11/16Aurion 12Kluger

Just noticed... yours is a KX-S with the large screen gps unit. Mine is the poor mans KX-R with the basic radio, no screen.

I saw a picture of a car recently where a satnav attached to the window of a car exploded. The damage was unbelievable. They reckon the extreme heat caused the battery to explode? I suppose that is possible. Thanks for the heads up on keeping the windows up... i normally leave them down when in the garage but no more.

Someone on this forum made a statement in a post that made me decide to buy the Kluger... it went a bit like this... "the engine and the transmission are a match made in heaven". I can verify that is no lie! I drove it 800km in one day and wanted to keep going. That result of 7.0/100 was achieved on possibly the best bit of road in OZ. Next to no hills or bends and no stopping all the way from Surfers through to Caboolture. The remainder of the trip was a solid 8.3/8.4 with frequent movement of the accelerator for overtaking and hills. BTW... Dealer set my tyre pressure @ 40psi and confirmed that is what they feel is the best. Steers and rides great so I won't argue. @Dave... Interesting re the Rav4 and proves again what we know! Yes, they can keep those oil burners, give me a quality motor and transmission any day. @Peter... I agree,... just too often we are seeing this. Mates BMW mechanic told him to go buy a Kluger even..!!! One part of my trip I had a Ford Territory itching for a run... no doubt, you know the go, accelerate & back off, accelerate & back off. I waited for a hill to appear and let the Kluger go for it. Territory looked like it was saying back in the distance.... WTF??? I reckon that Territory headed straight for the closest Toyota dealership... LOLL The Kluger can sure launch itself!! This old driver needs to control himself from now on... nothing to prove. I did find my first complaint with it today... I washed it for the first time... ooohhh my gawdl there is a lot of car to wash. I thought I was washing 3 cars instead of one. I can live with that. Used a milk crate to get over the roof and even that was a struggle. Cheers all.

Colour is always a personal thing Amy. Just like which is the best tasting ice cream. :-) I got 6 yr wty on my Kluger. That is made up of the 3yr Toyota wty plus the dealers own 3yr wty. The dealers wty does not have the same conditions as the manufacurers warranty. Get them to give you the written details. The dealers wty is conditional on you getting all your services done by them.

All sounds good David.. another bonus is it being the 3rd row seat so that can be popped out and left at the dealers for the 2 days instead of being without a car.

Pic of the readout for the last 50k on Brisbanes better roads..

2012 Kluger KX-R 2WD Just returned from a 2000k round trip Newcastle to Brisbane. Most of the way it returned 8.3/100k constant. On the road from Surfers to Caboolture the consumption dropped dramatically to low 7's and for the last 50k or so was steady on 7.0/100k travelling at 100-110kph. This is brilliant for the size of the motor and the weight it carries. The only load onboard was myself and my luggage and some junk so that would make a difference. I would not expect these figures with 4 passengers and a heap of luggage. The car is a dream to drive on long distance, everything is so effortless and very comfortable. I used Caltex premium going up and BP Ultimate on the return journey. The car did seem to respond better to the BP Ultimate but returned similar consumption figures. Around here it seems that Caltex unleaded and premium are the same thing so i wont be wasting my money on caltex premium any more but will buy BP Ultimate whenever possible.

Our 3 phones are still working fine. One is a Sony X10 Android and the other 2 are LG E900 WP7.5 phones. Works perfectly and have never dropped off since first being programmed as per the radio instruction book that came with the 2012 Kluger KX-R. It seems that problems occur with either particular models of phones and as such is no responsiblitiy of Toyota to correct or the earlier version of the radio, ie 2007/8 ish.. But if others are woking ok then that would dismiss the problem being with the Kluger radio. Is there something else you could pair your phone with for a week or so to see if it maintains consistant recognition with thar?? A laptop or another mobile would be a way to test it. Having dome some process of elimination testing would give your claim more substance that the Kluger radio is at fault?

WD Reid. Enjoy the ride. Nice feeling having a quality vehicle. What did you get 2wd/awd .. 5seat/7seat ??

