Although large family cars depreciate quite heavily, the Avensis is one of the better performers around. The 1.6-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel models are very fuel efficient and offer low road tax charges so you can expect cheap Toyota Avensis running costs. Toyota has also worked to reduce servicing times for the Avensis compared with the previous model which will help keep labour charges down while the car is at the garage.

The 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel will return on average 50.4mpg.

The best for Toyota Avensis emissions is the 2.0 D-4D in TR specification. In T Spirit trim the Avensis with the 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel emits 149g/km of CO2 emissions. The 1.6-litre petrol engine also offers low emissions of 152g/km of CO2 – impressive given its 130bhp output.

Previous versions of the Avensis have been among the most dependable cars on our roads. Very few problems are reported so you can expect bulletproof Toyota Avensis reliability.