Dave L

The Kluger does come with Toyota Roadside Assistance, so the RACV one isn't required...but I'll probably keep ours going anyway. I've been looking around at insurance for the Kluger and, for us, RACV are by far the cheapest....especially with the Silver membership discount (which I think is 10%). Toyota offer insurance however when I asked them to give me an estimate it was about $500 more expensive than RACV....which the Toyota guy couldn't believe. He suggested I go to RACV for the insurance, as there was no way they could match the price (or even come close).

Welcome to the "ordered and awaiting delivery" club :) Ours just arrived in to the dealer yesterday and we pick it up next Friday....so only seven more sleeps to go...LOL

That doesn't sound right to me. If the temp is high in the cabin, the CC should recognise that and turn the A/C on. If it doesn't then I'd speak to Toyota about it. It will be interesting to hear if others have the same thing happening in their Klugers...

I think it is reasonably common for climate control to choose recirculate instead of fresh - reason being that as the A/C begins to cool the cabin down the air from the cabin is likely to be cooler than what is outside, so the outcoming air can gets cooler, quicker. To test this, on a hot day manually choose outside air and when the cabin begins to cool down switch it over to recirculate and feel the difference.

I don't believe there are any Altitude models available anymore.....and the price of an AWD KX-S will be alot more than $49K (even discounted)...IMO :)

Whoops...sorry I missed reading that part in your post. Mine was 2WD....so $48 would be about right....though you should be able to get it a little cheaper (especially being so close to the end of the year).

Take $5K off that price and that doesn't sound bad (for a KX-R 7-str without any extras). As per my post earlier, I very recently negotiated $46.5K for a 2009 KX-R 7-seater inc. nudge bar, sidesteps, tow bar, mats, front & rear sensors....so $48.9K seems VERY high. Note: this was for brand new stock (which I'm still awaiting delivery for)...not for a car that has been sitting in the lot taking up space.

I think you will be waiting more than two weeks...

Holy crap, I got the same one you did, incl same colours! Hopefully there is one spare on the boat for me!!!!! I dont want to wait 3 months for it! Did they give you an estimated delivery date ? Ours was mid-November, however there was apparently an issue with the ship leaving port in Japan and delivery is now late Nov/early Dec. I think the Graphite with black interior is definitely the most popular choice and it wasn't surprising there were none left in the state....though we also looked at Tidal Blue and there were none of them in the state either.

I believe the Toyota Advantage fixed pricing is Australia-wide, so you can take it to any Toyota dealership. One thing to remember though (which was pointed out when negotiating purchase of our Kluger), is that the $170 fixed price covers parts and labour that are associated with the service you are having on your car. For example, if you take your car in for it's 1000Km service, the $170 covers any parts and labour to fulfill the 1000km service (which is listed in the service book). Should something need repairing/replacing that is not specified to be done for that service schedule, you will pay in addition to that "fixed price" - including any labour associated. I thought this was worth mentioning as some people may think that $170 means anything done within that service is taken care of - but that is not the case. Dave

I did three online quotes today in readiness for the new purchase. Here in Vic, KX-R 2WD 7str with several options (both drivers over 30 and no previous claims/accidents):: Full Comprehensive RACV - $710 (inc silver membership price) $780 without BUDGET DIRECT - $750 AAMI - $880 When I was at the dealership on the weekend they told me about the Toyota Insurance option. They gave me a quote there and then and it was $1100. I said I'd previously looked online and RACV could do it for $710. He couldn't believe it was that far under $1K....and said go with RACV. Horses for courses.

No, I'm in Melbourne, Victoria (as per the Location in my profile :) )

Thought I'd post an update for those that are interested. The following are list prices for some of the factory options. Anyone who also has recent list prices for options I have not included, feel free to add them below. Nudge bar - $790 (ex GST) Side steps - $950 (ex GST) Tow bar/ball/wiring - $810 (ex GST) Front parking sensors _ $485 (ex GST) Rear parking sensors - $450 (ex GST) Window tint/clear UV film (all windows, exc. front) - $695 (inc GST) Full protection pack (paint/vinyl/fabric) - $1995 (inc GST) Mudguards (set of 4) - $190 (ex GST) Clarion 9" rear DVD unit - $1600 (ex GST) Note: these are the dealer list prices and are obviously subject to negotiation when buying a car. Hopefully this will help some of you, so you can estimate a starting price before visiting the dealer :)

Purchased yesterday....awaiting delivery (approx. 4 weeks) 2009 KX-R 2WD 7 Seater (Oct 09 build) Graphite with black interior Included Factory options; Nudge Bar Side Steps Tow bar/ball/7 pin plug Front & Rear parking sensors Black carpet mats $46.5K - driveaway (no trade-in, straight purchase). My Wife then decided she wanted the factory window tint, which we added for $425 Had I known, I would have pushed this into the mix before we'd signed the contract. All in all we are very happy with the price and looking forward to picking it up and going somewhere for a long weekend to give it a good run!

