Oscar the Auris

[PuntoHowTo]

the Allegro was not a bad car to drive it was actually decent and reliable. Apart from terminal rot of sills floor fuel tank and axle mounts and suspension that needed constant pumping up it was a decent runabout. Oh and the way it got rid of oil was off the scale. I never did work out where it went to

Not forgetting looks that Even a mother would have a hard time with, and the square steering wheel on the earlier ones and aside from all those things and your list of problems….. it wasn’t a bad car

 

[StevenRB45]

To be fair I think you made the right call, i know we talked about other options but the VAG cars can be expensive these Toyotas are under valued and if you only want to throw mud Children and all manner of crap in them, and do that till the thing dies then you want to do that as cheaply and efficiently as possible. It will be interesting to see what replaces the C3

I sent you a nice Leon FR ST 1.4t on a 66 plate if memory serves.

I'm sure it would have been great but it was 12 grand and change...then whatever it cost to get it into a condition I'm happy with, tyres, service, brakes, timing belt etc.

It had a similar black, on grey, on black on charcoal interior. Boot space wise they are slightly bigger seats up but smaller seats down which suggests the rear seat itself is closer to the fronts.

It would have absolutely done me...and had android auto but I just wouldn't have got the extra 30% of value out of it I don't think as already it would have been more expensive to run at a baseline level even before we get to relative likelihood of one or the other breaking.

At this point I really need to convince the wife we need a new Panda to replace the C3 I think...I want one anyway. It's too small to be an only car but for commuting should be canny.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

At this point I really need to convince the wife we need a new Panda to replace the C3 I think...I want one anyway. It's too small to be an only car but for commuting should be canny.

I would have thought the new panda is going to be pretty much the same size as the C3 you have now ?

 

[StevenRB45]

I would have thought the new panda is going to be pretty much the same size as the C3 you have now ?

It is, but when I was originally car shopping I was going to be replacing one car with one car. Now we've got 2 cars again smaller cars are back on the table for none child related things.

Also if I'm shopping in 2 or 3 years should be some nearly new used ones kicking about.

 

[StevenRB45]

So this is not an update as I've updated nowt...

But did a full multi trip day out in it yesterday actually the first proper run out it's had since it's been all sorted.

Most of my longer distance seat time in this was while it had unbalanced wheels, and or knackered alignment and the poundshop tyres on it. Since the new tyres in November it's done 1k miles mainly round the village or to the shops etc.

Yesterday it got 2.5 hours driving around Northumberland on roads ruined after winter following the sat nav. Mixture of A1 and little roads over the fields once in the general area.

So in the Quarry at Craster...mmm black and winter roads gotta love it.

I'd decided not to update the nav but it was absolutely spot on round Northumberland (the road layout hasn't really changed since the Romans left so being 8 years out of date doesn't affect it at all). So updating so it can be trusted around town centres is back in my mind. Just because it's nice to have the directions between the Speedo and rev counter and not have my phone on a cradle on the dash.

Other than that absolutely uneventful, rode the bumps well, no rattles underneath, stable in the wind, quiet on the cruise other than little bit of wind noise around the front pillar/mirror. It was bought to beat to death but unfortunately I think I quite like the car.

That and the tailgate lip being low at the rear means if you want park like this:

You can then open the boot, sit with a 6 year old with some bags of crisps...and watch the tide come in and destroy your sandcastle.

Character? No.

Fun? No.

Absolutely fit for purpose? I believe it may be.
Also if you aren't going round the doors it uses fuel like a 1.2 supermini. Nearly 47mpg apparently while doing this.

My initial plan for this car was a stop gap while baby was a baby and while my wife was on maternity and it being nice didn't particularly matter it just needed to be reliable and large for a few years anything after that was a bonus. But at this point I'm rooting for it, if we have it 5-8 years we and it shall have many adventures.

 

[SB1500]

It's a ball ache to update... Avensis had the same system. However... with the subscription traffic and fuel prices are surprisingly useful. I'd say get them if you can but last I checked, they only offered 3+ year bundles of those services. Makes putting up with it worthwhile to some extent.

Updated mine last January, but the 2024 pack allegedly didn't change from 2023, so there were some missing housing estates and roads under construction that it constantly tells me not to use. I'd be tempted to update it but then I use Apple CarPlay now.

You could consider going on to AliExpress, giving them the reg / model and letting them advise if there's an add-on box for your system. The same parts local garages are fitting for £700+ will be £100 or so on 4 week shipping from China. That's if the hassle of using the T2&GO system is more than the hassle of pulling apart the dash. Quality of life upgrade?

The new Android based touch screen in later models can update maps via Wi-Fi and the eStore actually has apps! Not that I have it. Although I'm sure you've had a tonne of fun with the 'glass of water' app?! (what were Toyota thinking?!)

Anyway, accurate directions and not sending you down the wrong road, that ought to make you hate the Auris a bit less?

 

[StevenRB45]

The update process is ok...now I know what to do I could probably have it done in an hour or so including the download & 40 minutes in the car. My main issue was not having a laptop I get the download from and trying all sorts with my phone. Incidentally you can do it with the phone for minor updates but the format comes out all wrong with the big map update. Got the hump and borrowed a laptop for the evening, extracted the files properly. If I'd done that first it would have been easy.

You could just start it and go for a drive which is indeed is what I did while it was updating once you've prepped the memory stick.

