Toyota Avensis 1.8 Valvematic Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Toyota Avensis 1.8 Valvematic
Prices: £17,555-£22,605 – on the road
Insurance Group: 7
Emissions: 154-157g/km
Performance: [saloon] 0-60mph 9.4s / Top Speed 124mph
Fuel Consumption: [saloon] 33.2 (urban), 52.3 (extra urban), 43.5 (combined)
Safety: ABS, EBD, BA, VSC+, ESS.
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm [saloon] 4695/1810/1480

SAFETY VALVE

Our Rating: 7.3 / 10

Toyota’s latest Avensis is aiming to retain its core attributes while injecting a little more sparkle into proceedings. Steve Walker checks out the 1.8 petrol model.

The Toyota Avensis has always focused on being solid and dependable and the latest version follows that familiar theme. In 1.8-litre petrol form, it delivers high levels of comfort and refinement with good performance given the engine size and strong economy. Build quality is first rate, equipment levels are high and the interior is neatly designed. When Toyota finally gets a handle on design flair and handling verve, it’ll be unstoppable.

Toyota freely admits that its second generation Avensis was somewhat dull. It’s a refreshingly open approach at a time when most manufacturers would rather put their hands up to a spate of arson attacks on orphanages than concede that one of their products is anything less than wonderful. Admitting your mistakes can often be a first step on the road to rectifying them which is partly why hopes were reasonably high for the third generation Avensis. Here we look at that car in 1.8-litre Valvematic petrol form. It’s not the most obvious point in the range to seek out an injection of charisma but it is a version that will account for quite a chunk of overall sales.

Toyota’s strengths are well known. It builds practical, functional cars to very high standards of fit and finish, instilling them all with its trademark dauntless reliability in the process. What it struggles to do is to design the sort of vehicle that has prospective buyers swooning with admiration in the showroom and distracted pedestrians tripping over their dogs when one passes them in the street. If Toyota could do that, it’d be borderline unbeatable. The hope with today’s Avensis is that it can nudge the marque’s dull but worthy medium range family car model line in a more desirable direction. The car is built in the UK at the Burnaston plant which deserves to carry some weight with buyers over here and in the shape of the 1.8-litre Valvematic unit, it has an engine that’s very much of the times.

The 1.8-litre petrol engine acts as the mid-point to the Avensis petrol range in the UK. It employs Toyota’s latest generation petrol engine technology which is known as Valvematic. This is a progression from the previous generation dual VVT-i powerplants because as well as varying the valve timing according to throttle inputs, it can also adjust the valve lift. The end result is greater efficiency manifested in better fuel economy and more power. This 1.8-litre engine develops an impressive 147bhp and can s

If you’ve experience of other Avensis models, you won’t get into this third generation one expecting to embark on a rollercoaster ride of thrills and exhilaration. Toyota’s past efforts have been competent from a driving perspective and little more but we can state from the outset here that this Avensis is something more. I’m willing to push the boat right out and declare it ‘extremely competent’. That’s praise indeed. At least, it is for a Toyota saloon. The Avensis serves up an assured ride and maintains its composure even if you corner it fairly quickly. It will fidget a little over minor surface imperfections and the seats could be more supportive but this is a genuinely comfortable car. The steering has a nice weight and the wheel is well shaped but there’s little feedback and a lack of accuracy from the helm. The Avensis is neither one of the best nor worst handlers in the sector and that middle of the road position is a step forward for Toyota. As a tool for commuting and devouring motorway marathons, however, it’s much nearer the top of the pile.

Much of the desirability that Toyota has set its sights on achieving with the Avensis is rooted in the way a car looks. There’s no doubt that Toyota’s designers have been allowed to let their hair down a little but, at risk of overplaying the metaphor, it looks like the top brass have drawn the line at dreadlocks and bubble perms. The car still plays it very safe. The shallow side windows, defined shoulder line and raked windscreen give some purpose and there are nice touches, particularly around the rear of the saloon version, but the unusual headlamps and deep grille still need work. Inside, the cabin is sober but predictably well put together. There are some upmarket finishes and the controls layout is as easy to fathom as you could wish for. Everything works and feels like it will continue to do so for a long time to come.

The Avensis has resisted the trend amongst large family cars to indulge in serious midd