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The only reason there isn't an Avensis estate on our drive is the electric parking brake, EPB has been my line in the sand and will remain so, it ruled out the 2009 on Subaru Outback which was otherwise on the cards when we replaced the previous one for SWMBO.
IIRC the EPB on your beast was fixed before you bought it, or is my memory playing up again, what are you doing to keep it working well SLO, oiling it working it regularly or is there some secret you've found out about to keep them happy?
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The only reason there isn't an Avensis estate on our drive is the electric parking brake, EPB has been my line in the sand and will remain so, it ruled out the 2009 on Subaru Outback which was otherwise on the cards when we replaced the previous one for SWMBO.
IIRC the EPB on your beast was fixed before you bought it, or is my memory playing up again, what are you doing to keep it working well SLO, oiling it working it regularly or is there some secret you've found out about to keep them happy?
No fan of these unnecessary gadgets myself. It did have new rear callipers before I bought it but I’m actually not that sure of the inner workings of these EPB’s having never had the pleasure of stripping one down. Possibly it’s been attended to already but to date it’s worked without fault. The only receipts relating to it are for the callipers. It will be interesting to see how reliable it is over time. The only problem came when my 4yr old son switched the interior lights on which flattened the battery over a weekend and I had to move the car to get access for the jump leads. The hand brake disengaged but wouldn’t re-engage so it left me having to jump it on a hill with my foot on the brake. No big hassle but a manual handbrake is by far the sensible option. I see no real benefit from this gadget. Battery was fine and interior lights are checked before leaving car anywhere especially when boy wonder has been in it.
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The hand brake disengaged but wouldn’t re-engage so it left me having to jump it on a hill with my foot on the brake. No big hassle but a manual handbrake is by far the sensible option. I see no real benefit from this gadget.
Amazing isn't it, you end up in the one scenario that could have done with the old system, I wonder if the designers ever thought of that. I suppose you could have put some bricks behind the wheels, that is if one has some convenient bricks lying around. But that is still questionable and won't work on a steep hill.
The only thing that I think is a boon is the modern hill holder, but I think this uses the ABS to hold brake pressure in the system and is separate from the electronic handbrake.
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No fan of these unnecessary gadgets myself. It did have new rear callipers before I bought it but I’m actually not that sure of the inner workings of these EPB’s having never had the pleasure of stripping one down. Possibly it’s been attended to already but to date it’s worked without fault. The only receipts relating to it are for the callipers. It will be interesting to see how reliable it is over time.
I am just about to go into my 7th year of driving an Avensis with an EPB (actually 2 T27s, a 2012 & now a 2017) & have been active on the toyotaownersclub forum for much longer than that as I also had an older 2007 model Avensis T25 with a mechanical handbrake before that.
From what I have read/seen over the years whilst there definitely have been EPB actuator failures on Avensis T27s & it is an expensive part to replace/repair:
- imo fear of Avensis EPB failures is much, much higher than actual failure rate
- The Avensis EPB doesn't seem to have had the failure rate of VAG group ones
- It has been improved over the years so failures are rarer in later cars
- Toyota customer service tends to look after people with goodwill even outside normal warranty subject to the customer having shown goodwill to them (i.e. keeping the car serviced to schedule within the dealer network)
Edited by Heidfirst on 22/12/2018 at 18:45
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I agree. I know a few folks who run these including several taxi drivers, one with over 170k up and none have had bother with it to date. It doesn’t seem to suffer anywhere near the same failure rate as other EPB’s and so far mine has been faultless. Previous owner has now mentioned the calliper replacement wasn’t related to the EPB. It doesn’t have a dealer history however, it’s mostly a good local indi but at 8yrs old I wouldn’t expect much help anyway.
On a further note I’m finding the heater exceptionally good which is very welcome on my very short commute in deepest darkest (and wetest) West Scotland winter.
Edited by SLO76 on 22/12/2018 at 19:50
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Seven months later and (touch wood) not a single problem with my £4K family workhorse. I still maintain the Avensis in any generation makes an excellent used buy. Economy is averaging early 40’s and to date it’s been no bother at all. No monthly payment, excellent reliability and minimal depreciation make for cheap motoring. No fun to drive but excels as a motorway mile muncher with good refinement, excellent high speed stability and decent ride comfort. I’d recommend one to anyone.
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You purchased an excellent CAR...not some fancy German thing dressed up as a car but being nothing of the sort. Long may your Avensis live (it probably will!).
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Seven months later and (touch wood) not a single problem with my £4K family workhorse. I still maintain the Avensis in any generation makes an excellent used buy. Economy is averaging early 40’s and to date it’s been no bother at all. No monthly payment, excellent reliability and minimal depreciation make for cheap motoring. No fun to drive but excels as a motorway mile muncher with good refinement, excellent high speed stability and decent ride comfort. I’d recommend one to anyone.
