Toyota Avensis Saloon (03-08) - Review

Review by Parkers
Last Updated:
Aiming for class-leading quality (and perhaps putting into practice some of the things Toyota has learned with its luxury brand, Lexus) the Avensis represents a major leap forward over the original. The interior feels up-market and the Avensis is comfortable drive. The diesel offering was restricted to one 114bhp engine until summer 2005, although three became available, ranging from 124bhp to 175bhp, from summer 2006. The Avensis scores highly for comfort and should prove to be exceptionally reliable, but does not offer such an engaging drive as the Ford Mondeo, Mazda6 or Peugeot 407.
4 out of 5

Other Toyota reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

Depreciation is the biggest burden, although it would lose money more slowly than a Mondeo or Vectra. Saloon is a poorer performer than the hatchback though. Major servicing is every 20,000 miles, although it's worth visiting the dealer for an oil change and 'health check' at 10,000-mile intervals in between. Parts are quite cheap, crash repair parts especially so, meaning it falls into low insurance groups

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,574 - £2,116 *

Diesel

£1,257 - £1,393 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Minor every 10,000 miles; major every 20,000 miles

Warranty

Mechanical 3 years, bodywork 6 years

Road tax (12 months)

£135.00 - £270.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

3.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
    146
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
    227
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

Avensis is an environmentally friendly choice for green buyers. With an average of 174 g/km CO2 across the range, its emissions are quite low for a medium-sized saloon. However, it's worth noting that the line up has a high number of diesel models, bringing the average down and giving buyers more choices of low-emission versions. Diesels typically produce less CO2 than petrol engines with similar power outputs. Eco-conscious buyers should consider the 2.0-litre diesel, which is one of the greenest models in the range. The range is also fairly economical, averaging 41 mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2