2007 TRD Aurion SL3500 Road Test
16 Oct, 2007
115 Comments 
2007 TRD Aurion SL3500 Road Test
CarAdvice rating: 
Recommended Retail Price: 3500S $56,990 - 6sp Auto only | 3500SL $61,500 - 6sp Auto only (model tested).
Options Fitted: Moonroof
- by Alborz Fallah
It was one of those days in Brisbane, the traffic on the centenary highway was backed up all the way to the Jindalee exit, Mogill road wasn’t moving, Coronation drive and Milton road were both blocked, and I was suppose to pick up a car in an hour.
If it was any other car, I would have probably called up and delayed the pickup till the next day, but this wasn’t just another car, it was the all-new TRD Supercharged Aurion and I didn’t want to waste a single moment…
Location: Home / Toyota, Toyota Aurion, Behind the Wheel / ...
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October 16th, 2007 at 2:25 am
Nice artice, although ive said this before on other forums: the TRD Aurion is more of a middle manager fleet car… hardly any of these are going to be moved off the showroom floor to private buyers, but fleets will love to give them to their higher ranking officials..
For now, TRD is learning. In 5 or 6 years time, and with the right package the Aurion could well be a ripper…
..or still a dud to drive.
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October 16th, 2007 at 2:28 am
good review, I think the TRD brand has a long way to go before it can be well respected in Australia, and by the sounds of it, this isn’t a drivers car to say the least.
not sure why Toyota just wont go to an AWD platform for this, it makes perfect sense!
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October 16th, 2007 at 3:16 am
The car does look a lot like any other Aurion, even though it has some very nice changes such as the HUGE 19’s… but yeah as much as i was anticipating the launch of the TRD Aurion, it seems like it disapoints when you want some serious driving out of it, but it will still be a great car for day-to-day drives…. funny thing is, i have a TRD badge on my normal Corolla, as you mentioned above, haha.
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October 16th, 2007 at 7:59 am
First review I read and it is not good. Interior looks tacky and overdone, all that power and you need arms like a weighlifter to wrestle with it says not good at FWD and seeing the front is just FUGLY overdone way too busy and curvy. TRD has a long way to go based on this effort. If you are in market for car this size would look at:
1.Mazda 6
2.Mondeo (probably tied with Mazda 6 as looks bigger then Mazda 6)
3.Aurion Sportivo
I agree with Hendrik as they will not sell in numbers!
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October 16th, 2007 at 8:45 am
I like the idea of the TRD Aurion but as I have said before there are 3 things that stand out in a negative light for me:
1. Price
2. 98RON
3. Interior
Toyota may not be aiming this car at those who really want to give their car a ‘go’ but for those who do and having that much torque steer, if what you say is correct, is just incredible.
As a tourer there’s no denying that this is a nice and extremely capable car but what’s the point of having this much power if it can’t be properly controlled.
I wonder how quickly they will de-value for resale?
It’s great to see Toyota getting back into the game so hopefully they will learn a lesson or two from this and future TRD products will be more complete.
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:47 am
The big problem with this car is that it doesn’t fulfil anyone’s purpose.
Whatever your reason for buying transport, there is a better alternative available.
So, it’s like the P76 - should be good, but not many people needed to put a 44 in the boot, and even those who did were never able to get it out again………
And as Grumps says, it needs Pulp which is a big negative.
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:59 am
MINUSES ARE :
* 98 RON FUEL RECOMMENDED.
* PRICE TOO HIGH FOR WHAT IT IS.
* PRETENTIOUS INTERIOR SUITED TO OLDIES.
* ME TO EXTERIOR WITH OVER THE TOP BODY KIT.
* ALREADY HAD ITS FIRST “RECALL/SUSPENDED SALES”.
* AND ITS A TOYOTA!!!!.
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Is the TRD fitted with a QUAIFE dif ?
if not - then it should be.
Read a review recently in local mag (oz)about a highly modified vw APR golf fitted with one and there was no torque steer!
http://www.quaifeamerica.com/d...../diffs.htm
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:35 am
I wonder how the TRD Aurion would compare with the NZ developed Maxima Spec R. Personally i think the maxima spec r looks a lot cleaner in design and an interior that suits its purpose. Its performance credentials aren’t all to bad either.
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:47 am
I agree with the sentiments stated, especially the FWD angle (yes I know how hotly debated that is!). It is very expensive, and 98RON is a tough ask. I don’t mind the styling. I would grab the Liberty GT.
Great review as always.
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October 16th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Good review - I agree with most of what you have written. It may be slightly overpriced and of course I’d prefer an AWD drivetrain or even RWD with that much grunt.
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October 16th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Nice job guys! Moon Roof…..hahaha haven’t heard that for a while. So I guess Tony….you still have your kids?
I am a little disappointed ,yep I was expecting a bit of Torque steer but was expecting it to glow in all other areas!
Toyota are more than capable of making an AWD package for this so lets hope their listening and make the changes.
