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.
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
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
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