That note on your FJ sounds so good Peter. The exhaust you fitted looks like a peice of art. I would not bother putting a stereo in a car that sounded that good!!! B)

I was not trying to offend Boleh. You had one instance of an odd noise and you label the car a piece of sh*t? That sort of indicated you had never had much experience with motor cars before. Sorry if I assumed wrong but when you give as little information as possible people are just left to assume. Thinking back now to my 3 litre Camry V6 I do recall that a couple of times it did make a rattle sound when starting from a long spell. I put it down to the oil draining away from the top end workings and they were dry until some oil got pumped up into them?? I certainly did not rush out and call a tow truck. At the couple of times it did happen I was using a cheap shell oil. Out current 4 cyl 07 camry makes a loud rattle for a second or two when started from cold. But back when we had two of them they both did it so thought it was the nature of the dog and nothing to worry about... which it is. If you want to see what a real piece of sh*t motor car is do some reading here and be very grateful that you never bought one of these... (there are plenty of other enlightening stories in there on other cars as well. BTW.. you will not find one entry regarding Kluger... odd that?) http://www.google.co...tiva&gsc.page=1 More here... http://www.notgoodenough.org/viewforum.php?f=19

Being used you do not who has fiddled with it and what was done with it. Brakes are something that must be right... I would get it looked at asap.

The engine seized?? Is there oil in the motor?? I had a 3.0 lt toyota camry ... owned it for 8 years, was 2 y/o when i purchased it... total 10 y/o when i sold it. It had never been to a dealer.. i changed the oil & filter every 10,000k. When I sold it the motor was as good as brand new, never missed a beat and still had the factory spark plugs in it. The Toyota V6 no matter what version is one of the best engines ever put into a motor car ever Boleh. If you have ever owned another vehicle in your life you will know why I say that... Klugers are also know as... Aurion station wagons.. Same motor and transmission so why not... but anyway, if you are so concerned that you own a "pos" then cruise over to this forum for Aurion cars... it may be of interest .... Just out of curiosity ... do you press on the accelerator when you turn the igniton key??

Almost a month later and i finally read your reply Slouch!! OK, i'm slack! :-) It's my fault for not being clearer ....but I was trying to tell you not to get the extended warranty. Oh well.. :-( Anyway, you have a good policy by the sound of it and I have heard a lot of good things about Alliance. My house has been insured with them for 23 years and they have been great with that plus I just insured my new car with them as well.. :-) Happy motoring..

Boleh... Why did you post this on WP?? " at least I can then decide if I'd just sell this P.O.S and move on.." What are all the other problems you have encountered to cause you to call your Kluger a piece of s**t?? Have you ever owned a true lemon?... you would have this happening every 4 days not every 4 years!! Is this the noise you are referring to?? The engine, especially around the battery, in that flick looks like a damn pig sty... probably indicative of the maintenance or the treatment it has had. You do realise that motor is fitted to the Aurion as well?? If it was a chronic problem there would be far more said about it. Anyway if you do sell it you could get a Jeep or even a Holden Captiva?? Then you would have a reliable car... :-)

I know that with my 07 Camry 4 cyl it seems to run better and give better economy on std unleaded (non e10). I had a yr 2000 v6 Camry before that and it preferred the premium... you could definitely notice it in that car. It must be something to do with the different engine?? or even the ecu settingsl?? Keen to see the difference with the next fill up with premium in the Kluger. Yes Kevin... I find it hard to believe Toyotas figure of only .5 of a lt /100k difference between the 2wd and awd. Powering all that extra drive train and 2 more wheels must take it's toll? Subarus are well known for being a bit thirsty just for that exact reason. I'm half way through my 2nd tank.. caltex unleaded non e10 and it is delivering the similar milage to last tank. Showing 10.1. Definitely not as spirited with the unleaded though.. they must have put premium in it at the dealership. David " I try and beat your economy barney" >>> LOL... mate I drive like a granny most of the time.. you will be causing traffic jams everywhere if you try to beat my figures... :D :D :D I drive in the left lane that much people try to wave me down as a govt bus. I will admit I do give it a kick now and then just to feel the G force and the roar.... it's good for the circulation and I get the "Kluger grin". B) I wondered today when I gave it a little extra oomph taking off that it must seem odd for those behind you to see a car that size just disappear into the distance like some F1 car? Cheers all.

