You should have no worries about the older model if it has good history. They can go on and on with very little going wrong. Suspension and electrics are tough, bodies don't rust, exhausts last a long time.

Bear in mind that the petrol 1.8 will be almost as economical as the diesel (40+mpg on a run) and although no ball of fire is quite acceptable for a large car, unless you like the driving characteristics of the diesel. Petrol is chain cam, 2.0 diesel is belt, so the maintenance costs of the petrol are lower too. EGR valves on diesels can get gummed up, but easy to clean. DMF is likely to go much earlier on diesels too.

I would avoid the 2.2 diesel, there were a lot of head gasket issues with this engine on the earlier shape models, I don't know if this has been sorted on the late shape.

The main thing is to find a good example, which should be easier on this model as they tend to be bought by sensible types who are more likely to keep to the servicing regime.

There is a head gasket/oil consumption issue that affected a small number of the AD series diesel engines which affect the Avensis built between April 2005 and February 2009.

Toyota covered the issue on a case by case basis for a period of 7 years/111,846 miles, whichever occurred first, from the date of first registration. The remedy was fitting a modified 3/4 engine.

This affected both the 2.0 and 2.2 litre diesels. The vast majority of cars should now be outside the cover period.

A Toyota dealer should be able to check whether a car has had a replacement engine.

The relevant owners club will have more details.

Although an earlier model, my 1997 Toyota Carina E, 1.8 petrol, is coming up to 230,000 miles and is still on the original clutch. The only thing that doesn't work now is the air con and it's not worth having this fixed. For the larger part of last year it was doing a 500 mile a week commute and gave me some of the best mpg figures I've ever had in 15 years of ownership - a consistent 45-48 mpg on motorways at 75mph and legal speeds on A roads.

It's now in retirement as a job change has necessitated a dailiy 7 mile commute from hell (6 mph average sometimes). It's handling this admirably but it/I would rather be out enjoying long winding roads rather than being stuck in traffic!