Just bought an Avensis!

[SB1500]

I took it back down to the bodyshop today. I spoke to a detailer near me (not just your average young guy who drives a lowered VAG car...) but a former in house detailer for one of the large British car makers pre-car shows.. He said even getting a paint correction etc on my car wouldn't fix the difference and that it needs resprayed.

I went back down to the bodyshop and told them I wasn't happy with the colour difference. Initially they took offence at the fact 'some random detailer' said it. Then it was that it took me a whole six months to mention it. Then they said that it's due to the 5% tints being so dark, that it makes the eye see the silver as darker. Then how the other untouched side also had a difference between the doors. Then that I didn't pay for the blend for the front door. Then that the process didn't guarantee that the back door being worked on would match other adjacent panels. 

So I politely / calmly - and a few times in circles - reminded him that the detailer made valid points, that I didn't come down about the colour because I didn't want to be petty or asking them to do something that was unreasonable until I found myself taking it back for the third time to have the door realigned, that the tints are neither here nor there, and how if the other side is an issue, that's something I would take up with Toyota frankly, and the reason why I was there was to discuss THEIR work on the side they worked on not being up to scratch, that I shouldn't have had to mention that I wanted it blended into the rest of the car [should go without say] and that I still won't find it satisfactory unless it blends in correctly and that surely a competent body shop should be able to match this despite "fade" etc. 

After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, he had mentioned how the front door would need repainted and blended to match. He said that would be at a price and quoted £400, down to £300, but I said that's too much and that this is actually a rectification of the original job. I pointed at a split new Audi convertible that was parked there, nice deep blue one and said "So you think the owner of that Audi would accept a different shade in colour as that?" and he thought I was trying to be smart, but the point stands. I see other people online getting their cars fixed and it's genuinely unnoticeable from a distance, you literally would need a torch to see any signs that it was damaged.

Eventually he said as a goodwill gesture, for £100 they'd repaint the front door on that side to match... after a bit of circling around whether or not that would result in the same problem with the front quarter panel (I told him I'd expect it to match or at least be subtle enough - you know, how a bumper is to metal work level of change at most).  I thought that was a decent enough resolution, and I do appreciate that he offered it.

So, in a few weeks it'll be going back. My detailer contact has kindly agreed to come with me to collect it and advise on whether or not he thinks it's satisfactorily repaired - he had also advised that I should pay nothing nor take the car back until it's fixed correctly this time. 

As much as I hate-hate-hate having to have these discussion with car industry companies, it's always the same old crap isn't it?  You go down, you express a tad more interest than the average customer - you know, maybe asking about a part or something - and they look at you like you've got three eyes. They assure you they'll do it well. Then 6/10, they don't.  If you're like me, you try to live with it and not let it bother you, but then like with the windscreen sitting too high, or this door being far too noticeably darker... and initially off angle, needing taken back 3 times, you eventually have to complain so that they'll fix it. Autoglass, this bodyshop, any mechanic or car advisor I've spoken to.  Normally I'd be the issue as the common factor, but there's legitimate, measurable within reason ways to judge this, and I'm yet to find a service in bodywork etc that can just do the job correctly the first time. 

I will say, my local Toyota dealership is quite good, literally can not fault any of the service things / fluid changes or recalls they've done, car is given back immaculately, on time, and no damage or mess, and at what has always been a reasonable price so far. And the place I take my cars to fit tyres that I source online, them as well, they just totally understand - they talk to you, they have time, they do the job right. If you do have a question or concern, they answer it honestly and with a bit of humour, and you know what? I literally cannot fault them at all. 

We'll see how this goes, I'll post before and after photos...  Interested to hear if any of you have had this kind of experience. At least over in the mainland, you're able to travel down a road and find hundreds of competing businesses. Here, there isn't enough competition to keep local businesses as sharp as they should be, more a matter of, "Axa needs to accredit somebody in this region" ..  Rant over lol

[SB1500]

March Update on the Avensis 

It's all smooth sailing really. Thankfully, my car issues these days revolve around keeping the upholstery clean. I'm thinking of booking it in for a professional 'deep clean' next month. There's still a bit of a stinking smell when the car is first started without the A/C on but it's not too horrible or unbearable. 

I removed the tints a couple of weeks ago. I peeled them off, leaving the most horrible sticky residue on the back door glass. I kept the rear window tint ON and I'm glad I did for the privacy / ability to look back privately / not be as blinded by peoples headlights from the rear. AutoGlym Intensive Tar Remover, which was the strongest car product I've got and felt similar to AutoSmart Tardis. It did nothing!  So I searched online and the answer seemed to be isopropyl alcohol. That was something I'd need to order, and not many eBay sellers would post it to Northern Ireland. And not many stores locally had it in non industrial volumes! So I looked for other recommendations... I looked at AutoBrite Direct's  'Just the Tonic' product. I emailed them to make sure it would work and be effective (I even mentioned the Autoglym product not working).  They assured me it was ideal for that purpose! Well, not really... it smells and works exactly like the Autoglym tar remover. I had an old store card, I had to use this to essentially 'scrape' it off, whilst sprayed with the product. It comes off after a few passes, but dries quickly. Then the card wears down and needs turned around.  I have *most* of it off now.  But on the Avensis, those little fixed panels at the back end of the door, those are difficult. It's the rubber curve where the glass and the rubber touch - the tint residue is stuck in here, as I can't really get the card in at any angle other than flat. It looks disgusting! I don't know what I'll do here. Perhaps the detailer can do it during the professional deep clean. Otherwise I'll need to find out how to screw it all apart and get both pieces of glass out to go to town on them, edge to edge. Why did I remove them? The body shop who left the repaired door darker than the rest of the car tried to say it was due to how dark the tints were. Now when he fixes it, he can forget about that excuse. I do understand the point he's making about contrasting colours, but it truly does not apply as the sole reason here, as the other side of the car was perfectly fine...  I think I will buy some car shades during the year from Toyota for privacy / darkness when needed. 

