Item: Used Toyota Avensis Estate 2003 - 2009
Author: What Car? Team

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Estate

Toyota is a company undergoing a quiet revolution, as it works hard to replace its sensible but somewhat bland reputation with one for being a bit more daring, in areas such as the styling of its cars and its enthusiastic leadership of cutting-edge technology, such as hybrid systems.

That process seems to be working for buyers, with the hugely popular and striking-looking C-HR SUV in particular attracting a great deal of interest. The latest version of the hybrid Prius is also rated highly by What Car?; it’s the first Prius to go on sale that our testers have felt can truly compete all round with existing petrol or diesel rivals.

However, it’s worth noting that this period of transition is also a work in progress, and that many of the firm’s cars are still rated as being no more than average among class rivals by our testers.

TOYOTA

AVENSIS

A practical estate that's beautifully made and nice to drive

Used Toyota Avensis Estate 2003 - 2009

Main dealer servicing costs are on a par with a Ford Mondeo's, although you can reduce the bills by using an independent garage rather than a Toyota dealer.

Spares are also towards the pricey end of things but, with the make's legendary reliability, you shouldn't need many.

Otherwise, running costs should give you no headaches. Depreciation costs are reasonable, and you should expect a three-year-old car to be worth a touch more than half whatever it cost new. Likewise, insurance groups are lower than you'd expect for a big estate, thanks to its five-star Euro NCAP occupant safety score and its effective security kit. Most models are group 7 or 8 and the 2.2 D-4D T Spirit is dearest in group 10.

Last, but not least, fuel economy is strong. The 1.8 petrol promises up to 39mpg overall, the 2.0 up to 35mpg and the diesels up to 47mpg.

A practical estate that's beautifully made and nice to drive

The good news is that there are no poor models in the range. All are well equipped, so that sat-nav, air-con, alloy wheels and a CD player are fitted to even the entry T3-S model. The T4 gets dual-zone climate control, while the range-topping T Spirit gets leather seats. We'd stick with the T3 for the value it offers.

The story's pretty similar with the choice of engine. The 1.8 has just enough oomph to haul this heavy car properly. The 2.0 petrol engine and the 2.0 and 2.2 diesels will each pull it along in fine style but they are either dearer to buy, costlier to run, or both. So, we'd stick with the 1.8 unless our yearly mileage was likely to top about 20,000. Only then would we opt for the diesel.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Huge boot and excellent practicality</li> <li>Plenty of interior space so you can carry passengers as well as luggage </li> <li>Strong engines to pull a heavily laden car</li> <li>Comfortable ride, especially on the motorway</li> <li>Low running costs for company car drivers</li></ul>

If you’re after bags of space but you don’t want to commit to the van-like dimensions and styling of an MPV, there are some great estate cars on offer that should do the job.

Tricks to look out for include an electric tailgate&nbsp;that opens automatically when you wave your foot under the rear bumper; this is&nbsp;particularly handy if you’re trying to load in a heavy or&nbsp;bulky item. You should also look for handles in the side of the boot itself that can drop down the rear seats; these are much more convenient than having to walk around the side of the car to do it.

There are some terrific estates at most price ranges. The humble Skoda Fabia Estate offers cavernous space for not much cash at all, for example.

Further up the price range, another of our perennial favourites is the Skoda Superb Estate;&nbsp;it’s great to drive and as practical as most people should ever need. Meanwhile, for serious mile-munching ability and a premium, well-finished interior, it’s hard to look beyond the BMW 5 Series Touring.

The Avensis Estate is as reliable as every other Toyota, so we've little to report here, other than the make's high placing in JD Power surveys over the years, which confirms just how much owners love their cars.

There have been a fair number of recalls to remedy faults, though. These include imbalance under braking, curtain airbag faults, problems with the steering, the vehicle stability control system and also the suspension. A Toyota dealer will be able to check their records to see if your car has had all the work it needs - if not, they'll do it for free.

As an estate, the Avensis is a big, capable load-shifter that's classier and better to drive than previous family-sized Toyotas. It isn't cheap to buy, and it's more scarce in estate form than as a hatch, but it's very useful.

Thanks to its squared-off boot, the Avensis has massive load space, while the rear seats split and fold easily to make it a very practical estate. The cabin is very comfortable and the driving position is spot-on for most, although tall drivers might want the seat to go lower.

If you were expecting a mere update of the previous Avensis's plasticky interior, you'll get a surprise, because the furnishings look positively expensive. And, as it's a Toyota, everything is very well screwed together and it should be terrifically reliable.

On the road, there are more surprises: it feels nimble for a car of its size and bulk. It also grips well and rides comfortably. Oddly, models with the 1.8 petrol engine give more steering response than the others, which feel rather numb. The diesel engines are smooth, quiet and punchy. The petrols respond keenly, too, but they get thrashy as the revs climb.

Used Toyota Avensis Estate 2003 - 2009 review

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