Avensis CVT 1.8
Discussion
My grandfather currently has the previous generation Avensis Tourer 2.0 diesel but isn't getting on with it - very few gadgets and just not his cup of tea.
He's looked at an Auris but neither him not my grandmother liked it all that much, so they're looking to make a decision on an Avensis 1.8 Tourer which has a CVT transmission.
I had a 1.6D4 Avensis for 3 months which was dire - ruined by the engine not being big enough for the class of car. But the rest of it, although a bit low-rent, was well put together and gadget-laden.
Although morbid, this is likely to be my grandfather's last car purchase (his words, not mine!) so he doesn't want to get it wrong. He's determined not to have a diesel (probably rightly so with the majority of journeys they do) but is most concerned about the CVT 'box on the car being offered (why not wait for a manual to become available I hear you scream - I haven't asked...)
The dealership have told him that CVTs have come a long way in recent years and that "fuel economy is no worse than the equivalent manual". I find this hard to believe personally, but happy to be proven otherwise? The official combined figure is something like 47mpg, which I think is unlikely to be honest - but I'm really struggling to find many reviews (any, in fact) of this car / gearbox configuration.
My gut says this is salesman spiel in an attempt to get rid of a car which might otherwise have been hard to shift, but that's just my pessimistic mindset!
What is the likely "real world" economy going to be on a car of this size with a CVT? High 30s?
He has his heart set on a Toyota I think because this is where he will get the best trade deal, but I think I should point out that the current Avensis is quite a poor performer in its class. What would you recommend instead? Mazda 6 perhaps? If so what are the petrol engines like?
Any advice would be very welcome
He's looked at an Auris but neither him not my grandmother liked it all that much, so they're looking to make a decision on an Avensis 1.8 Tourer which has a CVT transmission.
I had a 1.6D4 Avensis for 3 months which was dire - ruined by the engine not being big enough for the class of car. But the rest of it, although a bit low-rent, was well put together and gadget-laden.
Although morbid, this is likely to be my grandfather's last car purchase (his words, not mine!) so he doesn't want to get it wrong. He's determined not to have a diesel (probably rightly so with the majority of journeys they do) but is most concerned about the CVT 'box on the car being offered (why not wait for a manual to become available I hear you scream - I haven't asked...)
The dealership have told him that CVTs have come a long way in recent years and that "fuel economy is no worse than the equivalent manual". I find this hard to believe personally, but happy to be proven otherwise? The official combined figure is something like 47mpg, which I think is unlikely to be honest - but I'm really struggling to find many reviews (any, in fact) of this car / gearbox configuration.
My gut says this is salesman spiel in an attempt to get rid of a car which might otherwise have been hard to shift, but that's just my pessimistic mindset!
What is the likely "real world" economy going to be on a car of this size with a CVT? High 30s?
He has his heart set on a Toyota I think because this is where he will get the best trade deal, but I think I should point out that the current Avensis is quite a poor performer in its class. What would you recommend instead? Mazda 6 perhaps? If so what are the petrol engines like?
Any advice would be very welcome
We have a 4 month old Avensis Tourer Premium with 1.8 CVT as a wife car. Great engine and gearbox for daily driver. Average fuel consumption is around 40mpg, can be even better sometimes. We drive quite a lot of long-ish distance drives (20-60 miles), but we have a winter now which reduces mpg. Performance is OK. 1.8 has 147 hp, doesn't have torque and it is fuel efficient. CVT box works with that engine very well, it doesn't feel slow and it is genuinely good on gas.
It is a great car, one of the best daily drivers in its class. We have a two dogs, we drive a lot and our roads are bad and winter makes them even more worse. Avensis just handles those things very well, we like it much more than our ex-beemer (e91). Good to drive in bad weather and so on. We live in country side so we need a reliable workhorse, but it is nice that it has leathers, led headlights and bunch of other stuff (navigator, bt, reverse camera, parking sensors, lane assist etc etc). Overall cabin is surprisingly good quality and well made.
We did quite a lot of different test drives, for example volvo xc60, Mitsu Outlander, Peugeot 308/508 etc and my wife did choose Avensis.
It is a great car, one of the best daily drivers in its class. We have a two dogs, we drive a lot and our roads are bad and winter makes them even more worse. Avensis just handles those things very well, we like it much more than our ex-beemer (e91). Good to drive in bad weather and so on. We live in country side so we need a reliable workhorse, but it is nice that it has leathers, led headlights and bunch of other stuff (navigator, bt, reverse camera, parking sensors, lane assist etc etc). Overall cabin is surprisingly good quality and well made.
We did quite a lot of different test drives, for example volvo xc60, Mitsu Outlander, Peugeot 308/508 etc and my wife did choose Avensis.
Edited by LasseV on Saturday 11th March 00:10
Edited by LasseV on Saturday 11th March 00:11
I agree with Codswallop, CVT shouldn't have any mpg penalty over a manual and, theoretically at least, should have a slight advantage.
Has he driven the car, OP? This is likely to be the biggest issue - many people just don't like CVT boxes. It does depend how they are set up though. Some CVT boxes are controlled to mimic fixed ratios to make them feel like conventional autos - I've driven several hire cars like this in the US - Nissan Altima and Rogue (a.k.a. Qashqai) and Toyota Corollas. (f they are not set up that way, they can be a bit odd to drive - constant(ish) revs everywhere you go - drove one like this here in the UK - a Nissan Note.
It seems odd to me that Nissan would take a different approach here with the Note than they do in the USA - makes me wonder if Toyota might do the same.
Has he driven the car, OP? This is likely to be the biggest issue - many people just don't like CVT boxes. It does depend how they are set up though. Some CVT boxes are controlled to mimic fixed ratios to make them feel like conventional autos - I've driven several hire cars like this in the US - Nissan Altima and Rogue (a.k.a. Qashqai) and Toyota Corollas. (f they are not set up that way, they can be a bit odd to drive - constant(ish) revs everywhere you go - drove one like this here in the UK - a Nissan Note.
It seems odd to me that Nissan would take a different approach here with the Note than they do in the USA - makes me wonder if Toyota might do the same.
CABC said:
have a Toyota cvt in a Rav. very good and appropriate for the vehicle. smooth and better mpg than previous Rav in real use.
CVT gets a bad rap because of inappropriate use (it's not sporty) and internet trolling. Very good in right use, maybe ideal for your father?
CVT gets a bad rap because it doesn't behave in the way people expect cars to behave. This is why in the US, where everyone drives autos (pretty much) Toyota and Nissan have configured their CVT boxes to behave like conventional autos - i.e. during acceleration, revs build, then there's a step change in ratio, allowing revs to build again. Once up to speed, I believe that the CVT then does its thing and adjusts to account for fluctuations in speed.CVT gets a bad rap because of inappropriate use (it's not sporty) and internet trolling. Very good in right use, maybe ideal for your father?
How does your Rav behave? I had hoped that the Note would be similar to the boxes I ad driven in the US, but it's not; and it's whiny - not sure if that's the gearbox or the supercharger.
Personally, I quite like the idea of CVT, but they get a bad rap because there are quite a few people who have tried them and haven't been able to adjust to them. Each to their own, I guess.
C.A.R. said:
My grandfather currently has the previous generation Avensis Tourer 2.0 diesel but isn't getting on with it - very few gadgets and just not his cup of tea.
He's looked at an Auris but neither him not my grandmother liked it all that much, so they're looking to make a decision on an Avensis 1.8 Tourer which has a CVT transmission.
I had a 1.6D4 Avensis for 3 months which was dire - ruined by the engine not being big enough for the class of car. But the rest of it, although a bit low-rent, was well put together and gadget-laden.
Although morbid, this is likely to be my grandfather's last car purchase (his words, not mine!) so he doesn't want to get it wrong. He's determined not to have a diesel (probably rightly so with the majority of journeys they do) but is most concerned about the CVT 'box on the car being offered (why not wait for a manual to become available I hear you scream - I haven't asked...)
The dealership have told him that CVTs have come a long way in recent years and that "fuel economy is no worse than the equivalent manual". I find this hard to believe personally, but happy to be proven otherwise? The official combined figure is something like 47mpg, which I think is unlikely to be honest - but I'm really struggling to find many reviews (any, in fact) of this car / gearbox configuration.
My gut says this is salesman spiel in an attempt to get rid of a car which might otherwise have been hard to shift, but that's just my pessimistic mindset!
What is the likely "real world" economy going to be on a car of this size with a CVT? High 30s?
