Which Auris (2013 Onwards)?

[cbc]

Hi everyone I've been lurking for a little while as I'm interested in buying a used Auris (2013 onwards). Already found a few interesting bits of info. Ideally I'm looking at the 1.33 petrol (manual) but there seem to be more 1.6 cars about. The 1.33 has rear torsion beam suspension while the 1.6 has a double wishbone. I have researched but just can't understand what the difference to the ride quality will be (if any)? If anyone has either the 1.33 or the 1.6, I'd be interested to know how you feel about it and whether you'd recommend it? It will be used for 70% city driving and 30% motorways. One thing I've got to factor in (when comparing the cost with others) is the cost of a spare wheel as Toyota in their infinite wisdom decided against supplying a spare wheel. Other vehicles being considered are the Hyundai i30 and Kia C'eed.

(my original post had paragraphs which seem to have been filtered out leaving one block of text)

[smudge-1991]

Independent double wish bone every time .... Smoother ride .... Better handling ....

[FROSTYBALLS]

Toyota aren't alone not offering a spare wheel as standard on some models. For example Hyundai offer a spare wheel in some versions of the i10 and new i20, and a repair kit in those without a spare wheel - I would check whether the grade i30 you're looking at comes with a spare.

[Miseryguts]

I own a 2013 1.6 Auris Icon with CVT gearbox,I have also owned a Hyundai i30 (previous model).

The Auris wins every time.

The CVT box is really smooth around town (it can be a bit noisy when you give it the beans,but its no big deal) plus the economy is not too bad either.

When I gave my next door neighbour a lift he did not realise the engine was running before I drove off,it is so quiet.

The indépendant double wishbone gives a comfortable and gives a smooth ride.

The Auris has good build quality,doors shut with a nice "clunk".

Nearly all makers offer the tin of juice puncture repair kit.

My last car,the juice was the ONLY option as their was no space to even carry a spare wheel !!!

Both the Ceed (7 year warranty)and the i30 (5 year warranty) are good cars,I think the Auris is just that bit better,but its a close run thing.

Take them all for a LONG test drive (if possible try for a 24 hour one,Toyota did this when I was interested in a Hybrid Yaris) in all the cars you are interested,a short around the block does not give the true picture.

Also look on both Ceed and i30 owners forums,it opens your eyes,trust me,

[FROSTYBALLS]

Think the only way to compare the ride of the 1.33 and 1.6 is to test drive both. On the forum you're likely to get views on one or the other.

[cobh18]

Best handling car I have ever driven was a Renault Motorsport Clio Cup. Ride well controlled although firm. It has a torsion bar rear end. The Clio Sachs dampers were rather out of the ordinary, and probably much more expensive than those on other Clios. I think it's more a matter of implementation and competence than the actual arrangements, within reason of course. So test drive both, as Frostyballs says.

[yossarian247]

Best handling car I have ever driven was a Renault Motorsport Clio Cup. Ride well controlled although firm. It has a torsion bar rear end. The Clio Sachs dampers were rather out of the ordinary, and probably much more expensive than those on other Clios. I think it's more a matter of implementation and competence than the actual arrangements, within reason of course. So test drive both, as Frostyballs says.

Yes I agree, I've driven double wishbone cars with poor handling and torsion beam cars with fantastic handling. The implementation matters more than the basic technology sometimes.

[smudge-1991]

It's on the track where that sort of stuff counts I know the old civic type r handled a Danny sight better than the newer one ... Same as the mk1 focus rs out handled the other hot hatches ... But these are more focused cars that were being pushed on track or Cornish back roads .... The Clio cup does handle immensly but not as good as the fiesta st .... But all of which I think handle than a similar age vw gti .... But if you push the old Auris Sr180 in the bends against the 2.0 Sr the 2.2 just has an edge on it and that's not including the obvious power difference it's just a bit more stable and refined .... Hence why most bigger cars have independent rear ends just because of comfort and stability ... Torsion beam is by far a lot cheaper to build

[cobh18]

Does the current Fiesta ST not have a torsion beam rear end? Like the Renault Megane which had the fastest production car lap time on the Nurburgring. Possibly eclipsed by the recent Civic Type R which is, SFAIK, a torsion beam affair, albeit expensively adapted (four-point adaptive dampers for independent control of each wheel, rear torsion bar has been enhanced with a ‘crushed pipe’ to improve rear roll rigidity by 180 per cent according to EVO) I have no idea what that latter phrase means BTW! No doubt the (usually!) cheaper and space saving torsion beam arrangements are harsher in ride than IRS vehicles. Also, not useable to anywhere near their full capability on rough, bumpy neglected roads, but plush ride isn't the priority for virtual road racers. Horses for courses perhaps? IRS for Derbyshire is probably a given:)

[TomdeGuerre]

I had the old Auris SR with torsion box rear suspension - nothing wrong with it and I did my share of spirited cornering with it. If pushed it might lift one of the back wheels but that was the worst thing that happened. It also had the advantage of having bigger boot space which is something it needs.

