Toyota Kluger MCU28R (2001-2007)

2007 Kluger Terrific! – This is not a small car, its large and can fit a house inside it. For a family car with kids that are up and about its perfect. you can fit bikes surfboards and everything else in between into the back. The ride is very comfortable, vision is good when driving, although there are some blind spots . The Aircon works well and cools the car… Read more

quickly, the dash layout is great and easy to read.

We upgraded the factory radio to an aftermarket that has apple car play. the radio was easy to install and the factory speakers that come with the car are more than suitable. Infant to upgrades them would require expensive custom speakers, so that was a nice find.

Fuel around town isn't terrible but isn't amazing either, probably runs about about 13L /100km on the highway it drops to 8L/100km which is excellent for the size of car.

All in all it s an excellent and reliable car that drives very well is pretty good on fuel and can move a heap of things you need to lug around with a family.

At least give them a test drive, the car is good enough to speak for its self

Totally love it – I have owned my 2004 Kluger CVX with safety pack (vrs and taction control with side air bags) for 8 months and it has been a great car. I love to silky power from the 3.3lt 6cyl. The car now has 180,000km and I have totally update all the service items including power flush on the power steer fluid ,flushed brake fluid changed with Bendix brake… Read more ·  1

pads, new auto trans fluid and 4WD and transfer case fluid, new fuel filter, spark plugs and pcv valve. plus a full coolant flush, oil and filter changes are done every 5000km. Accessories added include side steps, nudge bar with driving lights, tinted weather shields and bonnet protector, factory tow bar, roof racks chome muffer tip, front window tint, dvd flip down screen for the rear and GPS WIFI 7 inch stereo with reverse camera and DVR camera. The build quality is not as good on the interior trim as my wifes lexus and drivers seat has a small crack on the side but this SUV is not offered in the RX330 in a 7 seaters. only fault has been the air con condenser got a hole and needed replacement. rear seats are ok for children under 12 years old but the boot is then limited with the 7 seats up. I purchased mine with a good service history and that is very important if you need the car to plus 200000km without big problems. These engines will fail if the oil is not changed at a max of 10000km.

Intermediate steering shaft – Kluger is very good car built for any purpose. Lots of space,power and cargo.Parts are very expensive.Intermediate steering shaft should be recalled because there is something wrong with it.I had mine replaced twice.Once just 4 months after waranty has expired and second time now on my own cost.First time I just payed $57 for labour and now they… Read more

asking around $900.

I tried to claim under warant but Toyota Australia said that their is no recal here in OZ.Their is deffinetly something wrong with it but they are denying.Why they would replaced it in the first place 4 months after warranty expired if there is nothing wrong with it.I think that they are just being to scared to admit that their is again something wrong with Toyota parts since they had quite few recals lately.

I tried to contact authorities that are responsible for recals here in Australia but system is to complicated and it would take too long. Just about everything except for intermediate steering shaft and crack on the side of a driver seat. In my 2006 Grande had replaced intermediate steering shaft 4 months after warranty expired and once more now on my own cost since Toyota does not want to accept that their is someting wrong with it.Driver leather seat is cracked on the side.

Family owned – We have owned this car for two years by now; the 7-seater set up does not allow for that much boot space. However, the vehicle overall operated well except when it needed a new starter and a battery both cost less than $500 combined. I would recommend it for families who are looking for seven-seaters cars under 9k, but I would warn them about the bad fuel consumption which averages at 15L per 100 KM that our car has been getting  Show details

Great – Upgraded to Kluger as needed 7 seater good space nice leather seats good room in the third row only issue experienced is accessing third row when having 2 car seats in 2nd row as can't fold seat down to get in back so have to climb over back seat to get in other than that great 5 stars  Show details

Great – Had to upgrade our car to a 7 seater due to baby number 4 and found the Toyota Kluger. Found it to be a great vehicle love Toyota. Bit i found that once we had 2 car seats in the middle row the other kids have to climb over back to use back seats 3rd row as you can't pull middle row seat forward any more to access. Tried to find smallest car seats but still no luck.  Show details