But all the smart stuff is dead now, so it has traffic via radio only no fuel prices or live parking, it's just plain no longer supported.

I've been using it without anyway since it arrived so no skin off my nose really, although rendered getting web connection to work pointless.

It's fine for what it gets used for, usually it's a case of driving somewhere on a weekend the Nav itself is competent hopefully better now the maps/speed cameras and limits and pois are updated but all the other bits would realistically have been used if I remembered they were even there.

Mainly it's been updated as quite like to run with the directions muted and the guidance displayed between the Speedo and rev counter on trips I kinda know but might need the odd prompt on then the centre screen is free for radio information and your audio isn't disturbed. Usually it's only unmuted in town centres I don't know.

Don't know whether the glass of water is an initial D reference... although I'm unlikely to be drifting round the Touge any time soon.

At the moment I'm good with it, it's not like I use it for business etc, it's good enough to find a theme park 70 miles away. If I was going from client to client on a tight schedule I'd probably be more bothered.

I should say I don't hate the car at all, as all sorted and fixed up it's a fine thing. Not an interesting thing but sometimes what you need is a good pair of sensible shoes. That and the manual turbo is involved enough to drive I don't fall asleep which is good..

 

[SB1500]

But all the smart stuff is dead now, so it has traffic via radio only no fuel prices or live parking, it's just plain no longer supported.

Oh, that's sad to hear. I suspected so as in 2022 I was able to buy one year, then when it expired in 2023 they only offered the 3 years or nothing. Then the system truly is on thin thread of usefulness now. Maybe your capacitive touch screen one is faster / more responsive than the slightly bigger but resistive touch screen version on the Avensis though. If you have 'voice commands' yours is the 'HIGH' (Fujitsu) unit, otherwise it's the 'LOW' (Panasonic?) one.

Don't know whether the glass of water is an initial D reference... although I'm unlikely to be drifting round the Touge any time soon.

One of the built in apps on my Avensis was called 'glass of water'. The idea is you turn it on and it 'coaches' you on driving better / smoother. Things like hard braking, hard acceleration and rough cornering made the virtual glass of water 'spill'. You had to try and spill nothing or as little as possible. It's as fun as it sounds.. I think you'll have it on there.

I should say I don't hate the car at all, as all sorted and fixed up it's a fine thing. Not an interesting thing but sometimes what you need is a good pair of sensible shoes. That and the manual turbo is involved enough to drive I don't fall asleep which is good..

Well true, no better car for the purpose really. Everything else comes with less reliability

 

[StevenRB45]

It's only a "low" system but my experience of manufacturer voice commands is that you're better off without. To be fair given I stream off my phone it's probably easier to use Google assistant for music related stuff anyway.

The Touchscreen is exactly what I was expecting for an 8 year old satnav it's not great but I don't touch it much on the move so it is what it is.

Glass of water, in the anime "Initial D" the main character "Tak" delivered Tofu in a Toyota Trueno drifting on a Touge road. He had a glass of water in a cup holder, if the water spilled then the Tofu had likely been smashed in the back so he had to drift without spilling the water. I was wondering if someone had a sense of humour at Toyota.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

The grill of that MG is nearly as big as the whole front of your car, which is just ridiculous.

Maybe you can press a button and it deploys a smaller MG?.


We’re off to centre parcs next month with a newly aquired set of roof bars and bike racks for the mini.

 

[StevenRB45]

The grill of that MG is nearly as big as the whole front of your car, which is just ridiculous.

Maybe you can press a button and it deploys a smaller MG?.


We’re off to centre parcs next month with a newly aquired set of roof bars and bike racks for the mini.

It's only a medium SUV...

A mere 12cm wider, 5cm longer and 20cm taller than the Auris while weirdly occupying what is largely the same class.

You'll be shocked with it's slinky shape and 1.5l engine that they are known for being a bit thirsty.

Although at least you get enough headroom to wear a top hat inside.. and I dunno perhaps sit in the back with someone else on your knee? Strangely though for such a large vehicle less boot space.

My eldest doesn't like anything that's not self powered I think, indeed go karts this year is probably the longest he has pedalled anything. So so far I've avoided a bike rack.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

It's only a medium SUV...

A mere 12cm wider, 5cm longer and 20cm taller than the Auris while weirdly occupying what is largely the same class.

You'll be shocked with it's slinky shape and 1.5l engine that they are known for being a bit thirsty.

Although at least you get enough headroom to wear a top hat inside.. and I dunno perhaps sit in the back with someone else on your knee? Strangely though for such a large vehicle less boot space.

My eldest doesn't like anything that's not self powered I think, indeed go karts this year is probably the longest he has pedalled anything. So so far I've avoided a bike rack.

I am very much not a fan of any of the car shaped objects that "MG" produces now or any time in the last 10 -15 years, they are all poorly built garbage.

The reason its so thirsty is because the engine is probably either over cooled all of the time, or maybe its because they have strapped a victorian radiator to the front of it.

Its a very Chinese style which BMW has been chasing with its ever larger grills.

I was watching something the other day which was talking about chinese cares which the gist was, they don't care one bit what engine is under the bonnet or what badge is on the front, they care only about how many gadgets its got and if it looks better than the car next to it. In terms of "better" I guess they mean things like having a massive grill.

Honestly I would say the Nissan is a far better looking car and that is not a good looking car by any stretch.