Used Toyota Avensis cars for sale ...

Thanks to its squared-off boot, the Avensis has massive load space, while the rear seats split and fold easily to make it a very practical estate. The cabin is very comfortable and the driving position is spot-on for most, although tall drivers might want the seat to go lower. If you were expecting a mere update of the previous Avensis’s plasticky interior, you’ll get a surprise, because the furnishings look positively expensive. And, as it’s a Toyota, everything is very well screwed together and it should be terrifically reliable. On the road, there are more surprises: it feels nimble for a car of its size and bulk. It also grips well and rides comfortably. Oddly, models with the 1.8 petrol engine give more steering response than the others, which feel rather numb. The diesel engines are smooth, quiet and punchy. The petrols respond keenly, too, but they get noisy as the revs climb.

Running Costs
Main dealer servicing costs are on a par with a Ford Mondeo’s, although you can reduce the bills by using an independent garage rather than a Toyota dealer. Spares are also towards the pricey end of things but, with the make’s legendary reliability, you shouldn’t need many. Otherwise, running costs should give you no headaches. Depreciation costs are reasonable, and you should expect a three-year-old car to be worth a touch more than half whatever it cost new. Likewise, insurance groups are lower than you’d expect for a big estate, thanks to its five-star Euro NCAP occupant safety score and its effective security kit. Most models are group 7 or 8 and the 2.2 D-4D T Spirit is dearest in group 10. Last, but not least, fuel economy is strong. The 1.8 petrol promises up to 39mpg overall, the 2.0 up to 35mpg and the diesels up to 47mpg.

Hatchback
This is such an easy car to live with. It’s a doddle to get comfortable behind the wheel, the dashboard layout is intuitive and the well-weighted controls work with real precision. It's practical, too, with plenty of oddment spaces around the driver, and four passengers won’t be short of room in the solidly screwed-together cabin. The boot hatch or saloon is one of the largest in the class, too. You get plenty of equipment to keep you safe and comfortable, and the car secure (an alarm, deadlocks, marked parts and etched windows are standard). On the road, too, the Avensis is similarly impressive, and the engines are refined, although the petrols can get noisy when you rev them hard. In this respect at least, the diesels are better and cruise in near silence. Whatever engine you have under the bonnet, the Avensis goes round corners tidily, with little lean, and the firm ride is fine until you build up speed, when it can become jittery. Wind noise is well contained on the motorway, but road roar does intrude.

Running Costs
You’ll need to stump up a fair stash to get hold of one - the Avensis holds its value well as a used car. Still, that also means you should get back a good chunk of what you paid when you flog it on later. That slow depreciation is typical of the car's fine running costs. Insurance costs are low, for example, partly because the Avensis carries so much safety and security kit. The 1.8 VVT-i and the 2.0 D-4D turbodiesel are rated as group 7, and group 10 (for the 2.2 D-4D) is as bad as it gets. Servicing will set you back about the same as for a Vauxhall Vectra. But, you can trim about one-third from the labour bill by using a good independent, according to a leading warranty company's research. You’ll be fine at the pumps, too. The worst you’ll get in normal driving will be about 30mpg (the 2.4 petrol) but the other petrols give 35-40mpg and the diesels mid- to high-40s.

MPV
The Avensis Verso may have seven seats, but it's closer in size to compact MPVs than fully-fledged people carriers. As a result, the rear two seats are only really suited to children. What's more, the Avensis isn't ultimately as flexible as some of its rivals because the rear seats don't fold flat into the floor when they're not needed. However, they are reasonably light to lift out and, even with all seven seats in place, you get a usable luggage space. The three seats in the centre row slide and recline individually, too. Where the car claws back some of that lost ground is that its firm suspension means the Avensis Verso avoids much of the sloppiness traditionally associated with MPVs on the road, even if it does lean more than an Avensis saloon through bends. The trade-off for this control is a firm ride that allows coarse surfaces to be felt in the cabin. Road noise can also become intrusive as your speed rises and there's a lot of wind roar from around the front pillars when cruising on the motorway.

Running Costs
Residual values are average for the class, so a used Avensis Verso falls somewhere between compact and large MPVs on price as well as size. It's firmly in the compact MPV camp when it comes to insurance, though, with the diesel attracting a lowly group 8 rating and the petrol sitting just one band higher. The diesel also returns a useful 43.5mpg on the combined cycle, so you won't have to spend too much time hanging around fuel pumps. Unfortunately, there is a fly in the ointment and that's the maintenance costs. Toyota dealers charge more per hour than most of their mainstream rivals, and they also take longer than most to carry out repairs if you have an accident. On the positive side, you can cut labour rates by more than 40% by going to an independent Toyota specialist rather than a franchised dealer.

Saloon
This is such an easy car to live with. It’s a doddle to get comfortable behind the wheel, the dashboard layout is intuitive and the well-weighted controls work with real precision. It's practical, too, with plenty of oddment spaces around the driver, and four passengers won’t be short of room in the solidly screwed-together cabin. The boot is one of the largest in the class, too. You also get plenty of equipment to keep you safe and comfortable, and the car secure (an alarm, deadlocks, marked parts and etched windows are standard). On the road, too, the Avensis is similarly impressive, and the engines are refined, although the petrols can get noisy when you rev them hard. In this respect at least, the diesels are better and cruise in near silence. Whatever engine you have under the bonnet, the Avensis goes round corners tidily, with little lean, and the firm ride is fine until you build up speed, when it can become jittery. Wind noise is well contained on the motorway, but road roar does intrude.

Running Costs
You’ll need to stump up a fair stash to get hold of one - the Avensis holds its value well as a used car. Still, that also means you should get back a good chunk of what you paid when you flog it on later. That slow depreciation is typical of the car's fine running costs. Insurance costs are low, for example, partly because the Avensis carries so much safety and security kit. The 1.8 VVT-i and our favourite 2.0 D-4D turbodiesel are rated as group 7, and group 10 (for the 2.2 D-4D) is as bad as it gets. Servicing will set you back about the same as for a Vauxhall Vectra. But, you can trim about one-third from the labour bill by using a good independent, according to a leading warranty company's research. You’ll be fine at the pumps, too. The worst you’ll get in normal driving will be about 30mpg (the 2.4 petrol) but the other petrols give 35-40mpg and the diesels mid- to high-40s.