Sounds good SLO. Through various posts on the forum, i have found myself looking at used cars like this. Some of them really do look like spectacular bargains for folk unconcerned about image or keeping up with the neighbours/work colleagues/family members. Fingers crossed that EPB doesn't cause you any grief!.
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“Sounds good SLO. Through various posts on the forum, i have found myself looking at used cars like this. Some of them really do look like spectacular bargains for folk unconcerned about image or keeping up with the neighbours/work colleagues/family members. Fingers crossed that EPB doesn't cause you any grief!.”
That is the only real concern but to date it’s been fine and I’ve a work colleague with a diesel one with over 175k up and the EPB hasn’t been an issue to date. In fact it’s never had anything beyond an exhaust and other wear and tear items like brakes and tyres.
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Puzzled as to why SLO, with that level of UK automotive market knowledge (not, I'd have thought, acquired overnight), and with his head screwed on fairly firmly, was in a lease deal in the first place.
None of my business, of course. Just seems odd.
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Puzzled as to why SLO, with that level of UK automotive market knowledge (not, I'd have thought, acquired overnight), and with his head screwed on fairly firmly, was in a lease deal in the first place.
None of my business, of course. Just seems odd.
Darling wife wanted a newer and larger car to replace the ageing but utterly reliable Honda Civic I bought many years before and amazingly offered to pay half the cost if I bought a new car. I did the sums and shopped around online then called dealers to see if any would match the best deal I found and one Honda dealer in Glasgow would to get his numbers up. It was around £50 a month less than the Honda contract hire list price saving £2,400 over the 48mth term. Taking into account the list price, any likely discount and the depreciation over 4yrs leasing with such a sizeable discount often works out the cheapest way to own £25k plus cars. It was in this case. The boss lady is now a student teacher and commuting to Uni for free on the bus via my family work pass so expensive car was no longer sensible but while old Toyota is an excellent car and suits my miserly nature the gaffers snob radar isn’t quite satisfied and will require another new or newish SUV whenever teacher wages start poring in. Another CRV is likely next year but old Toyota will stay as second car and current diesel Polo will be sold.
Edited by SLO76 on 28/04/2019 at 10:15
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Seven months later and (touch wood) not a single problem with my £4K family workhorse. I still maintain the Avensis in any generation makes an excellent used buy. Economy is averaging early 40’s and to date it’s been no bother at all. No monthly payment, excellent reliability and minimal depreciation make for cheap motoring. No fun to drive but excels as a motorway mile muncher with good refinement, excellent high speed stability and decent ride comfort. I’d recommend one to anyone.
Good to hear SLO...though as a long time Toyota fan (with currently 2 Toyotas) it doesn't surprise me at all.
For me, they are still just about the best mass produced marque available...maybe not the most "exciting", but in terms of quality, reliability and depreciation there's little to beat them IMO.
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Totally agree.
My daughter in laws Y Reg Japanese built Yaris has completed another flawless 12 months service and passed the Mot with no advisories .
Brilliant and being auto too , amazing performance for a 20 year old car !
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All sounds great, apart from the "no fun to drive" bit.
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All sounds great, apart from the "no fun to drive" bit.
The fun comes from beating the system and saving money but yes my old Mazda MX5 toy is much missed. Another cheap fun toy will be sought when and if swmbo brings in a wage.
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...another cheap fun car...
;-)
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273821121971?ul_noapp=true
Edited by John F on 28/04/2019 at 11:39
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That’s quite nice actually John. Thinking more of an 80’s or 90’s hot hatch or possibly a Ford Puma if I can find a good one when funds allow. I’d like another MX5 but no chance of getting away with just two seats with petrolhead wife and 4yr old in tow.
Edited by SLO76 on 28/04/2019 at 11:42
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All sounds great, apart from the "no fun to drive" bit.
That depends on the model and what you want/expect from it...a few years back I had a Celica..now that WAS fun to drive.!!!
My current 3 litre V6 MPV beast is a joy to drive for different reasons...extremely comfortable and powerful and devoid of any stress...that's what I wanted now I'm getting on a bit..lol..and it certainly can give me some fun if I care to use the power available. (and I sometimes do.)
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SLO, Puma would be my top choice for a an inexpensive fun car, if something more practical was needed it would be an Alfa 147/156, bought with open eyes. All can be found for relatively little dosh.
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My favourite bangers were both Japanese. A Honda CRX for £250, 1 years of lots of fun before the tinworm finished it off. And a £500 Nissan Primera P11D 2.0SX - what a chassis! - an absolute hoot to chuck down the lanes - it could keep up with just about anything on the twisties. Ended up giving it away to a friend when a bargain XM came up.