My newer 1.6 Icon, with the same platform and 2.6m wheelbase, has the double wishbone rear suspension and it's not noticeably better (although it's not a straight comparison).

Anyway, the question the OP asked was which Auris to buy and my advice would be to forget about any issues with torsion box rear suspension because you'll never notice the difference in ordinary driving. If I was considering the 1.33 petrol or the 1.4 diesel then it wouldn't stop me.

[smudge-1991]

That's what I mean it's only when pushed you notice I just think that there is more comfort on the motorway ( where I spend most of my time driving ) the independent is better at soaking up the badly laid British motorways ... But round the town it makes no odds unless you drive everywhere like a racing driver

what gets the best bang for your buck ...

Optional kit, price, mileage, looks better, tinted windows, service history and the obvious knocks bumps scrapes scratches kerbed and dents ...

[cbc]

Thanks very much for all the replies. The sales staff suggested there wouldn't be a noticeable difference between the 1.33 and 1.6 but I tend to notice the little details and want to get this right. I did test drive the previous Auris (12 plate) which I thought was a bit too bouncy over the uneven city centre roads. Then again, that was an older car so it's difficult to know.

Not too optimistic about getting a long term test drive given that we're talking about a nearly new car rather than brand new. Hyundai were better in that respect - one dealer offered the i30 for a weekend which I declined as we had an hour long test drive with a different dealership over all kinds of roads which we felt was great.

[ToyotaAuris]

Hi I have a 1.33 engine 2011 model (guessing that maybe newer Auris's use same engine) and its really weak. Today it really did my head in because it just wouldent go up slight hills without shifting in gear 1 and 2. I was going up hills steadily at about 50 MPH and it just dident want to go, loads of people flashing lights at me from behind. I do mainly city and its a really good car for the city however if your going up hills try the 1.6 engine. On a good run I will get 48 MPG in city runs with stop start and on motorway its about on the late 50's for MPG. Really reliable car, gets me from A to B with no problems.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Hi I have a 1.33 engine 2011 model (guessing that maybe newer Auris's use same engine) and its really weak. Today it really did my head in because it just wouldent go up slight hills without shifting in gear 1 and 2. I was going up hills steadily at about 50 MPH and it just dident want to go, loads of people flashing lights at me from behind. I do mainly city and its a really good car for the city however if your going up hills try the 1.6 engine. On a good run I will get 48 MPG in city runs with stop start and on motorway its about on the late 50's for MPG. Really reliable car, gets me from A to B with no problems.

Something wrong there - I've had two Auris 1.33's and never experienced anything like that. Yes, on motorways an incline will need changing down from 6th to 5th, as 6th is quite a high gear.

I don' t agree its a weak engine - it revs easily and delivers quite easily and smoothly.

We've used both of ours on journeys from Birmingham to Skye - with two people on board, rear seats folded down and a full load of luggage, ours easily copes with motorway speeds between 60 and 90mph, and returns good fuel economy without resorting to coasting or similar. It isn't embarrassed with the drive between Stirling and Fort William (A84/A82) through Rannock Moor and Glencoe, and through the Cuillins mountains on Skye.

[Miseryguts]

A good big'n will always beat a good little'n :-))

[FROSTYBALLS]

A good big'n will always beat a good little'n :-))

True, but comparisons between a 1.33 producing 100bhp and a 1.6 with 33% more bhp will favour the larger engine in most areas bar fuel economy. The most eager engined car we've had was an unlikely 1.8 Premacy - even fully loaded would cruise at 90-100 all too easily.

[cbc]

Take them all for a LONG test drive (if possible try for a 24 hour one,Toyota did this when I was interested in a Hybrid Yaris) in all the cars you are interested,a short around the block does not give the true picture.

Also look on both Ceed and i30 owners forums,it opens your eyes,trust me,

I've been on the i30 forums and couldn't find any issues of concern apart from some cases of warranty claims being rejected (but there were also cases where warranty claims were unexpectedly accepted), is there anything specific you've seen about Hyundai?

