Toyota buyers stay loyal to their brand

What has Cavan got in common with Australia? It could be the watersports but it's not the beaches… Give up? It's Toyota. The negative headlines the brand suffered a few weeks ago don't seem to matter here or Down Under because the best-selling passenger cars in both places this year are Toyotas. Erne Motor Works, which marked 25 years at its site on the Dublin Road in Cavan town on March 11, is responsible for the success of the Japanese make in this part of the world. It has ensured that Toyota has the highest percentage market penetration of any brand for any county in February, at 23% for Co. Cavan. Pete Reilly is delighted with the performance: "In the times that's in it and getting so much negative press... against all odds people still believe Toyota is the best car in the world," he said last week. Toyota has been the Cavan number one in terms of passenger car sales since 1998, a record Pete intends to hold on to, and it's something that should be easy enough for him and his team if the evidence of one of the latest offerings is accurate. The upgrade for the Toyota Auris means the already successful model stands out a bit more, thanks to tasteful chrome-look trim and smart 16-inch alloy wheels, and in the case of the Luna spec The Anglo-Celt drove last week, a beautiful red colour. The design changes include the front grille, the bonnet and headlights, the front and rear bumpers and the rear lights. Parked next to a 2009 Auris, you had to look closely to see all that, but it adds up to a simple but stylish look. The Auris makes an impact from the inside too, thanks to a comfortable, high driving seat and a lovely slick shifting gearchange, matched to six fairly closely spaced ratios. There's plenty of room front, back and in the boot and the quality Toyota feel is present, but as with so many of its newer models, the engine is at the heart of the driving experience. This car had the D-4D 1.4 litre diesel, whose 90bhp seemed like more thanks to its willing nature. It's not that it's quick (who needs quick in a medium size family car?), it's that it's enthusiastic and pulls well across a broad rev range. Pete promises it's capable of a genuine 60 miles to the gallon, a figure that puts many petrol-electric hybrid cars in the shade. The D-4D 1.4 has emissions of 118g so it's eligible for the lowest tax band and will cost you €104 a year. Toyota says various Optimal Drive technologies, including lower suspension (by 10mm) are responsible for the incredible fuel consumption, and it achieves it while retaining silky smooth driveability. Safety is a selling point in the modern showroom and the Erne Motors sales team can point to the seven airbags in the Auris, including one for the driver's knees, to reinforce its Euro NCAP five-star rating (the fifth model in the Toyota line-up to achieve that). It all adds up to good news for Toyota, despite what we read in the papers and hear on the news. The manufacturer's loyal customers in Cavan are putting their money where their mouths are and ensuring that the 12-year record Erne Motor Works holds as number one in passenger car sales in Cavan looks good for another while. Cavan doesn't have the sun Australia is so proud of, or the beaches, but it does have car buyers who know what they want. The Auris is available from €19,525, plus delivery and metallic paint. Phone Erne Motor Works on 049-4332744 or call in to the showroom and see it and the rest of the range for yourself.