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I can't speak for the Octavia but my 07 petrol Avensis has cost me nothing in repairs since I bought it a year and a half ago, and feels like it would easily reach 200k should I wish to keep it that long. If comfort is a concern he needs to test drive for at least half an hour, because in my view the seats suit shorter drivers. I'm 5' 11" with longish legs and the only downside for me is that the seat is not supportive enough.
Apart from that, it is quiet, has a great ride (with 16" wheels), is totally reliable and has superb economy (40+mpg).
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Glad you posted here Corax, i was wondering, given the increasing complexity and fragility of later Diesels, whether petrol might be a better long term bet especially in seemingly bombproof Avensis form, i seem to recall there being a sizeable spare wheel well on Avensis which would provide room for a decent toroidal LPG tank if conversion was considered.
Even without LPG, from HJ's figures it seems current shape Avensis is getting close to Diesel for fuel economy.
I had a mk1 Avensis Diesel, pre D4D, very popular with taxi operators, they rang the phone off the hook when i sold it @ 27k miles and indeed it went to a taxi operator....several discussions with taxi owners revealed that the previously indestructible Nissans (Bluebird and Primera 1) were no longer the best thing since Y fronts following the Reno tie in, and Avensis was the car of the moment, certainly never gave me a moments trouble.
Edited by gordonbennet on 22/09/2012 at 21:41
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@ corax - I have recently bought a 2004 t spirit 2.0 d4d & its a thumbs up from me, though the clutch is stiff and squeaks, may need a new one but wont be changing until gets worse, i take it your avensis is chain driven rather than belt am i right?
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ANY OTHER AVENSIS OR OCTAVIA OWNERS PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW THEY ARE AND WHAT FAULTS YOU HAVE COME ACROSS
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We ran an 03 1.9 tdi Octavia until nearly 100K and it was unfortunately written off. It needed a new turbo at 20 K, apart from that the engine was perfect. However the rest of the car was showing its age, doors leaking, electrical gremlins such as central locking failures etc. It also needed 4 new suspension springs and suffered unusual tyre wear on the rear. We have an 03 Toyota in the family now and my perception is of a much more robust build, no squeaks, rattles, everything is taut and works perfectly. Personally, I would say the Toyota is a better long term bet above 100K and into very high miles.
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@ corax - I have recently bought a 2004 t spirit 2.0 d4d & its a thumbs up from me, though the clutch is stiff and squeaks, may need a new one but wont be changing until gets worse, i take it your avensis is chain driven rather than belt am i right?
My clutch is a tad heavy - it can be a pain if stuck in traffic jams for a while, but I do suffer from sciatica which makes it worse. It also squeaks slightly, but doesn't show any sign of slipping.
My car is a 1.8vvt and is chain driven. I think the only Avensis that had a belt cam was the 2.0d4d, and these are now chain drive in newer models. I must add that I bought my car at high mileage, so it now has 94k, but everything including the suspension still feels taut with no slack in anything. The guy who owned it previously was an ex policeman turned salesman - by the condition of the car he seems to have driven it sympathetically although most of his travelling would have been motorways.
I almost see them as a budget Lexus.
I think with any modern diesel I would rather buy fairly new with warranty remaining, so that I know how it's been driven and treated - seems to be very important these days.
GB - are there any cars that you haven't driven? One of the advantages of your previous job :)
Edited by corax on 23/09/2012 at 10:38
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''GB - are there any cars that you haven't driven? One of the advantages of your previous job :)''
A jaundiced view in some ways Corax, i spent more time looking under than from the shiny side, and close vehicle control being high on my list of must haves hence my hatred of automated manuals and other satan designed gearboxes..;)
Toyota was one of the most impressive (apart from MMT boxes, yuk), they and one or two others took QC to a whole new level, nothing would simply do, it was either perfect or it didn't go.
Mr T stands by his product too, long after other makers simply say its out of warranty, tough.
I only wish they sold the US Camry in the UK, current Toyota designs sold here apart from Hilux/Amazon/Prius3 just don't do anything for me, Lexus get the pretty stuff for obvious reasons i suspect.
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I only wish they sold the US Camry in the UK, current Toyota designs sold here apart from Hilux/Amazon/Prius3 just don't do anything for me, Lexus get the pretty stuff for obvious reasons i suspect.
If Lexus did a GS 300 with a hatch and folding seats I might be interested. As it is I'll be looking for something with a better seat and driving position next year - maybe a Forester. Anyone who's owned one seems to be full of compliments for them.
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''maybe a Forester. Anyone who's owned one seems to be full of compliments for them.''
Funny you should say that, in the event (hopefully long hence) of the old MB dying, i have Forester XT pencilled in too, along with RX300 or even the new Dacia Duster as possible alternatives, LPG'd naturally..my lad is having excellent service from his 05 CRV but it wouldn't do to follow his lead would it, he'd get ideas above his station..;)
Northamptonshires third world urban roads remind me every day of how much i miss that Hilux.
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@ corax- im registered with toyotaownersclub forums, i asked about the squeaky clutch and this is the response i got.
1.It is a common problem, it is an internal issue with the cylinders, the master and slave cylinder were modified, so unless you replace them, it is unlikely to solve it.
2.Had the same problem. Lubricating the pedal didn't work for me for some reason. A new clutch master cylinder sorted it.
just looks like i'll have to put up with it, or get it sorted if it gets worse.
@ bazza, thank you for replying.
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any other octavia or avensis owner reviews would be appreciated ?
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I've had an Avensis Tourer (Spanish spec 2.0 D4D - base "Comfort" level trim) since July. Very smooth, light controls and amazingly quiet. When I'm on a phone call through the Bluetooth, there is so little background noise that the person I'm speaking to thinks I'm in the office. Having said that, the base spec Bluetooth set-up (my car has no touch screen, Sat nav, reversing camera etc) is poorly specced (no voice control, no steering wheel controls etc.) It's certainly fast enough though the steering is rather too light and feel-less compared to other cars of this size.
Fuel consumption has rarely gone above 6.0 litres/below 47 mpg with a full boot, high speed motorway cruising and aircon regularly on.
The boot is vast; the load area is not quite as tall as on my previous Focus estate but it is very wide ("cut-outs" for golf bags) and long and with three decent sized under-floor compartments. Legroom is impressive and with a flat rear floor (no "tunnel"). Overall impression is of a very well screwed together car, with a reassuringly solid clunk to the doors and even windows. I like the styling of the facelifted version (others disagree!) Rearward vision is, however, poor and the reversing camera is a must. The rear head restraints are small and cannot be extended very high.
The biggest problem is the electric parking brake - the switch is "back to front" (push to activate) and badly situated (a stretch to reach and hidden behind the ignition key). I also find the operation cumbersome and slow, although the automatic release works well on hills and it does engage automatically when you turn the ignition off (since 2012 facelift):
And it is, of course, built in Britain!
Edited by Bilboman on 24/09/2012 at 11:07
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