On Saturday night I discovered that one of the headlights had went out. I'm planning to order a new one from Toyota (might as well keep the car 100% Toyota for all it's worth - if anything). I was thinking it might have been a sealed unit / expensive to replace but nope, looks like a standard bulb. Does the bulb on this do high and low beam?  Around £40 something for the Toyota bulb I've been quoted. 

Finally, I had oil and a filter bought to change this month. My strategy on cars - especially this one with the BMW engine - was always to change every 6 months or 6-7000 miles. Before the oil had a chance to degrade by a longggg shot!  Though I thought it might be best to do once per year / stick to the schedule, I was watching a few videos about BMW N engines and the advice for enthusiasts to avoid issues with them was change the oil every 6000 miles. I know Toyota changed the engine but as the specifics are unclear why take the chance? Engines are expensive, oil isn't. I might change that this month now from sheer paranoia. 

Planning to buy a few more silly additions for the car this year: the genuine sill tread plates to replace the plastic ones. The car shades as mentioned above. Rubber mats for ease of cleaning! And the rubber boot liner insert, as surprisingly the boot floor seems to get a mess pretty often.  That's sure to make the dealer a few hundred... but why not!  It'll be fine so long as I keep the car for as long as it runs.

[TonyHSD]

Hi, 

I can highly recommend these https://www.carshades.co.uk/shades-toyota-avensis4-door-0918-full-rear-p-4035.html, 

we talked back then about those as I have them on my car since 2017, these are brilliant, perfect fit and if you want them out just remove and store in the boot. They also age very well and in hot summers you can lower rear windows , stay in the car , have some breezy without any insects invading. 👍

[SB1500]

2 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

Hi, 

I can highly recommend these https://www.carshades.co.uk/shades-toyota-avensis4-door-0918-full-rear-p-4035.html, 

we talked back then about those as I have them on my car since 2017, these are brilliant, perfect fit and if you want them out just remove and store in the boot. They also age very well and in hot summers you can lower rear windows , stay in the car , have some breezy without any insects invading. 👍

Ah yes - you did recommend these before and I still went and got my tints. But the tints shrank and got damaged. Definitely either going for the genuine ones or the ones you linked - I think the price is near enough the same? Around £80-£90

[SB1500]

Here are the pics I was supposed to add to my big update above... 🙂

[TonyHSD]

Lol windows look bad indeed. Perhaps some heat with hairdryer may help too. The blinds from Toyota if custom made might be the same. If anything over the window better not to buy these are horrible. Light bulbs look ok, I personally use Phillips eco vision and they have longest life and slightly brighter than oem spec. 

[2009joe]

10 hours ago, SB1500 said:

March Update on the Avensis 

It's all smooth sailing really. Thankfully, my car issues these days revolve around keeping the upholstery clean. I'm thinking of booking it in for a professional 'deep clean' next month. There's still a bit of a stinking smell when the car is first started without the A/C on but it's not too horrible or unbearable. 

I removed the tints a couple of weeks ago. I peeled them off, leaving the most horrible sticky residue on the back door glass. I kept the rear window tint ON and I'm glad I did for the privacy / ability to look back privately / not be as blinded by peoples headlights from the rear. AutoGlym Intensive Tar Remover, which was the strongest car product I've got and felt similar to AutoSmart Tardis. It did nothing!  So I searched online and the answer seemed to be isopropyl alcohol. That was something I'd need to order, and not many eBay sellers would post it to Northern Ireland. And not many stores locally had it in non industrial volumes! So I looked for other recommendations... I looked at AutoBrite Direct's  'Just the Tonic' product. I emailed them to make sure it would work and be effective (I even mentioned the Autoglym product not working).  They assured me it was ideal for that purpose! Well, not really... it smells and works exactly like the Autoglym tar remover. I had an old store card, I had to use this to essentially 'scrape' it off, whilst sprayed with the product. It comes off after a few passes, but dries quickly. Then the card wears down and needs turned around.  I have *most* of it off now.  But on the Avensis, those little fixed panels at the back end of the door, those are difficult. It's the rubber curve where the glass and the rubber touch - the tint residue is stuck in here, as I can't really get the card in at any angle other than flat. It looks disgusting! I don't know what I'll do here. Perhaps the detailer can do it during the professional deep clean. Otherwise I'll need to find out how to screw it all apart and get both pieces of glass out to go to town on them, edge to edge. Why did I remove them? The body shop who left the repaired door darker than the rest of the car tried to say it was due to how dark the tints were. Now when he fixes it, he can forget about that excuse. I do understand the point he's making about contrasting colours, but it truly does not apply as the sole reason here, as the other side of the car was perfectly fine...  I think I will buy some car shades during the year from Toyota for privacy / darkness when needed. 

