PaulMT

I've been waiting for you to "report back" before I go ahead with my coil overs (The same as yours) What is the problem that means you can't get them aligned up properly? If the Camry 06+ is the same as the Aurion I don't understand whats causing the issue?? I have to say I asked Redline Performance to state that the coil over model you used was ok for an Aurion but they wouldn't confirm or deny. Do you need to have your cars suspension certified if it is modified to get your rego'? In NZ we have to have a certification to make the modification legit and I am worried that if they don't sit right this could fail although I agree with what your saying as I wouldn't go so low as to need extra camber either.

Just to update, I thought I had updated here but it was in another thread Duh! Here is a link to another thread which shows the head deck that I finally ended up with after I didn't like the look of the single din JVC.

I wasn't interested in mucking around wasting time saving the speakers, after all what would I do with them anyway, put them in another car that needs c*#p speakers? Custom mounts were made for the fronts.

Ooops *#@&* your right, I went the wrong way

I have looked into coil overs for my SX6 Aurion. The BC ones (This is in NZ) I am getting are the same part code C-17 but are gold model that has extra multiple settings available including castor. I'm not sure if JIN's ones had this? I am getting them from Redline Performance who are the Aus, NZ agents for BC. The company that has done my wheels, tyres and Audio will do the fit and send the car to the alignment specialists for tweaking. They are $NZ1500 ($AU1875) fitted and a further $NZ499 ($AU624) for certification which includes plate riveted to the fire wall under the bonnet. So that's $NZ1999 all up legit! ($AU2499) This big difference in price between this and JIN is the certification. I'm not sure what the legalities are in OZ but here if you don't have certificate done by an independent authority and have the plate fixed to your car you will have the car "pink slipped" or removed from the road, not to mention fines etc. Because my car is shuddering in the steering and pulling to the left lately I was going to get a specialist alignment done anyway but have now decided to go ahead with Coil Overs and specialist alignment covering all points is included in the above price. I expect a marginal improvement in handling "feel" but I am doing this more for the looks of dropping it down about 40-50mm - and because I can! Thanks to JIN for all the feedback on his research and final fit.

So, you have 140litres over two fills You travelled 1132Km Add approx, 30Km for travel available after light displays = 1162Km divided by the litres = 8.3l\100km That is amazingly VERY GOOD fuel economy for a 3.5litre V6 204KW car in anyones language. I actually get more like 20-30k from the safety so the above is conservative. There are many Aurion drivers here that will be envious of your fuel consumption, why do you not think that is good?

I do, I do! and loving it! PM sent??

BONUS! SIngle DINs would look funny in the stock spot, especially with all the silver panel surrounding it, Double DINs are way better suited. UPDATE The stock Head Deck for the SX6 is in fact two separate complete units behind the fascia panel. The top unit is the CD changer and the bottom the unit has all the wire connectors in. It turned out to be easier and better for later restoration of the original HD to just leave the lower unit complete, wrap in sound foam and tie up under the dash. It would be possible to disassemble the unit and extract the board but it just wasn't necessary to go this far. The result is I now have a fantastic JVC double din 7" screen DVD\CD\Receiver unit and my steering wheel display controls work. The JVC unit has a steering wheel volume control add-on accessory and I am looking at whether we can get the volume and mode controls on the steering wheel working again also. I am confident we can, maybe not with the original mode functions but functionality all the same. I will add some photo's later so any one else looking at replacing their factory sounds can see what we have done. So the final system is.... 4x Fusion 6x9's replacing the factory speakers 2x (stock) factory In Dash Tweeters Sony 600W Amplifier JVC KW-AVX810 Head Unit I am considering a Fusion Sub for the boot, but at the moment I am happy with the balance and sound of this system. All up cost fitted including the replacement fascia panel and JVC Bluetooth adapter NZ$1300 (AU$1053) I'm off for a long drive now :D

@ agp39 Thanks for your reply, your thoughts confirmed by DJKOR @ DJKOR Thank you for your very detailed reply I really appreciate the effort you took. Just some background on why I was asking... I have a brand new JVC KD-AVX44 HU installed. I was never happy that it didn't look stock enough and the single din even with the correct "blank" didn't suit me. I also in the process lost my Steering volume and other (right hand side) controls. I new the volume control would be specific to the standard HU but was surprised to lose my other displays. I had thought if I could shift the new HU into the panel we have discussed and return the original HU to it's place and hook up back to the display all would be well in my world, but... as you have said without a lot of modifying this space isn't suitable. So, here's the good news. I went back to the company that installed the HU who also weren't happy with the final fit and loss of control. They have said they will no charge to me other than $200 for the change over, install the same JVC unit but the double din one with full size screen display. This will look awesome and more "stock" they will also extract the board from the original HU and hide that up under the dash and hook up to my display. So considering the initial install was early December their customer service to me is superb and I am very happy with the proposed outcome. :D