Re the 98 ….I doubt they had any choice after the problem they had with it! I think what had happened previously when it detonated it had either been run on 95 and when run to the rev limiter{that by the way now is 300 revs less}it leaned out and detonated. So it either didn’t have knock sensor or it was faulty.My opinion! Exhaust is real black isn’t……maybe they have it running rich now!!!!!!!hahaha
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October 16th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Quote:
“Exhaust is real black isn’t……maybe they have it running rich now!!!!!!!hahaha”
Hmm well if that could possibly make sense…
If Toyota made ANY changes to the engine management calibration it would have to undergo the complete suite of ADR emissions related testing all over again… Perhaps this is why there was such a big delay for it to come back on sale?
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October 16th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Guys this car was given to me prior to the recall, the build up on the exhausts is actually a noticeable issue with all 3 tests cars we had, even after a clean, it only takes a day or to before it gets dirty again!
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October 16th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
It was a joke Ross………in the early days of carburettors and no computers if the exhaust was grey it ran lean black it was rich !
So Ross whats your thoughts on why it detonated and why they have dropped the revs back?
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October 16th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
I imagine this post will heat up towards the end of the day!
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October 16th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Alborz - thanks for the update.
Bavarian Missile - It really is hard to say as to why they reduced the rev limiter… I sincerely think that Toyota are not 100% sure as to what caused the problem.
Assuming a faulty knock sensor… - well why reduce the rev limit? A faulty knock sensor issue would most likely present itself in the lower - mid range of the engine where the timing is more advanced. Timing can be aggressively added in at lower rpm to speed up engine acceleration (with little risk of detonation) and then it is gradually pulled out as the chance of detonation increases (Ie as boost increases). Given this, the timing advance at max rpm would be very little. HMM…
So, next scenario (and most likely):
Someone used the wrong octane fuel….
Low octane fuel + boost + no intercooler = detonation.
If the car was hammered for a long time, and it was detonating, the piston loads and cylinder temperatures would skyrocket and obviously bye bye engine.
I would also be curious to know if Toyota also changed the aggressiveness of the timing that is pulled out if knock is detected. Maybe the PCM was only programmed to remove a maximum of say “X” degrees of timing, but on low octane fuel + hot air (no intercooler) + extended high rpm (I.e. higher than normal engine temp) there simply wasn’t enough spark-retard programmed into the PCM, (as they thought “X” degrees was sufficient for any conditions) and as a result, the engine destroyed itself?
I think reducing the rev limit was a precautionary measure as I’m sure that the peak engine power (241kw) is produced more than 300rpm back from where the rev limiter used to be. (I.e. It should not really affect the vehicles performance any if at all). This in itself is an interesting question though… 241kW is made @ 6400rpm - so at what rpm is the redline?? Alborz, can you shed some light on this? If the redline is anything less than say 6650rpm, it most probably will impact on performance to some degree…
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October 16th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
A great response back ,,,thanks Ross!
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October 16th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Ross it redlines at 6,500RPM, however TRD have said the rev limiter drop will not affect the power or performance of the car at all, so there is obviously some returning going on there.
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October 16th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Thanks BM.
Thats interesting Alborz…
Do you know if Toyota had to submit the vehicle for the complete suite of emission related testing again? (as well as ADR 81/01 for fuel consumption too…)
It is believable that there is no performance difference even with the reduced rev limiter as the engine calibration could quite easily be adjusted. (It’s easy to get more power at lower rpm when you have a blower attached ;) )
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October 16th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
I think its great Toyota are attacking this market and i am interested to see what they do with the Hilux (I would be shocked if that was FWD).
Would anyone know what an AWD drive train would add to the car in terms of cost? As mentioned the car is still $2,000 more than its “competitor”.
So the fact that it is to powerful to power through a corner, not everyone is a track enthusiast. Its not a market there expecting to break. I don’t think they are even banking on a big sell from the start.
To be honest that really would not worry me, as this is a car capable of overtaking and getting off the red light faster than the guy that saw the Toyota badge could think it could. Which is fine for city driving.
I just hope that they don’t give up on the project and strive to make it good.
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October 16th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I think the guy from Moror sumed it up well when they tested this in the latests PCOTY awards .
Quote” Really uninspiring.The highlight is definitely the engine,but the rest of the car just doesn’t inspire performance driving.You sit to high with not enough support…it just does an average job of being something its not…..a performance car is more than just extra power.A lovely family car though!” end of quote.”
I agree Anthony I hope they continue to improve this car.
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October 16th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
That should be Motor!!!!!!!!!
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October 16th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
NO RWD NO SALE
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY OVERPRICED, WILL FAIL.PERIOD
CHEERS
F-0
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October 16th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
The Pope will be here soon and all look out as you cannot get him to acknowledge anything over then his research and spiel. Dam Idol, infalliable….LOL
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October 16th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Better go before he steps out of the Toyota Popemobile. Dam the Popemobile is bulletproof reliable. Must admit it always gets around and have never seen it broken down so must be well assembled and designed…
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October 16th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Alborz - you stated that torque steer is an issue but that to the side, what was the handling and braking like. Can it remain composed on winding roads and reacts postively with input.
