Are Urban Cruisers That Bad

[catboy]

Went into Westlands Toyota a few days ago to take advantage of an offer they had on a new car purchase.I was prepared to buy a new car I already had purchased 5 new cars from them in 6 years so I had been a good customer.Its the first time I have ever been talked out of making the deal,may be its time I looked elsware shame I liked Toyota's😱

[Parts-King]

Not sure what you mean??

You mean you did not see anything you liked or was the P/EX price bad??

[catboy]

Price was ok they were doing some special weekend where they had reduced there margins.The deal was on new cars, I had selected the car and the spec but I had this feeling the dealer was not interested.Promised phone call back but it did not happen.Maybe I am reading to much into this but that what it looked like to me.

[Parts-King]

Then walk away and use another dealer, there are 210 out there!! They don't deserve your business, use somebody like ourselves who will try and sell you the car you want

Kingo

[FROSTYBALLS]

I had similar problems with Toyota World in Birmingham both in 2006 and 2009 when I was buying new cars.

In 2009, when I had arranged a test drive in a new Auris, they took me out in customer's new car (rather than a demonstrator) that was being collected a few days later, part exchange price was reasonable, and they promised to come back to me the following Monday. Didn't hear from them, so went back to Inchcape Toyota in Burton-on-Trent (who I went to in 2006) on the Wednesday, agreed a deal including part exchange, and had a wait of about six weeks til the car was ready. The week I was due to collect the car, Toyota World phoned me as a follow up to the test drive. Useless!

Toyota World have been taken over now by the Meridian Group - and the dealerships are now Vantage Toyota. They may be different, but I don't think I'll be going there again.

As Parts King said, if the dealer isn't interested in selling you a car, go to another Toyota dealer - if you buy a Toyota elsewhere, you can still get it serviced locally to you.

Otherwise may be worthwhile dropping the Dealer Principal a line or an e-mail, outlining your experience and saying, as a loyal customer of theirs, how disappointed you were in their service, and ask whether you have to go elsewhere to buy a new car?

[Heidfirst]

Thought that they had stopped importing UCs to the UK? Maybe your chosen spec. etc. didn't fit with what remaining stock was available?

At any rate try another dealer - never,ever go to just 1!

[FROSTYBALLS]

Toyota notified the dealer network that the Urban Cruiser was being discontinued with immediate effect from 19th October 2012 - at that time there were approx 90 new Urban Cruisers in stock in the UK

[g7jtk]

So were you looking to get a new U/C?

The trouble is they havn't replaced it with anything yet.

I must admit that I didn't like it at first. It looks (particularly on the inside) like the designer was working his notice. ;)

I also find the 1.4 D4D underpowered. Maybe more engine options should have been offered. Also a button to keep it in 4X4 mode. I don't think it's much use waiting for the wheels to slip on a slippery road.

Better seats would have been nice. 20 miles or so is enough for me.

[dervdave]

The price was the main issue with the Urban Cruiser when it was first released.

[catboy]

I already have an urban cruiser which is nearly 2 years old and was aware that it had been discontinued and what I was trying to say was when I went in the showroom with the aim to p/x for a new model within the range I was putt of by lack of interest by the showroom.When I said that are urban cruisers so bad what I was getting at are they that bad that the dealership did not want it back.I had chosen a new model and been given a price but i was told that they would have to ring me back to confirm p/x price which they did not do.I have used this showroom before and always been happy with there service.I should have explained my self a little better I am sorry If I led you of the point I was trying to make.

[FROSTYBALLS]

May have been that the salesperson you saw didn't consider your visit to be one of genuine interest. People can and do stereotype, and perhaps the person you saw misjudged your visit.

I would either go in again, possibly with a pre-arranged appointment or try another dealer.

Think Urban Cruisers have always been both slow and low sellers - due to things like the high price when new - so that could also have an effect.

I know when I bought my first Auris in 2009, the 1.33 Urban Cruiser was more expensive and a smaller car.

[catboy]

I had purchased 4 new cars in the last 5 years from the same dealership you can't get more serious as a buyer than that.Maybe it's time I looked elseware.

[FROSTYBALLS]

But did you see the same salesperson??

Unless they know you, how will a salesperson know what you've bought unless they see you roll up in your current car - and then it doesn't demostrate your purchasing history.

Not defending the dealership - just saying how it is.

When we were shopping about for a new second car, we arranged a test drive with the Mazda dealership in Erdington - from where we had bought three new Mazdas previously and had all the servicing done there as well. When we turned up, the salesperson was out with another customer, other staff weren't interested in doing anything for us, and we hung about the showroom for 30 minutes before leaving - without the test drive and without placing an order.

We went into our local Hyundai dealer the next day (Sunday) on spec. Had a test drive of the i20 straight away, and purchased a new car.

We e-mailed the Mazda sales manager saying how disappointed we were in their service, and although they tried to get us back in for a test drive, we had no reason to - and despite running two new cars and changing every three years, probably will never go back.

[g7jtk]

Because there is no replacement model for the U/C and it is almost payed for we have decided to keep it and replace the Discovery 2 with a Discovery 3. It's still like new and has still to prove its self in the snow.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Last year Toyota were considering a rival to the Nissan Juke, and were re-assessing the Toyota RSC (Rugged Sport Coupe) concept of 2001:

[catboy]

Looks good it would be great if that was released

[FROSTYBALLS]

However, unless it is built outside Japan for the European market, it will probably suffer from the same exchange rate and volume issues that the Urban Cruiser, Verso S and IQ have had - resulting in withdrawal from some European markets (UK included).

[Parts-King]

Last year Toyota were considering a rival to the Nissan Juke, and were re-assessing the Toyota RSC (Rugged Sport Coupe) concept of 2001

There WILL be a crossover in 2015, but nobody knows what it will be like yet, it will compete with the Nissan QQ

[g7jtk]

Last year Toyota were considering a rival to the Nissan Juke, and were re-assessing the Toyota RSC (Rugged Sport Coupe) concept of 2001:

That has the look of the mini Midas

[sierra13]

My wife loved her urban cruiser. It was a 2011 model and a great cruising car. Good on fuel , handled well and not an expensive road tax. Took it into a mates garage and he told me it needed a drop link. Well they had to use a grinder to get the bolt off, and he told me the other side would need doing next year. He also told me the steering column had some wear as well. I looked underneath the car and there was serious rust all over. I have been around motors for 50 years plus, as a mechanic and breakdown recovery, I did some research and discovered toyota had serious problems with the U.S. pick ups. Collapsing main frames through rust. The metal was manufactured by Dana, who have companies in the middle east and other countries including china and they had not treated it properly. I am guessing looking at how many Urban cruisers suffer with rusty  chassis, some of this metal was used on the cruisers.  The clutch and  duel mass flywheel is expensive to replace as well. Shame really, it was a good driver and with 6 gears very economical.

[Cyker]

Yeah that came out when diesels were getting all sorts of emissions control junk bolted on that turned them from being the most reliable drive train to the least.

You do need to clean the underside of most cars, esp. japanese ones if you've been off-roading in them but the earlier ones were especially prone to rust in damper places; My Mk1 Yaris survived fine for years down here, but after my brother bought it off me, a combination of the damper location where he lived and less driving accelerated the rusting until it rusted to death