Apologies in advance for swiping DJKOR's image, hope you don't mind What is behind this panel and would there be enough space for a single din head deck? I notice there are insert pockets down the outside of the consold that may indicate there isn't enough room for anything... Thanks

I think the one thing that is being over looked here is the fuel you fill up with. Without any doubt the higher the octane rating the better your fuel consumption will be. In New Zealand the highest we have is 95 octane unleaded. Shell have introduced "Vortex" which is 95 and has an injector cleaning additive they claim adds to performance although they don't make any consumption saving claims (for the obvious reasons) I have a dual Shell\Caltex fuel card and so only ever use these two brands and I only use "Super" at Caltex or Vortex at Shell. My average weekly mileage is 730km. I fill up at least twice a week. MY driving conditions are, (average) 50km per day on the motorway the balance around town, in traffic jams, sitting at lights or stop start at under 60km p/hr speeds. I go away on long out of town trips 6 times a year. Reading the consumption shown on the fuel cards invoice/statement, I am rarely above 10.1l p/100kmfor the month, and often below. 95% of the time I use the sequential shift in a manual type mode, I use this to engine brake and to ensure the car always has the revs required to manoeuvre without labouring and to get maximum performance. I drive smoothly but I am quick, I have a busy business day so I can't just cruise, but I look ahead, I don't plant my foot then slam the brakes on, I keep it smooth as I said. So, my figures are accurate as they are done at the point of sale and totalled monthly; the in car consumption read-out is matching the data so it appears that is giving a fairly accurate read-out. My suggestions are (and I'm not claiming any superiority or trying to teach any of you how to suck eggs) based on my results with this car (SX6) - Use ONLY the highest octane you can buy. (It's a false economy to think cheaper at the pump is cheaper in the long run - it isn't!) - Keep wheel balance, and alignments exact (have the car fixed if the alignment goes out, don't just leave it or compensate your driving) - Keep your tyre pressures exact to the manufacturers requirement (or a bit harder if you like, but not softer) - Drive smoothly, fast up to the limits, yes no problem, but look ahead, see what's going on so your not making sharp changes - Use the sequential to slow the car and achieve the revs required for the engine to work smoothly without multiple gear changing I hope this helps, I am off on holiday for the next two weeks with a lot of driving towing a Jayco caravan, so I am sure that will push consumption up; but it will be worth it :-)

Hahaha exactly! And for all the others that have said that integral parts of the Aurion, e.g. RWD, Better Sequential Gearbox and the rest, are the "worst part" your showing ignorance because you have missed the point of this thread which surely is not about the obvious points that you could of made a decision on before buying, but those subtle hidden little things (rattle in dash as one) that you only notice after having owned a car for a while. I overlooked the bad sound system, I shouldn't have, but I didn't bag the car overall, I went out and fixed the issue myself. If you buy a FWD car and then later wish you had stuck with or gone to RWD that's fine, but to then bag the car you bought is ridiculous, YOU made the choice the car didn't choose you and when you do this, you just make yourselves look stupid! The Aurion is a good car. Like all cars it has it's own set of niggles that would normally be sorted out over facelift and model changes. The Aurion as an OZ built car is new, perhaps waiting for the series II may have been a better choice for some. I like my Aurion, I may not buy one next time round that depends, but I don't rubbish the badge for my purchase decisions. If I have a problem I put pressure on my Toyota dealer to get it fixed or give me some satisfactory explanation why it should be that way, after all I have the buying power to not go back to them. In these "hard" times that has a huge impact on most reputable dealers, and Toyota also I would say considering they have just made a world-wide loss for the first time! ----------------

