04/05 Avensis opinions & trim levels

tc20

Hi all,
as the title says, i'm considering an 04/05 Avensis (amongst others) as the family runabout. It'll be a long term keeper, most likely a 1.8, will have to be auto, and petrol as mileage is less than 10k miles p/a. I prefer the looks of the saloon as opposed to the hatch, but its not set in stone. I'm not looking to purchase immediatley, and will take my time selecting the right one.
If any one has ownership experience, and can explain the myriad of trim levels (Sol, Terra etc i think were the Irish market models - were T1/T2 etc UK or Irish market?)
As stated, it will be a long term runner, so reliability/running costs etc are high on the list. I'm aware it may not be the most exciting or engaging drive out there, but life's all about compromises isn't it
Before it's suggested, I know the Accord will be in the mix too, and having owned a 00 2litre model in the past, i'm well aware of the Honda's virtues. But for now i'm looking to hear about folks knowledge with the Avensis, anything to look for etc.
Budget will be €4.5k max - i've been keeping an eye on DD/carzone, so i know whats available at the moment

thanks

techie

I have a 05 Avensis manual myself, so can give you some ideas.

Aura is the base spec, Strata next up , Luna and then Sol (Top of Range, rare)
T1, T2 etc are the English versions alright.

Mine is a 1.6 Petrol and on a run gets 40mpg+, they are a great car, don't worry about higher mileage models once they have service history, mine has 120k miles and is still perfect and not burning a drop of oil, the 1.8 has been known to burn oil I think, but its supposed to give slightly better Mpg than mine.

They are great as a family car, they have ISOFIX, and the boot is huge (mine is Saloon)

I think its nice to drive, solid and my wife likes it too
If you have any other queries, feel free to PM me.

You will have a great choice on DD with your budget.

ofcork

You also have luna which is the 1.8,i have a 04 1.6 with 147k miles and it has never missed a beat,plenty out there so you can be choosy.

Matthewjohn

In the Avensis the Irish specs are : terra,aura,strata,luna and sol. Uk specs are : t1,t2,t3,t4 and t-spirit. There are no direct spec comparison between Irish and UK Versions.

bazz26

Matthewjohn wrote: »

In the Avensis the Irish specs are : terra,aura,strata,luna and sol. Uk specs are : t1,t2,t3,t4 and t-spirit. There are no direct spec comparison between Irish and UK Versions.

In the 2003 to 2009 model that the OP is looking at there was no Terra spec, Aura was the basic model.

OP, Luna is the highest Irish spec you will get in the 1.8 litre and has nicer seats than the lesser models. I had one many years ago and it was a great family car. Luna spec is also the only saloon model pre the 2006 facelift that had split folding rear seats which is handy.

Regarding the auto, they are rare and not the most advanced. Just make sure the car is in tip top shape as the majority of auto Avensis sold in this country would have been rental cars at one point. The rental companies had a tendency to hold onto autos longer as they were scarce but this meant they had above average wear and tear or abuse by the time they sold them on.

tc20

Thanks for the advice lads, much appreciated.

@ Bazz - re the autobox; i'm coming from a 30+ y/o Merc with a 4 speed TC, so believe me when i say this will be the future even if its nigh on 10 y/o already...also Mrs tc20 is currently driving a K11 Micra auto (CVT).
I'm not expecting much in the realms of creature comforts on an 04/05 model, bar CD player (some models have tape & CD i think). Auto wipers & lights i can do without, but 4 x electric windows should be there - do some models have a bit of both in the window department? I could never fathom that out :mad:

@ techie & ofcork - i've no fear of high mileage models at all, once they have a bit of back-up

colm_mcm

Even when I was selling these new 9 years ago, the automatic gearbox on my 95 car was more advanced.

The huge majority of 1.8 auto models will be luna spec, but there were a run of 1.8 aura autos made, most became hire cars.

Luna models will have dual climate, 4 leccie windows, better seats, folding rear seats, alloys, fogs etc.
all pre 06 have tape and CD regardless of trim level

2.0 has a 5 speed auto IIRC, but the D-4 petrol engine is a bit coarse.

bazz26

Model specs:

Aura 1.6,1.8 vvti or 2.0d-4d - front electric windows, electric door mirrors, remote central locking, 8 speaker cd/tape player, manual air conditioning, stereo remote controls on the steering wheel, ABS, 16" steel wheels with plastic wheel trim.

Strata 1.6 vvti or 2.0d-4d - adds rear electric windows, front fog lights, 16" alloy wheels.

Luna 1.8 vvti or 2.0d-4d - adds dual zone climate controlled automatic air conditioning, electric heated and folding door mirrors, VSC (vehicle stability control), leather covered steering wheel and gear stick, front and rear arm rests, split folding rear seats, upgraded seat fabrics, auto dimming rear view mirror, auto wipers, titanium dashboard trim.

colm_mcm

Don't forget the colour coded sills, height adjustable passenger seat and auto lights bazz!

bazz26

colm_mcm wrote: »

Don't forget the colour coded sills, height adjustable passenger seat and auto lights bazz!

Cannot remember back but I thought the auto lights only appeared in the facelifted model?

colm_mcm

You had a luna didn't you, I honestly can't remember if they had or not.


Anorak point, the luna also has a rear 12v power socket..

ofcork

What mpg should i be getting out of the 1.6 i have,worked out i covered 241 miles from 32.28 litres of fuel giving me 33mpg am feeling this is low.

colm_mcm

ofcork wrote: »

What mpg should i be getting out of the 1.6 i have,worked out i covered 241 miles from 32.28 litres of fuel giving me 33mpg am feeling this is low.

That's about right. Even on the motorway they're not great on juice.

ofcork

Are the new model any better in 1.6 guise,the body looks heavier though i assume they increased the power.

colm_mcm

They are. the valvematic is more powerful and economical, and it has a 6 speed box.

The new one is only 20kg heavier.

ofcork

They look alot more,only thing the 1.6 is as rare as hens teeth in 2012 guise,all 102 on carzone are diesel.

Conmaicne Mara

ofcork wrote: »

What mpg should i be getting out of the 1.6 i have,worked out i covered 241 miles from 32.28 litres of fuel giving me 33mpg am feeling this is low.

39.5 mpg for mine, worked out properly, not using trip computer which is a blatant liar.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=81899843

tc20

thanks again folks for your input.

Should we go with the Avensis, it's a Luna (preferably) i'll be aiming for. I'll keep ye posted when the time comes.
There doesn't seem to be any long term ownership issues, and i'm guessing servicable items are fairly reasonable ??
cheers