On Saturday night I discovered that one of the headlights had went out. I'm planning to order a new one from Toyota (might as well keep the car 100% Toyota for all it's worth - if anything). I was thinking it might have been a sealed unit / expensive to replace but nope, looks like a standard bulb. Does the bulb on this do high and low beam?  Around £40 something for the Toyota bulb I've been quoted. 

Finally, I had oil and a filter bought to change this month. My strategy on cars - especially this one with the BMW engine - was always to change every 6 months or 6-7000 miles. Before the oil had a chance to degrade by a longggg shot!  Though I thought it might be best to do once per year / stick to the schedule, I was watching a few videos about BMW N engines and the advice for enthusiasts to avoid issues with them was change the oil every 6000 miles. I know Toyota changed the engine but as the specifics are unclear why take the chance? Engines are expensive, oil isn't. I might change that this month now from sheer paranoia. 

Planning to buy a few more silly additions for the car this year: the genuine sill tread plates to replace the plastic ones. The car shades as mentioned above. Rubber mats for ease of cleaning! And the rubber boot liner insert, as surprisingly the boot floor seems to get a mess pretty often.  That's sure to make the dealer a few hundred... but why not!  It'll be fine so long as I keep the car for as long as it runs.

hi shane buddy hope all is well dude u hear the nw200 is on this year again dude so should be good craic if down give me a shout. aye i had a problem with my car the fog light front passenger side one went out .i found this weird as well my last car a vw group car the fog light never blew on that the 11 years i had it. other than that i have dont nothing to my car. well tbh thats a lie when i got my car from the british car auction it came with a cracked rear bumper fog light so was looking for a replacement second hand on on eBay or car breakers here but none about as my car must be so new god knows. i rand donnley and taggert toyota and there looking £51.13 plus vat for one .so tbh might take mine off and super glue it as tbh it still passes mot the way it is its not badly broke. plus i have not gor around to changing my genuine toyota gearbox oil or genuine engine oil and filter. plus i have not p[ut that genuine ac cleaner stuff yet in the vents yet either. lol just been busy fixing up my house to be bothered with doing anything to the car lol

[2009joe]

7 hours ago, SB1500 said:

Here are the pics I was supposed to add to my big update above... 🙂

i wonder shand is that bule the same in the front fog lights as is it a h11  im not sure what mine are and someone said  better to change them to led ones but i havent got around to !Removed! off my wheel plastic to see what kind of bulb it is  i heard these are supposed to be the best 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/194300336460?epid=1357226061&hash=item2d3d33d94c:g:EhIAAOSw0~dhH5q3&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA8Gohhh%2Fe8E8ghZRklzLxM7WlPu%2FLLzdGKaRtcybnl5sXIqNezSVoo48ekZ37xnMpD0jsrOwxamE%2FXqW6jsHETMUhJDvW3q5lvbgHBl2dgl5Tcb0E%2F5mWs8zWaBG1pkPZ9MtZTPJhPEUeZoR2HCBQvjw03V6kKMIq7kiqo2I6qvDwM9tNODwAfZlqDD8WSDNEgVQVQjSENQb7Kr2Me%2FQ3%2BH7bmyC7HC3rDl5SlmJXSArG%2BCrz3E7F1cnzkqdHFUvWp3pkM1WU4sAvC6k2FcXvS1D7pW5V2hIfChMthssYh1Q8ZVdOjrNpG%2Fbdkq3HTjgfpQ%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR5jiup_eYQ

[2009joe]

6 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

Lol windows look bad indeed. Perhaps some heat with hairdryer may help too. The blinds from Toyota if custom made might be the same. If anything over the window better not to buy these are horrible. Light bulbs look ok, I personally use Phillips eco vision and they have longest life and slightly brighter than oem spec. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/194300336460?epid=1357226061&hash=item2d3d33d94c:g:EhIAAOSw0~dhH5q3&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA8Gohhh%2Fe8E8ghZRklzLxM7WlPu%2FLLzdGKaRtcybnl5sXIqNezSVoo48ekZ37xnMpD0jsrOwxamE%2FXqW6jsHETMUhJDvW3q5lvbgHBl2dgl5Tcb0E%2F5mWs8zWaBG1pkPZ9MtZTPJhPEUeZoR2HCBQvjw03V6kKMIq7kiqo2I6qvDwM9tNODwAfZlqDD8WSDNEgVQVQjSENQb7Kr2Me%2FQ3%2BH7bmyC7HC3rDl5SlmJXSArG%2BCrz3E7F1cnzkqdHFUvWp3pkM1WU4sAvC6k2FcXvS1D7pW5V2hIfChMthssYh1Q8ZVdOjrNpG%2Fbdkq3HTjgfpQ%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR5jiup_eYQ

[2009joe]

8 hours ago, SB1500 said:

Here are the pics I was supposed to add to my big update above... 🙂

here is a link to those shades but thats for my t27 u have to go in click for the newer one shane 

https://www.toyota.co.uk/owners/servicing-and-aftercare/accessories

[SB1500]

14 hours ago, 2009joe said:

hi shane buddy hope all is well dude u hear the nw200 is on this year again dude so should be good craic if down give me a shout.

