Best Large Car

Starting with a list price well below its major rivals and with sound resale values, Aurion beats all comers on pricing and depreciation values. Backed by Toyota’s fixed-price servicing, it’s also ahead of the competition for ownership and operating costs and, despite its size, Aurion continues to deliver impressive fuel economy.

Perhaps less obvious are its environmental credentials, which match the best in class.

While Aurion may not have the towing capacity of a Falcon or Commodore, it gives little away in terms of handling and chassis dynamics. 

The front-wheel-drive configuration enhances rear seat space, particularly when three are seated in the back, and an unencumbered boot ensures easy storage of large amounts of luggage. 

Inherent space and practicality are complemented by a healthy swag of standard features, good driving dynamics, safety, fuel efficiency and low emissions, all at the lowest ownership and operating costs in the class.

Safety remains a strong suit, with standard electronic stability control, six airbags plus anti-lock braking with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution. Like Commodore and Falcon, the Aurion gets a top five-star ANCAP safety score.

It could be easy for some to dismiss Aurion for simply being the older design among the locally built large cars, which would fail to acknowledge Toyota’s sustained efforts to keep it at the forefront of Australia’s large car category.