2008 Toyota Aurion Reviews

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2015 Toyota Camry & Aurion as a used buy.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the used 1999-2014 Toyota Camry and Aurion.

The Toyota’s Camry and Aurion are built in Melbourne and have many changes from the original Japanese design to suit them to our local driving conditions and Australian drivers’ tastes.

TOYOTA threatened to enter the big-six market for many years before it took the plunge with the Aurion.  There was the Lexcen-badged Commodore and when that failed they launched the bland Avalon, and when that did nothing to excite the masses they launched the Aurion.The Aurion presented something a little different in the segment that had been dominated by Holden and Ford for many years and enough buyers signed up for Toyota to claim it as a success.MODEL WATCHTHE pitch for the Aurion was good; it had class-leading power and economy, and better value for money.  The Aurion shared its mechanical package with the Camry, but Toyota's engineers worked hard to differentiate it from its sibling.It was given a more aggressive look, while the cabin got new seats, a revised dash and dials, and a large centre console.  The 3.5-litre V6 boasted 204kW at 6200 revs and 336Nm at 4700 revs, which was more than the Falcon or Commodore could muster at the time. There was a six-speed auto transmission with touch-change manual shifting and intelligent auto operation.The final drive was through the front wheels, something Aussies had spurned in their big cars in the past, but Toyota was confident those fears had long since faded.  There were five models in total, split into two groups. On one side were the sporty models, including the Sportivo, while on the other were the luxury variants, including the Presara.ON THE ROADWITH 200kW-plus on tap there was no shortage of zip with the Aurion. It jumped out of the blocks and delivered through the rev range. The comfortable ride was matched by supportive seats and responsive handling. There was a lot to like about the Aurion.IN THE SHOPOVERALL the Aurion lives up to Toyota's reputation for quality and reliability, it is a generally sound car that gives little trouble. There have been some reports of piston slap and complaints of the intermediate steering shaft coming loose have been heard.IN A CRUNCHTHE Aurion had a comprehensive active and passive safety package. It had anti-skid braking, electronic brakeforce distribution, traction and stability control. On the passive side it had front airbags for the driver and passenger, as well as side and head airbags.ANCAP rated the Aurion four stars.AT THE PUMPTOYOTA claimed an impressive 9.9 litres/100km for its new big car, which is being borne out in service. Owners report 8.5-9.9 litres/100km around town. To get the best out of it the Aurion should be run on 95-octane premium unleaded.THE BOTTOM LINEGOOD all-round family car with good performance and economy, comprehensive safety package, and Toyota build quality.80/100LOOK FORBig-car roominessClass-leading performanceGood fuel economyGenerally reliableFor ANCAP vehicle safetyratings, visit howsafeisyourcar.com.au

The thing is, unlike cars by the big two, Toyota’s effort is only a front wheel drive V6.But on the plus side, it’s something new and fresh, and completely different – something that might just grab the attention of a red or blue tragic. It’s about time there was a new kid on the block to mix things up a bit.Engine and economyOkay, so it’s only a six but there is some serious poke in the supercharged 3.6-litre DOHC V6 petrol, that puts out 241kW at 6400rpm and 400Nm at 4000 revs.A six speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with lock-up torque converter and artificial intelligence shift control, gets power to the wheels.The car will sprint from 0-100km/h in around six and a half seconds and burn 10.9 litres of 98 RON fuel per 100km.A new sports suspension setup with lower springs and a matching damper configuration makes for a stiffer, sportier ride that means less body roll, improved agility and more precise steering.ExteriorOn their website, Toyota constantly stresses the subtlety of the TRD Aurion design which seems a rather strange direction to take. As we all know, the base Camry is dreary at best. To not talk up a slightly sporty one seems ludicrous – especially because this one doesn’t look half bad.The cherry red paint job, big dark 19 inch alloys, side skirts and the big rear sports bumper transform the boring old Camry into a real head-turner. A match for HSV and FPV in styling at least.InteriorSadly, the TRD Aurion falls down a little inside. Aside from the garish red leather sport seats, there really isn’t too much that screams performance car. A small ‘TRD’ on the dash and a near-invisible one on the steering wheel – and that’s it.There are the leather bound gear knob and scuff plates to brighten it up, but the rest is bland and forgettable.SafetyA comprehensive airbag package complements a long list of features including ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, brake assist, Traction Control and Vehicle Stability Control.PricingThe TRD Aurion 3500S starts at $52,990, with the 3500SL – fancier airconditioing and a satnav but no difference in performance – starting at $56,990.DrivingPerhaps the most disappointing thing about this car is the noise it makes – or rather doesn’t make. Why did Toyota go to all the trouble of building a performance car to take on the big dogs when at full thrust, it sounds like a ceiling fan?The TRD Aurion has guts and will surprise you when it slams you back in your seat when you plant your foot. Handling was nice and taut but still quite comfortable for city driving. Cornering was easy and grippy at speed.Annoyingly, we were constantly dragged into every rut and crease on the road, having to fight with the wheel to bring it back into line.Generally though it was a good drive and a performance leap up from the Camry – but hey, that wouldn’t be hard, would it?Up against the HSV or the FPV the TRD Aurion as it is now is outclassed and will struggle with the smaller engine. Technically, its closest rivals – the Falcon XR6 Turbo and the SS Commodore – are quite a bit cheaper and more powerful so again, they look to be the better buy. But its refreshing to finally see something different out there with the potential to become a competitive large performance vehicle – and that isn’t a Ford or a Holden. 