Definitely will Joe, still haven't met up with you yet to talk cars! Glad to hear the NW200 is on, must see if I'm going to be at it 

14 hours ago, 2009joe said:

aye i had a problem with my car the fog light front passenger side one went out .i found this weird as well my last car a vw group car the fog light never blew on that the 11 years i had it.

I wonder if it's hard to reach into the fog lights? Interesting about the VW. The early 2000s VW products are tanks. My uncles old 2001 Bora went strong well over 260k miles I'm sure, and it only got replaced because the back end fell through on it! lol Had a strap holding it together to avoid it snapping. They're way heavier built than I presume 2008+ onwards cars. 

14 hours ago, 2009joe said:

other than that i have dont nothing to my car. well tbh thats a lie when i got my car from the british car auction it came with a cracked rear bumper fog light so was looking for a replacement second hand on on ebay or car breakers here but none about as my car must be so new god knows.

That's probably wise. I've spent far too much on my car, I sort of have to keep it now to get my money's worth. But so long as I keep it for years, until it's aged and falling apart, then my investments should be made good. Then again, a truck could total it tomorrow so I suppose in the future I might not be so quick to splash the cash on the car lol 

14 hours ago, 2009joe said:

i rand donnley and taggert toyota and there looking £51.13 plus vat for one .so tbh might take mine off and super glue it as tbh it still passes mot the way it is its not badly broke. plus i have not gor around to changing my genuine toyota gearbox oil or genuine engine oil and filter. plus i have not p[ut that genuine ac cleaner stuff yet in the vents yet either. lol just been busy fixing up my house to be bothered with doing anything to the car lol

If it works give it a try! Save the money for sure. I don't find them too bad price wise. My cars new enough, but I'd say in a few years it'll be more of a challenge to justify their prices for some parts. Paid £24 for a plastic grab handle trim... things like that I won't bother with in the future. Things like the oil and filter and engine air filter being £!50 all in, I thought that was reasonable compared to paying them to service it etc.  Obviously could get some MANN-FILTER filters and Castrol oil for half of that online, but with the BMW engine let's just go with Toyota's special oil, might contain some special anti-chain snapping additive in it lol

The AC Cleaner helped mine but didn't make the issue go away altogether sadly. Probably in the carpet of the car. We'll see how it goes with the detailers deep clean. Ex-lease so god knows how people treated it, or what was spilled and left for ages. My last two relatively new cars the little 17 plate Panda and the 17 DS3 were immaculate, they smelled like fabric pretty much. 

House is far better, will keep you warm on a stormy night. Property is my next big thing. That's what's keeping me with the Avensis. Thought loads about downsizing and simplifying back to Fiat even... or upgrading to a CT200h or Merc and paying a bit more a month but nah, property is the way to go. 

[avensis_2018]

Hi, 

I can highly recommend these https://www.carshades.co.uk/shades-toyota-avensis4-door-0918-full-rear-p-4035.html, 

we talked back then about those as I have them on my car since 2017, these are brilliant, perfect fit and if you want them out just remove and store in the boot. They also age very well and in hot summers you can lower rear windows , stay in the car , have some breezy without any insects invading. 👍

Expand  

Ah yes - you did recommend these before and I still went and got my tints. But the tints shrank and got damaged. Definitely either going for the genuine ones or the ones you linked - I think the price is near enough the same? Around £80-£90

 

from where you can order the genuine ones ? thank you.

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, avensis_2018 said:

Hi, 

I can highly recommend these https://www.carshades.co.uk/shades-toyota-avensis4-door-0918-full-rear-p-4035.html, 

we talked back then about those as I have them on my car since 2017, these are brilliant, perfect fit and if you want them out just remove and store in the boot. They also age very well and in hot summers you can lower rear windows , stay in the car , have some breezy without any insects invading. 👍

Expand  

Ah yes - you did recommend these before and I still went and got my tints. But the tints shrank and got damaged. Definitely either going for the genuine ones or the ones you linked - I think the price is near enough the same? Around £80-£90

 

from where you can order the genuine ones ? thank you.

I don’t know a genuine blind exists. Most likely will be the same as these on my car and re sold through a Toyota dealer.
Mines are one of the very best I ever come across. Made in England with high quality materials and tailored to your car., perfect fit. 👍

[avensis_2018]

looks perfect, do you want to sell them ?

[TonyHSD]

5 hours ago, avensis_2018 said:

looks perfect, do you want to sell them ?

These were for Mitsubishi Lancer 2008-> but look similar to Avensis. Best to buy from their website or eBay. 👍

[avensis_2018]

can you send a link in eBay for avensis 2018 ....