Big car and easy to drive – The car drives well and easy to handle it does take a lot of petrol which can be a bit dull. The interior is spaced out to fit 7 people however the back is a bit crowded but suitable for kids. It's still running till this day and would see how long it can go.  Show details

OK – see comments from my previous review + the following comments: As some others have rightly pointed out that this car uses adaptive control (fussy logic + self-learning) for its auto-transmission, and electronic acceleration (no cable). This has resulted in delays when doing acceleration. It also hunt for a correct gear when climbing hills,… Read more

which resulted in hesitation (delay). It is really a safty issue (as someone have also rightly pointed out) that Toyota will need to address by releasing a new software upgrade for all the 2003-2007 Kluger to fix this acceleration delay issue. see comments from my previous review. There is a delay in acceleration, which can be dangerous in situations where you want an urgent acceleration, like to avoid a collision.

OK – As far as the car is concerned - I love it - dealing with Toyota - not loving it!! I would recommend the car - but I am not sure how you would get out of this problem. I really like the look of the car and it drives very nice, easy to handle and the reverse camera makes reverse parking an absolute breeze. I also have a lemon - my Kluger is a 2009… Read more

Grande and is continually getting exhaust fumes in the cabin. it has been to Toyota 6 times in 4 months, they have replaced the rear door seals twice and even just replaced the back door - still has not fixed the problem. The main problem is the fact that they can't smell the fumes and then told me that even if it is happening its not harmful - I have downloaded the MSDS on the harmful effects of inhaling unleaded petrol fumes - let me tell you, the results aren't great.

Love love love this car – Reliable, easy on the juice, comfortable and safe. I have fallen in love with this car, I have never had a bit of trouble with this car. I love how comfortable it is, the 7 seats often come in handy for me a mum of 4 little munchie seems. I love how it grips to the road, and you feel so safe, particularly when your transporting your most… Read more

precious possessions, your kiddies. It efficient on fuel and travels distance extremely well.

Would highly recommend this car, it’s been amazing for our family.

Had this car from new and love it – This is a great family car. I have owned it from new and although I am now looking at replacing this I just cant bring myself to sell this car. Its been a real workhorse and has provided heaps of fun holiday activities. The 7 seats have come in handy when relatives come to visit although its now getting a bit cramped for my two children (16 and… Read more

13). Travelling around though is easy. Fuel economy is not great but its not terrible either. We have travelled all around WA and surrounds in this car and its never let us down. Battery failed once but it had done over 100K on this same battery so no real complaints. Servicing is OK and reasonably priced but avoid the Toyota dealerships, total rip off. I use automasters and they have been awesome.

Toyota Kluger 3.3 – My wife and I recently bought a Toyota Kluger petrol and it is an amazing car, it's a 3.3 litre petrol V6 engine, auto, the performance of the car is amazing and great on petrol, plus all the comforts you need, I would highly recommend anyone after a great family car to consider the toyota kluger.  Show details

Dependable – Despite the Kluger being almost 10 years old , it looks stylish and drives very well with good acceleration. I like the 7 seat option ( although the second row passenger middle seat is not that big and better for a child passenger ), rear reverse view camera and glass window on back opening separately of the door if required . Toyota should have… Read more

good customer service too. Only issue I read and have on this model is that the 6 disc CD stacker doesn't work , we purchased it used and it's never been working . I read on some toyota car consumers online forums that this is a fairly common issue ? Anyone else have this or other known common issues on this car ?! Apart from this I would recommend .

we love it & so do our Grandsons, very comfy & roomy:) – I purchased a used 2004 Kluger Grande in Oct 2015. We chose this model because of the seating arrangements as we do Fostering & the extra seats are fantastic to fall back on. The running costs are good & have had one service so far & all good.Great car BUT the rear demister, fresh/recycled air switch indicator lights are not working. Any suggestions please? Also not happy about having to buy the disc for the Sat Nav!  Show details

Great car – I have a 2004 kluger grande which I have owned for about a year now. Great car with no major problems. Love the power especially since the car weighs almost 2 tonne! Build quality is excellent and so is the ride. Heaps of standard features. I also have concerns with the transmission and the lack of response of accelaration on occasion. Have since… Read more

been told using premium fuel will help with acceleration problem. Build quality, power, rear leg room, features Gear changes on occasion

