Driven: Toyota Avensis

• Undercuts many of its rivals
• Spacious and solid inside
• Set up for all kinds of driving

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Toyota Avensis
Price: £15,740 – £24,570
On sale: Now
You'll like: Affordable; well equipped; solid
You won’t: Dull looks; so-so handling

The Toyota Avensis has always been viewed as a cut above its main family car foes, so it might come as a surprise that this latest model actually undercuts most of them on price and running costs. You can pick one up for well under £16,000 in 1.8-litre petrol guise.

You aren’t shortchanged by the way the new Avensis drives, either. Whether you choose a petrol or diesel engine, the Avensis is set up to give you an easy life. It’s most at home cruising motorways, but it’s not out of its depth on winding roads. The ride is decent when you’re up to speed, the steering is light and the gearchange sweet.

The cabin is spacious and solid. It’s not exactly the most inspiring of designs, but the controls are set out sensibly.

Performance
Toyota believes the 1.8-litre petrol engine will be the big seller. The smallest diesel, the 2.0, drinks 20% less fuel, but pump diesel is nearly that much dearer so you’d have to do a very high mileage to make back the extra it costs to buy.

Toyota also offers a 2.2-litre turbodiesel with either 148bhp or 175bhp, but they’re pricey and we reckon the smaller engine is peppy enough. The same goes for the 2.0-litre petrol, which is dearer than the 1.8 but only
a fraction quicker.

There’s no hatchback, just a saloon and, for £980 more, a Tourer estate that’s predicted to be the bigger seller.

The options
There are four trim levels, but we reckon the bottom two offer the best value. Base-level T2 models get air-conditioning, a six-speaker CD player, electric front windows and seven airbags. The next level up, called TR, adds 17-inch alloy wheels, front foglights, climate control, Bluetooth, cruise control, electric rear windows, automatic headlights and wipers and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat, all for an extra £1700.

Those who need an auto have the choice of a full automatic in the 2.2 diesel, or a CVT (continuously variable transmission) in the 1.8 or 2.0 petrols. We found the full auto to be a bit slow witted, so we’d go for the CVT linked to the 1.8 petrol engine, even though it’s a bit noisy when you’re getting a shift on.

Overall, the new Avensis is near the top of the family car pecking order. We’d still take a Mondeo, though, because it’s just that little bit better in nearly every area.

What Car? says
Cheap to buy and to run, and pretty good to drive.




Buyers' guide