T2 1.8 V-matic 5dr

Ideal family transport

I bought this as a replacement for a newer Honda CRV we had on contract lease as I was fed up with a constant monthly payment. Despite following on from a much more costly and newer car this big Toyota has proven itself every bit as reliable and practical for a fraction of the cost.

The 1.8 petrol motor is no ball of fire but it spins happily and runs smoothly while managing up to 50mpg on a run and averaging around 42mpg overall. There’s no DPF to worry about, no turbo, no costly and complex injectors to fail in fact there’s little to fear at all other than the possibility of the utterly pointless electronic parking brake going wrong but to date it’s been flawless.

Handling is safe and secure with plenty of grip and good straight line stability while the ride is decently comfortable but don’t expect hot hatch entertainment here, this is a solid big family wagon.

At almost a decade old and having spent all of that on the west coast of Scotland with roads full of salt and sleet in winter it is still completely solid underneath with no real signs of corrosion, only minor surface rust is visible. Everything is well protected and sealed. I’ve no doubts that it’ll still be running around in another ten years.

To sum up, I can’t think of a better big family car for the money. I paid £4150 in Sept 2018 for this and I’ve every confidence it could give a decades worth of reliable use. The taxi trade love these and for good reason, they are almost indestructible.

The saloon is cheaper used, it’s a bit ungainly to look at and much less practical, the estate will always be in demand so with resale in mind I’d favour it over the four door.

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