Great car! – We bought our Kluger second-hand and have been really impressed with it. I love that the 3rd row seats fold flat instead of to the sides, we had a Land Cruiser wagon previously and would pull the seats out altogether because they stuck out so far and would then find we didn't have them when we actually wanted them. We upgraded from a Rav4 to this… Read more

and I assumed the 4wd would be about as handy as the Rav (pretty much useless) but have been very impressed by the Kluger - it has gotten me through a few dicey bog holes that I know the Rav wouldn't have.

Love the anchor points for kids seats on the back of the seats, it makes it much easier to get the car seats in and out and you don't have to get another installed when you need more than one.

It is a bit heavy on the petrol - much more than the Rav4 but better than the wagon was on diesel. It's a shame it can't be taken out of 4wd when it's not needed to save fuel - however the extra traction of the AWD is great on gravel roads. Reliable, 3rd row seats, 4wd Fuel consumption & constant AWD

Excellent – Hi, I have reviewed my Kluger before but i just thaught i would offer a bit of sdvice to all having gear change problems.... i just had a 50 000 km service and explained to the service tech guy about the gear change and seemingly lack of power and they found that the fuel filter under the rear seat was incorrectly installed from the factory and… Read more

was sucking air as well as fuel. They made temporary repairs until the new part arrives, also the air flow sensor had issues. repairs made and the car runs better than ever... no problems. just a bit of advice

Transission

Excellent – Excellent trouble free vehicle - averages about 8.7 to 9.3 l/100 km on trip to Melbourne or Brisbane, 12.5 to 14.5 around city and from 14 to 18 with van on - depending on wind - we both enjoy driving it and hope for many more km from it. Excellent handling, incredible service. Have now travelled over 156,000 km since new including over 30,000 km… Read more

towing an Erin Pop-top Caravan. Has recently had its 150,000 km service and has yet to go in for service at Buckles, Brookvale, NSW for anything other than the book service. While the vast majority of the distance covered has been on bitumen there has been about 5,000 on dirt such as the Strezlecki Track, Camerons Corner etc. Very comfortable to drive and with a bunch of grandkids the 7 seats have been very useful. Still has not had any oil added between services and the original Toyo tyres lasted 60,000 with the present Michelin up to 96,000 and still with about another 10,000 on them. Replaced Driver's seat leather under warranty about 75,000 km. Replaced original battery at about 60,000 and the next one about 140,000.

Excellent – Fantastic 4WD. We use it around our farm and when we go camping up in the hills and it handles like a dream - brilliant for off-road. Lots of fun!!! Best thing my husband ever talked me into!! We absolutely LOVE our Kluger!! Best thing we ever did was buy one. We investigated the Kluger, Prado and Territory but in the end the Kluger won hands… Read more

down. There was so much hype surrounding the Territory at the time (late 2005) but when we started looking into them all, and had multiple test drives (drove the salesmen crazy!) the Kluger was just the best by a mile. Both the Prado and Territory handled like tanks compared to it. The Kluger was much quieter, just as roomy inside and heaps better fuel consumption. We had a friend sell their Territory after 9 months and buy a Toyota because they "just couldn't afford the gas guzzler anymore". The paint quality is far superior than the territory too - we looked at a territory that was one year old and it was in a shocking state. Assumed it had been left out in the open all that time but after speaking to the owner learnt that it was garaged each night! Our Kluger is 18 months old now and the paint work is still like new. Loved the ease of putting up and down the 3rd row seats too. We have 4 kids so couldn't be bothered with the hassle of the territory's 3rd row - took 5 mins for even the ford dealer to put them up! The Kluger was higher off the ground also. We brought them all home to test in our driveway and the toyota's cruised over whereas the Territory bottomed out. Turning corners in the Kluger was far easier than in the Territory too. It really is just like driving a luxury sedan - only higher! Nothing! Just love it...

