New Avensis

Stevie Dakota

Holy cow, I've seen a few of these now and I am just speechless at how plain it looks. It is the ultimate non-design, the rear, the grotesque oversized handles, every bit of it screams 'we've forgotten how to design!'. It actually makes the old Avensis look good, I simply can't believe Toyota have launched a car that already looks 6 years out of date. I know we are going through a 'don't rock the boat' phase in automotive design but this is just crazy. I'd sooner keep 6 live ferrets down my pants than have to work in Toyotas design studio.

VolvoMan

Funnily enough, I hated them when I first saw them and thought they were offensively dull. But I have to say (and I really don't like saying this!:o), now that I've seen more of them I think they've grown on me a bit. They look OK in the right colour and on the right wheels.

colm_mcm

Can't manufacturers be consrervative if they want, or is this just reserved for the Germans?

IMO the current crop of Laguna Mondeo etc. was contemporary for a while but now is already old hat.

cashmni1

I also would not be a fan. Nor have I been a fan of Toyota cars for years. I think that they are truly boring but still they are the best selling cars on our island.
What they do, they do very well. They produce cars for the masses. They have created and produced very reliable cars for the masses for years now and they also have developed an image that is only Toyota. Their brand, among few others like Coke a Cola etc. is a household name.
Some like the brand - safe, reliable, blah blah, and it sells cars. I personally hate them. Epically the Yaris. FFS. What an ugly car. Yet people can't get enough of them.
Anyway, their reputation is something that Toyota have worked very hard on and to be fair, they are fairly reliable.
As one motoring journalist put it in a review of the new Avensis, "It doesn't really preform brilliantly, but it does everything else fairly well, just like all Toyotas."

colm_mcm

How can people be shocked or upset that the Avensis doesn't look like an Alfa Romeo. It's a bit like criticising Lyric FM for not playing enough Westlife.

Hogzy

colm_mcm wrote: »

How can people be shocked or upset that the Avensis doesn't look like an Alfa Romeo. It's a bit like criticising Lyric FM for not playing enough Westlife.

Thats a bad comparison, lyric FM is a classical radio station so obviously they wont play westlife, The avensis and Alfa's are both cars, fair enough if one was a van! but toyota should learn how to design properly, i mean in all fairness they havnt pulled a nice car out of their hat in years...

Yet people still buy them, They are cars for people who have given up on cars and have no passion for the them!

colm_mcm

My point is, if a car is aimed at a group of people who happen to like what that car offers, why change it? Why do you think Toyota sells so many cars worldwide. They actually know what they're doing.

This whole "cars for people who have given up on cars" is nonsense. Any real petrolhead would be driving something a lot sportier than a family saloon if they took cars that seriously.

I don't have a passion for fridges. I don't know what make my fridge is. I'm sure it's mass produced and it doesn't do anything special. This doesn't bother me too much as it only has one job to do - keep my food and drink cold.
I doubt whoever built that insignificant appliance cares whether I do or don't feel passionate about their fridge.

An Avensis is a car that has a lot of strengths, and if they appeal to you, then that's all the persuasion you need. If they don't appeal, then you buy something else. Life continues.

cashmni1

Hogzy wrote: »

Thats a bad comparison, lyric FM is a classical radio station so obviously they wont play westlife, The avensis and Alfa's are both cars, fair enough if one was a van! but toyota should learn how to design properly, i mean in all fairness they havnt pulled a nice car out of their hat in years...

Yet people still buy them, They are cars for people who have given up on cars and have no passion for the them!

Exactly - there is a market for these people. Toyota have exploited this market. They don't care what the car looks like, they just think " I want a car that will never break down- ah yes, that will be a Toyota" see, that's their marketing.
Different cars offer different things to their customers.
I just want a Porsche !! :cool:

Zube

Hogzy wrote: »

They are cars for people who have given up on cars and have no passion for the them!

Just as some people love cars, there are equally people who hate cars and driving. They still need transport. What do they want in a car? Good dealers, very reliable cars so you don't have to worry that something mechanical or electrical might happen, hold their value, no feel in the steering, no real go in the engine, who needs those? Don't care what it looks like as long as it doesn't stand out. Don't care if the cabin is a horrible place to be, because these people hate cars so all cars are horrible places to them.

Strictly A to B transport with a minimum of interaction with the nasty machine: it's a Toyota.

