dave262

Hi all, I have been reading through a number of the posts on this forum for a little while now with keen interest, as I have been considering getting an Aurion for a fair while now. Finally, just over the weekend I bit the bullet and forked out the cash for a brand new Aurion Touring SE. From what I can tell from everyones posts, there are very few issues to really be concerned on with regards to strange behaviour and noises, and things breaking etc. One thing I have noticed many comment about is the sound system, which I would consider upgrading if the bass is as bad as everyone says. I would like to put some standard 6-inch speakers in (as opposed to oval 6.5's), as I already have some high quality Pioneer splits and 3-ways in the Magna, plus a sub. Does anyone even know if this is possible? 6.5's IMO do not have the most natural sound typically, so I would prefer not to have to purchase new ones of those. The head unit I would also hope in future to upgrade, but I would like a unit that can still integrate with the existing steering wheel controls. The car is coming hopefully this weekend, depending on when it is out of the factory. I also got an additional 3 years warranty on it, metallic paint and floor mats (all for no extra cost) and the extra paint protection (the one that includes UV tinted windows). One thing I am curious about though, is how is the insurance like on the Aurion? My old Mitsubishi Magna was covered under 3rd party by AAMI (wasn't worth much, so couldn't justify comprehensive). I was told that for insurance the cost will not be all that much different from my old Magna for comprehensive, and being 21, obviously costs will still be a little higher than the norm anyway. I'm hoping this is the right choice, as I've only ever driven second hand cars!

hmmm that would be interesting if they did... when would you guess they might re-introduce it? I found from the dealers the current run finishes in mid-december, so I'm trying to decide whether to get one now or wait till later (where they might have more reasonable prices and a few extra accessories to choose from - ie. aux input on radio).

Does anybody know how long this model will be available for? I am considering getting one of these, as I was looking at a Prodigy, but wasn't all that keen about leather seats... this pretty much solves that issue :) I'm hoping to get a new car sometime in the next few months once I can get finances worked out, and the Touring model caught my eye at the dealers...

Any luck? No news yet - the tech went for a drive with me this morning when I dropped it off. Naturally we couldnt replicate the fault as it was already warm, so they decided to keep it overnight. Its cold tonight - I hope it plays up big time He did mention however that Toyota reckon its part of the warm-up cycle and that it was common across the range. I pressed him on it as it sounded like rubbish to me...when I explained that it was sometimes a second at least (which at normal modest acceleration gives a significant and very unprofessional flare of about 1000 rpm) he said "No that sounds like a fault". It didnt happen when I first got the car and it didnt happen when I had an SX6 for a couple of days on a test drive. I think I could mount an argument that its a safety issue - in traffic you need to be in gear, not poking around on the accelerator pedal wondering when it will engage 4th. Anyway I'll keep you posted. Typically these sorts of issues are common across most auto transmissions when cold. As I'm sure a number of you understand, there are a number of friction plates within auto transmissions which rely on transmission fluid for lubrication, while also allowing the correct amount of friction. When cold, like any oil, the fluid is very thick and tends to allow the transmission to slip. Once the fluid warms up, it becomes thinner and the transmission should stop slipping. If the issue disappears once it warms up a little, that will be all it is. Of course there is always the possibility it is something more sinister like a blocked solenoid valve, but then again, it could also be something as simple as the transmission requiring a fluid change. Typically what some manufacturers do is they disallow "smooth" shifting between gears while the car is cold to reduce wear, which will create some rather rough gear changes. At 10,000km, I would imagine it may just be something like a loose connector or some strange method of changing the ECU/TCU may have learned that will be causing the flaring between gears, but no harm in getting Toyota to take a look at it. I think with any new car it's a good idea to drive it hard, but not excessively hard for the first 10,000-15,000km to weed out any problems that may be present. Just be grateful this problem has surfaced now while it's still under warranty! :)

What car was this that caused all these problems??? Obviously something 4 cylinder, but I don't think even my lemon magna has cost me that much! Also... what do u mean by "All 4 engines failed"? I take it u mean cylinders? lol

TRD sounds like a fairly impressive piece of machinery... 241kW isn't something to be looked down upon... The RWD/AWD vs. FWD debate... each method has advantages and disadvantages. Personally I prefer the FWD, as it is slightly more efficient due to fewer losses in transfer gears (plus easier to maintain due to fewer seals, shafts, gears etc.), and you don't lose as much in-car space due to the cavity for the drive shaft. They are generally better for boat towing too, as when you reverse the boat into the water and try to get out of the water, the drive wheels won't be sitting in the slippery sludge (obviously doesn't apply for AWD). Handling... well from driving both types of cars, I find AWD the safest in wet weather, with FWD probably second. RWD I always had issues with the back sliding out of control while turning corners and trying to accelerate. During the dry though, all of them handle pretty well. Maybe in the dry RWD and AWD are slightly better... Either way this is all an opinion, and doesn't take from the fact that the Aurion is great value for money, has a respectable amount of power from the engine with the safety to go with too, while giving one of the best fuel economies of any large car around. All this equates to great competition for the market, and whether or not it does much to affect Ford or Holden, the competition in the end is good, as it equates to savings and innovations which in the end benefit us as the consumer :D

