11/16Aurion 12Kluger

I had a 10 y/o v6 camry with the original factory battery in it and it was still good when i sold it.
Some cars are lucky for the battery to last 2 years!!

Re price... do your research and find your "happy" price or in your case with a trade in "happy changeover" price.

Know what spec, colour & accessories you want in your deal.

Shopping for a deal is best done at anytime and MOST importantly, only when you are ready to buy right now.
Dont take in printouts of other deals or try to force them by saying I can get it cheaper down the road.. i'm going, etc, etc.. :-( That is what a kid would do ... sorry.

Dealers get dozens of people in their showroom every day and every one is in a different state of decisiveness or preparedness. Most don't even have a clue what they really want and no idea of the real price of the vehicle they will have forced onto them. Sometimes they pay $10,000 more than they have to but are so oblivious they have no idea they have been ripped off to the hilt.

I knew my "happy changeover price" before I went to strike a deal. They knew I was not a tyre kicker or a time waster and hit me with their best deal straight off which was much better than my happy changeover. Being the hard nose dealer I am I added a towbar, nudge bar, l&r weathershields, full tank and mats to their offer. I expected it to be laughed at but after a short while they returned and we shook on the deal.

You cannot go in and say my friend got one at this price so i want one with the same deal. They do not have to honor anyones previous deal, at all, ever. There is no law for car dealers to have to do that. They only have to see what they can do to meet your offer when you disclose it to them when you are ready to buy. Probing for deals and tyre kicking only wastes their time and yours.

As for the best time... it is any day of the year. You can get a special deal for many different reasons.

Do your homework and good luck.

BTW... don't get talked into a deal or car you don't want. They may try.

I'm surprised that you found that the cost of rebonding was less than new. I would get a price elsewhere.

Depends on what you want your new car to do and have in it Stephen.

I've had my new Kluger 2wd for almost a year now and still can't stop wanting to drive it... a magnificent motor vehicle for me.

Figure out what you would like then take a look around the dealerships at what is on offer. There are some pretty good suvs out there at the moment (some not so good also so be warned).

Boot space??.... Go have a look at one, it is free. While there lift up the rear compartment cover and discover just how much storage space there really is in there.

Thanks for letting us know the outcome Dennis.
A good lesson for anyone buying a used car... take no notice of the log books!!
Someone who knows the game can pick a car that has not been serviced correctly quick smart.
It is a wonder that the dealer did not realise this was the case when they acquired it??? Or maybe they did... which makes it even worse.

As for the term "Toyota sludge" ???
Sludge or build up can happen in any motor that does not have regular oil & filter changes.

Modern motors perform and last longer than those of long ago but they are very dependant on a couple of little things... oil & filter changes and more importantly cooling system servicing.

I thought they operated purely by light, or the lack of light, received at the sensor??

Having it operate by a time based mechanism would be out of sync most of the time when you consider seasons and daylight saving changes.

Has the OP checked the sensor and it's connections?? Do the reset as mentioned above and see if that helps.

Do you have a dash mat covering the sensor??

My 2012 KXR with basic audio plays music via bluetooth automatically. (Android phone though.)

Just have to select bluetooth and it finds the music folder and starts to play.

I would imagine the S version and higher would do the same.

I saw somewhere that someone called theirs Jumbo..... because of how the big mirrors stood out (look like ears).

No name for mine yet as I might call it out in moments of passion... luv it!!! :D :D :P :P B)

Odd as that is where I got the guide to set mine up (got 4 in there now).
The guide starts at page 32 in the radio manual.

""My local Toyota dealership cannot suggest what it might be""", any help is appreciated!

Why am I not surprised??

Keep an eye on your oil & coolant level and also any signs of rough idling or overheating... they are some of the common signs of head gasket problems.

I think you most likely have common condensation issues. More likely if the vehicle is parked outside.

Check your PCV valve... clean it out or replace it if it is not sealing or operating correctly. They can let small amounts of oil through if faulty and give the symptom you are reporting.

A little movie of it on cold startup would be a big help.

Just had a look through some of the posts in the Aurion forum as it is the same motor but no mention that i could see. Take a look at the US toyota owners club also... its known as a highlander over there and is a great source for tips & tricks.

Steve if your local Toyota dealer is friendly enough he might give you a pair of covers as they would have plenty from cars that they have fitted bars to. They left my covers in the glove box of my new car.

Sounds like you have made a good deal there Oms. Now to get the Kluger smile :-)

Check out after market sensors if you really need them. There are good ones out there and for heaps less than the ones carrying the Toyota brand.

