New Toyota Auris

[chatman]

AutoExpress have the first test drive of the new Toyota....

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/motoring...yota_auris.html

Looks nice..........

[geoffb]

All down to personal taste of course but I think it looks pretty awful! The dashboard seems to follow the Aygo/Yaris trend of trying to make it look like a cheap Fisher Price toy car (though I do quite like the external styling of the new Yaris). The front looks dreadful though I think the rear looks ok :)

Fraid I much prefer the styling of my 55 Corolla T-Spirit both outside and (most definitely) inside! Just as Toyota seemed to get to grips with producing cars with quality plastics to rival such as the Golf they go and throw it all away - shame

[bhinderharminder]

All down to personal taste of course but I think it looks pretty awful! The dashboard seems to follow the Aygo/Yaris trend of trying to make it look like a cheap Fisher Price toy car (though I do quite like the external styling of the new Yaris). The front looks dreadful though I think the rear looks ok :)

Fraid I much prefer the styling of my 55 Corolla T-Spirit both outside and (most definitely) inside! Just as Toyota seemed to get to grips with producing cars with quality plastics to rival such as the Golf they go and throw it all away - shame

remember that the car auto express tested was the asian market Auris, so the colours/trim and plastic quality might change for europe.

[DaveSR]

just to keep owners on their toes, Toyota has fitted an ‘Eco’ light inside the speedo, which mea-sures your throttle input and glows green to reward efficient driving

FPMSL

I hope it turns red when you cain it :P

[Jones~32]

just to keep owners on their toes, Toyota has fitted an 'Eco' light inside the speedo, which mea-sures your throttle input and glows green to reward efficient driving

FPMSL

I hope it turns red when you cain it :P

The AE92 my mum used to have had a similar thing... green light was lit when you were easy on the throttle, and then it turned orange when you booted it

[iLLestJT]

the car already on toyota uk website.

[LEXUS]

I like it!Very nice exterior,great interior,the handbrake is awesome. The green economy light on the dash board reminds me my old corolla ee 80.

[geoffb]

All down to personal taste of course but I think it looks pretty awful! The dashboard seems to follow the Aygo/Yaris trend of trying to make it look like a cheap Fisher Price toy car (though I do quite like the external styling of the new Yaris). The front looks dreadful though I think the rear looks ok :)

Fraid I much prefer the styling of my 55 Corolla T-Spirit both outside and (most definitely) inside! Just as Toyota seemed to get to grips with producing cars with quality plastics to rival such as the Golf they go and throw it all away - shame

remember that the car auto express tested was the asian market Auris, so the colours/trim and plastic quality might change for europe.

Can see where you are coming from but I have driven an Aygo and also looked pretty closely at the interior of the new design Yaris here in the UK and that's where my view comes from. I definitely think Toyota has taken a big step backward on the interior plastics front and, frankly, on interior design generally. But, as I say, it's all down to personal taste and others will think it's great.

Have to say though, that if the new Auris sports a similar interior to the AutoExpress one I shall most definitely be looking elsewhere for the replacement for my Corolla in the fullness of time - and I say that as a longtime Toyota fan!

[bhinderharminder]

another review from autocar Clicky

[LEXUS]

Here something interesting i found:

http://toyota.pod.tv/auris/

Auris site.

[iLLestJT]

how simple it may be, they still cant design it so that the rear wiper is not attached to the body...

[dawesy]

please guys, give it a chance. have any of you who say 'dont like it, it looks awful' seen it in the flesh? i have and have to say it is an improvement over current model all over

[geoffb]

Fair point Dawsey. But the interior design just isn't for me and, in my opinion, isn't a patch on the quality look of the current model Corolla. It's going to appeal more to the younger driver rather than old geezers like me!

The jury will decide if the plastics are up to it when it arrives - but if they are like the Aygo and new Yaris ..... .

[Al J]

just to keep owners on their toes, Toyota has fitted an ‘Eco’ light inside the speedo, which mea-sures your throttle input and glows green to reward efficient driving

FPMSL

I hope it turns red when you cain it :P

Well if you feel a warm fuzzy glow from receiving a different colour light, fair enough! :D

Having had a good look on Toyota's site, I do like it and am considering it when I change cars. Then again, I'm also looking at the Civic. :!Removed!:

[Desmond22]

just to keep owners on their toes, Toyota has fitted an ‘Eco’ light inside the speedo, which mea-sures your throttle input and glows green to reward efficient driving

FPMSL

I hope it turns red when you cain it :P

Well if you feel a warm fuzzy glow from receiving a different colour light, fair enough! :D

Having had a good look on Toyota's site, I do like it and am considering it when I change cars. Then again, I'm also looking at the Civic. :!Removed!:

It does look nice apart from the acres of plastic but personally I'd wait before ordering. I bought one of the first Avensis in 2003 and there were a fair number of teething problems, mainly trim rattles and the like. Within a year virtually all of these had been sorted in new cars and my 05 Avensis is far superior.

