Toyota Avensis (2009 – 2015) Review

The Toyota Avensis is a saloon or estate car for non-car people. For folk who favour reliability, dependability and practicality over performance, good looks and glamour. There’s nothing wrong with that. In many ways, it’s part of the car’s appeal. Launched in 2009, the British-built Avensis is Toyota’s answer to the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Insignia. Designed with company car drivers in mind, the Avensis is a car that keeps fleet managers happy and owners away from filling stations. You don’t dream of owning an Avensis, but it’s a car that won’t keep you awake at night through worry.

Precision handling, sharp steering, bold styling and punchy performance. These are just some of the things we’d say about the Toyota GT86. The Toyota Avensis is a different kettle of carp.

It’s easy to be sniffy about a car like the Toyota Avensis. It’s a car for your mates who aren’t into cars. A vehicle for taxi operators. Something you might end up with at the airport rental desk.

We think it deserves more respect. Let’s consider the positives.

It’s practical. The Avensis Tourer (estate) is positively vast, while the saloon isn’t lacking in the luggage capacity department. It will also seat five adults in comfort, which isn’t something you can say about every family car you might be looking at.

Then there’s the comfort. Almost everything about the Avensis has been configured to offer a smooth and relaxed driving experience. The seats are cosseting. The suspension is supple. Wind, road and engine noise are suppressed. Excuse the cliche, but the cabin in the Toyota Avensis is a nice place to be.

We should also point to the diesel engines, which are smooth, efficient, punchy and refined. The petrol engines are less impressive, but opt for one of the diesels and you’ll spend very little time filling up with fuel. The 2.0-litre D-4D is our particular favourite, offering decent poke to go with its excellent fuel economy.

Other positives? Well, the cabin is well screwed together, equipment levels are generous (especially if you avoid the entry-level model) and the Avensis has got a central storage bin large enough to have keen potholers queuing at the door. It’s really big, big, big… big. That’s meant to be an echo gag, but it doesn’t really work in words.

So much to like, so what are the drawbacks? Although design is subjective, we’re not sure the styling is anything to write home about. The cabin is about as exciting as a funeral parlour waiting room. Finally, the driving experience is dull enough to send you to sleep.

If you’re not bothered about any of the above, then you should add the Toyota Avensis to your shortlist. The earliest examples are available for the equivalent of a deposit on a PCP contract for a car that’s likely to be less reliable, less comfortable and less spacious. An Avensis diesel will exceed 200,000 miles with ease, if it has been maintained as per the service schedule.

You’ll spend more for a saloon or estate with a premium badge. Either that or you’ll have to put up with something older and tattier for the same price. Which means the smart money goes on the reliable, dependable and practical Avensis. You know it makes sense.

You could spend hours behind the wheel of the Avensis without feeling stressed. It’s that kind of car.

Cornering isn’t a strong point. The steering is totally devoid of feel, there’s a sense of disconnection with the road, and the Avensis just feels unwieldy. It’s no big deal, because you won’t buy an Avensis for its performance credentials. Its comfort is its joy.

Things improved slightly after the 2011 facelift, with Toyota tweaking the steering, stiffening the body and tuning the suspension to improve the dynamics. It’s slightly nicer to drive, but not at the expense of the ride comfort. At the same time, Toyota improved the aerodynamics, changed the design of the front seats and added extra sound insulation. It means that a post-facelift Avensis is a better Avensis.

The 2.0-litre D-4D 130 diesel is the engine of choice, especially following the 2011 update. It offers plenty of mid-range torque, but settles to a reasonably quiet idle at cruising speed. The 2.2-litre D-CAT 150 diesel offers slightly improved performance at the expense of fuel economy.

Alternatively, the 2.2 D-CAT 180 is quicker than the 150hp version, but we’re not sure the car needs that much poke.

The petrol versions are best avoided. It was no surprise when Toyota ditched the 1.6-litre Valvematic after a couple of years, but the 1.8-litre wasn’t a huge step up, especially when paired with the CVT gearbox. A 2.0-litre Valvematic completes the engine range. Once again, it could be ordered with a CVT transmission, but the six-speed manual is better.

The Toyota Avensis was awarded a five-star safety rating when it was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in 2009. At launch, the Avensis was fitted with multiple airbags, Isofix mounts on the rear seats, steering assist vehicle stability control and brake assist.

All models feature front seat headrests that reduce the risk of whiplash by moving forwards and up to support the head in the event of a rear-end collision. The 2.2 D-CAT 150 T Spirit with an automatic transmission also featured an optional pre-crash safety system with pre-crash warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and lane-departure warning.

