2001 Toyota Avensis Petrol - any good?
Discussion
2001 Toyota Avensis Petrol - any good?
Are they? 51 Reg Toyota Avensis? The earlier shape.
I've spotted one for sale, a Black, 'VVTi' spec I think it was which I presume is a 1.8 or 2 litre petrol.
It looked really tidy aswell, 160000 miles but good tyres, long-ish MOT and some history detailed in the window. Inside was clean, outside was aswell, clean, crash-free, bumpers a bit faded but that’s it. CD player, electrics, etc etc.
Pretty old fashioned black plastic jap interior, and I know it’s a bit 'grey' and dull, but are these any good? Do they drive ok?
I have driven the Mk2 version and quite liked it.
I only ask because I thought it looked like a cracking shed purchase, should I presume be very reliable, and was a massively practical estate version which is great for me to put my bikes and camping gear in. I have flirted with buying another shed for a while as a runabout and save me commuting in my MX-5.
It also, genuinely didn’t look like it was a taxi - The spec, clean and tidy interior and body, history, and the location of the car all make it unlikely that is has been used as such.
IRO £500 taxed and tested if your asking, and no, I wont tell you where it is (might have even sold already).
Don't tell me what I could get instead - I just want to know what these are like, in relative terms.
Are they? 51 Reg Toyota Avensis? The earlier shape.
I've spotted one for sale, a Black, 'VVTi' spec I think it was which I presume is a 1.8 or 2 litre petrol.
It looked really tidy aswell, 160000 miles but good tyres, long-ish MOT and some history detailed in the window. Inside was clean, outside was aswell, clean, crash-free, bumpers a bit faded but that’s it. CD player, electrics, etc etc.
Pretty old fashioned black plastic jap interior, and I know it’s a bit 'grey' and dull, but are these any good? Do they drive ok?
I have driven the Mk2 version and quite liked it.
I only ask because I thought it looked like a cracking shed purchase, should I presume be very reliable, and was a massively practical estate version which is great for me to put my bikes and camping gear in. I have flirted with buying another shed for a while as a runabout and save me commuting in my MX-5.
It also, genuinely didn’t look like it was a taxi - The spec, clean and tidy interior and body, history, and the location of the car all make it unlikely that is has been used as such.
IRO £500 taxed and tested if your asking, and no, I wont tell you where it is (might have even sold already).
Don't tell me what I could get instead - I just want to know what these are like, in relative terms.
Well, I have one as a daily driver now, after selling my little 1.4 Fiesta, and I like it, despite what others might think!
It's also a 51 plate and it's the 2.0vvt-i CDX, which I guess was the range-topper back in the day.
It's big inside, good sized boot, lots of toys including satnav, leather and aircon and quite handsome in saloon form.
Look out for; squeaking/knocking from steering column - easily rectified by a re-grease. There's FOUR bloody oxygen/lambda sensors so check for engine warning lights which are usually down to these. Easily changed by yourself at around £50 for OEM Denso ones, just need a 22mm open spanner.
Very well rustproofed, so underneath should be clean and tidy. They have stainless exhausts, so most cars are still on their originals.
The Avensis is quite easy to work on, despite being a 'modern' car, and they seemed to be designed that way, with good quality clips and fittings for example.
As always, buy on condition, and enjoy your 15 feet of British built, Japanese anonymity!
ETA, they are excellent on fuel and have a decent sized tank, mine is currently doing 46+mpg for the whole working week (58 miles per day, mostly DC). Only need to fill it up every 2 weeks!
It's also a 51 plate and it's the 2.0vvt-i CDX, which I guess was the range-topper back in the day.
It's big inside, good sized boot, lots of toys including satnav, leather and aircon and quite handsome in saloon form.
Look out for; squeaking/knocking from steering column - easily rectified by a re-grease. There's FOUR bloody oxygen/lambda sensors so check for engine warning lights which are usually down to these. Easily changed by yourself at around £50 for OEM Denso ones, just need a 22mm open spanner.
Very well rustproofed, so underneath should be clean and tidy. They have stainless exhausts, so most cars are still on their originals.
The Avensis is quite easy to work on, despite being a 'modern' car, and they seemed to be designed that way, with good quality clips and fittings for example.
As always, buy on condition, and enjoy your 15 feet of British built, Japanese anonymity!
ETA, they are excellent on fuel and have a decent sized tank, mine is currently doing 46+mpg for the whole working week (58 miles per day, mostly DC). Only need to fill it up every 2 weeks!
10 Pence Short said:
One of the least inspiring cars I have ever, ever driven. Horrible in pretty much every way.
This. Word for word.Mazda spent years of research and effort perfecting the jinba ittai of the Mk. 1 MX5.
Toyota must certainly have spent at least ten times the time and effort perfecting dull and slow witted for the Avensis.
Avoid.
V88Dicky said:
And bonus points for it being British built 
Though this is possibly the reason that mine also had about the patchiest build quality of any of the 'new' cars I've owned in recent years (and I'm including two Lotus and a TVR in that statement). It's a while ago now, but I remember always having something to sort with the dealer - bits of trim falling off, aircon failing, tank venting making it impossible to fill up, because the back-pressure stopped the pump if you tried to deliver fuel at any more than a dribble, etc.I was particularly pissed off when I had to drive round for 3 weeks in the middle of summer with no air con when a refrigerant pipe fractured, being told by the dealer (in Derby!!) that they couldn't get hold of a replacement because they were waiting for a shipment from Japan.
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