Faults:

Both headlights have been replaced following botched attempts to replace blown bulbs by a Service Centre. Headlight bulb replacement is not a DIY job-I would suggest that this is a design fault/safety issue.

General Comments:

Other than the headlight bulbs, the car has been 100% reliable. It has a very solid feel to it, is comfortable, and eats up miles on long journeys.

Out and out performance is not particularly outstanding, but the 1.8 petrol engine is very economical and an excellent performance/fuel economy compromise.

The interior is cavernous, especially with the rear seats down on my hatchback version.

Faults:

One of the Headlights had to be replaced twice already, the other once. They cannot be replaced by the driver, which makes the repair quite expensive.

General Comments:

This car is very safe, and the engine is reliable.

Fuel consumption is not as low as advertised, or as indicated on the display, but remains acceptable for such a heavy car (6,5 liters/100km highway).

Acceleration in the lowest two gears is slow. Power becomes only available at relatively high rpm.

Faults:

Front brakes squeal on low pedal pressure.

Radial grooves in right rear disk brake.

General Comments:

This car is a dream compared to the previous one.

Except for tire noise; oh well, 17" rims with 215-45 tires aren't quiet!

The handling is much better. Much tighter in corners! Although steering input could be better. The previous model tended to float due to the lose suspension design.

Comfort wise it's quieter then the old one (except for tire noise). It will hit the bumps without any rattles or squeaks. The old one could rattle sometimes.

Interior is a dream. Nice leather (electric) seats and great quality finish! Good sound system standard.

The way the door close is truly amazing. Like a vault, but it doesn't take any effort! They fall shut very quietly from a 5cm opening! Try that with any other car. Precision is the magic word here.

This car will definitely not disappoint!

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong yet.

General Comments:

Stepping down from an Audi A4 Avant was always going to be a 'big step'. This is our first Toyota and the initial appearance is impressive. Comfortable leather seats, spacious interior and more gadgets than you can shake a stick at.

Performance is adequate, but much worse compared to the Audi, on both fuel consumption and acceleration. Looking past the gorgeous leather seats, the equipment looks a little 'cheap' and the satellite navigation is rather a let-down.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

Having never owned or even driven a Toyota prior to this Avensis, I wasn't quite sure what all the fuss was about?

After opening the door to get in, it all came clear to me, if it ain't in the dashboard, then it ain't been invented!

The array of gadgets left me drooling, so much, I had to watch that I didn't shut the door on my tongue!

The all round build quality of the car is top notch, not sure where the Sprirt fits into the range though?

Satellite navigation is excellent and the climate control, is far superior to anything fitted to a Vauxhall or Ford fleet car.

Only fault's I could find were, a slight lag when trying to overtake. The marriage between the 2.0ltr engine and the Automatic gearbox seems a bit fraught! And, after driving my new Vectra, I felt the ride was a little on the noisy side, when on the Motorway.