[TonyHSD]

2 hours ago, avensis_2018 said:

can you send a link in ebay for avensis 2018 ....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/311004050203?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=-S0ucpWqQKu&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=p34UK1z2T4m&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[SB1500]

April Update on Ownership

Just hit 70,000 miles on the weekend! At about 70,200-something now.  They just opened a new stretch of dual carriageway here in Northern Ireland on the primary road from where I am to Belfast. It cuts a huge chunk of the journey, and now we can overtake - but in practice it's just nice to cruise at 70mph and be able to pass anyone who doesn't particularly feel like doing the right speed!  I've been on this now about 6 times this month, and it's one of my favourite stretches with the Avensis. It comes into its own on the open road for eating up the miles, incredibly smooth and unphased by high speeds or tough conditions. A friend with a 4-series coupe had commented on how quiet it was at 70mph! It impresses me just how much this little 1.6 diesel keeps up the pace. It's very slow getting there, but once it is it's remarkably capable of keeping up the speed without feeling like a piston is about to fly through the bonnet! 

I was quite tempted to downsize back to a Panda... believe it or not. But the prices in the market at the minute mean I'd be paying the same or more for a lesser car... which unfortunately I'm not willing to do. If I was saving something, then sure I'd go for it as I love the design and the simplicity of the things but absolutely no way would it be worth doing.  I considered a Fiat 124 spider (then subsequently some MX5's) which I've always thought would be amazing cars to own and love, but when push comes to shove I think of how well I have it with the Avensis for practicality and comfort, particularly with a full load of people on that dual carriageway etc, the comfort as well. I think the logical and rational thing to do would be to keep this car until the wheels fall off, and focus my effort outside of maintenance and shining it on other things. 

The Chinese ambient lights have failed again... on the drivers door. They're going to send me the parts to fix it, but it just goes to show the headache these mods can be with the shoestring budget quality of mass produced low end goods from China.  I thought about taking them off or turning them off but it feels so incredibly dark and bare at night without them now. I think keeping them on about 50% brightness is the sweet spot of a nice atmosphere, where passengers can see around them but still outside and I can equally avoid seeing them in my way in the reflection of the glass. Again, the Merc would lower them with the headlight setting so nothing beats a factory install.  

I've been contemplating the heated seats again, even hunting online for the little trim piece with the spaces for the genuine switches. Toyota quoted £280 for the part, then £80 PER SWITCH!  Let alone the rest of the components... I'd be looking at around £900 to get all the genuine parts, and even then they didn't guarantee the wiring would be in place on my car.... so I'll probably need to live in the stone age or accept the PITA job / poor quality of the Chinese kits. 

So happy and content that the body shop resprayed and blended the side that was repaired... it's looking brilliant now! I've seen that pretty much every other Avensis - even pre 2015 - in silver has the same issue with mismatching rear doors.... subtle, but it's there. I'm tempted to ask them to respray the other side now to potentially have one of the only 'near perfect' paint jobs of a silver Avensis. My theory is that the dual production line with the Auris possibly meant the back doors on Avensis got more of a coating or something to that effect....and ex or current factory workers on the forum? 🙂

A friend with a not so old i30N is experiencing the reality of the Hyundai Kia '7 year warranty'. A common fault P0088 with the GDI engines in those cars (not least his tuned to the balls one from factory). They won't stand by it, from before he let the dealer inspect it they suspected 'bad fuel'... That's what they're sticking to - after charging him £125 for diagnostics.  What utter crap... first of all, the filter - why didn't it do its job? Secondly, it's under warranty.... Toyota and Fiat NEVER charged me for taking a look at warranty stuff. Disgusting company and practices, never been more glad to drive a Toyota. Things like that make me grateful. Sure, the engine might be a German dud in these... but everything else should stand the test of time with as little headache as one can expect from a car in life. And I hope you all keep up to date in seeing how the 7,000 mile / Genuine Oil and Filter changes help this engine grow into old age.... Ideally, I'd like it to last until the notion of EVs are dispelled... a day that I think will come a lot sooner than we think. I wish Ladbroke's would let me bet on it being before 2030/2035...  

Anyway, that's April with the Avensis. Learning to appreciate it more! 

[2009joe]

21 hours ago, SB1500 said:

April Update on Ownership

Just hit 70,000 miles on the weekend! At about 70,200-something now.  They just opened a new stretch of dual carriageway here in Northern Ireland on the primary road from where I am to Belfast. It cuts a huge chunk of the journey, and now we can overtake - but in practice it's just nice to cruise at 70mph and be able to pass anyone who doesn't particularly feel like doing the right speed!  I've been on this now about 6 times this month, and it's one of my favourite stretches with the Avensis. It comes into its own on the open road for eating up the miles, incredibly smooth and unphased by high speeds or tough conditions. A friend with a 4-series coupe had commented on how quiet it was at 70mph! It impresses me just how much this little 1.6 diesel keeps up the pace. It's very slow getting there, but once it is it's remarkably capable of keeping up the speed without feeling like a piston is about to fly through the bonnet! 

I was quite tempted to downsize back to a Panda... believe it or not. But the prices in the market at the minute mean I'd be paying the same or more for a lesser car... which unfortunately I'm not willing to do. If I was saving something, then sure I'd go for it as I love the design and the simplicity of the things but absolutely no way would it be worth doing.  I considered a Fiat 124 spider (then subsequently some MX5's) which I've always thought would be amazing cars to own and love, but when push comes to shove I think of how well I have it with the Avensis for practicality and comfort, particularly with a full load of people on that dual carriageway etc, the comfort as well. I think the logical and rational thing to do would be to keep this car until the wheels fall off, and focus my effort outside of maintenance and shining it on other things. 