How were the brakes, HSV’s are renouned for brake fade but are the brakes on this machine more inspiring or should i say - fade resistant.
All that said, how was the quality and refinement of the vehicle. Do you consider the engine calibration to be well adjusted for the blown engine.
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October 16th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Alborz - you stated at the start of your article that you were expecting disappointment.
Were you disappointed or not.
You also stated that you would choose this car over a GT Liberty because of the sound of the supercharger. I find it confusing why you would choose this car based on the reason stated alone. I get the impresion that there were other attributes of the TRD Aurion you liked but have not detailed.
You choose the car for the sole reason you stated just doesn’t seem quite right.
Can you explain yourself a little more indepth please.
I am not being rude, i am just politely prodding for more information.
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October 16th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
I really think it says alot about how biased some people are when they try to attack its exterior looks, its a stunning vehicle.
That aside, interior is growing OFF me especially the colours offered and the price is waaaaay to high.
Ross its brakes are good and from what Ive read its handling is decent, many reviews have stated this.
As for darkness on exhaust, what do you think the inside of ALL exhausts looks like!?!? Its because essentially the exit of the exhuast is inside that square tip, so thats why the darkness builds up and is more evidence than a tradtional exhaust…nothing to do with running rich.
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October 16th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Thanks for telling me the brakes and handling are good Paul, but I think you meant to reply to “Rodrega”, not myself.
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October 16th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Looks not too dissimilar to normal Aurion’s with tweaked front bar, leather splashed here and there, pinball machine start button. For all its worth the exhaust pipes who finished look great. Seems big $$$$ for something you need arms like a weighlifter to wrestle with. If your in the market to spend $61k for this thing, do yourself a huge favour and nab a class car like Mazda 8 and you will save with wads of money in your pocket. Or go the whole hog and go to auction houses like FOWLES MANHEIM or PICKLES and nab yourself a low kms Mazda 8 with new car warranty remaining as you will be very greatful you did! Goes like lightning and looks sporty and not pseudo trash like the front curvy bumper bar on this mirage of a car!
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October 16th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Alborz,
from the photo with the exhaust you obviously took that photo to prove a point. from that photo it actually looks like oil and not your typical carbon build up. was it oil? the way it appears splattered means pretty much one thing.
this wasnt a sign that the engine you had was about to go aswell do you think?
also well summed up on the interior. you say it looks like every other aurion interior and ill add camry interior too. the steering wheel is straight out of a ‘02 mod camry and is boring as.
guys alborz beat me to it, if it did have AWD it would be $80K worth of uninspiring vehicle. (not to say it wouldnt handle better just the feel of it wouldnt change)
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October 16th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
i dont doubt that the brakes would be good as the first time i drove a camry (of the new gen) it was the first thing i noticed. i had a few stabbs at the brake pedal as i didnt expect it to pull me up as quick as it did. brakes are very touchy and actually it seemed a bit “all or nothing” till i got used to it. (thank god i wasnt carrying eggs on the back seat)
id say the torque steer is part of handling so if torque steer is hard to handle then that sums up handling to me. there is no point in having good suspension if you are going to ruin it with torque steer. you wont notice “sports handling” round town and when you try to use the suspension (drive it harder) then torque steer ruins it
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October 16th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
QUOTE Toyota_Paul = “As for darkness on exhaust, what do you think the inside of ALL exhausts looks like!?!? Its because essentially the exit of the exhuast is inside that square tip, so thats why the darkness builds up and is more evidence than a tradtional exhaust…nothing to do with running rich.”
I think most people realise this is carbon build up. (Makes you wonder how clean it really runs) and it happens to every car. TRD’s prob, as you said, is the exhaust exits at the start of that square tip. They really do look great while clean. I’d go BLOODY NUTS tho having to clean those every bloody time I drove the car. Great looking design, poorly executed.
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October 16th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
QUOTE Toyota_Paul = “I really think it says alot about how biased some people are when they try to attack its exterior looks, its a stunning vehicle.”
Stunning in your eyes, looks pretty good in mine but not “stunning”, but other people may say “meh”, or really hate it. Personal opinion is allowed here, isn’t it?
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October 16th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
QUOTE Toyota_Paul = “As for darkness on exhaust, what do you think the inside of ALL exhausts looks like!?!?
Because most people that pay $60,000 would expept a car who’s tacky bodykit had at least been well thought out and didn’t get carbon build up from the exhaust. For that much money it should come with an exhaust tip that fits into the bodykit rather than just have the normal aurion exhaust poke into a pretend plastic square exhaust tip.
My opinion of the TRD Aurion, its a good car, thats worth $45k, not $60k.
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October 16th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Yeah thats right my R1 motorbike with stainless Yoshimurai aftermarket pipe is manufactured better and dont get crappy splatter anywhere!
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October 16th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
Hey Paul not my exhaust……I have stainless extensions and they are always spotless inside.
Rodrega said….HSVs are renowned for brake fade???? They are? I thought these days Brembos were on just about all high performance cars
KFC …..your a crack up ………pope mobile.!!!!!!