Finally went shopping and just signed the contract for an 09 Kluger KX-R 2WD 7 seater. Graphite with black trim Also ordered: Nudge bar Side steps Tow bar and wiring Front & rear sensors Factory window tint Carpet mats Oct 09 build, on it's way to Aus.....delivery date mid Nov. Can't wait! Now just need to work out how many sleeps left :) Finally an official part of the club...

I'm an advocate for wearing seat belts...however I can see that in "some" instances - out in remote areas where you are conistantly getting in & out of the car it may prove a nuisance. Obviously most manufacturers are not going to build in a feature that caters for 1% of users, however as a possible solution perhaps if you went to a wreckers, or one of those yards that let you dismantle cars yourself (like pick-a-part in Melbourne), you could grab a seat belt, cut the actual belt and just take the clip part. Surely most recent Toyota seat belts use similar clips/restraints ?? This way you could leave the clip in your glovebox (or centre console) and whenever you needed to you could pull it out and clip it into the seatbelt restraint.....freeing you and stopping the beeper. Just trying to think outside the square.... Dave

I guess the cons of used/demo are: - you can't pick the colour you want (unless you are lucky enough to find one that is the colour you're after) - it's likely, for a demo model, that it has copped a hiding by people who want to "see what the Kluger can do" - it's also likely that the sales staff drive it home on occassion and want to "see what the Kluger can do" But, the pro's are: - it will be cheaper - it's already been run-in (unless you find one with REALLY low km's on the clock) - you don't have to pay things like dealer delivery and rego - it's pretty much ready to drive off the lot Dave

I agree with Matty, I think the answer to your questions can only be answered by you. My wife and I are about to go shopping for a Kluger in the next couple of weeks (KX-R 7 seaters 2WD), but I have been researching for some months on what we want to get. We are looking at getting tow bar, nudge bar, side steps, mud guards...all of which you can get aftermarket for a little cheaper than factory price, however the convenience of having all this fitted prior to delivery we're happy to pay for these factory items. The Kluger should tow your future boat nicely and many here can attest to it's towing and/or off-road abilities. IMO, if you're happy to shop around post delivery to have aftermarket items fitted (and save a bit of money) then you can look into this option. If you'd prefer to have everything done by Toyota, then go factory options. Also, many people here will likely advise that the optional factory audio upgrade is not worth the money. There is heaps of great info throughout this forum. Spend a few nights going through all the threads and you will learn a load about the Kluger and it will likely answer many of your questions as well. Good luck with the purchase.... Dave

You should have said you want 20% of the sale price for modelling fees etc.

I noticed that 2nd photo when I looked at this ad the other day ! Kesawi, perhaps you should email the seller and ask for royalties due on your the photo of your car.... :)

I think the blue filter makes the light look more natural (like daylight), instead of yellow. Similar to buying the new fluoro globes for your house and choosing either the "warm" or the "cool" version....

I too am looking to purchase a new Kluger in the coming months and have wondered what is on the horizon. I have looked overseas and the only change I can see coming is the hybrid Highlander - which I assume will eventually make its way into the Kluger. There doesn't seem to be any further updates for the 2010 model, so it may be a year or two before the Kluger/Highlander is updated.

NRMA on Fuel Consumption Figures Interesting reading :)

My Wife and I are looking to buy in the next month or two and we're having trouble choosing between Merlot Red, Graphite and Tidal Blue. Our other car is blue so the red or grey is more likely. I'm leaning more towards Merlot Red though Graphite does look great too. Time will tell I guess

As with most cars these days, the "low fuel light" usually comes on well before the needle is actually down to the empty mark. I wonder if the Kluger works similar, so 0km left is actually the point where the "low-fuel" light would be - leaving in reality a reserve of fuel (approx 50-60km worth) ?? They may do this to promote people filling up their car before the fuel level gets too low and the crud at the bottom of the petrol tank gets sucked up and clogs the filter, causing problems ?? Just a thought...