[TomdeGuerre]

I don't know about the i30 but to me Hyundai and Kia are two sides of the same coin. They gave me a newish Kia Cee'd as a courtesy car when my old Auris was in for repair and first impressions were good, body style definitely a bit copy-cat but the trim looked OK and it seemed well enough appointed. It started up and drove off OK but later on when I had to open it up to climb a long steep hill I was surprised at just how rough it was. The engine roared, the transmission vibrated and there was a lot of boom inside it. You see them talking about the NVH (Noise Vibration and Harshness) factor in road tests and this thing had it in spades, just like an old Daewoo. This was a few years ago so I don't know what the current versions are like..

[cbc]

Further update: I'm really surprised by how bad the road noise is and also the way cold air enters the cabin through poorly sealed doors/windows. There is also an electrical problem with the hazard light switch that drains the Battery.

I think I'm going to drop the idea of the Auris. Toyota's build quality should be better and if Kia had produced a vehicle with these problems, they would have received a kicking from motoring journalists.

[Heidfirst]

don't know about poorly sealed windows (don't think that I have seen any complaints) but I believe that the hazard light switch issue is fixed (software issue). http://blog.toyota.co.uk/toyota-auris-owners-12-volt-flat-batteries

[FROSTYBALLS]

The hazard warning switch issue was fixed in 2014.

The Cee'd has only had issues such as the electric power steering motor on the steering column locking, requiring a new steering column, and dealers who routinely remapped turbos on the diesel models to reduce over boost and prolong life, but at the same time reducing the available torque and performance.

Seems that the Kia's Slovenian build quality isn't that brilliant !!

[cbc]

Thanks, I asked the salesman and he said he knew nothing about the hazard switch issue. I couldn't find anything to suggest it had been fixed so thanks for the link.

The cold air came through the door panel, it was difficult to tell where exactly. I definitely found the C'eed (current gen) to be better for road noise than the Auris.

That said, if any owners of the current generation Auris are reading, how do you find cabin road noise and have you experienced any issues with air entering the cabin due to poor seals/design?

[FROSTYBALLS]

At the end of the day, no salesperson is going to admit to a possible fault with a vehicle they're hoping to sell you, and their involvement with service, which would be the part the dealership which would handle any issues, is going to be limited. Be realistic!
A person's perception of whether a vehicle suffers from road or wind noise is, by and large, down to the individual - some may notice noise more than others.
Road noise can vary according to what tyres are fitted, and most manufacturers have at least a couple of tyre manufacturers they source their OE tyres from in order to ensure continuity of supply. This is certainly the case with the Auris - OE tyres are sourced from manufacturers such as Continental, Dunlop, Bridgestone, etc.
Ultimately you are going to have to decide for yourself what car to buy - bite the bullet and decide.

[Miseryguts]

I am on the lookout for a replacement for my Auris.

Their is nothing wrong with the Auris except it is a bit on the low side and the arthritis in my spine and neck are not getting any better.

I am looking to get some kind of crossover.

The Juke was on my list,so the first port of call is the owners forum.

I found reports of split drivers seat (several) engine cut off problems,CVT gearbox problems (several) cam chain issues (several)in fact in the USA there was a recall.

When I ran these issues past the Nissan salesman he look at me like I was mad.

Did he really not know or was he just not telling.

The moral is,check owners forums before purchasing a car.

All cars have problems but a visit to an owners forum often highlights "ongoing" issues that sales staff might be "unaware" of.

[TomdeGuerre]

I've complained on here before about the wind noise etc from the Auris windows and doors but I've never really felt any draughts. One thing to consider is even when you turn the heater fan control switch to its lowest setting the fan still runs and that even when the facia vents are closed you'll still get some air leaking through so if your engine's cold (or if you have low temp selected) you'll still get cold air leaking through. The answer is to push the Off button on the Temp Control Auto / Off control switch and you'll shut everything off. Incidentally having looked up the Auris handbook I see the write up is bassackwards for my heater system.

I've openly criticised Toyota on here before but sometimes manufacturers get a bad press unfairly eg the case of the faulty electric window switches on the old Auris. The 'faulty' door switch was caused by owners spraying unapproved solvents into them which in some isolated cases caused an electrical short. To me, not a Toyota build quality problem although they got the blame for it and all credit to them they replaced any switch they felt might have been affected.