Rating

Quick Summary

Average. It's a big Toyota with a new enviro-friendly option, but there's something missing. It's not exciting in any meaningful way and while that's great for some buyers, others will simply be put off.

Road Test

If the new Toyota Avensis found its basis in fantasy it would be a Vulcan. Or at least a Vulcan's ride to the shops. It doesn't 'do' emotion, it just does what it's supposed to do: exist and be useful for as long as its lifespan lasts. Look at it, it's even got the eyebrows. And the blank expression.

The Avensis isn't going to make you look forward to your commute. Its handling won't thrill you and its engines won't make the world go backwards if you stick your trotter down. There's not too much to entice a serious driver short of it being distantly related to the new GT 86 sports car.

Making its debut in the new Avensis is the Toyota Touch&Go Plus system. It takes the Toyota Touch (music, etc control), adds '&Go' (sat nav with added apps - want your car to know where every Marks and Spencer in the country is? Touch&Go will sort that for you, provided there's an 'app for that') and also bolts 'Plus' on. The Plus aspect is very interesting indeed. Now you can hook your phone up to the car using Bluetooth and connect the car to the internet. You can send a tweet from your car's centre console while you're driving on the motorway. You can also send SMS messages and emails if the mood takes you. While you're not playing with your phone while doing this we'd strongly advise against it. If you're in dire need of a quick email on the move either pull over or have your passenger send it for you.

Also appearing for the first time in this Avensis is an all-new 2.0-litre diesel engine. It emits a mere 119g/km CO2 in the saloon and 120g/km in the tourer - making it perfect for business drivers, albeit ones that simply want to get from A to B without any drama.

That's the thing - Mr Spock never caused any problems, he was rarely cause of any drama (apart from once every seven years, but anyway...). Spock's job was to quietly, cooly think through a problem and create the best possible outcome from an inevitably awful situation. And, much like the Avensis, he was very difficult to coax into a powerslide.

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