2010 Toyota Avensis Road Test

The new Toyota is a great deal more European in appearance and feel than before, for sure, but should you be looking – inside or out – for the kind of sparkle that goes richly through vehicles like the Vauxhall Insignia, or genuinely compact executive cars which many D-segment vehicles aspire to equal, the Toyota Avensis is left wanting.

under the surface, this new Toyota draws on what Toyota refers to as a brand new platform, however has stayed with techniques it knows to connect in to the new metalware - engines and boxes are mostly a advancement of what went previously, with distinct degrees of progress.

In the matter of our test cars – a core-specification 148 horsepower diesel which is supposed to function as the best seller. Transmission is a six-speed stick shift, a design brought over from the earlier car.

Somewhat higher gear ratios in comparison to some rivals imply the Avensis' in-gear speeds isn't so all-powerful. Far from the track, , the distribution of power proves as helpful for road motoring as it does overall speed, & on the dual carriageways the Toyota is an effortless motorcar to drive.

Operated swiftly round corners, The Toyota Avensis is easy to alter route, steers precisely & grips nicely.


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The Toyota Avensis's most important failure is it's ride. While remarkably compliant, it seems to partner a jitteriness over smaller, sharp ridges (particularly at low velocities) with substandard body handling over tougher highway types.

Sturdy & dull were 2 phrases that kept cropping up as numerous testers emerged from the Toyota. It's tricky not to be satisfied by the tightly engineered interior, tight-fitting components & complete impression of indestructibility.

We’d guess that if you should take the existing crop of family saloons & drive them for 300,000 miles, it would be the Toyota’s interior that would wear best.

Nonetheless, alongside the swooping, stylish interiors of certain rivals – the Vauxhall Insignia specifically – the Toyota Avensis provides its occupants very little in the form of passion.

The lines of the fascia are clear and the distinction between the textured dash and the charcoal-effect central unit std on top-spec versions works well, nonetheless the expanses of vertical surfaces convey a conservative feel.

Lacking exuberance is not the Avensis’s only worry. Even though the touch-screen sat nav with its neighboring control switches works well and the gauges are clear, the placement and layout of some ancillary controls are much less sufficient.

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With the exception of various testers protesting that the seats proved inadequately comfy for longer excursions, you can find little else to fault in the accommodation. There's acceptable seat and wheel adjustment to fit the majority of individuals, & the rear cabin, if not quite as accommodating as the Mondeo, is decent for the sector.

Similar to the car it replaces, the 3rd-generation Toyota Avensis is actually a effectively designed, tightly built and sensible family saloon. One which currently pulls off the challenging exercise of blending segment-leading speed with likewise impressive economy and emissions figures.

This alone is proof of the engineering endeavour Toyota has poured into its design. There are still some issues, such as an uncertain ride, uncomfortable seats and an in some cases grumbling engine, but neither are big problems.

If your search for an ideal machine begins & finishes with a car that will transport you and yours quietly & securely, the Toyota will end up being completely adequate.

Nonetheless, as enthusiasts, we wish Toyota had put more time towards making the Toyota Avensis a bit more desirable, engaging motor to drive & possess. Given that what it really is short of most is sparkle.