The Toyota Avensis Tourer is a medium-sized estate car rivalling the Ford Mondeo Estate, Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer and Mazda 6 estate amongst others. Tough competition then. It impresses with its comfort and promises a hassle-free ownership experience thanks to a sterling reputation for reliability and five-year warranty.

It might not be exciting to look at – although a mid-life facelift has improved matters – or particularly fun to drive, but for some that won’t matter one jot. Its big boot and low running costs will be of far greater importance.

Performance

For the optimum blend of performance and economy, we’d recommend the 2.0-litre D-4D diesel engine with 124bhp reaching 62mph from rest in 10 seconds. It has enough pulling power to get the Avensis Tourer moving, even with a few passengers and their luggage on board.

There’s also a larger 2.2-litre diesel with 148bhp and the choice of a manual or automatic gearbox, but for most customers the extra performance probably won’t warrant its cost. We’d only recommend it if you regularly tow a trailer or caravan.

A petrol 1.8-litre engine is available with 145bhp, getting to 62mph in 9.7 seconds. It’s brisk enough, but best suited to shorter journeys and town driving, because it’s long-distance economy is relatively poor.

This engine comes with a six-speed manual as standard or a CVT automatic, with a variable gear resulting in steady and fairly smooth acceleration. It works well enough in cities, but out on country roads you can feel disconnected from the driving experience.

Ride and Handling

The Avensis Tourer is at its best on the motorway, where its relatively supple suspension and small wheels give it impressive ride comfort.

The Avensis Tourer is at its best on the motorway, where its relatively supple suspension and small wheels give it impressive ride comfort. A long wheelbase also improves stability during lane changes and gives the Tourer secure handling in strong side winds.  Come off the motorway and the steering is light but precise and the Avensis handles safely and without any surprising traits. It’s good then, but the Mondeo Estate and Mazda 6 Tourer are comfortable and more fun to drive, with less body roll and sharper steering.

Interior and Equipment

The Toyota Avensis is built at the Burnaston plant in Derbyshire, the first factory to build a Toyota in Europe in 1992. Its 1.8-litre petrol engine is built in Deeside, Wales.

With a boot measuring 543 litres behind the rear seats, the Avensis Tourer has a smaller boot than most of its rivals, with even the Civic Tourer (technically from the class below) boasting 624 litres of luggage room. But, the Mazda 6 Tourer has an even smaller boot, with just 506 litres, and you’ll need to be carrying a lot to fill the Avensis. The front seats are spacious and offer plenty of adjustment, but don’t offer much lateral support to hold you in place. There’s room in the back for two adults – even if they are quite tall – with good keen and headroom. Large windows around the cabin also mean visibility is good, even out of the back.  Standard equipment includes air-con, Bluetooth a leather steering wheel and seven airbags, so is fairly comprehensive. Upgrading to Icon adds 17-inch alloy wheels, DAB, cruise control, auto headlights and wipers and a touch-screen with sat-nav. Leather and Alcantara seats are included if you choose the Icon Business Edition, while Excel gets enhanced sat-nav, electric and heated leather seats, rear parking sensors and an upgraded stereo.

Cost

The 2.0-litre D-4D Tourer manages 61.4mpg and emits 120g/km, costing just £30 in annual road tax. 

Trim levels are called Active, Icon, Icon Business Edition and Excel and prices for the Avensis span from around £18k to just over £28k. The 2.0-litre D-4D Tourer manages 61.4mpg and emits 120g/km, costing just £30 in annual road tax. Choosing the 2.2-litre diesel manual drops economy substantially to 50mpg, costing £145 to tax, while specifying the automatic cuts this to 44.8mpg, with and an eye-watering £205 tax bill.

Our Verdict

If you cover lots of miles and need a spacious, comfortable car, the Avensis Tourer could fit the bill. It should also suit those who particularly want a hassle-free vehicle, thanks to its solid reliability record and long five-year warranty. Safety is impressive too, with five stars in Euro NCAP crash safety tests. But, worthy credentials won’t always sell cars on their own, and we hope the next Avensis pulls at your heart strings as well as pleasing the bank manager.