Stevie Dakota

colm_mcm wrote: »

My point is, if a car is aimed at a group of people who happen to like what that car offers, why change it? Why do you think Toyota sells so many cars worldwide. They actually know what they're doing.

BMW proved that it is possible to re-invent yourself when the design ethos has reached then end of its cycle, Bangle came in and we had a bit of revolution, and it worked very well for them. They were ferociously conservative before his tenure and gained a lot of new customers, while alienating some diehards. I see no reason why Toyota could not produce a car the people could get enthusiastic about, I would love their engineering to be wrapped in a seductive design, what a combination! But pigs will fly first.

Zube

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

I would love their engineering to be wrapped in a seductive design, what a combination!

Lotus Elise?

Stevie Dakota

Zube wrote: »

Lotus Elise?

Clever chap, but where would I put the kids, or my toothbrush?

Hogzy

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Clever chap, but where would I put the kids, or my toothbrush?

Or our legs (For some of us)

Bee

Drove the new Avensis in the UK, a bland though decently built car, did everything it said on the tin but it is a much better drive than the previous model.

And then....

I had one for week here....

Am I imagining things but have they buggered up the suspension setup for "Oirish" motorists or was the hired car I was driving built on a Monday by some lazy robot sod or what?

It seemed to roll around corners with much more body roll than the Brit model I was driving

Other than that the steering is on the vague side

Lex Luthor

The Mondeo seems to have that secgment sewn up for the time being. They are pheckin everywhere. The Avensis just looks like any other Toyota. I was a more disappointed by the tourer pics than the saloon

pburns

It matters not one jot what the Avensis looks like. Even if it looked like junior Maserati Quattroprte the effect would be ruined within 6 months once every taxi-driver, farmer and guard in the country had one in poverty spec with plastic wheel covers.

Dull cars have their place, leave 'em to those for whom the car is a domestic appliance.

drunkymonkey

Hogzy wrote: »

but toyota should learn how to design properly, i mean in all fairness they havnt pulled a nice car out of their hat in years...

Yet people still buy them, They are cars for people who have given up on cars and have no passion for the them!

How about the Levin's???

245

Zube wrote: »

Just as some people love cars, there are equally people who hate cars and driving. They still need transport. What do they want in a car? Good dealers, very reliable cars so you don't have to worry that something mechanical or electrical might happen, hold their value, no feel in the steering, no real go in the engine, who needs those? Don't care what it looks like as long as it doesn't stand out. Don't care if the cabin is a horrible place to be, because these people hate cars so all cars are horrible places to them.

Strictly A to B transport with a minimum of interaction with the nasty machine: it's a Toyota.

You might be generalising a bit - have you driven a mkIV Golf 1.4 or a previous generation Focus 1.4? - the Focus might have been lauded for its handling by journalists who were kept away from the 1.4 but really... the equivalent model Corolla was a superior car (if all models are 1.4 - and lets face it, most Irish models are).

Hogzy

drunkymonkey wrote: »

How about the Levin's???

There the worst:P

PattheMetaller

Test drove one for the craic.

Sedate drive, overhangs in the side mirrors put me off and the high driving position: thought i was in a people carrier

Stevie Dakota

PattheMetaller wrote: »

Test drove one for the craic.

Sedate drive, overhangs in the side mirrors put me off and the high driving position: thought i was in a people carrier

If you are driving Toyotas for the craic then things must be bad.

PattheMetaller

Just wanted to remind myself how lucky i am to be in a Golf:D

mumblin deaf ro

Maybe I'm wrong but i got the idea that Toyota do actually make some interesting cars for the japanese market, but for europe they just focus on cars bought by the kind of guys who hand around the collection basket at mass.

The earlier comment about the new mondeo's looks dating are spot on. That big hairdryer attachment of a grille that they copied from audi looks awful - why is it that every futuristic photo of an audi i see seems to exaggerate that feature more and more, as if it were something to be proud of.

Stevie Dakota

I thought the Mondeo looked a bit wonky from the get go. I am sure Ford will work it out come facelift time, 'kinetic' face, sills and arse should sort it out. The styling failings are too obvious to ignore and should be easy to fix.

bazz26

PattheMetaller wrote: »

Just wanted to remind myself how lucky i am to be in a Golf:D

You need to set your sights a little bit higher if you feel lucky to be in a Golf.

alias no.9

I've seen the new avensis in the flesh and have to say I was even more underwhelmed than I expected. What's going on with the grille below the badge? That combined with the squareish headlights just reminded me of this...

or certainly what you might have expected a second generation of it to have turned out like.

stratos

colm_mcm wrote: »

My point is, if a car is aimed at a group of people who happen to like what that car offers, why change it? Why do you think Toyota sells so many cars worldwide. They actually know what they're doing.

