Economy and emissions may have been improved over the old 2.2-litre diesel's figures, but power has not. This new unit develops 141bhp to give a 0-62mph time of 9.5sec - not fast but perfectly acceptable.
More important is flexibility, and this is something the Avensis has plenty of. Assuming you’re not expecting to gain speed rapidly, this engine will slog from surprisingly low rpm, which is handy because it gets loud and clattery approaching 3000rpm and beyond it.
Indeed, refinement is not this car’s forte; at idle and low rpm, you feel the motor vibrating through the pedals and steering wheel, although the engine quietens right down while the vibrations smooth out when you're up to motorway speeds.
The suspension also feels most at home in this environment. It’s softly sprung, so it’s quite happy to lollop along at speed, but does roll noticeably when cornering. Bigger bumps can also thump through the structure and unsettle the car slightly.
When you factor in steering that feels precise enough without ever really telling you what’s going on, a strange grittiness to the gearbox when moving the stick left to right and stability control that can’t be turned off, you have a car that should be avoided by the keen driver. A Ford Mondeo certainly has nothing to fear.
Inside, the Avensis remains a spacious choice, albeit not quite on the level of the huge Skoda Superb. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of rear head and legroom for adults, and centre-seat occupants will appreciate the flat floor.
Up front, drivers get plenty of adjustment for both the steering wheel and seat, including adjustable lumbar support on all but basic Active models. You also get a good-sized boot, although hatchback-bodied rivals are easier to load.
As for the new dash, it may look a little more contemporary than the old one but it still lags behind those in the Skoda Superb or Volkswagen Passat. Not only is it bland, there is a surprising amount of cheap-feeling plastic in areas you interact with regularly.
We’re also not the biggest fans of its infotainment system. It may have standard sat-nav but it can be laggy, and the graphics look dated. Even worse, the screen sometimes goes black when you’re navigating between functions, something that proves distracting during the hours of darkness.
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Will this be the final Avensis?
Turbo?
But now, i just don't get it. The 2th generation has decent engines. With the 3th generation we had to do without the 2.4 gasonline engine, but still kept the, for it's time, excellent 2.2 D-Cat. Now we have to do without that too. I don't understand Toyota's strategy for Europe any more. It's like they are not interested in selling cars here. Although i have heard rumors that the Avensis will eventually be replaced by a European version of the Camry.
Why not put the 2.0 turbo from Lexus IS200t in the Avensis? Do that, and i might stick with Toyota. If not, well, there are lots of alternatives.
Same goes for the Auris. Why not make a hot hatch version?
But who is going to buy one?
Toyota has produced another "good enough" car which just isn't competitive when there are excellent alternatives out there.
And apologies for posting 3