From Toyota's specialist tuning division, TRD (Toyota Racing Development), comes this hot Aurion. Based on the Aurion Sportivo, the TRD Aurion has a supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine that punches out 241 kW. And a hefty 400 Nm at 4000 rpm, with at least 300 Nm on tap from a mere 1200 rpm all the way through to the

IT IS hard to be over critical of a Toyota.The Japanese car maker turns out well-made, highly reliable, moderately priced motorcars designed primarily as urban or rural family transport. You have only to look at Toyota sales figures to realise they are very good at what they do.Perhaps the most strident criticism of Toyotas in the past could be that on average, they were staid, unexciting and did not particularly like being pushed out of their comfort zones. But bear in mind most of them are staid because they are family cars and the vast majority of them are never, and will never be, pushed outside the zone.Excitement while driving is the last thing on Dad's mind. So staid is as much a compliment as it is a criticism.A car for the family — certainly. A car for the enthusiast — not usually.But there is now an Australian-made Toyota on the road that does not deserve the staid handle.In fact anyone who described it as staid clearly wouldn't know what they were talking about. It is the 241kw, 400Nm Toyota Aurion TRD, TRD standing for Toyota Racing Development.Basically TRD have taken a family car that was already producing respectable power, bolted on a supercharger, some big wheels and tyres, adjusted the suspension and brakes and added a few mild body kit bits. The result is the most powerful front-wheel-drive production car in the world.Toyota insist this is not a muscle car in the vein of the R8 Clubsport HSV Commodore or Ford equivalent. It is a more subtle refined package a la Mazda6 MPS.But when it is all boiled down this is a supercharged, go-fast car despite what Toyota say about it not being all about performance but rather the overall package. Toyota Racing Development engineered it, after all, and any car that gets from standstill to 100km/h in near enough to six seconds is a high-performance machine.As tested, the SL TRD with moonroof and sat nav tipped the scales at $67,452. Now that is a reasonable amount out of anyone's wallet, especially when you consider you can get a V8 Berlina for $45,290, a V8 Calais for $59,290, a Ford FPV 5.4 GT for $62,460 or an HSV Clubsport R8 for $64,890.If sat nav and a moonroof is not your cup of tea you can get the SL for $61,500 or the S with no leather seats, no dual climate control air conditioning and with a few less bells and whistles for $56,990.So on the basis of those prices for those cars, with similar (or better) performance, it is hard to make a value-for-money case for the Aurion TRD. True, you do get Toyota finish and quality which can be hard to beat.And yes the TRD is far more refined and subtle as a performance package. Inside, it is impossible to hear any exhaust note or any supercharger whine. There is just this feeling of being thrust back forcefully in your seat.Feeding all that torque through the front wheels has to eventually make itself felt through the steering wheel. If it is wet, or the car is making a left turn up hill from a standing start, for instance, and the loud pedal is getting a flogging, the wheel will buck a little in the driver's hands. But it is not overpowering and many less powerful cars have much more torque steer than the TRD.Those 235 Dunlop Sportmaxx low-profile tyres do a pretty good job of hanging on but with all the power and most of the braking reaching the tarmac through the front wheels, tyre life would have to be minimal.In fact it requires a light right foot to get the TRD off the mark without any chirping or slipping from the front.The brakes are nothing short of superb, at least on the road and in the wet; smooth powerful and progressive with no disconcerting grab at initial application.The six-speed transmission is seamless and smooth and has no trouble coping with the 400Nm of torque. It is not trying to second guess the driver and sequential changes can be made (backwards and forwards) with the gear selector in Sport mode. The electrically adjustable leather seats are comfortable with good side support given the high centrifugal forces created if the driving is spirited.The dash is simple yet appealing, there is keyless ignition yet no dash light adjustment. The sat nav screen, like that in the recently tested RAV4, is a work of art, swivelling down to allow access to the CD player and slot for the sat nav compact disc.Everything fits well and the vast majority of noise in the cabin comes from the 35 per cent low-profile tyres as differing road surfaces can attest.The ride is a little stiff and unforgiving but most of that appears to be a side effect of the low-profile tyres as much as stiff suspension.TRD have done a good job of turning the Aurion into a wolf in sheep's clothing.Perhaps the major question is whether the cost of the trick comes a little high.The other question is why those exhaust ports in the rear diffuser that get filthy thanks to exhaust pipes which finish 80cm further back?Ford XR6 drivers, those behind the wheel of Commodore SV6s and even Ford and Holden V8 drivers will consider it a surprising, even if not cheap, trick if they come up against one in the traffic light drags.