Car Reviews > Toyota > Avensis > Toyota Avensis Tourer Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Prices: £26,825
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel
Gearbox: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive Power: 126 bhp
0-62 mph: 10 seconds
Top Speed: 124 miles per hour
Economy: 61.4 miles per gallon
Emissions: 119g per kilometre
Equipment: GPS, heated seats, reversing camera, Bluetooth, leather upholstery
On Sale: Now

Can the family car become a contender with a fresh look, tweaks to the suspension and a cleaner engine?

Modern family estate vehicles need to be able to do it all, with stylish looks and sporty handling now just as important as efficiency, practicality and value for money currently. Now that the Toyota Avensis has undergone something of a facelift, can it therefore tick all the necessary boxes?

Style has never really been the strong point of the Toyota, but the exterior of the vehicle has been revamped with reshaped headlights and a sleeker grille that result in the car having a much wider and lower appearance. Take a close look at the back of the vehicle and you will realise that there has been subtle tweaking of the taillights as well.

When it comes to the interior of the vehicle, the centre console has been simplified, with the dashboard finished off with a higher quality soft touch plastic and a leather trimmed steering wheel is included as standard.

Nor is looking and feeling classier than ever before the only improvement either, with the Tourer now also undeniably driving much better as well. Engine, road and wind noise are kept at bay by extra sound deadening, while the ride has been made even more comfortable than ever by tweaks to the suspension. Not that it is perfect, there is still some room for improvement in the way that the Avensis tackles smaller imperfections on the road, with potholes not being soaked up anywhere near as well as they ought to be.

The best selling 2.0-litre D-4D diesel is tested here, with the model having been upgraded to be smoother, quieter and most importantly, much more efficient. The fuel economy rating has increased to as much as 61.4 miles per gallon, while the CO2 emissions figure of 119g per kilometre are now at a figure low enough to challenge those of the leaders in this class.

The engine offers the same bhp power rating of 126, meaning that the 0-62 miles per hour time of 10 seconds also remains unchanged. However, the car is noticeably much more refined, and it is only when at the absolute upper limits of the rev range that it begins to sound a little harsh. The Avensis is best on motorways, where the engine is able to settle down to a barely noticeable hum.

Toyota has also tried to spice up the handling a bit by fitting a stiffer anti-roll bar, while the steering is also much faster than was previously the case. The Tourer certainly feels much more agile on twisting roads than it used to. The real problem is the fact that all of the controls, but the steering especially, is lifeless. There is very little in the way of body roll, and a fair bit of grip, and yet driver involvement is almost non-existent.

That said, it has always been the case with the Avensis after all, and that has failed to prevent solid sales. This is a relaxing instead of entertaining vehicle to drive, with the Tourer model being as practical as always. The rear has plenty of room, with the 543-litre boot expanding to 1609-litres when the back seats are folded down.

Given the price, one of the well-equipped but cheaper models remains the better bet.

by Autoweb