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October 16th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
KFC……….You have a homasaki…..{motor bike} . Cant ride one but would love to learn one day……..! The sheer acceleration is enough to make a girl well……….excited!hehehehe
Went out with a guy that once tried to beat the world record on the back wheel …….no idea if he did or not! Scary being on the back wheel as a pillion passenger doing 130 clicks though. Rod Watson ……..you listening????lol
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October 16th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
Paul hasn’t had a go at me yet. I must say I’m disappointed.
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October 16th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
There…..there…….Maybe he too is disappointed ?
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October 16th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
a gas powered vehicle doesnt get carbon build up on the exhaust tip. thats what vehicle doesnt. also (off topic but) their oil stays golden till the day you change it aswell so if you ever look at one second hand dont check the oil to see if it ever gets changed.
does anyone else reckon the build up actually looks like oil rather than typical emmission build up?
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October 16th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
TOO much splatter!
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October 16th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Well Missile, I don’t think what I said was out of line, but going on what I’ve read on here, I expected to be bombarded by now with my simple assertions.
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October 16th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Missile… Yeah Yamaha R1 149 rear wheel horsepower. I have had mine serious up to 305kms hour only once. Rapid acceleration like in 6th gear you hit the throttle at 100kms and the LCD readout goes up rapidly to the 305kms I got to - like getting a slingshot at warp speed pushing bike.
My bike is rear wheel drive through chain setup offering great handling and due to its proportioned weight being well matched front and back it is great. And also it has a very low centre of gravity and weight wet of 172kgs means lethal as!
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October 16th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Its very quite at the moment…….before the storm you think!
On a different note Benny Cousins has been pulled up in the West driving erratically …in his Toyota Klugger…..
Toyota Klugger? What happened to the Merc he ran from last time?
Oh and pulled up with NO shirt on in Northbridge{suburb of Perth} A bunch of work men dobbed him in……now if he had come to Kalamunda I am sure he would have been safe with no shirt on …..Every one is old where I live!!!!
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October 16th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
well i must say i have a FWD motorbike and it has massive acceleration advantages over the heavy and useless RWD set up.
NO NO NO NO NO dont go there but i couldnt help my self ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
it was just a light dig for those who didnt get it
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October 16th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
KFC ……..that sounds AWSOME!!!!!!! I hope you wear leathers!!!!!!!!
Yer right…..Hey Andrew………..shhhhhh ,I am cracking up !!!!
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October 16th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
I have given my side and Iam waiting for a response from the Korean side (Hyosung) and others. My bike has a steering damper (and that is not on others) so handles better, faster and more responsive to rider input. So you have my side…BUT you have none to indicate with all this massive power what would happen in FWD mode. SO DER Iam out of this Toyota post….LOL
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October 16th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Hey Klink do you take pillion passengers??????????MMMMMM Promise I am good on the back of a bike!!!!
I know a lady same age as my MUM 60 that had a Harley {different kettle of fish I know,for posers} She had a sticker made up for the back that said NO FAT CHICKS………..Cobra 045 you know who that is ha!Hope your enjoying the Gold Coast mate!!!!!!!!!!
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October 16th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Who is Benny Cousins?
Haha, FWD bike, I want one (not). Yamaha actually brought out a 2WD dirt bike based on a WR. It used a hydraulic pump to supply (I forget exactly) about 20% drive to the front wheel.
By all accounts it actually worked pretty well and was light weight, but I think expensive. May become more mainstream in the future,
But a FWD bike, haha, never happen, especially performance wise. I have a DR-Z400 Suzuki. My mates call it the “Doctor” (DR) because it’s the only bike among us that NEVER EVER breaks down on a camping trip. WR’s, KTM’s a little quicker (depending on rider) but Yamaha’s built way too lightly. 8mm bolts where Suzuki uses 10mm and 12mm.
I’m sure Toyota_Paul could appreciate this. DR-Z400 Suzuki not far off Yamaha’s performance, but far FAR more reliable.
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October 16th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Mate bought a Hyosung 250 for about 7g’s new. He doesn’t now a lot about bikes. I’m into dirt rather than road but as soon as I saw it, I thought “uh-oh”.
I’d never heard of Hyosung before, my guess was Chinese. So they are Korean???????? It hasn’t failed him yet, but it’s only been 2000kms.
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October 16th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Ben Cousins …………yer I know football……I dont follow it either but he was a great player for West Coast Eagles?
I do dirt too……..YZs….XRs……….Crs………I am not fussy!
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October 16th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Hey Andrew how does that motor bike handle? More to the point how do you steer it??????? hehehehe
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Missile, from now on I want to be known as KFC. Yes I take pillion passengers? Trouble is you would need to be a stick insect as pillion seat is about size of matchbox!
Ben Cousins must be in some sort of shit. You do not get chased thru streets in Perth for NO reason by not normal police may I ad - they took about ten things out of his car. Might be in regards to Chris Mainwarring who died with last known person with him uptil that point being Ben Cousins the AFL player. Ben used to play under Chris when Chris was captain West Coast Eagles!
