Toyota Aurion tops large car survey
18 Jul, 2008
55 Comments 
The Toyota Aurion AT-X has bested its rivals to be named the least expensive Australian-built large car to run, according to a recent survey performed by the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV).
The survey took into account factors such as cost of finance, depreciation, scheduled services, registration, insurance, fuel and tyres in order to evaluate each vehicle.
It was found that the Toyota Aurion AT-X equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission costs an average of $226.20 per week to run - $13.24 less per week than its main rival, the VE Commodore Omega.
This figure equates to a cost difference of $688.47 per annum, with the AT-X already priced $1,635 below its main rival.
“Motorists are looking at running costs more closely than ever, so the RACV study underlines another dimension to Aurion AT-X ’s overall affordability as the least expensive vehicle to run in its class,” said Toyota Australia’s senior executive director sales and marketing, David Buttner.
From a field of five which took part in the same category - including an LPG-equipped Falcon and Dual Fuel Commodore - the Aurion AT-X also boasted the least depreciation, interest charges and total registration costs of any car in the survey.
Location: Home / Toyota, Victoria, Toyota Aurion, Running Costs, Australian Car Industry News, Car News / ...
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July 18th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
And when it’s out of warranty, the cost difference will be even greater.
Pity it’s such a bore to drive, but that’s the way the world works.
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July 18th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
It’s an under rated family car, quiet achiever if you like, but I really can’t get past the interior, very dated and cheap. That engine’s great though.
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July 18th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Yeah but the cost will also vary depending upon how often and how far you drive it
I mean of course its going to cost less when yor typical Toyota owner - an elderly pensioner who owns an Aurion only takes it out on sunday to go to church or to visit the nieces/nephews etc.
Compared to your average Commodore ownere - a 18-30yo male who drives it every day and night; most of the time just Kwoozin to see wot other fawly schick cars are around
Then of ocurse it depends as to whether or not you do 100s of short 5 muinute trips up to the shops; train station.. Or you do more long distnce trips of over 200ks etc as that can have an impact on fuel consumption which inturn will affect how much it costs to run = particularly if you’re always in stop start peak hour traffic
There are so many variables that can have a considerable impact on the outcome but quite often aren’t taken into consideration in a survey - a bit like the ANCrAP tests.
It
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July 18th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
right on guys,
pity they cant make a car handle well, or make an interior thats half decent/comfortable.
wouldnt the cost of finance be the same no matter what the make.
i mean 1K difference between the price, wouldnt affect repayment costs, or is finance offered at 2% cheaper if you buy a toyota???? ha ha ha
anything that sells in numbers, and has a fleet following such as the commodore and falcon, are always going to be hit by lower resale.
its not that falcons and commodores dont sell on the 2nd hand market, because they are the #1 and #2 sellers on the 2nd hand market. they have flooded the market….simple.
it will be interesting to see if that table turns after a few years, now that ford and holden are upsetting fleet markets in not wheeling and dealing to them as much, hence toyota is taking some of their fleet market because they will wheel and deal to them
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July 18th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Wheelnut you’re over-complicating things to suit your biased argument. For a comparable mileage/age/usage pattern a Toyota (or a Honda or Mazda for that matter) will be a lot more trouble-free over the long haul than anything from Ford or Holden. Maybe you haven’t heard of Fleet-owned Toyotas that are used and abused and keep coming back for more. And there are also pensioners who drive Holdens.
Apart from that, your argument is arse-about-face. It’s the short trips with cold engines that you say are undertaken by Toyota drivers. Yet it’s these trips that penalise fuel consumption and consequently running costs.
What are you on?
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July 18th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
wheelnut,
these comparisons are done using the official fuel consumption figures and on the assumption that all will travel the average 15,000K’s (or what ever it is)
no real world testing/examples take place for these kind of evaluations
your comment may ring true in the case of insurance though.
i reckon a toyota is cheaper to insure than a commodore because of the black mark that insurance companies have on them due to the proven higher number of incidences occruing in commodores.
im sure they dont consider a “lawn bowls hat on the parcel shelf” camry driver a high risk
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July 18th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Um Captain what is he on? Me when he can! hahaha
A lot more interesting than a Toyota,I give the TIP!
