My Auris Sr180

[Daveyonthemove]

I have owned my car a week now, and covered 500 miles (on one tank!) so have spent a few hours in the car, and a also a few hours cleaning it.

This is the first Toyota i have owned, having a history of 2 Peugeot's, 1 Seat, 1 Skoda and 1 Ford.

My last car being a Mondeo ST TDCI was the worst car i have ever owned, and would never consider another Ford after the appalling customer car, but i digress...

First impressions

I didn't set out to buy a Toyota Auris, or any car for that matter. I dropped into my local Peugeot dealer to catch up with an old friend and was wondering around the forecourt when it caught my eye. I had no interest any of the Peugeot range, so wasn't paying a lot of attention, but for some reason the Aris caught my eye.

Its been said in many reviews that it is no head turner on the looks front, and i would agree. Its not 'in your face' but its not a grey car either. To a keen car enthusiast you can see the subtle hints that there is something different about it, and that was enough to make me look closer. So first impressions for me are good, the car had a subtle sportiness about it without the 'Max power' appeal of todays youth, and having owned a Fabia vRS and a Mondeo ST, thats the sort of understated look i like.

Test drive

I enjoyed the test drive (hence why i bought the car) despite sitting in a cabin that felt alien to me. Yes the interior is no masterpeice, but its not bland or dull. The cabin felt more spacious than expected and the seats have a nice supporting feel to them. The engine was the clincher for me though. Starting it up was effortless (once i learned about depressing the clutch) and the engine started without the familiar white smoke or 'hunting' that Mondeo's are infamous for. The engine is smooth, strong and responsive, and mid range torque is relentless. I found the car easy to drive at low speeds through the town, and high speeds was effortless and comfortable. The car does have some slight roll through sharper bends, but on the whole it feels well planted and safe.

Like's and Dislikes

Its hard to go from one car to another without finding that you like something on the old car more than the new one, or miss a feature, but sadly that is the case for me. Its not the heated part leather seats (truth be told i don't like leather seats and never used the heater in them) or heated front screen like you might expect.

Instead, i miss the small things that i believe were overlooked. The centre console being a useless size for anything meaningful could have been a cushioned arm rest instead. The sunglasses holder that is missing (due to an alarm i think, which is a fair trade off i suppose). The silly little push button trip computer stalk that is so tricky to get to it makes it redundant whilst driving. The clock being one display, and the date being on another when i really want to see the time and ave MPG on the same display. The car stereo struggles to put out any volume, and i find it being pushed in the high 20's on a motorway, where i would normally have it no higher than 12 on my previous cars.

The plastics on the lower parts of the interior seem a bit tacky for a car with this price tag, and seem to mark a little to easy if you aren't careful.

My biggest gripe is the road noise. Its far too intrusive and really lest down the feel of the car.

Likes

Over all i like this car a lot, and the above are a few niggles, but put together they are enough to stop me loving it. I like the seating position, and for the first time in a long time i have donw my 3 hour drive home and not got out with crippling back pain. Shame i never realised the issue was my car seat and not my gym sessions!

The power on tap is brilliant. Everyone who has been in it is amazed how fast it picks up pace.

The 'shift' arrows are a nice feature, and for keeping MPG in a reasonable figure i can see their use.

I'm really enjoying this car at the moment and looking forward to getting some more miles on the clock and taking it on a long drive in the summer.

I'm sure i will add to this thread as i find my impression changes (for good or for bad) but for now, that is all!

[Rick D4D]

What tyres do you have fitted? the road noise is down to these and not the car and the oem Dunlop Sport SP01 tyres are good and will see 30k for sure with rotation. I think we will buy Michelin PS3 next as TBH no tyres last better than Michelin.

[Daveyonthemove]

It has Dunlop sport SP01 fitted all round.

My last 3 cars all had Toyo T1R fitted as soon as a tyre change was due, and i always rate them above any other tyre i have had fitted, so maybe after thousands of miles on these tyres i'm used to a softer tyre with less road noise.

I'm not overly concerned about wear, i prefer to sacrifice longevity for grip so i may change them in the new year if i feel flush.

[PADDYLAD]

Trust me, in the summer when the roads are dry this is one of the best handling cars I have driven. Take the time to take the VSC and the traction control off and the car comes alive. Put it back on and the car becomes a everyday family hatchback with lots of poke. A great all-round car.

My missus disliked the car on the test drive, she said they were too noisey. I brought her a Yaris 1.8 SR. She now loves the SR180 now but I think it is one of the cars that sort of grows on you.

I agree that great things could be made better. For instance I have a major problem with condensation The car frosts up quite badly. I think with having such a big powerplant Toyota could have thought a little more about engine ventilation and maybe vented the bonnet to allow the engine to cool better. I bet the Lexus to which the engine comes from does not have the same problem, but then again it doesnt have such a big turbo.

MPG could be a little better. You will see a notable decrease in MPG over the winter. Every time you put the heater on the engine revs increase on the idle.

I have started running mine on the Shell V power and I have noticed a marked increase in the overall proformance of the car. Try it. For the extra money, the benifits are noticable.

All in all a shrewd purchase, and may I take the opertunity to welcome you to an elite club. They have stopped making this car as they were too expensive to produce and each one was hand made. I was asked by my dealer (Inchcape Derby) to go and see my car being built. I had to wait 3 months to get my car as it took so long to build.

A fantastic bit of kit. Just one peice of advice, you complain about the radio, turn it off and listen to the turbo. A japanese symphony. Who needs a radio?

Enjoy.

[Daveyonthemove]

Thanks for the reply and comments, its always nice to hear from someone who enjoys the car.

I haven't tried driving with the VCS off, but i do have a tuning box fitted so its quite lively already

I do love the sound of the turbo, but i find that if i can hear it i continue to put the car on boost and let off all the time, so its not great for the MPG or my licence

I think that condensation affects most cars in this weather, so i don't tend to let that worry me too much. Usually the aircon will remove the majority in a short time.

I may take the VCS off on my next drive and see how it compares

[PADDYLAD]

Your car looks quite new. Doesn't fitting a tuning box nulify your warranty. I have just been reading your other post regarding the hesitating in all gears. If you are taking the car back to the dealer, I would suggest you take this off if you can. They could refuse to honour the warranty if they see the tuning box on the car.

Mine is a 59 plate and I have thought about having the tuning box. I have decided to wait till the car is out of warranty before I have this done. I dont want to give the dealer any reason to not honour the conditions of the warranty.

[Daveyonthemove]

The box has been taken off already to eliminate it as a cause, and the car runs the same without it.