Hyosung, actually it is Chinese and know someone who had a motocross bike or whatever by Hyosung and it feel apart rapidly! CRAP.
Yeah heard that too about Suzuki DRZ400 being reliable heaps…BUT based on a survey of 2000people at McDonalds Chain Restaurants held by respected Associate Professor Toy Ota Miniz Smalz-Brain. The following question was put to the starving hordes as they went through the drive-thru - “Yeah ridz a motorbike and what brand is it. Would you refer ya mates or whoever to buyz thez same brand as yourz”. The survey revealed not much, just a few graphs and tabulations that pretty much indicated inconclusively that none of them are as good as the Yamaha of mine. This link proves that Iam right so thats all I got to say about that.
PS: Dont try this investigation at home without parental guidance as simply put it is too minor to warrant a full accurate picture. And oh, if people get offended by my jokes… loosen your seat belt mate as your not in the car 24/7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
ha ha ha ha ha ha funny as KFC. mate but they never surveyed me!!!!! maybe the survey was conducted outside the maccas near toyota HQ
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
HAHAHA GOLD KFC.
I think I get on here to read your posts as much as to get car info. I have two mates who are brothers, the elder skites how his WR is quicker (slightly) than the younger’s DR-Z but he doesn’t come with us half the time because it’s in the shop getting fixed, LOL.
Surveys mean almost nothing to me. Everytime I get a phone survey it’s something of NO interest to me like health insurance so I politley say “NOT INTERESTED”. I NEVER get car surveys, and that is annoying.
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Thats wrong. Andrew M why are you a lier. I wont apoligise and we will all just laugh about it. Well your wrong, wrong I tell you!
Just because his name was similar to Toyota doesnt mean much, but he he likes Japanese Restaurants been advised. My personal friend at Toyotaville HQ, right hand man to CEO tells me this is accurate and they like the Report too - they made a point of pointing this out to all and sundry. He was upset as I told him the obvious that 2000people is a small base to carry out the survey, he pointed out that it was pointless doing more as there was no point as the SINGLE QUESTION was often misunderstood and not really a precusor to get people to open up about real sentiments and relability issues and he pointed galdly at the figures with a wry grin. He seen my point on that, even though his body language was pointless and moving right along as he wanted to run hard with the miniscule survey and profit from it. So there you go, I put my info up! So my point is it is pointless pointing out your point as it cannot be accurate as not across the entire customer base as Toyota like it. May I point out further that I agree with them.
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Ahhh, Ben Cousins. Slightly rings a bell now as an AFL player. I have absolutely no interest in AFL, NRL, etc. I’m more into motorsport, boxing, cricket, etc.
Only time I hear about AFL players is when one has made a dick of himself at a night club.
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
KFC ,Oh I guess my …..16double dees will get in the way then, never been less than a size 10 since I was 16 ,sorry I am too tall!!!!!! Dang………I was looking foreward to a ride!!!!!!
I have a soft spot for Ben broke up with his girl friend and now this ………poor guy! These guys seem to be thrown in to the media have loads of money thrown at them young and then 10 years later after next to no education are told to behave,be responsible! Sucks to be an AFL player I think!!!!!!!!!
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Alborz - you stated that torque steer is an issue but that to the side, what was the handling and braking like. Can it remain composed on winding roads and reacts postively with input.
Yes it can, if you simply steer into a corner, the hard suspension and the enormous grip, coupled with all the electronic gadgetry known to man will keep the car well behaved, but not having the ability to accelerate hard out of a corner ruins all the fun!
How were the brakes, HSV’s are renouned for brake fade but are the brakes on this machine more inspiring or should i say - fade resistant.
Brakes are pretty good, they are Dual piston aluminium calipers with ventilated discs [325mm x 32mm] for the front and Single piston aluminium calipers with ventilated discs [310mm x 18mm] at the rear. Brake fade is not that evident, although the HSV R8 is pretty good too!
All that said, how was the quality and refinement of the vehicle. Do you consider the engine calibration to be well adjusted for the blown engine.
the engine is the party piece of the whole package, if there is one thing TRD did right, its the engine. Power delivery is extremely smooth, but it is let down by the inability of the front wheels to maintain it all
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
i think Paul will be voting for john howard because he likes and practices his “do not say sorry” policy
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
So the point of this pointless survey was to point out the point of the points table that shows how pointless some surveys are with their point tallying? I get the POINT.
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Watto_Cobra… do what Jerry Seinfeld did. In one show someone rang and wanted to ask questions for a survey. Jerry said “Look Iam busy right now, can you please give me your after hours home phone number so I can ring you after come back from dinner tonight”. The Indian from Delhi said “Golly gee, thousand apologises, I do not think that is possible sir….”. Jerry in his droll straight laced response cut him off right there and smugly said “Oh OK, that is inconvenient, well now you know how I feel” and hung up! Tears were done my face from that as funny!
