Review: Toyota Kluger Grande

It’s always a challenge on Friday afternoons to get the kids out of kindy and home without some kind of end-of-week-I’m-so-tired-kid-meltdown... but today was relatively easy when I mentioned I had the “new” car! The kids farewelled their friends and climbed into their seats without much ado. We had a small debate about the tv (the answer was no!) but happily listened to the stereo together (I really like the ease of the touch screen). I find the Kluger surprisingly easy to maneuver in city traffic and it is easy to handle in stop and start traffic. My parking skills are definitely improving as I learn the dimensions of the car and realize it’s not as big as I imagine... #toyotaklugergrande #momreview #mouthsofmums #thebestsuv

Whilst safety is a huge factor for us especially as we always have a bunch of kids in the car ... I have never noticed so many helpful safety features in a car I have driven. The verbal warning when I entered a 40k 'school zone' was my favourite and I wish all cars had this! On long trips or using freeways when driving at a high speed the safety emergency stop when coming too close to another vehicle can be life saving. I am beyond impressed with the safety elements thought about in this vehicle. #toyotaklugergrande #momreview #mouthsofmums #thebestsuv

The interior of this car was super flexible and ideal for our family. We often have extra passengers especially giving extra children lifts after school going to activities. It was so easy to flip up extra seats and loads of space to fit scooters, soccer gear plus school bags and groceries. We never felt cramped. Loved the generous space and the flexibility of changing the seating configuration.

We only had the Kluger for a full 6 days but I can safely say it was enough time to conclude this car was a winner with our family! What’s not to love about it?! The style, luxury, safety, the technology, the entertainment and oh the space!! We are not a family who travels lightly - even a trip to the beach involves scooters, pram, bags, towels etc. The Kluger’s boot, however, handled it all with ease with tonnes of space left over. I already really miss the car! I am dreaming of the day when both kids are at school and we can free up some funds and upgrade our car…. and yes you guessed it, the Kluger will be No.1 on the shortlist. So, in conclusion, if you’re looking to road test a new family SUV, be sure to check out the Toyota Kluger. Word of warning though, you’ll be drawn in, hook, line and sinker!

Now it was time to put the Kluger to test for our weekender to Berry, NSW. Loading up the car was made really easy with the enormous boot! Travelling with a toddler for a 3 day weekend as always, included everything bar the kitchen sink and I was amazed at how easily everything slotted in. You can see from the picture above just how much space was left, you’d never believe there was a big mountain buggy pram, travel cot, case for a family of five (Grandma included) food, wine, nappies, toys and goodness know what else! The drive down was a breeze and the kids were delighted to discover a DVD player in the back which kept the dreaded repetition of “are we nearly there yet?” at bay! The Kluger was just beautiful to drive, smooth down the Freeway, and we felt safe and in control throughout the challenging drive up Berry Mountain, with some pretty hairy bends! The entrance to our bush setting holiday home was a 2k off-road track and once again, the car handled the roads brilliantly. Today I am going to rate the car a full 5 stars for safety, I really felt at ease throughout the journey. I was able to focus on the road while the kids were entertained by the DVD player and the Kluger was an absolute trouper on those daunting hair-pin bends!

Today I was very pleased to jump into my leather seat and head into work. I thought I would concentrate on how the Kluger drives today, especially on my journey to and from work. Overall, it’s a lovely smooth drive. The Kluger has plenty of power and a great turning circle for such a spacious car. The size didn’t seem to matter as I maneuvered through some of my “short cuts” (read narrow streets) as I made my way to work. I absolutely love the blind spot alarm safety feature that lights up on the side mirrors if a car is in your blind spot - genius! Today my parking was better - yay! I am getting better and using all the helpful tools - review mirror and front beep alerts - makes it seem easy. It’s also nice to be so high and see the road as you’re traveling. Another top day with the Kluger... how am I ever going to let her go? #toyotaklugergrande #momreview #mouthsofmums #thebestsuv

The kids loved showing off their shiny new car to their friend at our holiday house. The DVD player was naturally the winner for the 3 kids. The Kluger seems to have thought of everything, everywhere you look there's an additional new feature, from conveniently placed cup and bottle holders everywhere to back passenger controlled air con. The leather interior feels both luxurious and practical. There's even what they call a "Conversation Mirror" so you can see what the kids are up to at a glance which doubles up as a little holder for small items. Having sat in the back for the first time today, I realised how much space there is and you can comfortably sit an adult and 2 car seats in the back. We also checked out the 7 seater arrangement where you can turn the seats in the boot into a third row. Even with the third row arrangement, we still managed to fit a mountain buggy pram and bags in the boot! Big thumbs up and 5 stars for the Kluger for both stylish interior and flexible storage and seating options today!