Jonathan... I did a trip up to Brisbane & return just recently in my Kluger... fuel economy was brilliant as was the comfort of driving long distance in the Kluger. The only problem you will have is you will want to keep driving... :-)

As I said before good customer satisfaction is every thing , some people might disagree ,but its every thing in my eyes.

Agree David... they are out to shaft you when you are buying the car and at every service after that.

They rant on with a whole lot of crap when you take delivery.... I never thought my salesman was going to shut up... showing you how to open the door and how to start it.... omg, yawwnnn. I wanted to know what oil they use when they service it... both brand and viscosity... but I never bothered because it would have been one of 2 answers... either I dont know or if otherwise it would have been bulls**t.... :-(

It is sad these ****ers are this way ... as I said b4, bring on new car purchasing without the saleman crap :-)

40psi here too. Tried 36 & 38 but not quite as good all round. 40 was recommended by the dealer also.

Hi everyone

visited our dealer today and was pretty dam impressed with the Grande - it literally has everything we would ever want in a car(except for parking sensors which is weird) but i thought id ask some questions here before handing over a significant amount of money. It will be the first new car we buy after several used cars so im pretty keen to get it right for this purchase

1. If we buy 'new' what year model are we actually going to get ? 2011 or 2012(is there such a thing) or is it just a build year/complaince difference not model difference per se

It is not unreasonable to ask for and get a car under 3 months from the manufacture date. You can request this with your order and also ask for one with less that 100k on it. My new Kluger was 2 months old and had 6 k on it. You are buying a NEW car, not one 12 months old that has 500k of demo usage on it. Stipulate this if the do not offer you a demo.

2. we are looking at getting the 2wd version, any downside to this? we arent expecting to go off road so its 100% urban use for us

I chose the 2wd version... it handles well and gives a lot better fuel economy than the AWD version.

I have taken mine on some tracks and it goes where the tiny 4WD's go with ease. If you intended to travel the snow roads a lot then all the extra $$$ for awd may be a worthwhile outlay.

3. Fuel consumption, is it as advertised at 11L/100 or is that crap vs reality

With my 2wd I constantly get low 8's/100 on the open road without trying to drive conservatively and low 10's/100 in the city. For the power and size of the vehicle the 2wd version is amazing on fuel. I did achieve 7.0/100 exact on a trip from Tweed Heads to Caboolture once but that was on straight level road doing a constant 110. I recently did 500k towing a caravan and it returned 14/100 which impressed me. If you read this forum you will see there is a topic dealing with fuel economy.

4. What kind of issues/problems are commonly experienced with the latest revision of the Kluger? any showstoppers

Had mine for 3ths and done 5000k... no problem to report at all except I can't find enough excuses to drive it often enough. I've owned a lot of cars in my almost 50 years of motoring, both new and used, but this vehicle is much more than just another car.

5, What are the usual things that these dealers can throw in(if any) so i dont get the bill for them

Mats are always free.... the rest is up to you to figure out... I got a heap of extras with mine but I did the research and knew what to push to. There are posts on here about members deals they achieved. A tow bar is always a good one as is a full tank.

6. Fixed price servicing - is it legit or are there hidden catches in it.. iv read the 80k service on previous models can be around the 1k mark so is the $180 or whatever it is enough to cover that labour etc.

The fixed service charge is for a set amount of k's and with my dealer there is not catch or con. I also have not seen any mentioned with all my reading of reports from owners. Make sure you are dealing with a good dealer... luckily we have 3 around here and one is truly rotten...

i know they are pretty general questions but i thought id get the ball rolling and see how the discussion goes - id especially like to hear from you if you own the latest Grande

We are looking at getting:

• 2WD Grande in Graphite
  
• Sidesteps
  
• Front and rear park sensors
  
• Nudgebar
  
• Got one on mine included... handy for parking assist. :-)
  
• UV Tint on front driver/passenger windows
  
• You know these are already tinted?
  
• Floor mats
  
• Always free... they are a pest though as they are the clip on type and are a mongrel to get out.
  
• Reject shop / GoLo have sets with spikes on the back that are much better for $7 - $8 set of 4.
  
• Boot mat
  
• weather shields for front windows
  
• Got these included ... great when it is raining and you like to have your window down a little.
  
• Towbar
  
• aka rear park assist. :-) very handy to have.
  

Thanks

With the Grande @ $70,000 + just add up what you get for your extra $35,000 over the base model. I could not see the $35k in it personally but we all have different wants and likes. One thing I did not like was the lower profile tyres which would be more prone to damage.

