VE - Big Whoopy Do Da

[mongoose3800]

Yes, Toyota make very good, solid reliable cars. Probably the best in the local market. The biggest thing that has always let Toyota down is their bland styling. The new Camry is pretty damn ugly. The Aurion on the other hand isn't too bad. But they do appear to have followed the same styling lines of the BF and Ve....Let's be honest here the VE and BF do have similar styling. You can still see all the other Camry panels though. I'd be keen to know if the Aurion has been widened or if it is just a Camry with a V6 and a facelift.

 

[blackahcdx]

The Aurion is just a Camry with a V6 Engine and a different nose.

SIMPLE!

Some asian countries even have the "Aurion" as their Camry, but with a 4 cylinder engine

 

[klaw81]

Perception of Camrys and Avalons as grandpa cars has a lot to do with the way they're styled and marketed. Toyota knows that a lot of their loyal customers are older people - these people don't want fancy gadgets or flashy looks, they just want a good dependable car, and they get it. Toyota don't want to alienate their existing customers while they try to attract younger buyers and re-invent their image; hence the low-key (boring) styling.

It will be interesting to see how the new car goes - Toyota had the arrogance to say years ago that Australians would lose their love affair with big rear-wheel drive cars when they drove the new "wide-body" Camry, and then said it again when they released the Avalon. Young people and driving enthusiasts stayed away in droves. They keep trying, but until they have a decent market image and some proper sports versions (turbo, hi-po 4wd or similar) they're not fooling anyone. Sportivo anyone?

 

[andyman]

Sportivo anyone?

I really liked the look of the the camry sportivo v6 (that previous model not the new one) especially a black one.

vztrt i think i read that the aurion will have 340nm of torque and alot more for the supercharged version, you can find the info on it at www.aurionv6.com.au

 

[protossw]

petrol is going down,,,hehe.
good luck to all you guys

 

[Cheap6]

The use of more fuel than is necessary to do the job is a moral issue as well as a financial one.

The question is "Would you buy a VE over the competition, at the same price?" For me the answer is no. It is simply too big, which has as much to do with the way it drives as well as fuel use/costs (which, as has already been pointed out, is much less than depreciation anyway) . Also, in my opinion, it is bloody ugly, to the point where it makes an AU look good.

To me, one of the advantages of owning a local car was that they were fairly simple and therefore cheap and easy to fix. I don't think that can be said of VE (perhaps not of VZ either).

Rear wheel drive used to be a plus over the Japanese competition but less relevant with traction control and where ultimate grip limits are high.

I prefer a Subaru Liberty in the same price range.

 

[klaw81]

Interesting that you consider a Liberty to be "competition" to the Commodore and Falcon. I would consider the Liberty to be more competition for the other Japanese cars like Camry rather than the big Aussie cars. The Falcodores are generally larger and more powerful, designed for carrying 5 adults, towing and long-distance travel over rough roads - typical Australian design criteria.

While the Liberty is a lot closer to these criteria than it used to be, there's still not enough room in the back for 3 full-size people and they can't tow much. So apart from price tag, they don't really compete for the same market, unless you're just buying fleet cars where you don't need a lot of room, versatility or power.

 

[TI0350]

I've just stepped up to a VYSS from VS Exec and can't believe the difference between the 2.. The VY rides better , the interior is better and it seems more refined, I care about fuel prices and yes the SS uses more then my old VS but the difference between the 2 cars is worth more then what my extra fuel bill is.. Looking at what I've read about the VE including what people who have bought them have said I can imagine what its going to be like stepping up from the VY to a VE I should have the SS paid off just in time for the VE2..
I like the liberty as well but when I looked at them they were just not big enough for my situation i would rather buy a subie then a yoda..

 

[Cheap6]

The Liberty, among others, comes in at the same price range and for (occasionally) carrying four people, two of whom are less than full adult size, it does the job. I wouldn't even suggest it if the VE was the same size as VZ or even better, VS. It just isn't nice to drive a car that big in traffic or park it, regardless of any greater interior space or how effectively the suspension engineers have done their job.

Point taken over towing capability but it isn't relevant for everyone (most people?).

To me, one of the advantages of the Commodore over the Falcon has always been that it was slightly smaller and significantly lighter. That has progessively been reduced from VB-VL to VN-VS to VT-VZ and is gone with VE, so looking at smaller options becomes valid. Throw in significantly better retained value for the Liberty and it looks even better. Crash safety, if that is a priority, is good for Liberty both in real world and in the lab. crash tests, so that isn't an arguement for increased size.

Currently, the Falcon seems better than VE to me, not least because I can't get past the odd proportions of VE and that the front of the car appears to belong to a different car than the rear.

I understand that export markets and where VE fits into GM globally influenced the decision to go larger but still... The possibility of a smaller rear drive Holden (still better than front drive even with all the electronics, just less so), similar to the Torana show car, as mentioned in the Wheels Billion Dollar Baby mag sounds good, esp. if a LS2 can be squeezed in .

 

[klaw81]

You want a smaller car with a big V8, but talk about moral decisions to reduce fuel consumption? Interesting....

If you don't need to carry 5 big people, and you don't need to tow, then there's no need to consider a Falcodore - you can go for something smaller. Even a Corolla will fit your purchasing criteria, but I can understand your liking the Liberty...I drove a Legacy GT in New Zealand a few months back and thought it was fantastic.

I have no illusions about my Commodore. It tows our boat with ease, carries five people in quite reasonable comfort over long distances, and it's got enough stick to keep me happy. It's not anything overly special but it does the job, and it didn't cost a lot. If I didn't need a tow car, I would be driving a 2-door Japanese sports car which would have better handling and fuel economy. It's all about compromises, and the Commodore does a great job for what I ask of it. I imagine the VE will be the same...a good all-rounder that people will buy because it meets their requirements for transport.