TOYOTA AVENSIS TOURER REVIEW

My car

I purchased this car from new and so far am very pleased with it. I do about 28K miles a year and find it suits my needs very well being fairly big and comfy with adequate performance. I opted for the 2.2 as I prefer lazy auto gearboxes in traffic and contrary to several reviews I've read the box provides smooth shifts at appropriate revs. The sat nav is excellent, but check the route before you select as it can take you on some unusual roads. The music player is superb, particularly the USB reader which allows easy access to my collection without the hassle of an Ipod and all controlled from the clear touch screen display. The fuel consumption is a bit hard to swallow in a diesel car with only 150bhp and even with a lot of motorway driving I'm yet to see the average consumption greater than 36mpg but hopefully this will improve as the engine loosens up. Handling is "real world" good at appropriate speeds and suspension is very good over our knackered roads. Don't believe the poor reviews about the Avensis, it's actuaally a very good car and really easy to live with for everyday driving on busy roads. If you want a sporty car, buy a sporty car and put up with harsh suspension, high running costs and a bad back, if you drive all day for a living this is a pretty good option.

My car

I have owned owned this car for 3 months now. It was 6 months old when I gought it from a Toyota dealer. Build quality is superb, both inside and out. The 2 liter diesel engine is very quiet and reasonably powerful. With a 6 speed manual gearbox, the engine is just a quiet hum doing just under 2000rpm at 70mph. Fuel economy is good at around 45mpg in daily use, better on a long run of course. Cabin comfort is very good. Lots of room for driver and passengers. Nice storage compartments compliment the cabin. My model has built in sat-nav which has proven to be very good. It also has antilock brakes and traction control, both useful in winter.

Its not "exciting" car to drive and does lack a little "feel". Toyota have fitted a push button handbrake. I hate this! They have taken somthing that was not broken and have not fixed it. I dont see the point of this. It is awkward to get at, being under the dash to the left of the steering wheel. It automatically releases when you drive off but it has taken away an element of car control. In stop start traffic where I would be constantly apllying the handbrake, you find your self sitting on the footbrake moer often than not. All this has saved is a small amount of space on the center consol. Bring back the manual handbrake please.

Sevicing is once a year or 12K miles which ever is first. I bought a 3 year service contract but will not know how good this is until next year when the second service is due.

My car

I bought this car as I needed a reliable practical car for commuting and family use. This car although not "exciting" manages to do everything I need of it and constantly surprises with its capbility. So far no problems just a happy owner