He has his heart set on a Toyota I think because this is where he will get the best trade deal, but I think I should point out that the current Avensis is quite a poor performer in its class. What would you recommend instead? Mazda 6 perhaps? If so what are the petrol engines like?
Any advice would be very welcome
if he is retired and doing few journeys, is fuel economy even relevant? if he is doing a few thousand miles a year (and likely less per annum with age) whether he is getting 47mpg or 37mpg will likely have no meaningful impact on his finances if he is the type who has the means to buy half decent new cars.He's looked at an Auris but neither him not my grandmother liked it all that much, so they're looking to make a decision on an Avensis 1.8 Tourer which has a CVT transmission.
I had a 1.6D4 Avensis for 3 months which was dire - ruined by the engine not being big enough for the class of car. But the rest of it, although a bit low-rent, was well put together and gadget-laden.
Although morbid, this is likely to be my grandfather's last car purchase (his words, not mine!) so he doesn't want to get it wrong. He's determined not to have a diesel (probably rightly so with the majority of journeys they do) but is most concerned about the CVT 'box on the car being offered (why not wait for a manual to become available I hear you scream - I haven't asked...)
The dealership have told him that CVTs have come a long way in recent years and that "fuel economy is no worse than the equivalent manual". I find this hard to believe personally, but happy to be proven otherwise? The official combined figure is something like 47mpg, which I think is unlikely to be honest - but I'm really struggling to find many reviews (any, in fact) of this car / gearbox configuration.
My gut says this is salesman spiel in an attempt to get rid of a car which might otherwise have been hard to shift, but that's just my pessimistic mindset!
What is the likely "real world" economy going to be on a car of this size with a CVT? High 30s?
He has his heart set on a Toyota I think because this is where he will get the best trade deal, but I think I should point out that the current Avensis is quite a poor performer in its class. What would you recommend instead? Mazda 6 perhaps? If so what are the petrol engines like?
Any advice would be very welcome
The 1.8 petrol in the previous Avensis hated using petrol 
It had a neat economy led to let you know when you could go up another gear too
If theyre handling that with a CVt it should be pretty economical but bot tried it
There's something magic about Toyota's 1.8
The last generation Prius upped the engine size from 1.5 to 1.8 to improve economy and they've kept with it
Why havent they put the 1.8 hybrid system in the Avensis? Maybe the 1.8CVT is too good
It had a neat economy led to let you know when you could go up another gear too
If theyre handling that with a CVt it should be pretty economical but bot tried it
There's something magic about Toyota's 1.8
The last generation Prius upped the engine size from 1.5 to 1.8 to improve economy and they've kept with it
Why havent they put the 1.8 hybrid system in the Avensis? Maybe the 1.8CVT is too good
Up until recently I worked in a Toyota main dealer and have to say that the Avensis automatic is a great car, it isn't to my tastes but for your dad it would be ideal.
I assume he is looking at the latest model (2015 on)? If so they have lots of equipment including active braking, cameras etc. Fuel economy wise I would imagine that you would early 40's if careful, I could get late 39ish and I wear lead boots.
It is also worth mentioning that there is a bouyant market for used examples due to limited supply, we would always attract enquiries from around the country if we had one in stock.
Hope that helps
I assume he is looking at the latest model (2015 on)? If so they have lots of equipment including active braking, cameras etc. Fuel economy wise I would imagine that you would early 40's if careful, I could get late 39ish and I wear lead boots.
It is also worth mentioning that there is a bouyant market for used examples due to limited supply, we would always attract enquiries from around the country if we had one in stock.
Hope that helps
anonymous said:
[redacted]
absolutely agree. new and previous gen prius' are an acquired taste. a sober avensis with a hybrid powertrain would appeal to some and be super company car friendly also. the new gen avensis is in a weird position as the diesels only come as manuals and the petrol with its 1.8 CVT is slow and bad on the tax front. i presume that to engineer in a hybrid powertrain costs a fair bit of coin and they have done their sums and estimated that additional potential sales of avensis hybrid will not offset the cost impact of the engineering work.
i suppose if you really want a "Toyota" saloon with a hybrid powertrain, there is lexus of course.
Jag_NE said:
absolutely agree. new and previous gen prius' are an acquired taste. a sober avensis with a hybrid powertrain would appeal to some and be super company car friendly also. the new gen avensis is in a weird position as the diesels only come as manuals and the petrol with its 1.8 CVT is slow and bad on the tax front.
i presume that to engineer in a hybrid powertrain costs a fair bit of coin and they have done their sums and estimated that additional potential sales of avensis hybrid will not offset the cost impact of the engineering work.
i suppose if you really want a "Toyota" saloon with a hybrid powertrain, there is lexus of course.
I have to disagree. Auris is already hybrid and it does take a little bit of sales from Prius. Avensis is a little bit of different animal. It is a one of the top dogs for reliable cargo hauling, long distance running and people use it for towing quite often. Maybe Toyota thinks that 1.8 HSD is just not good enough for that? You can't tow with it and i'm not sure how good MPG is when running a Touring with full cargo.i presume that to engineer in a hybrid powertrain costs a fair bit of coin and they have done their sums and estimated that additional potential sales of avensis hybrid will not offset the cost impact of the engineering work.
i suppose if you really want a "Toyota" saloon with a hybrid powertrain, there is lexus of course.
Next gen Avensis will come with hybrid powerplant and i think it is bigger hybrid system from Rav4. I don't know is it full hybrid range or not, but i hope that 1.8 CVT stays. It is a great power train. We did have that 2.0 diesel in our ex-car and 1.8 CVT is not any slower. However it is much cheaper to service and much more reliable.
Wife next car will be next gen Avensis or V90. And if Avensis comes with 190hp hybrid it is very hard to beat. Volvo looks good tho...
LasseV said:
Jag_NE said:
absolutely agree. new and previous gen prius' are an acquired taste. a sober avensis with a hybrid powertrain would appeal to some and be super company car friendly also. the new gen avensis is in a weird position as the diesels only come as manuals and the petrol with its 1.8 CVT is slow and bad on the tax front.
i presume that to engineer in a hybrid powertrain costs a fair bit of coin and they have done their sums and estimated that additional potential sales of avensis hybrid will not offset the cost impact of the engineering work.
i suppose if you really want a "Toyota" saloon with a hybrid powertrain, there is lexus of course.
I have to disagree. Auris is already hybrid and it does take a little bit of sales from Prius. Avensis is a little bit of different animal. It is a one of the top dogs for reliable cargo hauling, long distance running and people use it for towing quite often. Maybe Toyota thinks that 1.8 HSD is just not good enough for that? You can't tow with it and i'm not sure how good MPG is when running a Touring with full cargo.i presume that to engineer in a hybrid powertrain costs a fair bit of coin and they have done their sums and estimated that additional potential sales of avensis hybrid will not offset the cost impact of the engineering work.
i suppose if you really want a "Toyota" saloon with a hybrid powertrain, there is lexus of course.
Next gen Avensis will come with hybrid powerplant and i think it is bigger hybrid system from Rav4. I don't know is it full hybrid range or not, but i hope that 1.8 CVT stays. It is a great power train. We did have that 2.0 diesel in our ex-car and 1.8 CVT is not any slower. However it is much cheaper to service and much more reliable.
Wife next car will be next gen Avensis or V90. And if Avensis comes with 190hp hybrid it is very hard to beat. Volvo looks good tho...
Jag_NE said:
i think your market is different to the UK as the avensis definitely isn't a top dog here. there is a diesel version here so if you tow there is an option. i don't disagree that perhaps the 1.8 HSD is considered too small for a full size family car, hopefully it has a long term future with HSD as you suggest. I quite like the avensis for its value and reliability but it is a couple of classes below the v90.
Aye, i know that our market is different than yours but the cars are same. Avensis is a workhorse. Civilized workhorse tho. And if you are looking that kind of car it is hard to beat. We owned BMW e91 for 3 years and Avensis is much better dd, bear in mind that we live in countryside and we drive quite a lot. I know that British people does give more value for badge, makes personal leases and you don't have as harsh conditions as we have, so it does change things quite a lot. As a car it is great but it's not flashy or trendy.Yes, Volvo V90 is step up as it should be. For us the price difference is not a problem. Real question is how good car Volvo is. I have high hopes for it but it is still just a boring Volvo wagon and it's not our dream car. If it is genuinely better car for our needs we can buy it. Wife wants something fun summer car in the future so we need to think about that too...
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