haha yeah that's true about the washers! Although making one can't be too hard, since u can get those wipers from most the old SAAB's for instance ;) Auto-levelling I wasn't really sure about, but I have heard a number of times that it is becoming standard and possibly maybe a legal requirement in the future as HID becomes more popular, mainly due to the fact that there is significant glare if u get the "edge" of the light. Autolevelling features are advantageous to cut back on this a bit, plus it means the headlights are always on the road rather than facing towards the sky when u are going over hills etc.

Mine has only done about 140,000km, but it is one of the cursed last run batches (september 1990) that were prone to breaking anything and everything... so far I've had to replace head gasket, injectors, camshaft, HLA's, valve stem seals, all radiator hoses, blower motor resistor, distributor and rotor, ECU, rocker cover, PCV valve, TPS, AFM, all bushings, brakes, 3 engine mounts, exhaust, headers, and even the entire k-frame! Soon to come is chains and control arms... In fact... just listing it all there, damn that's a lot of things that needed fixing! I'm just trying to keep it going till next year when I plan on getting new car (waiting for next model Aurion so first generation gets cheaper :D)

This is one of those discussions that goes on heaps in pretty much every car forum... In short, it is not a good idea to put HID in a system not designed for it. This is for a number of reasons: 1) Void warranty 2) Original lens damaged from increased heat 3) Ballasts less resistant to moisture 4) Extremely high voltage 5) HID has a different light pattern than halogen and will create significant glare if installed into a halogen lens 6) Auto-levelling I have heard is a requirement for HID kits, as it is the edges of HID lights that create the glare. I came across these links some time ago in another forum: HID - Disadvantages HID - Conversions FAQ HID - General FAQ I have nearly had a number of accidents in the past due to converted HID kits... one such experience driving in Mount Dandenong with some hoon behind me tailgating the whole way... the lights created so much glare I ended up driving around at night with sunglasses on... I literally could not see anything, and couldn't pull over anyway or I would have either ended up down the hill or hit by this guy!!! HID kits IMO should only come as a stock option when they are designed specifically to be used by the car. In all other cases, just get better halogens!

Thanks for the reply! I don't think anything could be worse than my TP when it comes to fuel economy haha... it averages close to 18L/100k in city, and only does about 15l/100k on freeways (weeping injector and worn chains)! The Accord Euro I must say does look quite classy, and having owned 2 Honda's in the past (Oddysey however), I know they are good cars. Although the current one seems to be burning heaps of oil, which according to dealer is common, and the cheapest solution is to carry around a bottle of oil, which is a little dodgy.... I might take a look at the mazda6... while the subaru I like the handling of, but the fuel economy isn't all that great, but I will try anyway. Am I right to assume that spoilers would slightly decrease economy? Extra downforce on the back would create a bit more rolling resistance I would imagine... Most the roads I travel on vary between 60-80k usually, although I do spend a bit of time idling or stuck in start-stop traffic in city now and then. Rarely freeways unfortunately, which is where I can imagine the Aurion would really shine hehe. As long as the Aurion is around like 12L/100k or something on those kind of roads, it's ok. I've driven small cars that use more fuel than that on those type of roads!

Hi all, I'm just new here, although just yet I don't have an Aurion, I am considering getting one. My current old Mitsubishi TP Magna (1990) is on it's way out due to engine problems (it was one of the last runs, which was a notoriously problematic batch), and I am just waiting for my P plates to turn into full license in about a month. Main reason I am looking at the Aurion is the fuel economy vs. performance, stock features, and appearance. I am completely sick of 4 cyl engines, as my current car is 4 cylinder and so are all the other cars I have. In my experience, they don't idle all that nicely and tend to be pretty poor on fuel usage... with decent sized engines at least. There is no way I would ever get a car with an engine smaller than 2.0L in a 4 cylinder. Anyways... with relation to the thread topic, I have been reading of everyone saying how nice it is, but what I am curious about is what it is like compared to other cars in the same segment? Other cars being things like the Honda Accord Euro, the Mitsubishi 380, Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon etc. I wouldn't be looking at the Presara due to cost, but I am looking at either the SX6 or Prodigy (I want a sunroof and the nicer dash dials lol). Also as a side note, how easy would it be to upgrade the head unit? I read another topic in this forum about Eclipse having surrounds for it to convert the center console to double-din, but I'm curious how well it actually turns out (like does it actually appear similar to the original design?). Sorry about the long post though... seems this is one of the few decent forums about for Aurion! Most sites don't even mention it.