British built Avensis makes Top Gear proud

Published: 16/01/2012

“The previous Avensis did everything that a Toyota should – it drove perfectly well, was comfortable, refined and economical. And it hardly ever broke down,” says Piers Ward in Top Gear’s review of the new Avensis.

The big news with the revised Toyota sees changes to the engine, which now emits less than 120g/km, although the review notes “it seems odd that the Avensis hasn’t got start/stop.
“Still, the steering and suspension have also been revised, so there’s meant to be more feel now. But any multiplication of zero is still zero, so you’ve still – unfortunately – got no real idea of what’s happening at the front wheels.”
Other changes are more successful. “One point of more obvious excellence is the paint finish – it’s spot on. As a British built car, that makes you proud. “Refinement has definitely improved. The Avensis is noticeably quieter at speed, if not class leading, and, thanks to tweaks to parts like the dash inner silencer (who even knew that existed?), the diesel doesn’t rattle as much.”
But Top Gear points out “one obvious problem” – the lack of a 1.6 diesel option. “Because Toyota is missing that smaller capacity engine, fleet buyers tend to stay away.”

(Source: Top Gear, January)

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