The Chinese ambient lights have failed again... on the drivers door. They're going to send me the parts to fix it, but it just goes to show the headache these mods can be with the shoestring budget quality of mass produced low end goods from China.  I thought about taking them off or turning them off but it feels so incredibly dark and bare at night without them now. I think keeping them on about 50% brightness is the sweet spot of a nice atmosphere, where passengers can see around them but still outside and I can equally avoid seeing them in my way in the reflection of the glass. Again, the Merc would lower them with the headlight setting so nothing beats a factory install.  

I've been contemplating the heated seats again, even hunting online for the little trim piece with the spaces for the genuine switches. Toyota quoted £280 for the part, then £80 PER SWITCH!  Let alone the rest of the components... I'd be looking at around £900 to get all the genuine parts, and even then they didn't guarantee the wiring would be in place on my car.... so I'll probably need to live in the stone age or accept the PITA job / poor quality of the Chinese kits. 

So happy and content that the body shop resprayed and blended the side that was repaired... it's looking brilliant now! I've seen that pretty much every other Avensis - even pre 2015 - in silver has the same issue with mismatching rear doors.... subtle, but it's there. I'm tempted to ask them to respray the other side now to potentially have one of the only 'near perfect' paint jobs of a silver Avensis. My theory is that the dual production line with the Auris possibly meant the back doors on Avensis got more of a coating or something to that effect....and ex or current factory workers on the forum? 🙂

A friend with a not so old i30N is experiencing the reality of the Hyundai Kia '7 year warranty'. A common fault P0088 with the GDI engines in those cars (not least his tuned to the balls one from factory). They won't stand by it, from before he let the dealer inspect it they suspected 'bad fuel'... That's what they're sticking to - after charging him £125 for diagnostics.  What utter crap... first of all, the filter - why didn't it do its job? Secondly, it's under warranty.... Toyota and Fiat NEVER charged me for taking a look at warranty stuff. Disgusting company and practices, never been more glad to drive a Toyota. Things like that make me grateful. Sure, the engine might be a German dud in these... but everything else should stand the test of time with as little headache as one can expect from a car in life. And I hope you all keep up to date in seeing how the 7,000 mile / Genuine Oil and Filter changes help this engine grow into old age.... Ideally, I'd like it to last until the notion of EVs are dispelled... a day that I think will come a lot sooner than we think. I wish Ladbroke's would let me bet on it being before 2030/2035...  

Anyway, that's April with the Avensis. Learning to appreciate it more! 

looks a great car shane and hope dose plenty more miles i to am going to drive my one into the ground also .my one just turned 55555 the other day lol was funny to see all the numbers the same . the port air down here is really sore on it as surface rust under the car its getting now. but suppose i cant hold that back plus the salty sea air down here so just when it rusts away it rusts away lol

[SB1500]

Oops.. I nearly forgot to do the May 2023 Update

I started May contemplating trading in the Avensis for an Abarth or another Fiat - even went as far as test driving them. 11.9% interest rates were the first no-go, but also I'd miss the space and feeling of security from the big Avensis, as much as I love the little cars too. The bottom line is also I've spent a tonne on this car, so it is here to stay. 

The Avensis makes trips I did years ago, which I remember as being sore-back inducing, a breeze. Drove to Enniskillen to see those Marble Arch Caves, perfect sunny morning. On the long roads with no traffic, cruise control on, it feels like its gliding along unphased. I am continually impressed how well the 1.6 engine can do in its element in such a big car. I don't know if it's a massive turbo, or a well appointed gearbox, but it punches above its weight in smoothness. Contrary to a friends EcoBost 125hp Fiesta, which is like watching a sick animal bounce between emotions (mostly pain) as it cries out for help..

Hired out one of those 'Rug Doctor' machines with the intention of giving the Avensis a deep clean with a wet vac.  £25... but £30 for two days. £14 for the right fluid.. what?! £4 on top of that for the hand held attachment needed for a car. Took me a while to get the hang of it, in which time I had totally, utterly flooded the seats and sponge - not realising you don't need to constantly hold in the trigger, meaning I was dripping water the entire time as opposed to drip then suck dry..  Thankfully, the next day was the start of our now two week blisteringly hot sun spell, so the car has dried out exceptionally, no nasty smells or damp thankfully.  Did it fix the stains? Absolutely not. In the sun, all the flat centre fabric on the seats looks like they have stains, like water stains - they're the same ones as before, starting to think they may be chemical damage from the past somehow. I think I'll just live with it. I certainly didn't get the full carpet done either, as ideally, the front seats would be out of the way. In the boot, it left a slug like trail of shampoo / water... but didn't seem to do much cleaning at all.  I have no doubt I used it wrong or sub-par, but I also think it's probably not the ideal tool for a car.  One of my uncles told me he had a very expensive car specific wet vac, as I offered the Rug Doctor to him so it wouldn't go to waste, had I known that.. I'd still have my £50..  But it was interesting and an experience. That thing is a home machine for homes with more carpeted rooms than our entire row of houses worth tbh. 

