Which Should I Go For The 2.0 Or 2.2 D4D

[Onelly27]

Hi there,

This is my first post, I've been doing some research, using Which, Parkers, What Car etc. The Avensis T Spirit is the reliable, Luxurious cruiser that I've been looking for, my only concern is which do I go for the 2.2 or the 2.0 litre D4D? Which UK confirms it's probably the most reliable car available for my budget of £6-7,000 but these forums mention the head gasket is quite venerable on the 2.2. To be honest I do like the extra 0-60 performance but should I play safe and opt for the less powerful option?

This has been covered in previous posts but I can't seem to find any figures on this problem. My thoughts are that it must be a very small percentage otherwise it wouldn’t top the most reliable car league.....Have I answered my own question?

Any advice would be appreciated

Onelly27

[Sam29]

2.0 D-4d all the way...

Economical and trouble free.

[Mistermena]

Well I've got the 2.2 T-180 D-CAT Estate, and I'll be honest I love it. Its got great 2nd- 3rd pick up. But If your looking for economy then go for the 2.0 D-4D as you'll get about 37 round town and 45mpg on a Motorway out of the 180bhp wallop machine

[The Cav]

around town car 2.0

motorway 2.2 awsome car and super economy 50+ mpg at 70 mph on the motorway

and mines done 106000 and is superb no rattles etc (2.2 tspirit)

[headhurts]

Both are superb cars, I was going to have the 2.2 but the dealership suggested the 2.0 litre for all round use.

They did loan me a 2.2 auto for a week, I ordered a 2.0 t4 which is the later model with revised engine and gear ratios.

There is very little in the cars performance wise, I have taken mine to France and the 2.0 litre has plenty of urge in my opinion.

Why not have a good look round and make your choice on the best one you can find in looks, condition and price rather than engine size.

[t-spiritpete]

Hello, whichever one you choose get the facelift model, this is easily spotted by the indicators in the door mirrors. The engine in this one doesn't have a cambelt it uses a chain instead so one thing less to worry about.

You should test drive both the 2.0 & the 2.2 before you buy, if you like the extra power of the 2.2 but are worried about the head gasket you could always get the 2.0 and fit a kit from Parts King (on this forum) to boost the BHP & torque to something like the 2.2.

I love my 2.2d4d t-spirit so I am a little biased here, the car is a joy to drive even over long distances so i'm sure the 2ltr will be just as good in this respect.

Best regards Pete.

[Onelly27]

Thanks for all your replies, I'm going to test drive both before deciding, but the facelift 2.0 model sounds like a good compromise....Cheers Pete.

So the facelift gets indicators in the door mirrors and its chain driven, what other goodies did Toyota add?

Onelly27

[Mistermena]

Thanks for all your replies, I'm going to test drive both before deciding, but the facelift 2.0 model sounds like a good compromise....Cheers Pete.

So the facelift gets indicators in the door mirrors and its chain driven, what other goodies did Toyota add?

Onelly27

If you end up buying a 2.2 I'd think about buying some Forte Rad conditioner. It gets rid of the air in the system and also it seems to make my T-180 run cooler and warm up quicker (this can be used on any cooling system). Also put Mobil 1 ESP 5w-30 oil in her. Great stuff which complies with the C2 spec for the D-CAT.

To help maintain the dreaded EGR valve I use BG244 in the fuel, or you could use Forte or Millers Diesel clean...

[Druid Boy]

Aren't there two versions of the 2.2? The T180 with 180 bhp and the 150 bhp one in the usual T3, T4 etc. I think the T180 is the dodgy one. i have the 150 bhp one on a 06 plate. Gives good mileage and goes well.

[Heidfirst]

there are afaik more than 2 versions of the 2.2D in the T25 Avensis.

At least a 150bhp, a 150bhp D-CAT & the T180.

& again afaik they all potentially have the head/gasket issue.

The D-CAT/T180 have a DPF which lowers mpg.

My dealer tells me that the new shape 2.2s are fixed but it looks like Toyota UK have now dropped those from the range anyway.

[Mistermena]

there are afaik more than 2 versions of the 2.2D in the T25 Avensis.

At least a 150bhp, a 150bhp D-CAT & the T180.

& again afaik they all potentially have the head/gasket issue.

The D-CAT/T180 have a DPF which lowers mpg.

My dealer tells me that the new shape 2.2s are fixed but it looks like Toyota UK have now dropped those from the range anyway.

Yer I think your right that they have dropped the T-180 power unit now. But doesn't Lexus still have them in there 220d?

[sferg]

Hi, I have a 2004 D4D T-Spirit with the old 116bhp engine. I have some niggles with it which may confirm to you to go with the facelift model which others have suggested. Firstly the road noise is very intrusive - I used to drive a VW Bora Tdi and this was far quieter. Apparently it is down to the 17inch wheels with 45 profile tyres, the road roar is deafening , especially on poor road surfaces. One of the original options for the Avensis was noise reducing floor matts! I believe that the suspension bushes were revised for the facelifted cars, and the profile of the tyres went up to 50, in a bid to reduce the noise, but I'm not sure how successful this was, maybe others can comment. The ride is also very hard, again down to those 45 profile tyres.

Secondly, the engine is pretty unrefined for such a modern car, and in my opinion you can hear excessive noise through the cabin even at tickover. Having said that, the engine performs well for only a 116bhp, with adequate torque if you're not used to performance cars.

There are numerous rattles and shudders from my 106k mile car, which mainly come from the dashboard and the rear hatch - I would suggest driving both the hatch and saloon and see if the hatch is any noisier on the facelifted model.

The clutch on the 116bhp version is known to be heavy, and mine is no exception. I think it is due to wear, however I believe this can occur from early milage, so beware.

I can't comment on economy as I am not getting realworld figures due to a fault, but I think I should be getting late 40's if all was OK.

Also I'd recommend Xenon's of you can get them, as I don't think the standard dipped beams are that good.

Hope this helps

Simon