SO lets summarize, do you even know why Toyota have reduced oil viscosity recommendations over the last 10 years, followed up by an addendum in the factory manual telling you it is acceptable to use 1 lt per 1000km and this is and i quote "Normal" where as 5 years earlier there was no such addendum added?????????

When I mentioned to my dealership (i hate them too) that my new Kluger used 2L during a 1800k trip they were very alarmed.

They reported it to Toyota and were instructed to put it on a oil consumption monitoring program immediately.

It has not used any oil since and from reading around this can happen with some new engines when running in.

It's not just a Toyota problem, look at Subaru and their 0w20 recommended oil LOL, Toyota are follwing that path too.

0/20.. may as well use water.

It is very common for dealerships to just throw in 20/50 as that is the grade that they seem to be able to get the cheapest.

As for oil flushing an engine?? Honda USA has stated if this procedure is used on a Honda engine during warranty the warranty is void!

The US site Toyota Nation has some good discussions on engine oil and well worth reading.

BTW... dirt & dust is not the major factor in the lost of viscosity in engine oil. Acids and chemilcals that form during the regular operation of the motor are the enemy of engine oil.

Recently made an enquiry with a dealer finance manager for a new quote for a new Kluger,

Anyone else experienced a bad service from a Toyota Dealer???

To get the best price on a new car show up in person. Very rarely will any dealer enter into a game of phone calls and emails as they are just wasting their time with tyre kickers most of the time. Usually they will only do that special deal when you are ready to commit there and then.

Even face to face they can be total drop kicks... I already had a good quote and popped into another dealer just out of curiosity. They were so focused on being the "deal fast closer" that they totally screwed up on the exact model Kluger I wanted. ie: a KX-R. They quoted on a KX-S price even though they had KX-R written on their quote form. When I said their price was $10,000 more than what I already had they said the others must have made a mistake. LOLLLL Guess who made the stuff up and I was not going to tell them.

Car salesmen are just people who cannot get a real job.

Remember that and you will understand why they are the way they are.

One day we will be able to buy new cars without going anywhere near a dealership or their insulting incompetent car salemen.. Bring it onnnnnn !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to agree with Rice Racing here.

If you want your car serviced with "care" and with parts of a known quality then do it yourself, if you have the capability of doing so.

I have owned many new cars during my 60+ years and the number of times services were not done correctly greatly outnumber the few that were.

Add to that damage to the car whist being serviced by the caring individuals ranging from oil stained seats & mats, steering wheel, door handles through to body scratches and dents.

If you are extra lucky your car will get to be driven for a 60k plus "test drive" by the extra caring service personnel as well.

If you dare to complain about any of this you will first be accused of being a liar and then will be hit with a myriad of other well rehe****d explanations that they use to cover such circumstances in the past.

A person friend is a service manager at a dealership, not Toyota, and he openly laughs at the game they play with their victims.

You may get your moneys worth with your dealership service but the odds are against you.

Read up and do it yourself, not just for the savings.

I have a new Kluger... I must take it to Toyota to have it serviced by a young apprentice who could not give a frig and who knows what oil they will use??... most likely the 20-50 that they can get at bagain rates?? I have to do this so my cars warranty will still cover items protected by that "careless" servicing. What a bloody joke and a rip off.

Are you aware that in the USA Toyota owners can service their own cars without having any affect on their warranty??? Why do Toyota Australia not trust their customers in the same way?? RIP - OFF

Re ignited a 2 year old thread???

NSW, Kluger KXS 2WD Graphite

46760(with Mats) Mats are always free. The $10 sets at kmart are much better. I got the toyota ones thrown in mine and they are a pest to unhook. The kmart ones have spikes in the bottom to stop them sliding all over as well.

You will never be able to get a better deal that this as this is the minimum price dealers are allowed to sell the car.

If that aint a salesmans fairytale then i will walk to Bourke... loll. If you believe it then why ask if there is a better deal?

If anyone has got a better deal, let me know. If you are in victoria, then i would say you should be able to get the same car for around $46000.

There is another more up to date price thread on here..

After the deal was done, then added side steps for 900 and cargo boot mat for 76.

Deal sounds ok for a KX-S, they usually go for about $10k more than the base model. I can't see the sat nav, leather seats and bigger wheels adding being worth $10k?? Personal thing I suppose.

One thing for sure... you now own one very good motor vehicle!!

Hi all,

I am new to this forum and new to forums in general.