Interesting Thread! It does show that we all have issues with some part of our cars performance or build quality. This is normal no matter what the brand. I have always, with every car I have owned, gone through a honeymoon period where the car can do no wrong, then slowly little things start to irk me; a rattle here, a creak there, a performance lag over there etc etc. I have owned my car for 10mths from new and overall I am happy with it. As has been said with the 19" wheels and dark tints (all factory fitted) my Gold Aurion SX6 is a stunning car that people walk up to me to talk about. I still love looking at it as the design is so good! Like most of the posters here with the exception of those that obviously bought the wrong car or don't own a Aurion and are just making ill informed flip remarks, there are some things that annoy me. But I still enjoy getting into the car every day and DRIVING it and that is, and always has been the most important criteria for me. I don't agree that the SX6 and ZR6 are "family cars" they are meant to be sporty saloons which give the driver a better experience (according to Toyota's blurb) and I think they do that. The family Aurion is surely the ATX range. The suspension of my SX6 is harder than any other stock car I have owned and although can't be thrown around corners with the same degree of confidence as a rear wheel car it still cannot be beaten off the line and does stick in the corners if your prepared to hang it out and hang on :-) I still love my Aurion SX6, it's my work and private car so I couldn't ask for a better office at the moment for the outlay. There are improvements that could be done to build quality (mainly interior) but hopefully Toyota will be happy with the overall sales and tweak these in later models who knows maybe an AWD is on their minds and that would really be something to get excited about! :D ----------------

As a person who works from his car, and has done for many years with many different cars, wind noise reverberation from the back windows is very common across the brands! You will often see Reps with their rear windows cracked open 50mm and the fronts the same. This provides a very good cooling airflow without the noise. So rear wind noise is not a problem for me in my SX6... The gear box in my opinion is the best I have ever driven with including several HSV's I have had. The lag is typical of most sequential type uses of the auto box. It doesn't cause me any issues because like all good drivers should do, I have changed my driving method to suit the car. I use the sequential more than not and can make the gears change when I want up or down. In a drag off the line from the lights or etc, I will use first to get going or get the jump and move to second to allow the transmission to make a smooth change and so on. I use it more as a "pre-select" I guess. Now I am so used to it I can run it like a manual. Changing down can be a bit slower, but even here I have found the optimum speeds to make the change and minimise the lag to almost zero and yes, I can get into 1st very smoothly now. MY suggestion is practise good technique and think a bit about how your car operates. All cars are different and all require to be driven differently. Once you find the optimum way to drive your particular vehicle that's when you get real performance. I don't find the road noise much worse than any other car I have put 245 wide tyres on and different tyres make more or less noise. My worst Aurion feature! The standard head deck and speakers, they are crap. I could have opted for a different Toyota set but none were very good, so I replaced with Fusion 6x9 3 ways all round and a JVC head deck that gives me iPod, USB, and External input functions. This has fixed that problem, but I do wish car companies would at least make a performance sound system available as an option. The Aurion was surely targeted at the young exec's, Sales Reps and fleet markets etc or in other words people who spend a lot of time in their car - hence the requirement for good sounds! ----------------

Sorry, but I think you guys who are having high fuel consumption must have bad driving styles or something! I have an Aurion SX6, I don't crawl along the road, I like to get to the speed limit (and a bit beyond) as fast as is possible on occasions and I do high mileage both town and country. My car is 10 mths old and I have done 32k so I think you would agree I am in it a lot. I only buy the highest octane fuel, I have a Dual Fuel Card (Shell\Caltex) which means I can use Shell Vortex or Caltex Super Unleaded. Because my company requires the receipts they track the fuel consumption and have been very happy to see that mine very rarely exceeds 10.1l\100km for the invoiced period. I have recorded 8.8l\100km on some long open road trips. I don't drive like a Nana, I use the sequential more than not and I have 245x35x19 Mags with Falken soft compound tyres. I check my tyre pressures regularly with a digital tyre gauge and the car is serviced by Toyota at the required 15k intervals. So in conclusion I believe the advertised mileage data is accurate (for me at least) and still amazes me how so much power can still give economic running. ----------------

Thanks JIN I had wondered about where the controls interfaced with the factory head deck. I will definitely look into this. ----------------

I have the 3M invisible type and it is brilliant. You really don't know it's there unless you looked for it. Covers the front part of the bonnet and front panels also. I am sure I wouldn't want to upset whatever aerodynamics there is in a new vehicle with a big fabric or leather "bra"