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July 18th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Front wheel drive, 200kw understeering piece of sh!te. Toyota only sell more cars because of the ageing population, when all these conservative pensioners finally kick the bucket and Australia’s average age drops, you watch their sales drop…
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July 18th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I wonder who and how many did the RACV survey? I also wonder what brand and type of vehicles the RACV has in its own fleet
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July 18th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
No toyota sell more cars due to consumer confidence, eg: after 6 years if you sold a commodore you will get more then 7 grand for a toyota. also have you looked in the news today another part supplyer is shutting in adelaide due to holden sourcing offshore in face lift. holden means a great deal to australia, but when will holden give a flying f*$k about australia. you cant sell a product if the consumer does not trust you!
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July 18th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
You think Holden’s are the only manufacturer that source parts from overseas.
Think again!
Toyota sell more cars because they have a large range.The Aurion sells OK but is not number 1.
As for resale,who knows what the Aurion will sell for.In the market there has always been more commodores avialable and still is.
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July 18th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
i keep hearing these “holdens and fords are nothing but trouble in the long run mate” arguments, yet in my every day experience cruising around i see a hell of alot more late 80’s/early 90’s commodores then i see late 80’s/early 90’s camry’s… I also see alot of old commodores, and falcons for that matter, that are still in pretty good nick! But it’s very rare that i see a 1990 model or similar camry still running around in good condition.
In saying this, i DO see alot of late 80’s/early 90’s corolla’s running around… good cars corolla’s! camry’s?? naaah you’ll never hear me say they are a quality product… camry’s trade on the strong reputation earned by the corolla’s, hilux’s and landcruiser’s.
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July 19th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Richo - I don’t think reliability can be accurately be assessed on what cars you still see going around. Depends where you live.
I’s a mechanic and Toyota do make very reliable cars and thats why people buy them. Holden’s and Fords are a long way off in terms of quality and longevity but Toyota are very plain Jane.
Koreans seem to be picking up their game but their parts are still pricey. I think this story has results that are fairly consistent to what I would expect.
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July 19th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Aurion here and there….. yes, cheaper to run etc…. also cheaper to have a McDonalds diet (perhaps drive through in an Aurion, how about that for wow factor for a night out) than…. so what… interesting for fleet managers and accountants but for people on this site..
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July 19th, 2008 at 1:37 am
The 380 used to come first every year. And first by a LONG way.
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July 19th, 2008 at 1:50 am
in the end, the same arguments by the same people.
its moot point, a person who has his/her preference on a certain manufacturer will rarely change perception on the competition.
Just another tidbit on Wheelnut’s comment…. the aura of “pensioners” driving toyotas is quiet shallow and almost laughable since there are pensioners driving holdens and fords..
heck lets be more “prejudice” and just say most asians drive japanese cars… There happy?
no no, lets generalize more… those asian drivers are “conservative” drivers….
happy?
in the end, perceptions are rarely changed…. rarely… especially if you already made up your mind before you posted your opinion..
and Lee…. can you explain the high volume sales of Corollas? who happen to be targetted to the 20~30 demographic?…
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July 19th, 2008 at 6:13 am
MISSILE…….is his interior dated? can he handle well? does he run on all cylinders? does he last on economy? Real meaty relevant info!
Back on topic…..I do think credit where credit is due. i agree with Steve’s comment.
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July 19th, 2008 at 10:41 am
This site is attracts no other audience then the same ‘ole monkeys spilling the same ‘ole sh*t.
People with no lives, how sad !
The Australian population is about 21 million and how many different names visit this site, 10 at the most and all monkeys.
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July 19th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Yup, exactly right, the same 6 or 7 posters with the usual garbage, just need the toyota guy in now..
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July 19th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
If the Aurion and Camry are sold under one name, it would actually be in the top 4 bestsellers. It just doesn’t have the looks and dynamics of a RWD VE, but it wins everywhere else, and yes, that includes the dashboard. Besides, all this suspension and drive configuration prowess will be negated by a lousy engine and gearbox combination.