My wife has told me we need a new car. I am not sure if she feels the need to keep up with the other mums at our kids' school :) In any case, we need a car with lots of room (doesn't everyone these days?).

While I was away last week my wife went off and did a recon mission at the local dealers' places. Holden (captiva), Lexus, Audi (Q7) were all checked out, as well as the Toyota (Kluger). She didn't like the Captiva or the Lexus (both probably too small) but she did like the Audi (!!!) We went off today and had a look at the VW Tiguan (too small inside) and I had my first look at the Kluger.

I was pretty impressed with it. Drove smoothly, though wallows a bit (but is 2 tonnes, so does pretty well). Big thing I thought was the effort Toyota has put into trrying to swing buyers with little kids. All the family-friendly touches in the interior and with the operaqtion fo the car entry, acessbility will win it a lot of sales. Rear camera and sensors will appeal to buyers worrying about manouvering a larger car than they are used to.

I have one parked alongside a current model camry in my garage right now... they are almost the same width and length, it is just the optical illusion caused by them being a lot taller. They're basically a camry station wagon.

Negative was the fuel economy I guess. It will cost us (at only about 10K km's per year around $11 more per week compared to the Forester. But again, the Kluger is a 2 tonne car.

Our 2WD version Kluger uses less fuel than our 4 cyl Camry, city and country driving. A 2WD would certainly use a lot less than the forrester which does have a reputation for being a thirsty little car. The AWD Kluger chews a lot more ... thats the cost of hauling all that extra drive train around everywhere you go. AWD is great if you have a use for it but most city roads are not that boggy these days and 2WD is fine.

I googled the likely availability of a hybrid Kluger model and from my investigation it looks like none will be available in Australia until manufacturing switches to the USA, so likely early to mid 2014 at this stage. I wonder what the reliability will be like with the US cars?

I dont know what the us ones are like but the Jap ones would be hard to beat.

Mine is impecable.

The salesman today wanted me to sign on the dotted line and I said I would have to think about it. We were looking at the Kluger Grande AWD 7 seater and we were given the following pricing....(we are in Perth)....drive away $70,000.00

but add the following:

sidesteps $1161 + GST

nudge bar $762 + GSTMine was free..

Front and rear sensors $1200 + GST

Mats $159 + GST These are always free.

Paint No, unless it is not garaged? and interior protection with 99% UV tinting to all glass (except windscreen) for around $795 - though he was a bit uncertain on this as it was "another guy" they use to do this.

Tinting LOL.. they must laugh. They come with privacy glass ex factory, no stick on stuff. !! even on the base model. The only way you could make it any darker would be to paint the windows with black paint. The driver's and the front passenger's window is not tinted as dark but you would not want them to be ultra dark anyway.

extra 3 yearas of Toyota factory warranty (still with 100K total km's) for about $1995.00

All up, it would seem to be around $77,100 they are wanting.

He offered $10,000.00 as trade in for my 2006 Forester, which has done 55K kms and is in very good condition.

I said I would probably buy it through my personal business (company) for "cash" with no finance.

I suspect I am not getting a very good deal.

When you consider the base version KX-R can be had for nearly $40,000 less I would be asking myself what am I getting for that extra $40,000. Larger wheels, satnav, leather seats, sunroof, 3rd row don't add up to $40,000. Also top spec versions of cars depreciate faster than base models. Top spec versions are also the biggest profit maker for dealers also. The $500 more for fuel would be blown out the window when compared to depreciation. By depreciation I mean wholesale value in X years, not what car yards are asking for them when they onsell them.

I would be grateful if others could shed some light on my questions below. I value the experience people on this forum have. Being in business myself, I appreciate that a business needs to have a profit margin, but no-one wants to be the bunny paying a hell of a lot more than the next guy. Know what you mean. Nothing kills the sweetness of a new car more than the sour taste of finding out you have been screwed.

I have these sort of questions that come into my mind:

*Do I get the best price with a "cash" sale and no trade in or with a Toyota finance deal? He has not told me anyhting about what finance may cost

* If I go for a thrid party finance (say my bank) am I likely to do better than the Toyota finance people? I wonder if they are doing the 3.9% finance deals still?

Finance over cash... If very low finance deals are on offer they like to make up some of the loss in the sale price of the car. When normal financing offers exist it should be a level playing field. You have to play that one as it comes.

*I expect there is room to move on the initial drive away price?

There usually is but only research and pushing them to a point where they say no to an offer will disclose it. They have to get your business, you do not have to be their customer.