Hubby fitted the car seats this morning easy peasy and Mr2 was very excited to get into the shiny new car. I couldn't help but take a diversion to daycare this morning as was enjoying the drive so much! I decided to check out the car boot with my little toddler and he gave me a big round of applause and a big "yayyy!" when I pressed the button on the car key to open and shut it. I can see this feature is going to be handy with a toddler in one arm and various toddler gear in the other. It's such a gorgeous drive, the wheel turns beautifully in your hands . I know already I am going to be putting up a fight to return the Kluger, my heart sank as I got back in my old Honda CRV to move it out the garage to make space for my new baby!

Today I went to do a shop (by myself) for the weekly groceries. It is such a nice car to drive. I love the versatility of the seating options. I have three boys (all with child seats). I can fold down two of the three seats in the back, so I can with the other two boys in the middle. This left me with HEAPS of room in the boot. The boot opens and closes with a nice automatic press of a button, and if you're really piling in the shopping bags, there is a glass opening hatch so that the main door can be kept closed and you can keep filling it up! Oh, and yes, I did have the nicest car in the parking lot. Easy to see where I parked (I often forget where I parked #babybrain), and with parking assist, super easy to get in and out of those tight parking spots.

We test drove the Kluger Grande over the Christmas and New Year break, and it was a godsend for carting around Christmas presents, food and people to the various family lunches and outings. The inside is absolutely huge - presents, family picnic, bike, scooter, and esky all fit in the back comfortably. It is truly a pleasure to drive - the seats adjust perfectly to contour your body, the interior is sleek and it drives like a (quiet) dream. The safety features are so reassuring when traveling with children - blind spot indicator and an indicator that lets you know if you're veering out of your lane or a car is driving too closely and is at risk of collision. We live in the Eastern Suburbs, so parking is generally a nightmare, but the parking cameras made everything so much easier. You can literally pull a real-time, 3D image of the car and it's surroundings on the screen to make sure there are no dangers around it. Amazing technology. My husband is a landscape photographer, so we are often up before dawn and eating breakfast in some remote location in the car - while we had the Kluger, we flipped up the boot and all sat comfortably in the back of the car enjoying the sunrise while we ate. Our two year old absolutely LOVED the DVD player (watch Shrek! watch Elsa!) and the amount of space inside. There is only one tiny criticism I would make - you can't power the windows up or down when the ignition is off - or when the accessories feature is on (but the radio and DVD player work). This lost a point for convenience, but every other aspect is absolutely 5 out of 5 stars. Definitely worth the investment.

Today I was feeling brave enough to tackle our very busy local Shopping Centre with the very very very busy carpark... I actually dread parking there! I’m pleased to report all went well and I parked first time - have I told you how much I like the reverse cameras. Today I’m rating the car based on its features. Some of the things I love are the leather seats (with temperature control!), the touch screen monitor for music and making calls etc. the huge storage in the middle console and the luxurious feel of the interior. The sun roof is also a huge hit - particularly with my husband - who I must say has been very eager to catch a lift to work for me these last couple of days... is it me or the Kluger?!?

I've been road testing the Kluger, and have to say, carting around the family and all the stuff you need to pack is an absolute pleasure with this car. For the first time in years, a Sunday drive is actually something to look forward to! Smooth and quiet to drive, super easy to park, entertainment for the kids, plenty of room for the bikes, scooters, food, blankets, eskies etc that you need to take for a day out with kids in tow. Something I didn't expect was MORE quality family time - everyone is keen to get out in the Kluger.

Let me just say first, I HATE grocery shopping. So I was pleasantly surprised at how a car could make my weekly shop easier. Firstly, car park visibility - you can see much further than my sedan - tick. Getting into tight car spaces easily with the parking cameras and sensors - tick. Fitting all the groceries in the boot without squashing the greens and eggs - tick. A quiet drive home with a two-year-old pacified with a Shrek DVD - priceless. I never realised how much a car made a difference to the quality of your everyday life... I need to get myself one of these cars!

Kindy and Work day today. The Kluger proved useful... the “school run” was smooth and we finished off with a scoot/bike ride... I made great use of the voice activation in the Kluger today. Making phone calls is so safe and easy.

It would be very comfortable for my kids with lots of space to sit down and good for long trip.

Day 1 TESTING THE KLUGER Excitement was in the air today and my kids and I were taking bets to see what colour Kluger we’d get to test drive. Hamish won - it was grey! The car arrived - very shiny and visually appealing and with that new car smell! My first task was to transfer the kids seats over. It proved easy. The back seats folded down like a dream and it was easy to click the seats. Then we thought it would be good to test the storage capacity so we loaded up the bike and scooter and headed to the park. It’s so easy to throw everything in and I love the automatic opening feature. We also stopped at the post office and picked up a delivery of large packages with no issue (this would have been tricky in my current car). The kids were very excited to try the DVD so we gave that a whirl - they loved it - the hard part will be convincing them that movies are only for long haul drives. To be honest, I was a little nervous as I turned down my street to enter our underground parking. It is tricky parking even with a small car... the parking spaces are small and there are poles everywhere! It took me a few attempts but I don’t think I would have managed it without the rear camera. It will be a test to see if it gets easier over the review period - I will let you know! Today I will base my stars on storage.