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July 19th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I think the Aurion is a better proposition in its lower guises than its competitors, but it’s not as convincing when you spend more where its up against the Falcon G-series and Calais.
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July 19th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Sportivo and Presara are good cars.
The Aurion now has more gongs then the VE including back to back wins at DRIVE.com, RAC and Wheels Gold Stars to name only 3 of many.
The Aurion is a delight to drive, high in quality / refinement, superb drivetrain and a good all round performer. Will only get better with time.
Congrats Toyota on a good car and biult in Australia making it even better.
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July 19th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
All the awards are no suprise to those who have actually driven or own the Aurion
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July 19th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Not taking anything away from the Aurion However;
In a similar situation with most V8 Supercar drivers who would trade-in several championship/race victories for a Bathurst 1000 race win [let alone 2]
I think you’d find that Toyota would give up several awards they have won such as those from insurance companies [whose main focus is cost] and newspaper inserts such as Drive [whose main focus is ?] just so they could say that their new baby [the Aurion] has won a more Prestigious award such as the Wheels Car of the Year like the VE has - Twice I believe
I say this because in the same way people are able to remember who won bathurst in a particular year than they are the Championship/Series winner of the same year.. There are those who can recall which car won the Wheels Car of the Year but have trouble with those who won the Drive Peoples Choice or NRMA’s Best Value award…. Not to mention their subjective surveys etc.
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July 19th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Being named Best Australian Built Car isn’t really that much of an accolade as there are only two other alternatives..
As one particular rather extremist blogger who regularly hijacks various threads on this site says about the V8 Supercars - there isn’t really that much competition.
It all depends upon how specific your scope/category is… I mean given that the Aurion is FWD and the other 2 are RWD they could have made it:
The Best Australian Built FWD Car or
The Best Australian Built FWD Car manufactured by a Manufacturer based in Japan
whereby the Aurion would have had no competition thereby making the award even more pointless
Whereas inorder to win the Wheels Car of The Year award The VE was compared to other cars from other classes from manufacturers from all over the world
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July 19th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Quote [Mark]:have you looked in the news today another part supplyer is shutting in adelaide due to holden sourcing offshore in face lift. holden means a great deal to australia, but when will holden give a flying f*$k about australia.
The parts supplier you are talking about is Cooper Standar who not only supply parts [for braking and fuel systems] to Holden but also Ford and Toyota. The reason for the closure is not just because of a fall in sales of Commodores but large cars in general.
I mean sure sales of the Commodore have fallen to 2nd having been passed by the Corolla. but its still infront of the Aurion
Infact some respected Motoring Journalists/Exprets believe that the recently released VE Sportwagon could infact help the Commodore regain 1st place particularly given all the advanced orders Holdedn has.
You must be another typical Toyo-phile… only reading half the story with half the facts taking things out of context and turning it around to try and support your holier than thou opinion.
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July 19th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Mark -
As for Holden giving a Flying F-ck about Australia…
They are doing whatever they can inorder to remain in Australia remain competitive and still provide the Australian motoring public a relativley safe reliable car able to carry 5 LARGE Australians across the country in comfort; a car with all the latest technology features etc as those from overseas yet selling it for a price that the average person can still afford.
There are so many people with Champagne tastes on a Coca-Cola budget…. and Holden are doing what they can to meet that demand.
Yet as quite a high percentage of Australians have turned into Poseurs [ as evidenced by the popularity of imported full sized 4×4s in metro areas] who are more concerned about the image their car conveys to others regardless as to whether or not it is the most suitable for their needs.
Sure a Commodore would be more practical but it doesn’t say to people look at me I’ve got $hitload$ of money.
I would have to say that its the Australian Motorist who doesn’t give a Flying f-ck about Australia [or Holden]… Not Holden giving s Flying f-ck about us
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July 19th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
There aren’t that many people who don’t seem to realise what a huge impact the Loss of the Australian Automotive Industry would have on the Economy.
