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Looking To Buy An Avensis..


MiniGuy
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My daily driver has let me down again big style! Its a 306 turbo diesel! Just before christmas the gearbox went so that had to be replaced, I wanted to sell it then but everyone said I should drive away at it - like a fool I listened!

In April it put a connecting rod out through the block, hence one seized engine, I just got it back on Saturday there (a week turned into 3 months!) and the new engine is a disaster!!! Guy told me it would smoke a bit cos its been sat up before it was put in my car! Headed up to see my girlfriend and the engine was smoking quite badly, got onto the motorway and it wouldn't go any faster than 60mph, when I tried to push it on it just put out a complete smoke screen - got to a hill on the motorway, not a steep one, just a steady climb for a few miles and I was in 3rd gear at 35mph with a complete smoke screen behind me! Its going back to him again after the twelveth holidays are over (in N.Ireland the world stops for the twelveth) but as you can imagine I've lost heart with it big style! Once I get it sorted, or if I get it sorted, its going to the local car auctions and someone else can have the heap of junk!

Long story short, I want something thats economical and reliable - too many people have told me good things about the avensis diesel, surely they can't all be wrong!

I've a budget of £6k max and I'm hoping to get a 2001/2 car with around 50-60k on the clock - am I being realistic? Dont' mind travelling to England to get one either!

This is the part where you all tell me how economical and reliable they avensis is ;)

Any advice and opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!

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Hi,

I've had an old shape 2003 Avensis D4D from new, put loads of miles on it with no problems at all, no rattles, no gremlins whatsoever, in fact it just seems to get quicker and quicker the older it gets plus I'm getting 54mpg combined. One bit of advice though, if its been Toyota serviced, change all the pads for non Toyota pads, basically a softer pad cheaply available from places like Brakes International, this is because lots of Avensis suffer from judder and wheel wobble, the cause of this is Toyota pads are made of too hard a material which in time causes disc thickness variation, so you can skim them and replace them till the cows come home but if you still use Toyota pads your buggered in the end. Aside from that you should easily be able to get a nice one with that mileage for 6k so go for it.

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306 TD's are great fun to drive, when they're running fine. Mine conked out 18 months after I bought it and like you, I lost complete faith.

I'm now the proud owner of a 2001 Avensis (what else!) and I have to say it's one of the best cars I've had. Being a short-a**e, I found it took me a while to find 'my' driving position, but 2 months later, I'm chuffed. There are a few quirks (not annoyances, just quirks) such as the hand brake being next to the gear shift rather than behind it. Took me ages to get used to this. Very odd.

Oh, and the CD holder under the centre arm rest thingy doesn't hold enough CDs. When you have kids howling down your lug-holes wanting to be entertained, it's important.

Just had my fan belt replaced (on a 1.6 Vermont) and the thing is huge! Cost me more than I would have liked but at least I no longer wake the neighbours with Geri Halliwell screaming from my engine compartment.

I find fuel consumption about average. I do 70 miles on the M56 everyday so get about 40mpg on a good week.

The boot is also a real bonus. It's enormous! I find it great for camping....if you're into that sort of thing.

I'm no expert, but I hope you find this useful!

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I have a petrol (2002 2.0) so cant speak to the diesel. But I must say that I would never buy an Avensis again. I bought it because of Toyota's reliability reputation. I can honestly report that I have never owned nor heard about a more shoddily constructed and unreliable car. It has spent more time in the garage since 2002 than I can bear to think about, and the same problems recurr and pop up again. I cannot imagine why someone would buy an Avensis when there are other cars available. Just my 2p. Good luck anyway.

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I have a petrol (2002 2.0) so cant speak to the diesel.  But I must say that I would never buy an Avensis again.  I bought it because of Toyota's reliability reputation.  I can honestly report that I have never owned nor heard about a more shoddily constructed and unreliable car.  It has spent more time in the garage since 2002 than I can bear to think about, and the same problems recurr and pop up again.  I cannot imagine why someone would buy an Avensis when there are other cars available.  Just my 2p.  Good luck anyway.

Sorry to hear about your Avensis problems, but my experiences are the opposite. My close friend has a D4D and has had zero problems, apart from routine servicing costs its been perfect. A neighbour has one and suffered the disc problem, but otherwise has been faultless. Of course no car is perfect, but if it was my money I cant think of a better buy really, so many taxi drivers cant be wrong can they?

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Your in the wrong place to hear bad things about the avensis :P

The 2001/2002 petrol engines were among the first of the VVTi engines with the burning oil issue which you will see on other threads here. I had one of these and just got rid of it for the newer model where now again I am full of confidence driving and avensis.

The D4D engine has had no such bad press, basically if you are looking for a reliable diesel you can't go too wrong with a D4D with only 40 - 50k on the clock.

Happy hunting.

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