The 2.2-litre D-4D diesel with a manual gearbox is the best Avensis for towing, offering a maximum capacity of 1,800kg. This drops to 1600kg if you opt for the automatic, which, coincidentally, is the same weight for the 2.0-litre D-4D diesel.

You’ll find plenty of space in the Toyota Avensis, regardless of whether you opt for the saloon or the estate (Tourer). The saloon offers 509 litres of luggage capacity, while the estate boasts a 543-litre boot. Although there’s not a lot of difference on paper, the estate is more flexible, aided by the large boot opening and extra height.

Although the rear seats fold in the saloon, it can’t compete with the 1,609 litres of luggage space available by doing the same in the estate.

Either way, there’s enough room in the cabin for five adults. Even the middle rear seat is comfortable, helped by the absence of a transmission tunnel. Elsewhere, practicality is enhanced by a large glovebox, big door pockets in the front, and one of the largest central storage bins we’ve seen in a new car. It’s like a cave, so bring your own head torch.

Before you rush off to read a review of the BMW 3 Series or Audi A4, it’s worth noting that the actual quality is very high. The plastics have been chosen for their hard-wearing nature, rather than for impressing punters in a showroom.

This is crucial, because the Avensis has been designed to withstand 150,000+ miles of use. What use is a powertrain if the cabin has fallen apart? A leather-trimmed steering wheel became standard as part of the 2011 facelift.

At launch, most versions of the Avensis came with a six-speaker audio system with radio, CD player and an aux-in socket. There was no Bluetooth, while sat-nav was an expensive option.

Things changed in 2011 when the Avensis gained the Toyota Touch & Go multimedia system with sat-nav. A 6.1-inch screen was standard on all except the T2 model, while Touch & Go Plus was fitted to the T Spirit trim.

The later the Avensis, the greater the chance the car has of having a decent system. Touch & Go became standard on the Icon as part of the trim restructuring in 2013, with Icon Plus and Excel boasting Touch & Go Plus.

Just £1500. That’s all you need to secure an early example of the Toyota Avensis. Admittedly, the car will have something approaching 200,000 miles on the clock and more battle scars than the world’s worst paintballer, but if the car has been maintained to the recommended schedule, it should have plenty of life left to give.

Upping the budget to £2000 lowers the average mileage to 150,000, while adding an extra £500 takes the average down to 100,000. Whichever way you look at it, this is exceptional value for money for a spacious and reliable family car.

That said, we’d recommend spending at least £3000 to secure a post-facelift (2011) Avensis. What’s amazing is how good these cars look after 150,000 miles. Aside from some wear on the seat bolsters and plastic trim, most cars look like they’ve just rolled out of the showroom.

The most you’ll pay for an Avensis of this vintage is £10,500, but once you get to this price it might be worth considering the newer model. Although Toyota billed it as a new car, it was actually a thorough reworking of its predecessor, but the changes amounted to a comprehensive overhaul. We’d recommend the newer version, even if it means spending an extra £500 or £1,000.

Finance deals start from as little as £50 a month on a hire purchase (HP) contract. This is based on a car costing up to £3000, with payments spread over four years.

The most efficient Avensis was the 2.0-litre D-4D 130 saloon, offering a claimed 55.4mpg. The fitment of a diesel particulate filter (DPF) in June 2010 resulted in the saloon’s fuel consumption increasing to 53.3mpg.

The 2.2-litre D-4D 150 is another efficient engine, offering a claimed 51.4mpg in the saloon and 50.4mpg in the estate. Other engines range from 40.4mpg to 47.9mpg, depending on the body. The 2.0-litre D-4D diesel was revised as part of the 2011 facelift. Fuel economy increased to 62.8mpg (saloon), while CO2 emissions dropped to 119g/km.

Insurance is affordable, especially on the saloon, with groups ranging from eight to 26. The Avensis Tourer will cost slightly more to insure (groups 15 to 28). That said, an Avensis 1.6-litre diesel should be no more expensive to insure than a supermini.

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the pre-facelift Avensis ranges from £150 to £240 depending on the engine. Post-facelift cars tend to be cheaper. For example, revisions to the 2.0-litre D-4D diesel engine resulted in the CO2 emissions dropping to 119g/km. This means an annual VED rate of just £30.

Predictable, reliable, dependable and practical. If these are the things you’re looking for in a saloon or estate car, the Toyota Avensis has a lot going for it. It’s not going to change your life, but it’s not going to keep you awake at night with worry.

The 2.0-litre diesel in a mid-range trim is the perfect combination. We wouldn’t recommend it for ferrying the children to school or for local shopping trips, but if you spend most of your time on the motorway, the Avensis is almost perfect.