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Alborz, would it be possible to obtain a dyno graph for the 3500SL’s motor? Would love to see the torque curve in particular
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
come on guys
keen it on topic! I don’t want to start deleting comments.
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
why the strong rubbing in of brake fade on the HSV’s? i doubt 6 pistons would be worse than the 2 pistons that the TRD offer.
what brake package was on this apparent HSV that couldnt last 1 lap. im not a holden fan but i find it hard to believe that this is a common fault with HSV’s due to the brembo set up they offer. maybe the brake lines had air in them or something
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO,politics Andrew……Lets not start!
Almost your bed time ha…..night night!!hehehe
Daylight savings starts soon………….lol!We will all have to get up an hour later to talk to you ……hahahaha Or is that later?????????? NO idea!!!!!
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Alborz is watching……..cool…….where is my pics of the Cobra you promised me from the show……bloody thing will be here by this time next week!hehehehe
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October 16th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
i dont care for politics it was a light hearted dig at someone…..KFC knows
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Hey Andrew I guess it comes to what year HSV he is talking about! Hate daylight savings for that reason , is that earlier? I know I was meant to be a genius after that thing I sent you today but its a chick thing,we don’t read maps!!!!!!!!! Sat Nav is good!
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Do we have to keep calling you KFC???????Klink I feel fat saying the word!!!!!
Andrew… I too get what your saying to Paul….you still waiting for that beer you thought you would get from him?
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
OK… if not KFC what? Be kind. How about Naughtius Maximus
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:10 pm
Done. So honestly does daylight savings start when as going to Cairns to do some repairs to yacht and this time hiring out YES A TOYOTA YARIS and will throw timing out to kilter!
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Last warning guys.
We will open a Forum soon, but for now, lets keep these posts spam free.
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Cool. Sorry cobber!
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
I mean over weight>>>>>>>>>not fat……god don’t worry about it……I am sunk trying to explain it!
Behave Klink you will get me banned too !!!!
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Night all…….see you tomorrow!
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
Sorry Alborz. I did forget what this post was. I had to look back up further to see what I originally wrote.
———————————————————
QUOTE Toyota_Paul = “As for darkness on exhaust, what do you think the inside of ALL exhausts looks like!?!? Its because essentially the exit of the exhuast is inside that square tip, so thats why the darkness builds up and is more evidence than a tradtional exhaust…nothing to do with running rich.”
QUOTE Watto_Cobra = “I think most people realise this is carbon build up. (Makes you wonder how clean it really runs) and it happens to every car. TRD’s prob, as you said, is the exhaust exits at the start of that square tip. They really do look great while clean. I’d go BLOODY NUTS tho having to clean those every bloody time I drove the car. Great looking design, poorly executed.”
QUOTE Toyota_Paul = “I really think it says alot about how biased some people are when they try to attack its exterior looks, its a stunning vehicle.”
QUOTE Watto_Cobra = Stunning in your eyes, looks pretty good in mine but not “stunning”, but other people may say “meh”, or really hate it. Personal opinion is allowed here, isn’t it?”
———————————————————-
Prob was Klink was being a comedian and Paul never appeared.
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
ALBORZ.. do you have a closer view of exhaust pipe to show finish of it??? It does appear black and not right deposits on what I saw previous? What is your opinion?
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
…not right deposits on inside of exhaust pipe that is
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October 16th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
Maximus I’ll upload some more pics tomorrow,
as I said, the exhaust deposits occured on all three test cars, must be a common issue!
As for being dissapointed or not, I think I was. I was expecting a lot more - fun - as oppose to just great straight line speed.
However I think the next 5-10 years should see TRD hit the right formula
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October 16th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
Cool, thanx. Do agree as virtually starting it is better effort and with time will come good!
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October 16th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
typo… starting TRD brand it is great 1st up effort…
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October 17th, 2007 at 5:14 am
Bavarian Missile : Do you know what the circumstances were when the Aurion detonated ??
Do you know much about the crash ??
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October 17th, 2007 at 5:38 am
I admit it is pricey, for 61K I would rather get the Liberty GT.
BUT… cars in Oz are stuffed either way… seriously, as I’ve stated I’m at the states at the moment and been to Japan….. We Aussies get masacred in the price for our cars..
for 61K AUD… around 50~52K USD… I’d be driving 2002 Porsche Carrera with plenty of change…
Heck, save another 15K USD, and I’d be driving the new Nissan GT-R which is supposed to be priced at 80K here, and even cheaper in japan at around 65K USD equivalent… last time I heard of it coming to Oz, Nissan was hinting at around 150K+ for it… Unless its badged as Infinity, it won’t sell 150K outside of the die hard Skyline GTR fans….
Now back on this car… well as I’ve stated in the past, the FWD is not really “planned” from the start as most youf need to understand… TRD is doing Oz a lot of favour to be honest…. TRD in terms of technology is very much in the forefront… The problem was… that there simply isnt another option to “TRD-ized” in Oz….
