----------------------------------------
If you look at cars from a purely pragmatic perspective, people movers make a lot of sense. You get seating for six to eight in a package that's easy to drive, relatively economical and often packed with clever design ideas which maximise space, versatility and comfort. The Avensis Verso is Toyota's budget offering in the class.
Toyota Avensis GLX is the 2003 Australia's Best Cars winner in the Best People Mover category.
Toyota Avensis GLX was the 2002 Australia's Best Cars winner in the Best People Mover
category.
Value for money
Pricing
The Avensis is available in two specification levels: the $41,900 GLX and the $46,900 Ultima.Warranty
Three years/100,000 km, which is average.Standard features
Standard equipment in the GLX includes two front airbags, efficient airconditioning (with roof vents to seating rows two and three, plus a fan control behind the driver's seat), ABS brakes with emergency full power assist, a CD player, remote central locking and one-touch power windows with jam protection on all four doors.The Ultima adds side and curtain airbags on the front seats, alloy wheels, roof rails, a cassette player, tinted windows and upgraded trim.
Retained value
Avensis is relatively new, so it has no resale history as yet.Design and function
Ergonomics
You slide straight in to the high, plush, driver's seat. There's plenty of travel, the wheel is height adjustable and the seat itself is also height/tilt adjustable. The driving position is excellent for short and tall people alike.Vision is clear around the car except for the thick base of the front pillar, which, when turning, slightly obscures the view between the steeply angled windscreen and the side windows.
The dash is clean, simple and efficient in its design, as is usually the case from Toyota. There's a surfeit of oddment storage bins, while the space between the two front seats is clear.
A blot on the copy book is the column shift automatic lever on the left. Tall drivers may find it difficult to select 2 or L because their knee is in the way. It's also possible to accidentally knock the transmission out of gear.
Innovation
The Avensis is quite conventional, though it has some clever interior design ideas such as the back seats which fold flat into the load floor.Safety
The Avensis has not yet been independently crash tested, but features such as ABS brakes with emergency full power assist are welcome. Side and curtain airbags for the front seats are only provided on the top of the line Ultima, so those who can't afford this model miss out on proper side impact protection.A lap-only belt is fitted to the middle of seating row two - a serious omission given that this seat in a people mover is frequently occupied.
Security
Remote central locking and an immobiliser are standard.Comfort
All seats are comfortable, except the middle position in row two, which is adjacent to the split in the bench and quite hard.The driver's seat is generously padded and comfortable on a long day's drive.
Space and practicality
The Avensis scores well here.Toyota claims 18 configuration options for the Avensis' 2-3-2 seat layout.
The 60/40 split-fold row two seat is adjustable for travel, so you can tailor leg room to suit. Comfort is fine for the two outboard occupants, and the backrest angle can be adjusted.
However, as mentioned previously, the person in the middle gets a raw deal, with a hard, lumpy cushion adjacent to the split bench and a lap-only belt.
Several other people movers offer superior row two seating for three occupants.
Access to row three is very easy with a simple tilt/slide mechanism on both sides of the row two seat. Leg room depends upon where you have the row two seat positioned on its track, but it is possible to set row two so that all passengers have reasonable space.
The row three seats are quite comfortable (for back stalls), with firm padding, high, adjustable backrests and a covered bin/cup holder on both sides.
Both row three seats fold easily forward into the load floor when not required. The load area in this configuration is long and wide, and floor length can be adjusted by moving row two. A deep bin is provided under the floor for extra storage; the space saver spare is carried externally under the front of the cabin.
Both sides of the row two seat double fold forward without compromising front seat travel. This gives you nearly two metres of floor to play with.
Child restraint anchors are provided on the back of each row two and three seating position. A shopping bag hook is also fitted to the back of the driver's seat.
Build and finish quality
Excellent in all respects.On the road
Fuel efficiency
Unladen, the relatively light Avensis returns good economy. Around town, the test Ultima used 12-13 litres/100 km, while on the highway it used 8-9 litres/100 km. Given the fact that the engine has to work hard when you have a load on board, these figures would probably increase significantly in these circumstances.Performance
The Avensis uses a lightweight, all alloy 110 kW 2.0 litre four-cylinder engine with variable inlet valve timing, the same unit (with tuning modifications) found in the RAV4.A four-speed automatic is the only transmission choice. A five-speed-manual GLX was available for a short time after launch, but is no longer offered.
Although the Avensis is fairly light, the 2.0 litre engine is too small and lacking in accessible torque for a wagon of this carrying capacity.
The 2.0 litre produces strong performance above 3500 rpm. However a full load exaggerates its lack of low down pulling power, and it has to be worked quite hard around the suburbs.
The deleted five-speed-manual transmission would be a happier match with the 2.0 litre than the four-speed auto, which has widely spaced ratios and frequently finds itself becalmed below 3000 rpm.
It then kicks back to the lower gears and revs the engine hard in search of power. This constant transmission hunting, especially in hilly country, is annoying.
Ride
The suspension can crash and thump occasionally on very rough surfaces, but generally the ride is compliant and comfortable.Handling and steering
The Avensis is relatively short and manoeuvrable, which makes it very easy to drive around town and park. On the highway, its dynamics are at the better end of the people mover scale. It's quite taut and secure on rough roads, with precise steering.Braking
This particular test car's front discs were warped, which caused the wheel to shake and resulted in a loss of braking performance and efficiency. NRMA tests, on an example with properly functioning brakes, found them to be good.Smoothness and quietness
This is an area where the Avensis needs more work. Although it is quite refined when cruising, the engine is harsh and noisy at high revs. The test car's tyres generated significant noise on coarse bitumen, which caused some reverberation in the cabin, and the suspension occasionally transmitted excessive road shock.Summary
Toyota's Avensis Verso has plenty of space, and offers you many options as to how it is used. Quality, equipment and Toyota's usual first class reliability and durability are other attractions. However the 2.0 litre/four-speed-automatic drivetrain is not entirely appropriate to the people mover application, while refinement and the suitability of the middle row to carry three people are not quite up to scratch.Test by Bill McKinnon, March 2003.
No comments:
Post a Comment