[geoffb]

As per Desmond22's reference to the acres of plastic. That's what bothers me about the new Toyotas generally.

There is a serious quality feel to the latest (and last?) generation of Corolla but I honestly don't see that reflected in the Aygo and new Yaris interiors and the Auris pictures seem to suggest that this trend of space age cheap look and feel plastic could be continued in the Auris. But when it is finally in the showrooms I for one would be delighted to be proven wrong.

I'm probably in a minority of one anyway on this view generally

[DaveSR]

As per Desmond22's reference to the acres of plastic. That's what bothers me about the new Toyotas generally.

There is a serious quality feel to the latest (and last?) generation of Corolla but I honestly don't see that reflected in the Aygo and new Yaris interiors and the Auris pictures seem to suggest that this trend of space age cheap look and feel plastic could be continued in the Auris. But when it is finally in the showrooms I for one would be delighted to be proven wrong.

I'm probably in a minority of one anyway on this view generally

Nope :P !

Feel exaclty the same

It's like you can tell that it has been recycled

[geoffb]

That's a relief DaveSR

At least there are two of us which I think is enough to form a self help group - "hello,my name is geoffb and I really do think that the new Toyota models have seriously cheap and bizarre looking interiors.."

... and you should see the Aygo dash at night. It's bad enough in the day but some clown has not only decided to backlight all the cheap plastic in gory red but quite a lot of the sea of cheapo plastic appears to be illuminated for no reason at all

As I said, let's hope the Auris (must keep this relevant to the thread) avoids this awful trend but the initial signs don't look terribly good!

[Johndcfc]

I think....

Interior from baywatch, exterior from crimewatch

[Desmond22]

As per Desmond22's reference to the acres of plastic. That's what bothers me about the new Toyotas generally.

There is a serious quality feel to the latest (and last?) generation of Corolla but I honestly don't see that reflected in the Aygo and new Yaris interiors and the Auris pictures seem to suggest that this trend of space age cheap look and feel plastic could be continued in the Auris. But when it is finally in the showrooms I for one would be delighted to be proven wrong.

I'm probably in a minority of one anyway on this view generally

Nope :P !

Feel exaclty the same

It's like you can tell that it has been recycled

Very true! :D

Plastic is is flexible and changes with the temperature. My 2003 Avensis had a terrible creak and groan from the dash in cold weather when the plastic shrank and rubbed against something or other. The 2005 version seems to have (almost) cured this but I'm always wary of too much of the stuff in a car. In fact it's a fair bet that people complain about noisy dashboards in the Aygo & new Yaris before too long.

[Jp-Auris]

I myself really like the Auris seen how i drive one, its my first car being only 18 i say i quite lucky. for me i personally i prefer the corolla performance rather then the auris even though they are about the same standards (talking about 1.4s) the corolla has a higher top speed being 114 and the auris only being 106, but iv hit 120 on the motorway to test out its real abillities in performance. you can really feel more power pulling at 4500rpm which i think is too much revving involved but i can live with that. my favourite part of the car is the gear knob. its close to the steering wheel making it easy to shift it quickly thus making it NOT loose speed when shifting up or down but that will also involve self driving technique. but also knowing that the auris has 97bhp i dont feel much power when just trying to overtake, it feels heavier than the corolla which i dont like.

overall i really like the auris but the only problem is that there are vertually no parts for it which makes me very annoyed because like any other young driver we want to make our cars stand out from the others making it your own, hopfully

parts will eventually come out for the auris and its just a matter or patience

[OldSkoO1]

Having had a standard T3, T-Sport and Compressor i now own the Aurs t180 and its by far the best all round toyota i've had. THe T-Sport was pretty quick and fun to own but never felt like a true hot hatch. THe compressor was not much better having it to try and better the TS and the T3 was a practical solution.

Toyota then made the Auris T180, a bonding of the practical T3 and the thrust and speed of the t-sport. It has better suspension and its quicker than the t-sport and handles better too but that maybe down to the VSC too. Its still no hot hatch but thats why i wanted it; its the perfect daily runner where you can have a lot of fun too. I still enjoy driving it on a daily basis and it has an amazing engine.

I also had an avensis diesel and our other car is now a RAV4 XTR and the Auris is great comparing them all. Its a very good all round car i wanted it over all the competition. VW's are a waste of money, nothing special at all, lots of stories of them going wrong, 58th in the JD Power customer satisfaction survey. Would never touch french cars and really aren't a great fan of fords either and seats aren't my cup of tea - theres not much else really.

Maybe i'm biased because i'm a massive Japanese car fan. I love how they take so much pride in every part of the design. I know everyone from the fat cats to the technicians all get together in board rooms discussing passionately the design of such simple components. I'd rather have them spend more money and time on the mechanics and electronics than spending so much on squidgy plastic that i really dont see where the quality is in a VW because i looked extensively at a GTI before buying my T180.

I am a car fan i do enjoy driving but so far i'd rather own my T180 and RAV4 XTR than any other mixture. I wouldn't swap them for any other car unless i had enough money to run an Audi RS4 ;)