Faults:

ABS.

Rear suspension broken (shocks).

Air con non operative.

Uses oil like it's going out of fashion. A known issue with the 1.8 petrol. As reliable as this engine is, oil is expensive these days so this is annoying! Clearly burning it rather than consuming, there is a bit of blue smoke from exhaust.

General Comments:

Avensis Tourer - a boring estate car. It is good enough for me however as an older car I got for a nice price (usually these cars are WAY overpriced).

Famous Toyota "reliability" seems true, I have had the car a couple of years with no major problems. That oil consumption is annoying though, I'd get it fixed but it probably requires a whole engine recondition to fix, which at this age and mileage is not worth it. At-least I do not have diesel problems like the "D4D" engines get. The 1.8 petrol's strengths are in refinement and low noise. It is also fairly economical for a petrol engine in a heavy estate car - I get around 37 mpg.

Nice to drive, fast enough and handles very well for what it is.

A bit ugly looking exterior, not Toyota's best design.

Inside is dull also but very, very comfortable. T4 model has the lot. Leather, electrics, windows tines, etc.

If you get one at a good price, they are worth it, otherwise they are the same as any car, nothing special about it.

Faults:

Brake pads seem to wear out quickly, don't know why as I drive carefully. Will get my local mechanic to investigate.

Passenger rear windows jammed.

Radiator replaced.

Sub frame rust warning at last MOT test.

General Comments:

Smooth driving car, the Avensis does all you need if you are after a reliable family car.

My silver 1.6 TR is a fairly basic model. Performance is OK and you get around 37 MPG.

Interior comfortable. Exterior OK looking. A pretty boring car.

Smooth on motorways, it is a very nice long distance cruising car.

Reliability has been OK, which these cars are famous for, but mine is 14 years old and rust is becoming a problem. But I got the car for a good price and it has never let me down; if I get another year or so out of it I will be happy.

Faults:

Exhaust, suspension, brakes, all wear and tear.

Engine uses a bit of oil, but only a small amount (no leaks, so must be burning it off), one top up between services, common issues on these Toyota petrol engines from this time.

Sub frame rust is another common issue - thankfully when I purchased the car the previous owner had replaced/repaired this before I got the car.

General Comments:

The Avensis is a nice car to drive. My car is black and looks good in my opinion.

Very comfortable and spacious, the TR model has plenty of electrics. Seats are nice, sound proofing is good on the motorway, very smooth at cruising speed. Electronic parking brake took a lot of getting used to!

1.6 petrol engine is a lot less common than the diesels or the 1.8 petrol. It is economical - averaging 40 mpg or more, but it is very, very slow. I'd go for the 1.8 if buying again or a more powerful and economical diesel. This is not a bad engine, just a bit of a budget choice; I believe it was the cheapest engine model in this car when new.

On the used market they are still a little more expensive to buy than an equivalent Vauxhall Insignia or Ford Mondeo, but worth it in my opinion - this is a slightly better car than those in my opinion.

Overall not a bad car, lives up to its name - reliable and economical so far, hope to keep it a long time despite the fact it is 13 years old now! Look for a car with full history and low miles and you cannot go wrong with a used purchase.