Though an honourable mention has to go to a Opal Senator 3.0CDX auto I bought from an auction for £80. Two years of comfy motoring, switchable sports suspension when I wanted to have some fun and a sublime cruiser when I didn't.
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I like the Primera MK1 and 2. Most think they're boring and dull, nothing could be further from the truth.
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I like the Primera MK1 and 2. Most think they're boring and dull, nothing could be further from the truth.
Yep, a better chassis than the superb and much-lauded Mondeo, nobody took any notice so Nissan quit using expensive suspension for the MK3. If you're doing the time - you may as well do the crime!
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“I like the Primera MK1 and 2. Most think they're boring and dull, nothing could be further from the truth.”
Brilliant cars when they first came out in late 1990. Compared to rivals it was by far the class leader with driving dynamics to match the Pug 405 but with vastly superior quality. It would run circles round Cavaliers, Sierras and Carinas. Ride was a bit firm but not uncomfortable and the handling, steering and gear-change were pin sharp. Lovely car the Mk I especially anything with the lusty 2.0 petrol motor particularly the ZX. But they never really developed it and following gens were increasingly ugly and off pace.
I’d dispute that it was a better chassis than the Mondeo though but it was the best family car on the road for the three years before the Mondeo turned up and would easily outlast one. The Mondeo was a step up to drive though.
Edited by SLO76 on 28/04/2019 at 23:59
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But they never really developed it and following gens were increasingly ugly and off pace. I’d dispute that it was a better chassis than the Mondeo though but it was the best family car on the road for the three years before the Mondeo turned up and would easily outlast one. The Mondeo was a step up to drive though.
The P11 handled every bit as well as the P10, but yes the rest of the car wasn't really modernised. Lusty is a good word for the 2.0 - a very nice "real-world" engine. I think the Mondeo suspension was tweaked more towards comfort - it would under-steer way before you could provoke the Primera to do the same thing, but it was still a cracking handler. The Mondeo was better in every other way though, much nicer interior, refinement, equipment - a real game changer.
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sadly, the chances to enjoy driving around here are becoming few & far between :( - more congestion, worse roads & increasingly automated enforcement ...
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sadly, the chances to enjoy driving around here are becoming few & far between :( - more congestion, worse roads & increasingly automated enforcement ...
Correct, the few enjoyable drives i get now are at 3.30 am when i leave for work, especially if i've got SWMBO Forester XT for the journey, generally though Northamptonshire's road network is ruined and the county is grinding to a motoring halt.
The county has suffered a massive influx of warehousing and regional distribution centres, due to its central location, and of course any spare bit of green land (except for the more well heeled parts of the county owned by the right people) is having many thousands of houses thrown up for the new population influx, and don't forget indentikit retail/leisure parks again with no new roads, their idea of road infrastructure is to put roundabout and traffic light controlled junctions dotted along the same existing roads...which couldn't cope 40 years ago...to handle the feeding in of rapidly increasing merging traffic.
Obviously these traffic volumes, much of which is heavy lorry traffic is constantly destroying those few roads hence the third world surfaces found in much of the county, where roads can't be repaired (even if the county wasn't bankrupt) because we haven't any other routes available.
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Don't expect commuting drives to be enjoyable - they never have been for most people.
Get out into the countryside at weekends - we had a pleasant drive across Wales to the coast yesterday, even a vintage tractor road run didn't spoil it as it was great to blast past as opportunities arose. Even driving straight through the centre of Birmingham was no issue.
We were treated to some sort of sports car gathering, coming the other way over the mountain road from Devil's Bridge to Elan Valley, a McLaren, couple of Ferraris, several Porsches plus a number of Audi's, etc - all thoroughly enjoying themselves.
The only numptie we saw was in a Jaguar XF slowing to 35 on bends and then accelerating to 55 on the straights.
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SLO76, Does your avensis have the problem with the cracks on the front door, as illustrated in the below links?
https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/171984-front-door-cracking-at-check-strap-reinforcing-and-repair/
https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/175765-door-crack-on-2012-avensis-tourer/
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/35635/watchdog-fix-avensis-fault
Three avensis I had looked at in the past 2 months all had this problem. A 2011 saloon, a 2010 saloon and a 2010 estate.
If this was purely a cosmetic, issue I would have been happy to ignore it. But I understand that these cracks can cause a whistling noise while driving at motorway speeds. I don't know if sealing it with duct tape, will prevent the wind noise.
Also I understand that the cracks will eventually get larger with time. I have not seen anyone on the toyota forums offer a solution on how to deal with these cracks, short of replacing the doors...
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SLO76, Does your avensis have the problem with the cracks on the front door, as illustrated in the below links?
https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/171984-front-door-cracking-at-check-strap-reinforcing-and-repair/
https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/175765-door-crack-on-2012-avensis-tourer/
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/35635/watchdog-fix-avensis-fault
Three avensis I had looked at in the past 2 months all had this problem. A 2011 saloon, a 2010 saloon and a 2010 estate.