They seem to believe that because they don’t work in the Automotive industry; that somehow their job is safe.
Yet if/when Holden Ford and Toyota leave there will be approx 15-20;000 job losses on the assembly lines and in exec/admin positions…. Then there will be job losses in other Auto businesses such as mechanics part suppliers and panel beaters.
Now with so many people who are unable to afford to build/buy a house; buy new furniture/electrical gear; go on holiday.. there will be further job losses in building retail and tourism… these job losses will affect other industries such as and result in even more job losses
To the point where there are so many people reliant on centrelink that the govt will have to increase their budget and then increase income taxes etc on those who are still lucky to have a job inorder to recover the money..
So if you think that you will be safe if the car makers leave Oz check that you don’t have those little yellow and black circles stuck on your head.
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July 19th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
I can think of one impact the loss of the Aussie car industry will have…. no more govt handouts so an even playing field for all manufacturers, more competition and as a result… better value for Aussie customers. Ive already crunched the numbers here in the past, but a decrease in the price of cars x 1,000,000 (cars sold per year) is going to exceed the loss of money coming into this economy.
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July 19th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
TP There’s no doubt with such straight line theoretical ideas like that you are either an Economist Statistician or an Accountant… Here’s a tip try to think outside the square; a bit more laterally.
There are just so othe many variable factors which you haven’t taken into consideration which could effect the outcome - it’s not that simple or clear cut
Firstly it depends as to whether or not the price of new cars will fall and if so by how much [as a %] - I doubt it will be that substantial if at all because there will be nothing to stop manufacturers from keeping prices the same as what they are at the moment inorder to increase profits for shareholders.
Secondly your calculations are obviously based on the total number of cars sold over the last couple of years… whilst those in the local car industry still have jobs.
Yet If/when the 20′000+ people from the auto [and other industries] lose their jobs the majority of them are unlikely to be able to afford new [imported] cars which will mean a fall in the number of new cars sold in the future which will mean [according to your formula] less money - and this will only worsen as more jobs are lost
Of course as car sales fall some manufacturers might reduce their pries but it won’t be enough so that those reliant on centrelink will sbe able to buy one as the shipping costs will be more [cost per unit] because they wont be getting such bulk discounts as they used to
Which is why I said the govt will be forced to increase income taxes and other charges on those still lucky enough to have a job..
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July 19th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Whatever…
With that touque steer and that awful dashboard I would never buy one anyway.
Just what were they thinking when it came to working out the size of the dash buttons ? (vary massively but that has nothing to do with what is important !) Dash displays don’t match and what cheap and nasty wobbly heater control knobs. Is this quality ? - urgh…
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July 20th, 2008 at 1:27 am
Same old muppets, hijacking a positive toyota news article, with their anti Toyota rhetoric?!! WTF is their Brain damage?!! WTF is Wheelnut’s fascination with toyotas??!!
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July 20th, 2008 at 9:15 am
The fact that I am talking about Toyota doesn’t necessarily mean that I am fascinated by them… I congratulate them for winning another mickey-mouse award; However I am just expressing my view.
I am not hijacking the blog I am still on topic as this article is to do with Toyota
Although my statement about the Australian Auto Industry was in response to Marks comments
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July 20th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Wheelnut govt handouts which protect the local industry are anti-competitive. Its quite reasonable to assume that without them there will be more compeititon will does result in lower prices or at the very least more features for the same price. Eitherway the consumers gain. I really dont see a point in protecting in an industry that doesnt produce vehicles of a world standard (The G8 is only popular in U.S because it is heavily discounted)
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July 20th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Spot on TP!!
Just to protect the existence of the local dinosaurs, we are forced to pay much more for an actually decent car!! The size of the Australia market is a stupid argument, since if we could make a truly world class car, that is truly well built and fuel efficient, we could easily sell it to the world!!
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July 20th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I think we should out source all Accountancy positions in Australia to India. Would save a fortune no longer subsidising our current workforce of Accountants across industry and is doable given modern telecommunications.