Well Cameron, I would not be happy with that situation. In reality the product does not perform as it supposed to so therefore it is "faulty" (in my reckoning) As long as it is not a fault of the phone? or the method used to pair the devices then your dealer should do something to make it right. As you say, others have mentioned the same problem so that will be something to fall back on if they try to debate the matter. If you receive a negative response from the dealer (unlikely) then call Toyota Australia... there is a 1800 # in your handbook. I contacted them a while back re a problem with a Camry radio and they were good to speak to. Unusual for a car company but true. In that case it was the problem with the early ACV40R Camry's where the radio face was so bright it affected your vision at night. It turned out that Toyota had a TSB issued for those earlier models and the radio was completely replaced with a new one which was not as bright. Seems a silly thing to do over just a light bulb but i did not complain. On the front of your radio it will have a number that identifies the model and mod level... mine is 22840. They may want to know that when you call them. Let us know how you get on?

Any whel alignment on a Camry / Aurion should be a full 4 wheel alignment. Cost is around $70 - $80. Any aligner that only does 2 wheels is just after your money. Unless you are constantly bashing gutters frequent wheel alignements are a waste. Our ACV40R has done over 80,000 k's and has never had an alignment. Factory Dunlops were recently replaced so tyre wear was very good.

I've got 3 phones linked to the KX-R standard radio and all work well. It is a little tricky getting them paired intially but mine have remained so for over 2 weeks now. Phones are 1 x Sony X10i on android & 2 LG E900 Window 7.5 os.

KX-R 2WD I'm half way through my second tank now Kevin. The first full tank was supplied by the dealer and I am not sure if they put in premium or regular unleaded? That first tank took me 580 km and whilst the gauge was very much at the bottom of the scale the fuel warning still had not come on. The readout said it still had a range of 120km remaining!! This is with 2/3 city and 1/3 freeway and a lot of cold short runs in that mix. The refil took 58lt and that matched the readout of 10/100 exactly. As the Kluger is so powerful I tend to drive it like a granny... letting the speed build up rather than rapid acceleration all the time, there is no need to push it. When I refilled it I put in Shell Unleaded and it still runs well it is just not as good as what the dealer used. I must find out what they use. Toyota don't make petrol do they??? :-( So far with the Shell it is returning the same figures. Will try some Caltex premium next time. Why would you bother with a oil burner when these things are so economical?

I understand your fear there Peter! You hear and read how good a car is but there is no guarantee you will get a good one as well. As much as Toyota is a good brand there is always the chance of getting something with a bug that can't be found even with the best of makes. Until you put it through it's paces you are suspicious... Gone over my Kluger with the most critical of an eye and cannot find anything a mm out. Drives like heaven on wheelsl, so all is well. Damn thing is giving same consumption as my 4 cyl ACV40R Camry around town!! I don't know how they do it but i'm glad they did! Thanks for taking the time to post the pics... looks like you have a lot of fun and that FJ just loves the bush. As for the 25kg of top soil you pinch from the state forests... ?? lol Cheers all...

Hi David... Not exactly sure how to describe it but you should find something here... http://www.google.com.au/search?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGNI_en-GBAU482AU482&q=how+traction+control+works Before my Kluger I had a fwd Camry that had traction control but never experienced any slipping on take off. Fwd's do not like power take off's in wet weather and accomodating that trait in driving manner is a good idea. The power of that engine would not help matters either . Being a taller and much heavier vehicle I have changed my driving style because suv's just do not handle like sedans.

I nearly bought a little oil burner suv, so very glad I didn't now. The Kluger engine is so superior to the toy turbo diesels it is a joke. The economy for the weight it hauls and the power it delivers puts a smile on my face just like Rice's !! :D We may use a little more fuel than the oil burners but over time the quality motor will win without a doubt. There is more to economical motoring than fuel costs. Check the service interval on the Kluger 2wd auto transmission for example...??? I never knew it was as fast as it is until last night when I read somewhere about it being capable of 8 sec 0-100kph!! So today this old coot (60+) tried it out on a quiet bit of road!! It moves, wowww... but the best part was there was no sensation of the accelleration... it justs happens. To me that is a sign of quality engineering and design. One report I found said that it is the fastest SUV to be produced in Japan. For a laugh watch this... a Highlander (Kluger) playing with a BMW X5 :P

Getting those post counts up and saving wear on the old keyboard guys? For OP.... We had a Nissan Patrol from new and had it's first oil change at 40,000 k. Sold it with 360,000k on it a couple of years ago and we still see it getting around. Yours is fine. Petrol is petrol as long as you avoid anything with E10 in it. The most critical thing to maintain on modern engines is the cooling system.... get that wrong (which happens a lot) and then there is a real problem to worry about.

That is very different?? Some are happy with paying 10k more... strange world?