Good – Our Toyota has been a terrific vehicle. We are pleased with the interior spaciousness and with the overall fit and finish. What can I say, it's a Toyota. Plenty of power. Nice interior. Transmission can be jerky.

Good – Overall its a great car, however if you budget conscious about petrol this is not the car for you. However its a great quality car. Great car, smooth with the reliable toyota brand uses a hell of a lot of petrol

Good – A great family car, also good for outdoors. One of the reasons why we bought this was specifically so that we would not have to fit snow chains when driving up the snowy mountains. It certainly lives up to its purpose well but is also a bit too soft at times. I love the spacious interior - I can finally have head and leg room for once, and also be… Read more

able to drive comfortably (I used to have a tiny Toyota corolla 2001). Spacious, comfortable, reliable, economic, not overpriced Too Soft, the wheels are not very durable, and the 2007 model looks a tad better.

Good – This really will not suit you if you buy it for a large family - we had ours for only 4 months and got rid of it when it was discovered our VT wagon with the third row had much more space! However, I highly recommend it for those with three or less kids, or who do only the occassional trip with extras - in this case the extra seats are really… Read more

handy. The transmission gate location does take a little getting used to after using a basic layout. I'd also go for the Grande if you can afford it, we had a base model and some of the inclusions even of the CVX would have been nice. Shop around! The Toyota 'brand', does have some useful additions like cup holders, etc. Appeared to be quite large. Drives very nicely, not at all like a big car. Third row seats fold into the floor leaving heaps of space. NO boot space when all three rows of seats are being used, bought it for a large family and failed to meet our needs. Very very very thirsty compared to my current (and much larger)car - a 4WD. Servicing costs.

Good – overall an ok car with some great inclusions ...smooth on road, reliable however coloring leaves a little to be desired when floor mats are considered great body shape and inclusions...fair on fuel consumption although does cost over $80 to fill with current fuel prices and you get around 550km a tank. I have the grande so we have top inclusions… Read more

such as reverse camera, sunroof and dvd player..ide never get a car without one of them now..leather interior easy to clean seats dont seperate to fold in the rear of the car and when rear seats are in use there is little boot space left making it difficult to use as a family car when young children are invovled and prams are needed..to access the rear seating you need to climb over the middle seat when folded down, if muddy feet this gets dirty. beige interior including mats not a great compliment for gold car...gets dirty too quick

Bad – If the vehicle had the 5 spd Lexus gearbox would make the package so much better. Time to sell as it has been a disapointment!!! Its a Toyota ECU Flash 2 problem. Vehicle has a "flat spot" which Toyota admits, but says cannot fix and "that is the end of the matter!!"

Excellent – We brought this car beacuse we needed something that would fit our daugthers powered wheelchair (which has a folding backrest but needed 1m x 1m x 1m to fit and we have never looked back. The servicing price is reasonable and the room for three kids is magnificent. We can all travel in comfort in a normal family car (we were told we would have… Read more

to get a Hiace) and because of the cupholders, our children's drinks are in safe places. Recently spilt choc milk on one of the seats and, due to the leather, I was able to just wipe it straight off it was blisssssssss. We are able to get the kids in and out very easily! The roominess, leather seats, electronics, the actual looks, cupholders in various places. Decent boot space when you are not using the 7 seats, and even then its not so bad. I like the fact that the seats fold into the floor. Aboslutely nothing at all! I love this car it has been the best thing we ever brought!

OK – It was quite difficult to access the third row if you had to use 2 car seats in the second row; car seats would bolt in side by side but the middle car seat sat over the seat which folded down. Older than 12yo was less comfortable in the third row due to less leg room. Roomy in the first and second rows, pulls loaded trailer generally well, was… Read more

fuel efficient on long trips (went qld to vic yearly, regular highway driver) fuel efficiency not as good around town, would become sluggish on occasion without reason (transmission?), the third row not easily accessible

Good – I replace the original Toyo's at 25,000km AHHHHHHHH!!!!! with wait for it with Toyo Open Country Tyres - I have done 40,000km and I think that I will be able to do another +/- 25,000. Have run the new toyo's on maximum PSI & they are as good as new! good solid car, we have 3 kids, third row good for kids etc transmission lags, toyo tyres

Excellent – The Toyota 4WD parentage is there in design and function and the Kluger is going to suit buyers like us who want a very capable, performance engineered, economical and spacious machine that WILL FREQUENTLY AND SERIOUSLY be used off the bitumen. Our choice was between the TS AWD Territory and the Kluger. The CV Sport hit the dealers at the right… Read more

time and is top value! We opted away from the Territory because it is too heavy and over the long-term will prove too thirsty.