Finally I would be able to get an accountant to do my Company tax for a reasonable fee. Would be a huge saving to the consumer and Industry!
What do u think TP? Move to India or change professions?LOL.
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July 20th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Tomas79, Australian built cars - Holdens and Toyotas - ARE going all over the world. The Camry goes to Saudi Arabia.
Check out Chevrolet websites in Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Brazil. Something very familiar looking pops up. Then there’s the Pontiac G8, Vauxhall VXR8, the Statesman-based Chinese Buick and probably whatever other little surprises that pop up in the GM world in Singapore, Thailand and so on.
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July 20th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Golfschwein, The Ponitac G8’s main selling point is it’s price, since it’s under 30K in the US!! Which is ridicules considering how much a hsv costs here! Anyway, those cars are hardly volume sellers anywhere in the world.
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July 20th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Hey, if you soccer one through the middle posts, it’s still a goal.
None of the Australian cars exported so far have truly universal appeal (think Golf and Corolla), as they’re not truly economical but you can’t knock them as a niche product being sold around the world.
Australian manufacturers have done well to get our cars where they already are, and I’m talking Holden, Toyota as well as Mitsubishi with its deceased Diamante.
And please don’t include yourself as one of those who rant tiresomely about how cheap the Commodore’s sold in America. You and I will never know why…
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July 20th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Realcars Acountants aernt subsidised, therefore it is already a competitve industry offering the best possible.
As for local industry, I think the biggest loss would be Toyota, given they export vehicles throughout the world. Ford and Holden would be no loss at all.
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July 20th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Go Golfy ,how true you are regarding why the G8 is cheaper there?Bottom line is for GM they needed a car to fill that niche the G8 did it nicely for them but in order to sell anything in numbers it must be priced into the market!As its now boast the fact its the most powerful car under 30k who cares how there doing it! Americans love it!
Just cause you don’t sell large numbers of a make around the world doesn’t make it a bad car as Golfy says ,doesn’t it make it unique though ? I’m guessing for such a small market GMH are doing this country a favor showing the world what we can make in performance cars , as colonials we have done a damn fine job in such a small time in manufacturing.
Im guessing we’re suppling more G8s to the USA than Toyota is sending TRD Camrys…………Then again they still cant sell the 500 they made here LAST YEAR!
Regarding the Aurion being $13.00 cheaper a week then its nearest rival,two things to say to that, only boring people buy a car based off a survey and second Ill do without a bottle of Yellow Glen a week than drive a Camry thanks!
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July 20th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
TP don’t you understand sarcasm ,I thought Realcars suggestion was very funny! hahaha
You ever seen how many industries the Government subsidies in this Country ? What about the fact Toyota recently were more than happy to take money off Rudd and the Victorian Government from memory to produce a hybrid Camry they were already building! Thats just greed !
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July 20th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Quote: TP As for local industry, I think the biggest loss would be Toyota, given they export vehicles throughout the world. Ford and Holden would be no loss at all.
You either haven’t read or more likely simply chosen to ignore Golfys statement because the Commodore/Statesman and Ute are exported to other countries other than the US
Toyota aren’t the only ones
Not only that but Holden Designers and Engineers have considerable input and influence in other GM related projects..
Then of course theres the Holden Engine Company who build engines for a range of companies including Alfa Romeo
Oh and Aussie Mike Simcoe who was the Head of Holden Design Studio got promoted to become Head of Design for the Asia Pacific and now is Head of Design for GM he now has the final say as to how virtually all GM cars will look
How far has a Aussie made it up the Toyota management Tree
Which proves how important Holden is to GM - I mean Toyota have been forced to take a Cumry from the USA and try to make it more suitable to Australian conditions
Whereas Holden were brave enough to go it alone with the VE and design a completely new car the architecture of which is now being used in other GM cars like the Camaro
I realise that Holden used to modify Opel Rekords for the VB-VNs but my point is that over the years Holden has gradually improved its position within GM World unlike the Toyota
If Toyota was that confident surely they would be able to put forward a case like Holden did to build a uniquely Australian car from scratch not just take 5 year old hand me downs..