If this was purely a cosmetic, issue I would have been happy to ignore it. But I understand that these cracks can cause a whistling noise while driving at motorway speeds. I don't know if sealing it with duct tape, will prevent the wind noise.
Also I understand that the cracks will eventually get larger with time. I have not seen anyone on the toyota forums offer a solution on how to deal with these cracks, short of replacing the doors...
The issue with the front doors is completely seperate and something i have seen afflicting many cars while working at garages. It isn't a major problem to rectify, just take the car to a body repair shop and have them weld it up (just make sure the repair is also painted to prevent any rust). The second two links appear to be an issue around the rear doors, and looks like something i'd be much more concerned about were i buying one, as (to me) it would indicate a weakness in the structure of the car.
As you are only mentioning the front door issue, i wouldn't be too concerned, but maybe use it as a bargaining point?.
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Hi BBD, Actually all 3 links are regarding issues with the front door. The photographs make it look like they are of the rear door. Actually its the front edge of the front door. The door needs to be opened wide, and you need to lean forward of the front door to take these photos.
https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/171984-front-door-cracking-at-check-strap-reinforcing-and-repair/
The above links describe the efforts an owner has taken to get the door repaired.
I understand that fixing it is difficult because of the shape of the door service, and the thinness of the material used.
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Sorry BBD! The third link I posted does deal with the rear door. The link I intended to post was the below:-
https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/news/155620/watchdog-toyota-refuses-to-help-on-avensis-door-crack
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Can’t say I’ve noticed any additional wind noise and I wasn’t even aware of this issue. I’ll take a look at mine when I get a chance tomorrow and will report back. Work colleague with the 175,000 miler hasn’t mentioned it either.
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If you read through the TOC links you will see that my previous 61-plate, MY12 facelift was 1 of the cars affected (driver's door only, probably because 99% of my driving is driver only so passenger door rarely used). I was never aware of any increased wind noise due to it & I suspect that even fewer of the cars that develop the crack (& that is a very small % to start with) develop any wind noise due to it. Tbh I think that some of the cracks are caught as cracks in the paint due to flexing rather than the skin having already developed a crack (although long term they almost certainly would).
On rear doors simply not an issue (possibly because overall they tend to get much less use but you would expect taxis might develop it but I have never seen a report of even 1).
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9 month report on cheapo family wagon and.. yup, you guessed it not a thing to report. No rattles, no loose trim, no issues at all and still early 40’s to the gallon. Not exciting but minimal depreciation and utter reliability so far. Dog very much in love with it too since he’s actually allowed in the boot unlike much too valuable CRV.
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9 month report on cheapo family wagon and.. yup, you guessed it not a thing to report. No rattles, no loose trim, no issues at all and still early 40’s to the gallon. Not exciting but minimal depreciation and utter reliability so far. Dog very much in love with it too since he’s actually allowed in the boot unlike much too valuable CRV.
Oh what a surprise...NOT.!!..lol
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Dog very much in love with it too since he’s actually allowed in the boot unlike much too valuable CRV.
I'm sure the dog also enjoys the easier access, with the back of the Avensis being closer to the ground than an SUV.
Not surprised at all by the lack of any problems though!.
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First Mot and a wee service too. Needed a bulb for its test (which I hadn’t noticed) and I had them secure the rear exhaust heat shield which I’ve been meaning to do for ages but that’s it for a years motoring it’s cost me all of £176.
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Mine was in for a service a week ago. Only thing outside usual checks, 2-yearly brake fluid change, oil & assorted filter inspection/changes was the rear wiper blade was starting to tear (a Bosch replacement is £6), nothing else required.
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First year costs compared to the leased Honda CRV we had previously.
Honda was £259pcm and cost £179 for a minor service, total £3287
Toyota costs nothing per month (bought from savings) but has lost approx £650 in its first year plus service, Mot and a bulb cost £176 plus road tax £200 Total £1036
Factor in a minor added cost in fuel over just under 10,000 miles (42mpg v 56mpg) and the savings are approximately £2,000 and there has been no dip in reliability and only a minor drop in comfort. If the same continues for the 4yrs we had the CRV without hitch it’s a substantial saving but of course swmbo will demand an upgrade at some point, the choice will be which one to keep as the second car. The tough as old boots and hugely practical old Toyota or the cheaper to run and more enjoyable to drive and easier to park/abandon Polo TDi Match?
The costs of course will compare even more favourably when considering the substantial increase in prices we’ve seen in recent years on new and nearly new cars. A new Honda CRV of equivalent spec (a 1.5 SE 2wd) is now over £300pcm to lease but next time I will buy used.
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