For our money, the Kluger CV Sport is tops in value-for-money. The Toyota badge inspires confidence, reliablity and resale. ALSO, Toyota sell the Kluger overseas as the 'Highlander' and it's been around since 2001, so it is a proven design. As a comparison of real value, cost the Lexus RX330 and the Kluger. It's the shared mechanicals and the RX330's review awards that back up the Kluger's credentials. We recently purchased a CV Sport. It is the same spec as the CVX, minus leather seats and 6-stack CD. Paid $43,650 drive away with Toyota towpack. Now, 7 weeks and 3,500Klm later I am totally wrapt in it! The ride is superb, especially off-road. You can see where the Kluger has the Toyota 4WD supsension engineering edge over the Territory. The fuel economy is totally brilliant. Much of our driving has included National Parks, such as Springbrook, Main Range, Condamine/Queen Mary NP and several other SE Qld parks. If you've travelled these areas, you will know how steep these roads are. On these trips, the average consumption is in the mid 10lts/100klms. On straight highway, it is mid 8lts/100 klms! The RX330 derived 3.3 litre is as good as the reviews report. Standing start acceleration is very, very quick. The acceleration took me by surprise and is certainly quicker than you will expect from this size vehicle (using standard unleaded fuel). Even with 5 pax and gear onboard, it is quicker off the line than our previous AU2 XR6! The interior space is very good, especially the mid seating area. The huge leg room in mid seats for 3 adults is a plus. As for the 'hole' in the front console floor area; it's a bloody clever idea. We store a 350W 12/240v inverter there and it is a great place to keep it and a cordless spotlight. The Kluger is without doubt more capable off road than its competitors. I owned several Nissan Patrols back in the late 70's and I know where they can go. Like all things with cars, it is driver ability that makes the difference to expolit the vehicle's capabilities. Off-road capability compared to Kluger competitors is evident in the tyre fitment. The Toyo 'Tranpath' tyres are a compromise between road grip and off bitumen performance. The Territory has a better handling setup on the road due to fitment of road tyres; that is where it ends. The Kluger's Toyo's higher aspect ratio ensures better cushioning on the serious 'bumps' and 'thumps'. The Kluger does have body roll,not enough to complain about, but hey, it is meant to be driven off road and that is the value in the hybrid tyre setup. Can't fault the body work or paint-typical Toyota quality!The foot operated brake is something you get used too. The driver seating position is good, as is the vision. The front seat armrests work well. Cabin ergonomics are also very good. The climate control is very good. Stereo is better than average. GRIPES-None really. No squeaks or rattles. The 5-speed auto is a gem, BUT, steptronic/semi-auto is something that Toyota should consider in the next model.

Bad – Overall, the Kluger is a good car. It fulfills its role as a good soft-roader and can be used as a reliable business car (when it starts). However, I am really disappointed with the dealer ( I havent named them yet as I am still giving them a chance to redeem themselves). I had to ring Toyota Sydney to get any action taken, and I know that they… Read more