Did a couple of trips to various beaches and the sand storm that follows, but sand isn't honestly too bad as long as it's hoovered up the next day.  The Avensis has much thicker / tougher carpet and fabrics than the Fiat's and DS3 had. It must come with D-segment territory. 

These updates are becoming less and less car oriented and more about life. But that's the thing, the Avensis is now fully up to the service schedule. 

Servicing not needed until October time - it'll be Toyota parts and fluids you bet.Diesel filter, antifreeze, brake fluid, gearbox oil all varying multi-year jobs, all done. Tyres, wipers, brakes, also all sorted with genuine or top notch branded parts. Checking them weekly. All good too. Silly things like the Battery also now taken care of, hopefully to do another five years or beyond. There's very little jobs to do on it, probably for this year easily. Most of next year too. 2025 I'll possibly be looking at the likes of brakes / tyres again. 

All that's left now is to just keep it up. This car, being what it is, is just intended to deliver on reliable service in the long term. As long as I give it the odd run to Belfast (on that glorious new dual carriageway) with the foot down, it shouldn't suit up and clog itself. I'll keep washing it every week, making it shine - but not spending too much time on ceramic coatings or paying for detailing - only a modest, reasonable and recurring job to keep it clean and free of salt / contaminants. 

Comfort, safety, reliability, reasonable cost and ease of repair when it does break. This is a phenomenal car. I have very little to worry about compared to others I know with flashier, more expensive troublesome cars.  This means I can just keep going places, thinking about other things and keeping my money for other things. 

The BMW engine will be interesting, that's the big experiment here... with all of us Avensis, Auris and Verso owners who bought one and are holding on to it. How long will they last... Did Toyota set us up to have such a dreadful time with these diesels, only so we'd go running to our next Hybrid car long before getting into high miles?  Time will tell. It's too late for me to jump ship. This car is here to stay. It's already had 3x Toyota part / oil services in half the scheduled interval...and it will continue to get that treatment. If there is any way, humanly possible, that this thing will rack up hundreds of thousands of mile, fuss free, I'm going to find out. You're all going to find out if you read these updates. I want to know. 

Some say the BMW engine is built to the German / European attitude of consumerism and intentionally needing to trade in regularly, like a BMW owner might, with no concern of longevity or practicality such as the awful procedure for changing the 'lifetime belt' and whatnot.  

Others say, if you change the oil like clockwork, use good filters, drive it with respect, any modern engine and car will perform exceptionally well regardless of the Badge on the bonnet, or pressed into the heavy metal block.... 

Keep with me on the journey anyway, it certainly won't be left down to user error or poor parts used, or intervals stretched... Maybe the 'Toyota owner mindset' and approach to maintenance and car ownership is what keeps our cars on the road, versus the 'show it off, horse it and neglect it' treatment so many flash cars get. This will be an interesting project and I for one will take it as far as I can..

[SB1500]

I forgot to do a June and July update.. now we're into August. I think in all this time I just got the rubber mats and did a stone chip touch up. And a big decontamination / re-wax of the Avensis. So far not many issues. The climate control screen delaminating is getting worse and affecting both sides. My local dealer took a look and concluded it must have been damaged. So I've been going via Toyota who raised a case, however they told me they will side with the dealer. They have now booked me in for a 'proper look', but they've already hinted over the phone that they believe it's been damaged. I can sort of see why they might think that, however the photos I have of it gradually getting worse, and now the black trim below it 'creasing' on the opposite side should probably show them that this is legitimately a deterioration of the materials. Once, just one day, the climate control was popping up on the screen as if it were changed up/down, with no actual input. Because it only happened once I didn't include it in my claim. I'm not sure if they'll fix it but it's worth a shot. At some stage this month, my car is out of the 5 year warranty. If they don't replace it, then what I'm taking from the experience is that warranties aren't worth it. Between that and my friend with the Hyundai, what difference do they ever make in reality. Though I'll admit, PSA / Citroen / DS did actually take my issues seriously (outside of the 3 year warranty) despite what my local dealer said, so +1 to them on that. 

I'm up to 73,000 miles now. The car is excellent. There is some creaking from the dashboard for the first 5 minutes. I'm not sure if it's something to do with how I've added the LED strips. Also at other speeds / increasing of speed, I'll here some rattling from the passenger side. I can also only guess that this is one of the parts of the LED lights rattling - I'll need to check and fix. Though it's hard to fix them to the door cards as they're mostly curved on the inside and made from some odd fire resistant plastic mix that nothing seems to stick to easily. But that's very much my own fault - not the car. 

I debated getting rid of it for a brand new Fiat (which has a soft spot for me!) but their direction to merge with PSA and their newly announced two models being a reshape of existing Peugeot / Citroen models doesn't give me much hope for the future of Fiat. Sadly too, they are all in on the EV thing (no choice really with the EU pressure). That's one of the things that keeps me loyal to Toyota nowadays is their view that EVs aren't the solution. I am very tempted to buy a new base Mercedes A-Class too, but my common sense is telling me that an expensive brand will charge through the teeth for dealer parts and that anything with a Renault diesel engine is something to be ran away from! Although it does have heated seats, automatic gearbox and CarPlay (the three things I'd love in a car). I was quite disappointed to see that the two entry Lexus models at those prices, still don't have heated seats as standard - WHY?! It's 2023.  

