Car Star: Toyota Auris

OK I admit it; I’m taking pity on Toyota. All the bad press lately following an admittedly massive recall, has made me determined to remind people about what’s good about Toyota’s range. To be fair on them, the more cars you make, the more you have to recall when something goes wrong. As the world’s biggest carmaker, it has the furthest to fall.

I can’t help but picture what it is like working at Toyota’s press office at the moment, the constant calls from the motoring press, the BBC, the national press, all calling at the same time and all asking the same questions. That level of attention is flattering when they call to ask about a new car or a latest innovation, but when they call question the safety of your vehicles…oh dear oh dear. It’s a bitter sweet relationship with the press that has turned sour.

Anyway there is genuinely a lot I want to say about the Auris in typical ‘Car Star’ style, as it is overlooked by the likes of the Ford Focus or Vauxhall Astra. And with Toyota now fixing past problems with older vehicles, I don’t believe you should be any more wary of buying a new Toyota model than any other marque. The brand implemented a change in production since August 2009, so all new vehicles should be fine. Let’s not forget that Toyota is hardly alone, all the manufacturers make product recalls from time to time. Overall, Toyota has scored well this year in the reliability stakes, scoring high with the likes of the JD Power reliability index and Which? Car consumer surveys.

The Auris, while shorter than its two rivals, its starting price is around £2,000 less than the Astra and £4,000 than the Focus. While you lose around ten centimetres in length, the Auris is actually more generous in head height than both, creating a sense of space inside.

The Auris is also stylishly designed; an elegant interior (as pictured above) is complimented by its roman bonnet exterior and wide stance give it the look akin to the Avensis but after a hot wash. It’s a sort of scaled-down version of a executive car that any high-flying businessman would be proud of. The Auris was specifically designed for the European market too, where we are known for our love of all things curvaceous, and in that sense it is well adapted to our moods. The Auris was introduced to try and recapture some of the love Toyota felt from the success of its Corolla model, widely praised as one of the most reliable cars you can buy. The Auris seems to have been less successful, although you can only assume that the marketing budget for the Focus was larger as there is no real reason why the Auris should have failed to ignite our passion for Toyota.

Updated in Spring 2009, the Auris once again began an assault on our hearts, the manufacturer being quick to point out its advantages over its rivals. With the addition of a new 1.6 Valvematic engine, a few tweaks to the engines already on the line and a few revisions to the specs and the Auris was ready to win over some new drivers. At the time of release, Toyota showed how over a 3 year period tax and fuel costs of rival Focus model would cost £104 more that the new 1.6 Valvematic, not to mention the difference in on-the-road prices. In fact, compared to rival Astra, Focus and Civic models, the new Auris was at least £2,000 cheaper, while it was £740 cheaper than the Civic 1.8 Vtec.

Running costs really are in the Auris’ favour, without compromising in space, like the smaller models in Toyota’s range; Aygo, Yaris and iQ. It is still large enough to be a family car but is also capable of up to 60.1mpg on a combined cycle and produces just 125g/km CO2 in its most fuel efficient TR 1.4 D-4D guise, thanks to the introduction of Toyota’s Optimal Drive technologies. This technology means that the Auris is not just fuel efficient; it still delivers in performance too, with April’s revision to the model boosting power by eight per cent while reducing fuel consumption. The latest TR 1.4 D-4D offers 205Nm between 1,800 and 2,800 rpm, pacing up to 62mph in just 11.9 seconds, matching the larger Focus Zetec 1.8’s time.

As far as I’m concerned, that is proof that the car in front is still a Toyota.

Author: Faye Sunderland, February 8th, 2010
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