have lied to me on at least one occassion. From what I have been told they did not carry out a pre-delivery inspection and this has resulted in abnormal tyre wear, which I may have to pay for.....an absolute joke after only 14,000kms. The starting problems are also a concern as it seems they are unable to fix the problem, and it makes me wonder if it will get worse as the vehicle gets older. Ultimately, the few bad points have overshadowed the many good. I wont be buying Toyota again. I bought a Kluger CVX in June 2005 and have been mostly happy with it. It has plenty of power and easy to drive. Its been great to use for my business, as it looks classy and has plenty of room with the rear seats down. The car has done 14,000km's now and I have some real issues with it and Toyota's response to my concerns. After about 2 weeks of owning the vehicle, it has had an intermittent starting problem where the engine cranks, but does not fire. This continues for between 5 to 10 minutes and eventually it starts. I took the car back to Toyota and they had it for 3 days and claimed an error was diagnosed, and the cars computer was replaced. However, the problem still occurs and I am not happy about it. Secondly, from about 8,000 kms, the front tyres have been wearing abnormally on the outer edge. I reported this to my dealer and they told me it must be due to the way I use the vehicle for lots of stop start driving!!!! I got an independent report from a Toyota expert (not working for the company) and he told me that this was due to a pre-delivery inspection not being performed by the dealer. Subsequently the toe-in had not been adjusted and the tear wear was the result. I have checked a number of Kluger's sold by this dealer and have noticed the same problem. Even their Demo Kluger is showing the same problem! So I know they lied to me! The car is about to be checked again and I will be demanding a new set of front tyres as the wear is the result of their negligence. Depending on the response of the dealer to my requests I will / will not take the issues further.

Good – Overall, very good, but with a little more detail it would be superb. It tows my 1200kg caravan very well, but why does it only have a 1500kg towing limit? It could pull the Sunlander with that power. Have had it down to 8.9l/100k on the highway, get around 12 around Brisbane in peak hour which is very good. Feels as though it will last… Read more

forever. Great family car - swallows two baby seats, Mother-in-Law, Fridge, Pram whilst towing. Hint - buy the Gold (like mine) and you get tan interior which looks tens times better than the drab grey leather of the other colours. Terrific engine, fuel consumption a surprise, roomy, equipment, comfort. Build quality superb. Plush ride. Third row seats fold completely away. Electronic Throttle and gearbox does not combine when you need it most. Plant the foot to get out of trouble and it takes forever to work out what gear to be in (then it really goes). Interior outdated, Leather on outside of driver's seat is creasing very badly after 10,000km/3months. Brakes aren't flash, and the steering in my X-trail feels like a F1 car after driving the Kluger. No MP3 player in $50,000 car, and stereo is not the best quality.

Good – After looking around at nearly all the equivalent models in the market, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall performance of the vehicle. The local Toyota dealer had no problem in allowing me to take the vehicle off road for some "excercise". The engine and drive never missed a beat and took me places I wouldn't have expected. Interior room… Read more

was a major concern, as I stand over 6'5" and very solid build, but the Kluger is both roomy and comfortable. Limited noise within the passenger cabin is a huge plus, as is the quality of the finish. Fuel consumption is surprisingly good for a vehicle over 1.8 tonne. Overall I would rate this vehicle as one of the bet that I have had the pleasure of owning or driving. The engine provides enough power for both highway overtaking and also low end for off road situations. The quality of the interior finish is excellent (perhaps a little conservative) and provides a comfortable ride in most terrains. The drive train proves more than adequate for its design purposes. The foot brake!

Good – I like it as an all purpose all weather vehicle. Roomy & comforable. Problems with 4WD vehciles loosing traction & bogging in sand is not a problem with this AWD. Would like to see the body roll reduced. Good visibility & easy manuvering in car parks makes it great for around town use. The seats are the comfiest in any car I've ever owned. The… Read more

front seats & ride are great. In general it's quiet, although tyre noises intrude at speed. Easy to get in & out of.

I like the ground clearence & the AWD which takes away the problems of all weather driving while living in the outback.

Ability in sand is unreal, it just refuses to

get bogged. Cruise control on rises & hills is too quick to drop gears & accelerate on even small rises.

Engine cuts out at just under 180 kph & at the same time Over Drive has to be re-engaged. Trip Computer doesn't give Distance to Empty.

Too much body roll.

