Seems a bit silly to leave out those almost compulsory features nowadays.