I’m not sure whether to give info about platform plans for Toyota in the future… but all I know is… its highly based on how the Aurion performs… market wise… if its good enough to bite a good chunk from the typical GM/Ford RWD junk..err.. cars, then a RWD, possibly from Subaru or Lexus will be supplied for the next Aurion platform… Subaru’s 4WD system would be great, but you’d be looking at a 70K car… but 270~280kW 4WD Family Sedan from Toyota/TRD?… for 70K?… well… maybe worth forking over even if it will only cost half that here in the U.S.
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October 17th, 2007 at 6:27 am
I agree that we do get a little screwed in Oz, but its more that the US get cars ridiculously cheap rather than here being ridiculously expensive. When you look at Euro pricing and then convert to $AUS and add some for shipping we are about even.
The US market is so cheap because of US car manufacturers pinning themselves in a corner by cutting prices so much to conpensate for their shite-house cars, the upside of that is that other car manufacturers need to dramatically cut their prices to compete. Looking at Subaru for instance, a Subaru Legacy GT Spec B is $US33,995, which converts to roughly $AUS38000, a far cry from our $55k we pay. Compare this again to the UK, they don’t have the GT but the 3.0 Spec B which costs the same in Oz is 28600 pounds, which converts to $AUS70000, so compared to that, we get a good deal.
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October 17th, 2007 at 9:44 am
CHEAP SHODDY SHORTCUT BY TOYOTA…love the close up shot of the driving pedals in footwell (noticed the bulletproof quality of carpet edge finish that was poorly fitted). Minor point albeit…BUT ROUGH AS GUTS as will trap dirt and the like behind it and it might fray edging over time. With all the might of Toyota and the technology they have it could of been much neater finish and cutout for brackets fitted to body and went up higher! CASE OF ZEN TO SAVE THE YEN!
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October 17th, 2007 at 11:43 am
SEE TOYOTA SLIPS IN RELIABILITY POST… made interior floor carpet I referred to earlier came from USA???
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October 17th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Ben Cousins,I feel sorry for him.Did anyone really believe rehab would work in the spotlight?Leave him be & give him a chanceat the rest of his life.
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October 17th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
David I agree…….totaly!
Cam no I dont know how the crash happened have just been reading the Toyota press releases! Toyota still say they don’t know how it detonated!
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October 18th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Naughtyius Maximus you really just attack anything that is remotely wrong with Toyotas…. you look at MOST cars in that pedal area and it wont be finished, unless your a gymnast who can get your head under their to see it (or a camera) there is no need for it to be perfectly done.
And mind you Im tyred of the TRD Aurion now, so this isnt a biased call this is just common sense.
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October 18th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
OK LOL….yes it is not perfectly done as you state in the Aurion, funny my Falcon has better straighter edge trim that the wave endowed third world rate finish Iam referring to. Iam sure Alborz is not a gymnast and easily took photo and you probably never noticed before as your Toyota head is tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo big to get in there. At least you could get in and out through the moonroof Toyota boofon.
PS: Andrew M is waiting for your apology, I would of thought that would be ‘JUST COMMON SENSE’. Andrew M, on behalf of Toyota Paul I solemnly declare that he means to say sorry that he called you a lier, but he is toooooooo busy.
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October 18th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Sorry over what mate?
As for yourself, the point which you have obviously missed is:
1. Most cars dont have a perfect finish in that area
2. Leading on from this point, its not perfect because YOU NEVER ACTUALLY SEE THAT AREA UNLESS YOU HAVE A CAMERA.
Get it? Attacking the car because of its finish their is pathetic when the rest of its finish, well from the Aurions Ive been in, is good. Toyota leads the way in quality and relaibility… you know those 60% of Falcons that need to go in for unscheduled service within the first 5 months, thats related to poor fit and finish. Maybe instead of getting a ’straight line’ in the foot well they should be working in more important areas lol.
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October 18th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Hang 5 “I’ll be back”
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October 18th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Pauly, usually when one says they are over it usually logic dictates it is the opposite.
After driving the Aurion for me it lacks low down torque and is really not that much fun to drive. Like having one nip bourbon and coke; and I like 4nips! Once you like and know your over it………….Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
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October 18th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Stick to your 1 nip cocktail as it is more a sedate ride wearing resplendent tweed safari suit and bowler hat squire.
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October 18th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
toyota paul you have got to stop comparing the TRD Aurion to a falcon. One costs $61k, the other $45k, they are just not comparable.
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October 18th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Im over the TRD… I expected more. The regular Aurion, you can say what you want… but that lack of fun is as fast as a Ford with half a litres more displacement and has been reviewed as having good handling while the Ford has been criticed for its handling over rough surfaces (ie most public roads).
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October 18th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Tom what the hell are you on mate… I dont recall comparing a Falcon directly to the TRD in this current commenting…………
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October 18th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Paul, have you apologised yet?
mate you accuse NM of attacking anything that is remotely wrong with toyotas yet you must forget that you attacked things that werent even wrong with fords and holdens. for eg you called the mondeo too overpriced yet it offered far more than a camry??
mate ive never heard ford of being accused of poor handling where do you get that. ford has lead the handling department until holden (with the VE) learnt how to also make a car handle. before VE came out ford was cleaning up in the handling department. and then you dip into their euro range and the focus has cleaned up there for a while too. and now the mondeo looks to be another leader from the euro stable.
