USED Toyota Avensis Estate (03 - 09)

My car

Bought the 1.8 petrol T4 secondhand with 40k on clock in April this year and so far extremely pleased with it. Very easy to drive, steering gear change and clutch all very light and smooth which all make the car feel smaller than it really is. Build quality and refinement are both excellent as is economy (averages 40mpg, more if you go easy) plenty of room for family of 4 plus kit for those summer holiday trips with camping gear. Only negative issue is the dipped headlights as previously mentioned, i often have to use fog lights to assist the dipped beam on very dark roads. For a family estate car that is a bit different from the usual Passat, Volvo, Mondeo crowd with better reliability thrown in, it is superb value.

My car

Fabulous.Don't listen to 'boring' tag. This auto was a replacement vehicle for an Audi A6 I had for only a short while. The Audi rode hard and uncomfortable, in contrast the Avensis is comfy and spacious. Very impressed with it and the service I recieved at Toyota Yeomans Eastbourne was first class. Slightly gutted that I listened to all the 'boring car' twaddle and wish I'd bought one earlier. Plenty of good spec equipment and loads of space (I'm 6 ft 4 ins and appreciate a roomy car, some of the other so called exec motors really can't cater for anyone over 6ft). Bit of trim on the drivers armrest is loose but the car has done 40,000. Tourer looks pretty good too and in the dark blue nice and clean, looks classy. Have travelled as rear seat passenger and also felt well catered for in terms of space. Would definitely buy another.

Dick Barton Sussex

My car

Having had the car just over a month a covered just over 2000 miles I am generally very happy with the car.

However I echo Trevor Lamacraft's comments about the dipped beam capability. The first time I used it at night I got the shock of my life! The shape of the dipped area is VERY precise (maybe because of the shape of the light itself?).

Turning the adjustment up to maximum helps but it is still pretty poor. Having previously driven a Volvo S80 with Halfords Super Bright bulbs the Avensis initially feels like driving on side lights. Sadly Halfords don't do a SB light for the dipped beam on post 2003 models (yet?) so there does not appear to be an easy fix.

My car

Purchased with just over 3,000 miles covered. Excellent mechanical reliability but not the quality of internal finish I expected from Toyota. Squeaks and rattles, head restraints fallen to pieces, bulbs failed, headlamp cluster seal failed. Maybe typical English-built?

Data from info centre is nonsense-shows my average mpg at 47 when it is actually about 34. SatNav unreliable.

Spacious and comfortable.

Disappointed with the depreciation over 27,000 miles and two and a half years. Previous car was BMW 3 series which was a superior animal altogether. Westover Bournemouth have been excellent. Car overall = satisfactory, a bit dull.