25/06/09

• Price22,565
• We like...Big cabin
• We don't...Pattery ride

Big family-sized estate car is well-kitted out and keenly priced. It'll make you think twice about  buying a MondeoIt’s big. If you like no-fuss cars that do what they should – well – we think you’ll become a fan of the new Avensis Tourer. We are. Spend a while sitting in its rear. It’s a splendid place to lounge, giving as much leg, shoulder and head space as you’d ever need.

The seat feels flat but actually carries you well. It’s a proper five-seater in the sense that it will carry five well-fed adults – and their bags – across hundreds of miles without them needing ever to feel cramped. Fold those back seats and you've a huge, van-like space.

Even the footwells seem roomier than in most other cars. Its driving position, meanwhile, is spot-on and in our T4 model, finely adjustable via motors that place the seat and wheel millimetre-perfect. And, whenever you switch off, the wheel automatically hoicks itself a few centimetres away from you, the better for you to exit the car.

For a mid-level model, the T4 has everything: leather seats that adjust electrically and are heated up front, two zone auto air conditioning, alloy wheels, keyless entry and start-up, auto-on wipers and lights, a terrific stereo and a full suite of safety aids including seven airbags as standard (two up front, two to the side, two curtain ‘bags and the last to cushion the driver’s knees). It’s hard to imagine what extra the top-spec T Spirit might pack for the money. The cabin feels exceptionally well made. It’s clear that Toyota is tilting after Audi and Volkswagen and has made a fair progress towards that ambition, although the plastics they use still look and feel at least a grade below.

Outside it’s neat if a little heavy looking, while this Tourer model (estate) appears more attractive than the saloon on which it is based.

And for such a car its fuel economy and CO2 emissions are astonishing. Expect up to 50mpg overall from its 2.2-litre, 150bhp, diesel, while its 150g/km CO2 output means that its road tax is as cheap as that of many far smaller cars. The motor rumbles along sweetly but will also grab its skirts and run whenever you poke hard at the throttle. The wheel, throttle and gears require only a light touch but there isn’t the precise response and level of feedback from the steering or pedals that you’ll get from its arch rival, the Ford Mondeo.

While the car ds its best to smooth over bumps – and Toyota makes much of the many miles its engineers and designers covered across European roads prior to its launch – it never quite settles and there’s a fair bit of patter from the wheels as they work across broken surfaces. For a long motorway jaunt it’s fine, but it’s not a car you’d deliberately take the country way home.

For what you get, it’s good value; comfortably cheaper than the recommended price for the equivalent Ford Mondeo, a squeeze cheaper than the Vauxhall Insignia and on par with Volkswagen’s Passat – which it beats for standard kit. And if that’s not enough, it is cheap to run and insure, benefiting from long service intervals and a low insurance grouping.

If you want an involving drive, this won’t be your first choice. But if you want big, safe, sturdy and sensible, this Avensis hits every base.

To view and buy new and second-hand Toyota Avensis, click on to motors.co.uk

• Engines2.2 diesel
• Power150bhp
• 0-60 mph9.2secs
• Economy50.4mpg
• CO2g/km150
• Insurance groups8E
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags7
• Seats5

Motors.co.uk value verdict: