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Toyota Avensis A Great Car But Is Common.
By OnTopic | August 1, 2010
Up against good looking cars like the Opel Insignia, Ford Mondeo Peugeot 407 Nissan Primera and Citroen C5 to name just three, the five-seat Toyota Toyota Avensis has thankfully upped its game. The cabin is larger and the outer dimensions tweaked to free up more space. In terms of shape, Honda’s Accord and, of course, the Lexus IS seem most like siblings separated at birth from the best selling Toyota Toyota Avensis.
Within there is just a hint of ‘occasion’ behind the wheel but the interior could offer more. The dash and general layout is practical, and the quality of materials used and overall fit and finish can’t be faulted, but Toyota has stopped short of making the driver’s environment a special place to be. The Avensis lacks a certain flair inside to lay claim to the crown in this most competitive of sectors.
The car is even better built than before, but for me the biggest change is to the car’s dynamics. The front wheel drive’s steering, which was overly assisted and devoid of ‘feel’, is now weighty and confidence inspiring.
On the road the Avensis now has a solid, almost Germanic feel. I was not alone in criticising the outgoing car’s ‘lightness’ and, thankfully, with the car’s suspension and steering revisions, it is something I will no longer be doing.
The Toyota Avensis is stuffed with safety features like front, side, curtain and driver’s airbags, plus Toyota expects a high score at Euro NCAP. Parents of babies will be glad to know you can now turn off the airbag when fitting a rearward facing baby seat.
Petrol engines have new ‘Valvematic’ technology that increases power by up to 20% while reducing CO2 by up to 15%. Petrol engines start with a 1.6 litre (130bhp) entry-level unit, a 1.8 and 2 litre. Diesels start with a 2 litre (125bhp), 2.2 D-4D (150bhp), 2.2 D-4D with 150bhp and a very green 2.2 D-CAT version, which reduces the amount of NOx and particulate emissions.
Specification grades start with Terra and rise through Aura, Strata and Luna, with Sol topping off the list with all the toys. Gearboxes come with six-speeds, with manual, automatic and ‘multidrive’ (optional). There are two body styles, namely a saloon and a tourer. .. On Toyota Ireland’s website the handy JATO ‘car comparison’ did show the Avensis in a good light next to its rivals on price and performance, although at the time of writing there was no option to select a Mondeo 1.6 litre to compare.
I was going to say that as a proposition the latest Toyota Avensis is as good as cash in the bank! But let’s just say it will continue the Toyota legend in this country where the Japanese brand is frequently ranked Number 1.
The Avensis is a solid buy and will repay your investment. Over the years Toyoya has produced many very good vehicles which over time have risen to the top of their classes. The Toyota Avensis is a classy car and Toyota will no doubth sell a huge amount of these cars worldwide. But when there are so mant different varieties of one car on the road in my opinion they always seem to loose the charm that first attracted me too them as they become common. this has nuthing to do with how they are built or how they perform, they just loose their appeal because they become common.
Thats just my opinion however what do you think.
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