*I expect I could get around 13 to 14 K for our low mileage Forester in a private sale. Am I better to just sell it privately after we get the new car?

Selling a car privately can be a nightmare with all sorts of people giving you the run around. There is a glut of used cars on the market now which makes matters worse. I got $12k t/i on a 2007 Camry Altise 60k on a base Kluger with $3k option @ $37,500. My advice is trade it but push for that $2k more. Focus on a good change over price is the best way to go.

*With the extra 3 yr warranty:

- can I buy from one dealer and get all servicing done at another? Do dealers care about this?

These ext warranties vary. The one with mine was free but has the obligation is to have them service it. You will have to get them to clarify what type of ext warranty they are offering.

- if I trade in the Kluger after 3 yrs, does the next owner still get the extra 3 yr warranty (this would protect the value of the car a bit)

Is it tranferable? Again it depends on which ext wty they are selling. Mine is not and all ext wty's i've seen are not. Check the fine print. Do not go by verbal advice alone.

I think I may need to go to one or two other Toyota dealers in Perth and see what they can do!

I imagine the best way to get a good deal (as with houses) is to leave your emotions at the door and walk away if the deal looks poor. Easier said than done!

Research.. and going to several dealers. When you want that hot price be there in person, not on the phone, and be ready to pay the deposit there and then. Serious buyers get serious deals.

Any thoughts and help would be appreciated!

From what you posted on another forum I think the place to start would be to work out which car you want first... I think you had 3 or 4 makes in mind? From there work on the deal of the chosen car.

Good luck... let us know how you get on.

One final tip... get some real costs on servicings for the car you decide on ... some are very expensive.

Toyota was offering fixed price servicing recently and I think it was up to 60k @ $170 per service for Kluger?

My dealer is doing it for $150 for oldies (seniors card lol).

Hello all,

Want to remove the Dealership sticker in my rear window where I bought my car, it looks like it was designed on an etch-a-sketch. How do you remove it without damaging the heating elements in the rear window demister matrix?

If you are unsure how to do it without damaging the car then ask the dealer to remove it. A lot of people do not like having dealer stickers on their cars and you will not be the first to ask to have them removed.

They should ask before they put stickers all over the car you have paid for... it is outright rude, but that is car dealers for you.

Following the instructions from the manual with the radio?? I wasn't :-( lol.

Lol battery life 10 years? Hahaha never heard that one before, maybe in some rare cases

What are you basing your "ha ha ha" on?? School yard gossip?

The car in question was a 2000 V6 Camry and talking to several people in the motor trade it is N O T unusual at all with Toyotas and also some other Jap/Korean makes to still have good battery life after that amount of time. Holdens, Fords and the like are more demanding on batteries for whatever reason.

I can attest to this as I have been driving and fiddling with cars of many makes for almost 50 years and have had to replace batteries on many occasions, some after 2 years.

I would say without a doubt that by the way you express yourself you are not so experienced.

It is not so much the amount of gadgets fitted to a car but the design and engineering quality that goes into it that can result in prolonged battery life.

Quality batteries and alternators do make a difference also and this is where some manufacturers penny pinch.

For example a car that is always parked outside in all weather will have a shorter battery life than one that is garaged... and many other things affect battery life as well.

If the acid level in a "modern" battery is disipating under normal use indicates a fault unless there has been abnormal use such as lights left on, high powered amplifiers and spotlights. An electrical stystem that is maintained in a modern vehicle will rarely use acid.

They are not like windscreen washer bottles.

well gents braught it yep the late 10 has the facelift and the split in the 7 seat option other than that i think thats it

So you got the 7 seater version?

seen at least 20 up close and personal and did the walk around at least 30 this past 3 days

got it for 33 driveaway stamp and fees were 1500 ish

Driveaway includes rego transfer, so it was included in the 33k? or was additional?

if anyones intrested the 7 seat option is $3595 and cant be fitted from toyota after has to be a build option ( aparently)

On the usa site toyotanation there are highlander owners that were swapping over.. ie: some owners of the 7 seat version wanted the under floor storage capability of the 5 seater and vice versa.

so its basically a sold and traded 10 model with 11 first reg , cloth,7seats,towbar,spot on history and in the pearl white brillant car to drive and super smooth and still have the warranty so quite happy so far

They are a lovely car and a pleasure to drive hope you have lots of happy k's in it.

Sooo close to the price of a brand new one... but oh well...

btw... Towed a 15' caravan 160k with mine recently and had to constantly keep remembering that I was towing a caravan, never knew it was there most of the time.