This whole "cars for people who have given up on cars" is nonsense. Any real petrolhead would be driving something a lot sportier than a family saloon if they took cars that seriously.

I don't have a passion for fridges. I don't know what make my fridge is. I'm sure it's mass produced and it doesn't do anything special. This doesn't bother me too much as it only has one job to do - keep my food and drink cold.
I doubt whoever built that insignificant appliance cares whether I do or don't feel passionate about their fridge.

An Avensis is a car that has a lot of strengths, and if they appeal to you, then that's all the persuasion you need. If they don't appeal, then you buy something else. Life continues.

excellent post:).

mumblin deaf ro

I just read a funny review in a magazine this morning. It said that trying to get the new Avensis to hustle was like trying to get a sloth to disco dance - it's just not interested.

AugustusMaximus

Whereas Toyotas are usually bland and handle like a steam boat, this Avensis is worse as it is pig ugly.

As another poster has said above, expect half the farmers in Ireland to be driving the lowest spec possible with hub caps.

L-M

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

Whereas Toyotas are usually bland and handle like a steam boat, this Avensis is worse as it is pig ugly.

As another poster has said above, expect half the farmers in Ireland to be driving the lowest spec possible with hub caps.

Surprisingly, it's actually the only saloon car I've yet to see with the poverty Irish spec.

PattheMetaller

bazz26 wrote: »

You need to set your sights a little bit higher if you feel lucky to be in a Golf.

I'm quite happy in my Golf. The drive on the Avensis did not exite me. The drive in the Golf Mk6 is far more enjoyable. I could set my sights hight if i had the cash:D

road_high

Lex Luthor wrote: »

The Mondeo seems to have that secgment sewn up for the time being. They are pheckin everywhere. The Avensis just looks like any other Toyota. I was a more disappointed by the tourer pics than the saloon

Was just saying that to my da yesterday. The new Mondeo is EVERYWHERE, whereas I have only seen the odd Avensis.
Same goes for the rest of the Toyota range, I'd say the Fiesta and Focus are outselling their equivalent Yaris/Auris too.
I'd have the Fords anyday personally.

AugustusMaximus

mfitzy wrote: »

Was just saying that to my da yesterday. The new Mondeo is EVERYWHERE, whereas I have only seen the odd Avensis.
Same goes for the rest of the Toyota range, I'd say the Fiesta and Focus are outselling their equivalent Yaris/Auris too.
I'd have the Fords anyday personally.

I think that Ford have superior over Toyota now in just about every model.

Ford Ka vs Toyota Aygo is a close one and Ford don't have anything to compete with the IQ which IMO, is too over priced to sell well anyways.

RichyX

mfitzy wrote: »

Was just saying that to my da yesterday. The new Mondeo is EVERYWHERE, whereas I have only seen the odd Avensis.
Same goes for the rest of the Toyota range, I'd say the Fiesta and Focus are outselling their equivalent Yaris/Auris too.
I'd have the Fords anyday personally.

Yet Toyota still seem to top the sales charts every time I see them...
I think their cars are out there, we just choose not to notice them!

road_high

RichyX wrote: »

Yet Toyota still seem to top the sales charts every time I see them...
I think their cars are out there, we just choose not to notice them!

See a lot of Yaris/Auris about but deffo have not seen many new Avensis as new Mondeos. And the Fiesta will prob far outsell the Yaris. My mother had one of those before, while very reliable obviously, what a noisy and unrefined little car. I think they're are far better and more solid superminis out there.

RichyX

mfitzy wrote: »

My mother had one of those before, while very reliable obviously, what a noisy and unrefined little car. I think they're are far better and more solid superminis out there.

And that was a massive step up from the Starlet.
Starlets are like tractors to drive, horrible, noisy industrial feeling yokes.

Spudz O'Toole

RichyX wrote: »

And that was a massive step up from the Starlet.
Starlets are like tractors to drive, horrible, noisy industrial feeling yokes.

Avensis is the fridge of cars. Does the job but it's nothing to get excited about.