Anyway, my cars not really been much issue and with todays market, keeping it is my best financial choice. Even going for a used Fiat would cost me more in real terms now.. and as much as I'd downside and take a downgrade, I won't do it at a cash premium. So the Avensis is probably here to stay for another while yet. 

[Cyker]

I think as long as you maintain it and use it, it'll last - The biggest weakness of modern diesel engines is when they aren't used enough, so all the emissions control junk bolted onto them gets gucked up.

Even in our old pre-DPF D4Ds, you could feel the car wasn't happy just pottering about in town; They wanted to stretch their legs and go for a good run regularly, or haul something nice and heavy to get the turbo working. (A noticeable contrast to my Mk4, which really doesn't like me putting heavy things in it  )

The Avensis is still a great car, and Toyota don't really sell cars like that over here any more, being more content to let Lexus have that segment.

[TonyHSD]

Buy it a Mercedes buy minimum c or preferably e or s class, petrol or diesel only. . The smaller ones are rebadged Renault. 

[2009joe]

12 hours ago, SB1500 said:

I forgot to do a June and July update.. now we're into August. I think in all this time I just got the rubber mats and did a stone chip touch up. And a big decontamination / re-wax of the Avensis. So far not many issues. The climate control screen delaminating is getting worse and affecting both sides. My local dealer took a look and concluded it must have been damaged. So I've been going via Toyota who raised a case, however they told me they will side with the dealer. They have now booked me in for a 'proper look', but they've already hinted over the phone that they believe it's been damaged. I can sort of see why they might think that, however the photos I have of it gradually getting worse, and now the black trim below it 'creasing' on the opposite side should probably show them that this is legitimately a deterioration of the materials. Once, just one day, the climate control was popping up on the screen as if it were changed up/down, with no actual input. Because it only happened once I didn't include it in my claim. I'm not sure if they'll fix it but it's worth a shot. At some stage this month, my car is out of the 5 year warranty. If they don't replace it, then what I'm taking from the experience is that warranties aren't worth it. Between that and my friend with the Hyundai, what difference do they ever make in reality. Though I'll admit, PSA / Citroen / DS did actually take my issues seriously (outside of the 3 year warranty) despite what my local dealer said, so +1 to them on that. 

I'm up to 73,000 miles now. The car is excellent. There is some creaking from the dashboard for the first 5 minutes. I'm not sure if it's something to do with how I've added the LED strips. Also at other speeds / increasing of speed, I'll here some rattling from the passenger side. I can also only guess that this is one of the parts of the LED lights rattling - I'll need to check and fix. Though it's hard to fix them to the door cards as they're mostly curved on the inside and made from some odd fire resistant plastic mix that nothing seems to stick to easily. But that's very much my own fault - not the car. 

I debated getting rid of it for a brand new Fiat (which has a soft spot for me!) but their direction to merge with PSA and their newly announced two models being a reshape of existing Peugeot / Citroen models doesn't give me much hope for the future of Fiat. Sadly too, they are all in on the EV thing (no choice really with the EU pressure). That's one of the things that keeps me loyal to Toyota nowadays is their view that EVs aren't the solution. I am very tempted to buy a new base Mercedes A-Class too, but my common sense is telling me that an expensive brand will charge through the teeth for dealer parts and that anything with a Renault diesel engine is something to be ran away from! Although it does have heated seats, automatic gearbox and CarPlay (the three things I'd love in a car). I was quite disappointed to see that the two entry Lexus models at those prices, still don't have heated seats as standard - WHY?! It's 2023.  

Anyway, my cars not really been much issue and with todays market, keeping it is my best financial choice. Even going for a used Fiat would cost me more in real terms now.. and as much as I'd downside and take a downgrade, I won't do it at a cash premium. So the Avensis is probably here to stay for another while yet. 

tbh getting rid of a toyota for a french made car sounds a bit crazy to me as well tbh the one and only car to buy for dependability is a toyota.i love Toyotas and well tbh i was so happy that i had the opportunity to get one as i when i do get a car i keep it for 10 or 11 plus years drive it into the ground saying that my last car a vw group 1.9tdi car was a great going machine not a bother with that one only stupid things that i can hope will not go wrong in this toyota . my car had got now on it 56k on the clock 

[2009joe]

11 hours ago, Cyker said:

I think as long as you maintain it and use it, it'll last - The biggest weakness of modern diesel engines is when they aren't used enough, so all the emissions control junk bolted onto them gets gucked up.

Even in our old pre-DPF D4Ds, you could feel the car wasn't happy just pottering about in town; They wanted to stretch their legs and go for a good run regularly, or haul something nice and heavy to get the turbo working. (A noticeable contrast to my Mk4, which really doesn't like me putting heavy things in it  )

The Avensis is still a great car, and Toyota don't really sell cars like that over here any more, being more content to let Lexus have that segment.

well i think thats what going to happen to my toyota it gets nothing but pottering around when i take it to work id say maybe 7min away parked at my job then drove back again :/ but not much i can do when  i took it on holidays for a good drive thats what it got also a goor drive and tbh i noticed that i got a extra 100miles to the tank than what i got doing my usual drives around town to work and back etc