Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £16,485 to £27,515
Space, reliability, comfort, strong diesels, low running costs, safety kit, good stereo
Dull image, unimaginative interior, not at all sporty
Not desperately exciting, but very thoroughly thought out and pleasant to drive. A sensible buy.
Toyota has gone to some lengths to achieve exceptionally low running costs, paring parts prices and engineering the front and rear of the car for lower-cost crash repairs to produce impressive insurance groupings.
The Avensis also attracts lower BIK company car tax ratings than most of its rivals, the low-emissions D-4D diesels being especially competitive. The D-4D 130 returns 51.4mpg and 146 g/km of carbon dioxide, the D-4D 150 does 47.9mpg and 156 g/km and the D-4D 180 46.3mpg and 161g/km. Despite cars of this type usually depreciating sharply, the Avensis holds its value better than most; its good reputation for reliability and solid build ensures strong demand on the second-hand market.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Toyota Avensis
wrote on 27 03 2008