RichyX

Spudz O'Toole wrote: »

Avensis is the fridge of cars. Does the job but it's nothing to get excited about.

Between them my gf and her immediate family own 4 Avensises (or however you say it)

L-M

Avensi ? Lol!

cheapskate

..Boring!

As is Mondeo, Primera and the Passat, what are these manufacturers thinking I liked the old Passat and shudder the older Mondeo but these lack innovation!

Hats off to Citroen for the C6 and the C5, Laguna too and even the Insignia (not an opel fan)

CS

ninty9er

mfitzy wrote: »

Was just saying that to my da yesterday. The new Mondeo is EVERYWHERE, whereas I have only seen the odd Avensis.

The Fiesta always outsold the Yaris, but obviously there will be more Mondeo IV visible having a 2 year sales headstart on the Avensis III

embraer170

I loved the new Mondeo until I sat inside and saw the screaming cheap plastic. The Avensis is hardly 'beautiful' but the cabin interior feels a lot better, to me at least.

benj

PattheMetaller wrote: »

Just wanted to remind myself how lucky i am to be in a Golf:D

in a vw stalled on the side of the road while a toyota drives by:D
p.s i dont even like toyotas but at least they won't let you down....

GERMAN ROCKS

cheapskate wrote: »

..Boring!

As is Mondeo, Primera and the Passat, what are these manufacturers thinking I liked the old Passat and shudder the older Mondeo but these lack innovation!

Hats off to Citroen for the C6 and the C5, Laguna too and even the Insignia (not an opel fan)

CS

couldnt agree with you more but i dont really have a problem with the passat but hate avensises with a passion for there dullness

Damien360

mfitzy wrote: »

Was just saying that to my da yesterday. The new Mondeo is EVERYWHERE, whereas I have only seen the odd Avensis.
Same goes for the rest of the Toyota range, I'd say the Fiesta and Focus are outselling their equivalent Yaris/Auris too.
I'd have the Fords anyday personally.

The new mondeo has been around since late 07 when everyone would buy without thought. New avensis has just arrived to a depressed market hence why there are so many mondeos compared to them. Still, the beutiful Insignia seems to be outselling the avensis at least 3 to 1.

RichyX

Damien360 wrote: »

Still, the beutiful Insignia seems to be outselling the avensis at least 3 to 1.

Hopefully that'll last.
In a way it would be a positive thing if Toyota's sales continued to collapse. Maybe they'd realise they need to make cars that actually look good.

bazz26

Passat more interesting than an Avensis, I've heard it all now. Not surprised though, since the Passat or most VW cars for that matter, seem to be the default yard sticks used on this motoring forum by many posters as to what is the definition of a good car.

Anyone who thinks a Passat is in any way more interesting to drive or own than an Avensis really needs to expand their motoring knowledge beyond the badge, image, adverts and soft touch plastics.

RichyX

Sitec wrote: »

i like the design. they look like a German car, with Japanese reliability. Hardly a bad car.

Looks more like an American car to me, yuk!

Hogzy

bazz26 wrote: »

Passat more interesting than an Avensis, I've heard it all now. Not surprised though, since the Passat or most VW cars for that matter, seem to be the default yard sticks used on this motoring forum by many posters as to what is the definition of a good car.

Anyone who thinks a Passat is in any way more interesting to drive or own than an Avensis really needs to expand their motoring knowledge beyond the badge, image, adverts and soft touch plastics.

Fair enough about the badge, image and adverts...

But when it comes to the plastics of a car it makes a big difference, In my opinion alot of Nissan Cars use terrible plastics in there cars, I find VW/Skoda use much better (at least they seem of better quality) plastics. This makes a huge difference to peoples perception of a car.

Iv driven the new Avensis and passat and i have to say the passat just seems like a more solid car, The avensis just feels small like an Auris where as the passat feels like a much bigger saloon. If you feel that the interior is well built then its natural for you to feel that the whole car is well built unless proven otherwise

BTW none of these cars are very interesting! by reason of the fact that i could not drive one mile without seeing an avensis, passat or Insignia/vectra . Nothing is interesting if you have too much experience of it. These cars are too common.

Mr Benevolent

I like the looks of new Avensis - much better than the previous model. It got good reviews from Honest John and seems to be efficient.

CyberGhost

I don't like any of the new Avensis models.

I like the old "taxi" avensis a lot though, if the car is it good condition it looks nice.