And before tyou mention Daewoos - Holden are involved in improving the engineering and quality of their cars and overtime it will improve just like Hyundai Did.. Yet it’s looking more likely that Holden will start to import Opels again particularly the Corsa and the Insignia
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July 20th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Another Aussie Designer has made it to the top of the Mitsubishi Tree; Adrian Arcidipane is the one who designed the new Outlander and Lancer [EVO]
Again I ask How far has a Aussie made it up the Toyota [management] Tree
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July 20th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Golfschwein Says:
“And please don’t include yourself as one of those who rant tiresomely about how cheap the Commodore’s sold in America. You and I will never know why…”
Golfschwein, we do know why!! That’s because there is still enough fat left in the US$30K for Pontiac’s low volume badge/style redesign, shipment costs, and still make them profit!! Of course, if they charged the same amount, as they do here for the HSVs, it would get a second look! Imagine how much fat we must be paying on hsv here. And people still buy them here in oz, because of tariffs on much better international cars, make those overpriced holdens still competitive.
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July 20th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Thomas69 u should change your name to the Riddler!LOL.
Its quite simple Riddler(Thomas69 or should that be Dumbarse69)?LOL.
The more cars made the lower the cost per unit.
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July 20th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Yes it is. I for one are subsidising the Australian Accountants. They charge too much compared to Indian Accountants. The sooner all Accountancy is moved off shore the better off we will all be.
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July 20th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
How come the Yanks get to buy cheaper Camrys than us?
It’s just not fair!LOL.
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July 20th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
realcars Says:
“The more cars made the lower the cost per unit.”
No Sh!t!! Whats your point??
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July 20th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Mate, you wouldn’t know half of it. And unlike some, I’m not even going to pretend to, myself. Does a Commodore SS/Pontiac G8 have price parity in the USA at fifty six nine ninety? Nope. They’d sell half a dozen. Should we be able to buy them here at twenty nine nine ninety. Well, it’d be nice. It’d cause chaos in the market from top to toe.
Let’s leave this infantile “Holden are bastards for selling em in the US for thirty grand” nonsense behind and get back to the Aurion, if you must.
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July 20th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Golfswein, whats there to know?? They wouldn’t be selling it there, if they weren’t making any profit on it?!!
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July 20th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Maybe Thomas, but how much are they making? Point is for GM it takes the market away from some one else and has great exposure for their products because its popular! Its called marketing .
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July 20th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Bavarian Missile,
Obviously they make enough, to warrant the effort.
Since the Falcon XT has an out of the factory build cost of 12K. I estimate the Pontiac G8 cost price of about 22k.
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July 21st, 2008 at 12:25 am
Okay, so they make a profit. That’ll enable them to develop new ones, then.
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July 21st, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Tomas,
for starters you are confusing the name plate Commodore with HSV. the price difference isnt like 80K versus 40K (for what its worth)
but having said that, maybe it does seem like a kick in the pants to the aussie buyers, but what the hell do you care? honestly? you constantly remind us you wouldnt touch one with a ten foot pole let alone fork out the US list price for one.
now i ask you, whats your point?
why are you getting so hung up on the discounted list price on a vehicle you wish to be dead???
and also, from what i understand, holden are making SFA out of their export program.
they are not sending them there to turn big bucks but rather test the waters and create a recognition of their product amongst the consumers in a few different markets.
mark my words that the export program will stop once the next gen commodore (possibly Torana) comes online.
it is totally normal for manufacturers to offer abnormally low prices on a product they are trying to break into the market with.
whether it be food, clothing, tools, or motor vehicles, the basic practices of business still apply.
I use to manage a supermarket (going back a few years), and when we had coke on a ripper special, we would lose 1-2cents per bottle. do you know why that was no drama and why it ended up being beneficial??
if you had one little bit of business knowledge you would clearly understand the basics as to why cheaper commodores in the US actually carries with it good reason.
but if you dont understand, pick your lip up and soldier on. You were never going to buy one at full or discounted price anyway
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