Excellent – I just love the Kluger. I will replace the vehicle after 3 years and already am considering another Kluger. Obviously it will depend on new releases on the market. We would like to spend more time on the beach, with fishing/ camping trips to Moreton and Straddie and will consider a 'more-serious' Prado or similar, but if you are looking for a… Read more

well-finished, comfortable, versatile wagon, the Kluger is a great choice, even if you never take it off the road. I have owned a CVX since February 2004 and in that time have done 60000kms, mostly highway driving and would rate it the best thing I have driven in years!We tow a camper trailer and I find it a better towing vehicle than my previous car, a VS Commodore wagon. I had no intention of buying an AWD despite being nagged by my wife and kids to do so, anticipating higher running and maintenance costs, sluggish performance and lack of comfort. I was looking at Commodore and Falcon Wagons and for the money, they weren't in the same league as the Kluger. I also looked at the Mitsubishi Challenger, Nissan X-Trail and Pathfinder, Ford/Mazda Tribute and in the end it was a choice of the Pathfinder and the Kluger. The Ford Territory was not released at the time of purchasing but I would have been considered as well. The Kluger won on performance, finish and road manners. The drivers head room is also much better on the Kluger. I am only 6ft and found that my head just touched the roof of the Pathfinder, due to the sunroof fitted to the model I test drove.The extra seats in the back are great - I didn't realise the vehicle was a 7 seater until the dealer folded the seats out! With 2 young children this is really handy when picking up their friends for sport or other activities. While the vehicle spends most of its time on the bitumen ,with the occasional trip up the beach on holidays, I find it sure-footed on our dirt road or down the paddock. My only gripe is the slow response when I try to accelerate hard, which the dealer attributed to the electronic accelerator. The car lags for a second or so before it decides it wants to go and was a little disconcerting at first but I have become used to it. I have a problem with the cruise control not re-engaging occasionally. As it is an intermittent fault, the dealer was unable to find a problem at the last service but I will take further action at the next service.Suspension is a bit soft off-road but I guess this is a trade-off for on road handling.

Good – I'm really happy with my Kluger. I tested the Adventra, Territory, Cherokee and Prado before settling on the Kluger. It's combination of strong performance, comfort, moderate rough road ability, car-like handling and strong resale values convinced me of this. It feels far more refined than the other vehicles I road tested. So far I have tackled… Read more

rough, rocky tracks in the Flinders with no problems (tracks that used to stop my subaru). Rough station tracks are ok, but washaways are a struggle due to the poor underbody protection and silly placement of the fuel tank and exhaust. It's great in sand (although not too deep). One thing that isn't mentioned in the marketing blurb is that the Kluger has both limited slip centre and rear diffs which works surprisingly well off road at minimising wheelspin (even when only 3 wheels have grip). I trust this 4x4 system far more than electronic traction control. As an outback tourer, the Kluger is second to none (although I need to find a bullbar - fortunately the excellent brakes have now saved me 3 times from kangaroos). Around town (where unfortunately I spend most of my time), I really appreciate the car-like handling and economy (way better to drive than a Prado or a Cherokee).

Well done Toyota - the Kluger is a very "clever" car, as the name translates in German. Great engine - especially so if run on premium unleaded. Way more powerful and pleasant to drive than my old VS2 commodore. Top build quality - equal to my Subaru Outback. Spacious, clever interior. Handling & ride on rough dirt roads is second to none. Great car for long distance travel, and surprisingly economical (especially if run on premium unleaded - at least 10% better fuel economy by my calculations). Great airconditioning, stereo, leather seats (notably so in the rear). Fantastic brakes (handle crash stops for kangaroos on dirt roads amazingly well). I'm not convinced that Toyota/Lexus have done a good job programming the drive-by-wire + gearbox. While very responsive (my Kluger has none of the hesitation reported by some), the gearbox just doesn't feel 100% right. I'm sure this is a programming issue rather than anything mechanical I will be asking Toyota about this at my next service.

I don't like the styling much either - the rear window line is too high perhaps?

In order to accommodate the extra row of seats + "internal" spare wheel housing, Toyota has put the fuel tank low in front of the rear axle, making it a prime target for big rocks. It is only covered by a thin ?aluminium bash plate. Also the exhaust is mounted unnecessarily low, and the front bash plates are plastic (easily broken and not real protection against big rocks. It would have been very easy for Toyota to address these issues and make the Kluger far more effective off road - most of the underside of the car is mounted high, notably the diffs due to independent suspension.