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October 18th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
I once or twice get that from other half - I once called it domestic deafness. Better get used to it Andrew M, as seems like you are similar. Must be amnesia or Toyota withdrawal symptons due to reality check as he realises “YES ALL CARS OFFER SOMETHING, NOT JUST ONE SINGLE GOD DAM CAR MANUFACTURER”
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October 18th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Andrew.M Im not going to link the handling document for the 1000th time, it was at drive, the comparo between SV6, SX6 and XR6. It was stated that over uneven surfaces, the Falcon got nervous, that isnt good handling.
As for this other BS you Ford fairies are creating, no there is a difference between mistaking a price tag and trying to say a brand, which gets survey after survey, study and study, of good reliability results, is not reliable.
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October 18th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
That is one reveiwers opinion. I’ve read other comparos that make no mention of this, in fact, they were amazed how close the aging BFII is to the new Aurion and VE, in handling. I’m interested to see how Orion compares.
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October 19th, 2007 at 11:00 am
241kw through the front wheels… this TuRD sounds like a coffin on wheels to me.
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October 20th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Yes,another half arse offering from the worlds largest auto manufacturer as they know that people will buy anything with their badge on it. Through a concerted and well contrived campaign over the last twenty years they have enlisted the paid support of luminaries in various markets i.e Lawsie in Oz to spread the word about Toyota reliability and quality to the extent now where this mainly perceived reputation has reached mythic proportions.
So now they don’t have to try too hard as the blandness and mediocrity they offer is bought by willing consumers for top dollar without question. I remember reading that Mitsubishi some time ago poached a leading Toyota marketing executive hence the better built better backed campaign.
What really grates is how arrogant Toyota owners are towards other makes. Toyota started out using copies of early british and euro engine designs in the early days and in the late sixes copied most of Mercedes mechanicals for the Toyota Crown. Even today you can see that each new model of Lexus keeps with the latest Mercedes styling to the extent that they are often hard to tell apart. I’ve owned and driven both Japanese and local makes and haven’t experienced a huge difference in reliability. The longer you hold onto a vehicle the more likely ancillary bits will start to fail and need replacing. In my experience Toyota is no exception in this regard. The main advantage with Ford or Holden or even Mitsubishi(local) is that the replacement parts are a quarter or less of the price of the equivalent part for many Japanese models local and import such as Mazda, Subaru or Toyota.
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October 20th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Toyota Paul I will think you will find that motoring writers like most of us have far higher expectations of rough or dirt road handling when it comes to the locals like Falcon, Commodore and 380 even and are subconsciously more forgiving of the Japs in this regard as the locals are usually so good in this regard. If you drove a Commodore or Falcon over dirt road corrugations I am sure you would find the ride, handling and body integrity evident far superior to anything with a Jap badge if a direct comparison were to be made.
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October 20th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Hiya Toyo_Paulie.i see youve made a lot of close friends with your nonstop big T marketing. thought i should pop in for a look how things are going.
Top notch point there “Realcars”.i can’t remember who said it, but someone on here said the following:
“idiots buying toyotas thinking theyre flash as a rat with a gold tooth, think they got a better car than a Merc, haha. just listen to out-of-date Lawsie, know what I mean?”
worn out any more keyboards/mice yet Toyo_paulie? looking up your rubbish so-called figures. big T may be on the slide now, hope they like the sudden stop at the end. rofl.
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October 23rd, 2007 at 2:04 am
Another dull toyota…..
can anyone send me ute please with a gurt big 6ltr motor
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October 23rd, 2007 at 10:18 am
^
Then you dont have a pulse… and ute with V8… great combination lots of power and no weight over the drive wheels…
Toyota-Hater…Ford and Holden… EQUAL LAST in reliability… the stats do my talking
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October 23rd, 2007 at 12:10 pm
what are these stats you are talking about? you say there industry stats yet i am in the industry and cant find them…..
What type of car do you drive toyota paul?
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October 23rd, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Paul you are such a sad case haha
The bloke says “another dull toyota” and you tell him he doesn’t have a pulse hahahaha. Maybe he finds the idea of a 3.5L naturally aspirated engine dull?
People like other products outside of toyota paul!! you cant tell the man he has no pulse because he finds your choice of car boring!!!
Learn to accept other peoples views and opinions! You cannot control what other people like and dislike!
Geez! How old are you now?? I can guarantee you do NOT have a girlfriend!!!
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October 23rd, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Whoops - that should read “supercharged” not “naturally aspirated”.
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November 1st, 2007 at 12:16 pm
[…] Australia should be looking at a tuned Corolla, surely if there is market for a front-wheel-drive supercharged Aurion, there is bound to be one for the […]
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November 20th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
I can’t make my mind up which colour I would prefer one in.
Perhaps Varicose Blue or Salt n Pepper Silver or even Octarian Orange for a hoot!!!
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