Early 200 Toyota Auris Sr 180

[sam02]

hi there , new here but could realy do with any comments on the auris sr180. i have just test driven one and seems great but have also heard not so good things about the engines and also fuel ecconmy. anybody have one or can give me the low down on this car ?

all comments appreciated.

sam

[Daveyonthemove]

I have a 2008 model and on the whole its has been flawless, but it's not without it's faults/annoying points.

These are some of the things I find annoying or below standard on the Auris, but these are my opinions and others may feel that i'm being overly critical.

1) Road noise. The Auris is very poorly sound insulated, and road noise is quite loud in the cabin. Not sure if its down to the tyres, but I suspect it is lack of insulation to save money.

2) The standard CD/Radio is awful. Very poor sound and the volume is a joke. I had to have the volume up into the 20's just to hear it whilst driving, but the Alpine I replaced it with can be heard at level 5 in the same conditions.

3) Fuel economy is non consistant. Over one tank I can hit mid 40's, and the next tank i'm in high 30's, and my journeys are mostly long and at similar speeds.

4) The head gasket is a weak point in this engine, but there are plenty of posts on the forum to describe the issues and how well Toyota are dealing with it.

Those are the isses that bug me the most, but other people may add more.

Best thing to do is to drive the car and look out for the faults that people tell you about. If they don't bother you, then buy the car. If you notice them and think they can't be lived with, then look at something else.

I like my Auris, but I wouldn't buy another one if economy is top of my tick list.

[Uncle Buck]

The volume on the stereo doesn't bother me at all. You turn it to the sound level you need & it works just fine. The sound quality is fine as long as you aren't a heavy metal freak (it's just noise anyway !).

As for road noise, I have no problem with mine. It must depend heavily on the tyres you have fitted & the road surface.

MPG is definitely less than I expected of a diesel, but considering how much torque it has for easy overtaking ...... I came from a supercharged 1.8 Nissan & have slightly less power but oodles more torque now.

The only real issues I might have with this car, is if the DPF or DMF fail. Then it will be very expensive & I may cry a lot.

[Daveyonthemove]

The stereo and road noise are subjective to personal taste, and the reason why I suggested them being something to watch for but not a reason not to buy one, so a test drive would be the best idea.

A cheap stereo upgrade transformed my sound quality, volume levels and threw in Ipod support, aux input and bluetooth handsfree. For me it was an obvious choice and I don't listen to heavy metal, I just like my radio to be heard at low levels instead of cranking it past the 20 mark.

Like I said, personal taste, and the OP may have similar needs from a stereo, so it may be good info for them :)

[Uncle Buck]

As you said Dave, it's a subjective issue & therefore potentially different for every owner. I was just pointing out that I don't find it a poor stereo & road noise is a relative thing. There are many factors involved & I just wanted the OP to have a balanced view of things from more than one current owner :)

[Daveyonthemove]

Agreed :-)