09 Nov 05
Toyota Corolla Verso
The Toyota badge is a guarantee of quality; the Corolla Verso is a vehicle which has been properly designed and engineered. The Verso is, as its name suggests, hugely versatile - at a squeeze, it can take up to seven people. Great value, too.
MPVs come in all sizes now, but if you don't need the supersized Grand Espace, the equally well thought-out Volkswagen Touran and Vauxhall Zafira are the obvious seven-seat alternatives.
It's a pumped-up hatch, but it doesn't scream "family driver". May not have huge street cred, but everyone else might want one when they see how much space it has.
It is priced competitively and we would recommend the cost-effective and economical 1.8 - you'd have to do a huge mileage to make back the extra spent on a 2.0 D-4D. In T2 trim you don't get climate control, rear electric windows, alloys or traction control, but you save £2,000 over a T3.
Easy to drive and live with, there is little downtime thanks to long service intervals and decent economy. One to keep you on the road without hassle or interruption.
Road Test: Toyota Corolla Verso (04-)
