... the new Toyota Auris. It's really, really good. I went to the showroom and played with the test car first- weird handbrake, funky dash, comfy seats, excellent gearbox.
Then I asked for a test drive, expecting to be shown the door. The very cute sales girl asked me a few questions, and then we were away in the 2-litre diesel- TR model.
Bare stats.
- 126bhp
- 300NM of torque (anyone got the bare lb/ft figure?)
- 0-60 takes 10.2 secs
- Top speed about 126mph
- Standard A/C
- All electric windows
- CD player
- 6-speed gearbox
- A million cubbyholes
Acceleration and tractability.
Well, as we know, bare acceleration stats do not do diesels justice- that's where the huge mountain of torque comes in. With 300NM, overtaking really is effortless- even in 6th. You just plant your foot to the floor, and *boom*- it shifts.
The only thing that frustrated me was the lack of revs to go through- I'm used to a petrol that happily zooms to 6,000rpm, and above 4,000 is where it gives it all. But on a diesel, it's best to stick between 2,000 and 3,000rpm for maximum effect- and economy, as it happens. Overtaking at 55mph in 5th gear, I was getting 50.5mpg. Cruising at 65mph in 6th, I was getting over 100mpg.
The acceleration is lovely. The shove in the lower back is most excellent, but I just needed to remember to shift earlier than normal to get the most out of it. The midrange is really where it shines- change to 3rd and floor it, and suddenly you find yourself up the exhaust pipe of someone who really didn't expect it. Overtaking, as mentioned, was a breeze. A very good car for the real world.
Economy.
I didn't drive it for long, but the raw material and stats I already had compounded what I suspected- it's insane. I got it down to 6.8mpg on the average readout when I floored it in second, but apart from that I stuck at about 87mpg. Consider that, driving the same way in a 1.1 206 I get 36mpg, I was mightily impressed. Also, the range left was astounding- 400 miles from just over half the tank. Toyota claim 51.4 average consumption.
Handling and fun.
It's a family hatchback, and it's a Toyota. Fun is never going to be high on the list. However, I decided to chance it, and the girl said we'd go down some entertaining roads. So we did. All the roads I love driving when I want to drive for the sake of it were on the test route. The chassis is very capable, and handled some quite extreme cornering. Of course, shooting out of corners using the torque to hand never got boring! So +2 on the fun front so far. Handling... the steering is very light, but it does give you some feedback. In comparison to a really entertaining car- the Mini Cooper S- it's much lighter and definitely not as communicative. But compared to the Ford Focus, I'd say it's more than worthy. Sure-footed and entertaining at times, but not for the enthusiast.
Comfort and space.
As a new car, it's likely to have a lot of creature comforts. You're not wrong if you assumed that. Sitting in the car is comfortable, but it has no sporting pretensions at all. You can't get the seat low enough, and the shape of the front of the car makes it feel very un-sporty. But as a family car, it really does work. The flat floor in the rear now makes it easier for Jonathan to kick his little sister, Maddie, on a trip down to Cornwall, and he can also wreak havoc with the electric windows- until Dad turns them off. There are more cubbyholes than you can shake a stick at (3 in the passenger side of the dashboard alone), and the gearlever is perfectly positioned- like the last-gen Honda Civic and, to some extent, WRC and BTCC cars. The seats are wonderfully supportive and comfortable, but the headrests could do with softening up. CD player as standard- and hell, it can kick out some serious sound! The A/C works very well, going from ice-cold to bloody-hot at the twist of a knob, with a useful 'ambient' setting. Electric everything (great for when you crash into a river...), comfy everything (headrests aside), and a decent amount of space in the rear.
Styling and aesthetics.
It's like a fat Yaris, everyone says. They're not wrong. It's a good-looking car, but the rear is slightly frumpy. And unless you get it in black T180 spec, you can't look like you have any sporting ability. As a family car, however, it really works. It's attractive, and well thought-out. Alloys as standard from T3-upwards, too. Don't get it in Ixion Blue. The interior is a very nice place to be, with a slightly futuristic look, and dials in front of you- which makes a nice change from the 'let's put the dials in the middle!' attitude that has been quite popular of late...
Overall...
I really liked this car. The styling appealed to me (in black, and with hot wheels), and the interior was appealing too. The drive really impressed me- it's extremely refined and bloody quick when you want it to be. It's a brilliant family car, and can be a good sporting car if you ask it nicely. It's secure, easy to drive, and overall a very sound new car- definitely ahead of the Focus.
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Originally Posted by IWantAnAudiRS6
