Second-hand purchase advice 13-11-2022 Toyota Avensis Wagon – Occasion Purchase advice The Avensis was Toyota’s trump card in the D-segment. WAS because the car is no longer under new… 56

First some historical perspective. There was once the Carina II, which was succeeded by the Carina E. Where the E stands for Excellence in Europe, why? Because that Carina was also built in England. The story goes that when Toyota started manufacturing in England alongside a factory in Japan, they had the British-built units brought back to Japan to see if the build quality was as good as the Japanese Carinas… AND guess what. They saw no difference.

Very last Avensis has a striking nose

The Avensis was introduced in 1997. The second generation came on the market in 2003. The third generation appeared in 2008 as a sedan and station wagon. In 2012 this version received a small makeover and at the Geneva salon of 2015 another updated version debuted. Most striking of the very last batch of this Avensis Touring Sports is the nose. But the interior was also seriously overhauled. In general you can say that the latest Avensis seems to be the most dynamic of all generations, where the first Avensis comes across as a bit unwieldy. Not a very striking car this Touring Sports, but definitely a car with which you can be seen.

Average performance of the 1.8 petrol

Let’s go to the specs. The 1.8-liter four-cylinder petrol engine produces 147 hp and 180 Nm of torque. That gives average performance. He’s just hitting 200. And goes from 0 to 100 in 10 seconds. Good to live with for a car of 1,385 kilos.

The seating position is a bit different because in my opinion you sit a little too much on the box, so too high. But that’s personal. It is striking. “Average” is a word that came up more often in the days when we had the Avensis on the floor for testing. The car doesn’t really excel at anything, that’s your first conclusion. But if you don’t drop points anywhere, you can still become world champion.

The competition is not tender. Because in the same class as this Avensis you can also shop for a Mazda6, a Passat or a Superb. Just to name a few.

Everything enough, nothing outstanding

You buy a station wagon because you want a practical car with lots of space. The Avensis does not disappoint in this. With 540 liters of luggage space, the car is in line and the space in the back seat is certainly sufficient.

The interior is also completely new. The contemporary, sleek dashboard houses a large touchscreen, behind which many functions are hidden. This allowed the instrument panel to remain tidy and uncluttered. It does take a while to find the right way in the system. The interior materials are not everywhere of the same standard as the competition, but the finish is neat.

Soft cushioning

Toyota has also worked hard on the Avensis under the skin. Suspension and damping are now remarkably comfortable. Even vicious speed bumps are nicely cushioned. The car dives quite deep in the springs, but the rebound stroke is smooth and silky soft damped. The steering is not razor sharp, but offers enough feeling and is fairly light. In the middle position, little happens, so the car is not sporty. However, the Toyota Avensis is nice and relaxing on long journeys.

Shift down. Fortunately, that is nice, because the six-speed gearbox feels tight and precise. Once up and running, the engine is alert enough and fairly quiet. In combination with the fine chassis, this makes the new Avensis a pleasant highway cruiser.

The biggest jumps were made with the update of the Avensis at the chassis. He is now very mature and comfortable. A pleasant grande routiere.

Lack of tension

Do not expect any dynamics or exciting driving behavior, but the Avensis delivers comfort in a quiet, pleasant way. The steering feel is not extremely good, but it is uniform.

With its space and the cleverly enforced image of reliability, the car will find buyers here and there, but mountains are not moved here.

Complaints? No complaints

Complaints about the Avensis. They are very few. This last generation has two known defects, that is the fuse that blows after a battery change, and many people have problems with the air conditioning. Not that it will break, but it will not be pleasant on board. There were even of course female passengers who have a blanket on board and on their lap…

So..

Secretly, this is actually quite a good offer if you use your common sense. A lot of relaxed car for your money, of high quality. Maybe just a little less dynamic?