Welsh Motoring Writers
  • Home
  • About us
  • News
  • Car Reviews
  • Blogs
  • Contact
  • Members
  • Blog

Toyota Avensis saloon

8/7/2009

0 Comments

 
Picture
Upper-medium ‘volume’ cars are under siege. Many buyers are downsizing to the lower-medium sector (Golf, Focus and Toyota’s own Auris, etc.) and the rest are attracted by once exclusive ‘premium badges’ such as BMW and Mercedes.

Determined to hang on to a chunk of what remains a big sector, volume makers have responded with a big 'quality offensive' and loading up the kit. Known in a previous life as ‘Carina’, the first Avensis came in 1997 and this is the third.

Carina was the first car from the UK plant and the lower-medium Corolla (now Auris) came soon afterwards. These two (and the Yaris supermini) are Toyota’s key cars for Europe. Petrol 1.6/1.8 litre engines come from Wales-Deeside but the 2.0 litre is from Japan. Diesel 2.2 and six-speed manual gearbox are Polish.

The third-generation Avensis faces tough competition and will have to fight for every sale. New Mazda6 and Honda Accord were 2008/09 arrivals while Vauxhall’s Insignia took the 2009 Car of the Year (Europe) title. Also pitching in here are Skoda’s new Superb (‘Executive’ size for upper-medium money) and SEAT’s Exeo. Citroen C5, Ford Mondeo, Renault Laguna, VW Passat are all still fresh - or refreshed.

Best bargains in the car world come by doing the opposite to 'everybody else'. Resist the posh badge, diesel/downsize migration and you can find a ‘high-spec, low price’ upper-medium deal. Toyota’s latest VVT-i+‘Valvematic’ petrol engines are sophisticated, frugal and, for most private buyers, just the job. For serious high-mileage motoring however, the 2.2 D4-D is a “front rank” diesel unit.

Like most competitors (apart from some pricier 4x4 variants from Vauxhall, VW and Skoda) Avensis is conventional front wheel drive. Quality, inside and out, is improved yet again and, since cars like these are 'the office' for many drivers, it’s built for long hours and heavy use. Cabin space is among the best in class.

Over the weekend and on holiday, of course, the car has to behave quite differently: domestic chores, socialising and relaxation. It’s a broad brief but, as before, the Avensis is the result of thorough user research and development.

T2, TR, T4 and T Spirit: £16,085-£25,135; insurance 7E-12E; road tax/VED E-H (£120-£175). Entry model equipment includes: air-con.; six-speaker CD-MP3; Electric door mirrors (heated) and front windows; seven air bags; ABS/EBD/BA brakes and VSC+ stability control; remote central locking and alarm.

The D4-D 2.2 produces 150bhp and the six speed manual gearbox makes good use of it: 131mph; 0-62 in 9.2 seconds. T4 on test: £22,585; 8E; CO2 150; VED ‘F’ & £125. Headlines: 17-inch alloys; leather; climate control; electric front seats and steering wheel adjustment + memory; Bluetooth. Officially it does 50.4mpg whereas (brim to brim) it gave 35 – say 40-plus day to day which is still impressive.

Cars like these are no stylist’s flight of fancy (and all the better for it) - faults are few. Front seats could be deeper for the longer-legged driver and ride, mostly good, is not always composed over every surface. For overall dynamic ability, Mondeo, Mazda6 and Insignia excel (SEAT’s new Exeo good too – more anon) whereas C5 and Superb (if very different from one another) offer great comfort.

As with most of the competition, the estate (‘Tourer’) has much stronger appeal. Clinical perhaps, but the Avensis D4-D is apractical, muscular and comfortable car with more than a touch of polish to many of its broad range of abilities.

By Huw Thomas


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    View by date

    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    December 2020
    August 2020
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    September 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    March 2014
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    July 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    October 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    May 2010
    December 2009
    October 2009
    August 2009
    November 2001


    View by tags

    All
    Alfa Romeo Giulietta
    Alfa Romeo Mito
    Aston Martin Rapide
    Audi A3
    Audi A6
    Audi A7 Sportback
    Audi Q3
    Bmw 520d
    Bmw 5 Series Touring
    Bugatti Veyron Super Sports
    Fiat 500 Twinair
    Ford Focus
    Honda Civic Type R
    Honda CR-Z
    Hyundai Ix35
    Infiniti Ex37
    Infiniti Fx
    Infiniti G37 Cabrio
    Jaguar Xf
    Jeep Grand Cherokee
    Kia Soul
    Kia Sportage
    Land Rover Discovery 4
    Lexus Ct200h
    Mazda3
    Mazda CX-5
    Mercedes-Benz C-Class
    Mini Countyman
    Mitsubishi Shogun
    Nissan X-Trail
    Peugeot 3008
    Peugeot 508 Rxh
    Peugeot 508 Saloon
    Peugeot Rcz
    Range Rover Evoque
    Renault Mégane
    Renault Mégane Coupe Cabriolet
    Renaultsport Clio Gordini
    Renault Wind
    Seat Leon Cupra R
    Seat Leon Ecomotive
    Skoda Octavia Scout
    Skoda Superb Estate
    Skoda Yeti
    Ssangyong Korando
    Suzuki Alto
    Suzuki Swift
    Toyota Avensis Saloon
    Volkswagen California
    Volkswagen Tiguan
    Volkswagen Touareg
    Volvo S60
    Volvo V60

    RSS Feed

© WELSH MOTORING WRITERS 2023