Sorry for the delay in replying... @ TRD110 Thanks :-) The Factory Blank was NZ$180 (about AU$150) and was supplied by the JVC agents here, but I believe it is a Toyota part though I don't know what the part no. is. @ eSEXSIX No, I had a professional Car Audio company do the work. They had the car for an hour to make all the required measurements etc. The Front Aurion speakers were destroyed in the removal process and the rears required re-drilling to suit the Fusion holes. The rears although the coils are huge slot in nicely between the boot lid tensioners and the fronts fitted without to much issue into the door and obviously miss the window. @ VF-X All up cost with the Head Deck, 4x 3way Fusion 6x9's, Fitting my Sony 600W amp under the passenger seat, pre-wiring for a SUB and the dash blank with fitting labour was NZ$1600 (Approx AU$1300) I could have shopped around but I have done a lot with this particular company and I like the way they treat me and the quality of their work and back up is second to none. Your right about the poor sound proofing of the Aurion, though I can't hear any of that now Our roads are quite heavy chip and with the wider wheels makes for a noisy ride. Anyway fixed by installing better sounds! @ pinzvidz The OEM head Deck is ugly that's true. But worst of all is it is wired into the steering controls so I lost these both sides of the steering wheel. Fortunately I had the display on l/per100km Tank Average which I like to see but I can't select anything else. The other thing with the OEM head deck is it has no amp out so you can't even add to it which was what I initially wanted to do though I am now very happy with the sexy JVC

Finally got round to over hauling the pathetic sound system that comes with the Aurion. I Replaced all four 6x9's with Fusion 3way 6x9's. I left the tweeters in the dash. I also replaced the head deck with a JVC KD-AVX44 and installed a Sony 600W Amp under the passenger seat. The difference is HUGE I wish I had done this before. Cruising is right back up there with some of the other life pleasures again! For a look at the JVC Head deck Click here! The deck is a single din but a factory supplied "blank" seats the head deck really nicely with a storage tray below. Photo's to come soon. If you aren't happy with the sounds in your Aurion do this ASAP it really is worth the outlay! ----------------

A point about the handling... My 19 x 245 Falken tyres keep the car like it's on rails. The handling was improved immensely over the stock wheels and tyres in terms of grip, but, be aware that the ride on the Aurion Sportivo's is already very stiff and quite hard (which is good) so with the lower profile it does get a little bit more firm. The biggest change is the torque steer and camber wander and the car following the ridges and ruts in the road. This is dramatically changed from the standard 17 x 215 tyres. I like it but it can wake you up in a hurry if you relax and sit back in cruisey mode. I find that on rougher "b" grade type surfaces it requires full attention and two hands. I kept my original 17" Mags and Michelin tyres and have them stored away. I will maybe put these back on before selling the car or sell them, but regardless of my comments I wouldn't change the set-up I have now as it makes for a very cool ride. I really like the performance of the Falken tyres and have done 30k on them. I would definitely use them again when the time comes even though they are a little road noisy. BTW the five (thinner) spoke mags like mine makes for easy cleaning! ----------------

I have 19" x 8.5 and they have never scrubbed. I've done just over 30k without a single problem... other than curbing both fronts! ----------------

OMG I hate revealing this :D Age 57, Sales Exec, Company pay's a vehicle allowance which enables me to have any car I want. I've had Holdens before; this is the first Toyota. I like to make the car allowance equal the value of the car so up to about $45k is about right with insurance, tyres and service included. My fuel is paid for and I roll cars over every 3 years. ----------------

I think that's a real shame - I think the gold is HOT! Anyway that will just make mine even more exclusive :-) ----------------

Hehehe, I was pleased too. How it happened was I wrote to Toyota New Zealand and complained about the service I was receiving with regard to the rattle in the dash. I also demanded to only deal with the Service Manager at the dealers and as a result they were bending over to help me (or get me out of their hair) Anyway I was very happy with the service I finally got - and the result. The Lexus was a bit of a let down. The 2.5l V6 is no where near as grunty as the Aurions (I know it's 1000cc bigger) and the 6 speed box didn't seem as comfortable in the Lexus as the Aurion. It had all the toys but I was glad to get back into my "rattle free" Aurion. I travel over to OZ a lot, I am from Melbourne and have family in NSW. By comparrison we do have access to better late model Jap and Euro second hand cars at prices a lot less than in OZ. The spec's of the cars imported into NZ are a lot higher also. having said that the prices have been going up over the last couple of years as the UK gets into Jap imports and makes the supply less. New cars in OZ are cheaper than here. My Aurion SX6 with Bluetooth, Towbar, Tow electrics, Upholstery Protection, Darkest legal Tints, Stone front/bonnet protection and 5 year warranty with 24mth free servicing was NZ$39500 That equates to about AUS$43,500 ----------------

Just had my 2008 SX6 in for one day to have the dash rattle fixed. They installed the Toyota kit (Clips) and it's now as good as new! My Toyota dealer loaned me a new (8k) IS250 Lexus which had more rattles than my SX6 does now - so I am very happy with the outcome, though it took a lot of pushing to get them to recognise the problem in the first place. BTW This was in NZ so doesn't help wioth the original thread request, but just wanted to say the fix is worth the wait :D ----------------