Buying Modern Avensis Diesel - 2Nd Hand

[Red diesel]

Im more asking out of couriosity as im not in a position to buy one

But in your opinions - is it better to have a 110 000 miler thats had all the common modern diesel problems

done in the last 20 odd thousand miles (with full history to back it all up and everything verified by the relevent

Mr T garage) or a 60 000 miler thats not had any of the faults come up yet - but will likely suffer these faults

in the next 20 to 30 000 miles. Personally id find the idea that a higher mileage car has had things like turbo charger and DMF

done in the last 20 000 miles - very reassuring. Of course all of these assumes that neither of the 2 cars have being abused and that

the high mileage cars higher miles is reflected in a much cheaper price (the reason id be looking

towards high mileage cars in the first place is that they are cheap compared to low mileage cars).

I know some people will say that the higher mileage car may not drive as nice in terms of stuff like suspension

but id rather replace suspension bits then worry about the conseqences of turbo failure - and of course the money

ive saved will go towards suspension work (which the 60 000 mile car will need at some point anyway).

Would normally prefer to have a petrol 2 litre than the diesel if i was confined to buying a 60 000 mile cars - but

reckon that having a higher mileage D4D (say 110 000 miles) with everything done and being sold cheap on accound of

having high miles would be a game changer. Because theres then the possibility that i may actually enjoy the financial

benefits of 45 to 50 mpg on the D4D compared to 32 mpg or so on the petrol rather than spending the savings on repairs.

Speaking of 2 litre petrols - am i right incidentally that the 2 litre VVTI is the most reliable of the Mark 2 Avensises on the

basis that from what ive read elsewhere - the VVTI oil consumption issues only affected the 1.6 (which you didn't get in the UK AFAIK)

and the 1.8s (1.4s on the Corollas also were affected) and there would be none of the expensive bits that go wrong on the diesel

Sorry for the long winded question

Red diesel

[Druid Boy]

There is no easy answer to this one. A lot of it depends on how the car has been driven. I would sooner buy a 150k miles car driven by 'me now' than a 30k miles car driven by 'me aged 25'. If I'm wearing the tyres, discs & pads out in 6 - 8k miles then the rest of the car is going the same way. If the tyres are doing 25k miles then the rest of the car - chassis included will last. I once had a company car that sat about an inch lower than the other cars in the car park simply cos I thrashed it. The Ford dealer loved me cos he put discs, pads & tyres on the front (last of the late brakers) & wheel trims on the back (clipping kerbs exiting corners) every 6k miles. Funny thing though, when I jacked it up to change a tyre and opened drivers door I couldn't close it until all the wheels were back on the ground. Company cars. Mega!

[Red diesel]

Today i sat in the back of an Avensis Mark 2 taxi with high miles (over 200 000 kilometres) and lo and behold

the car seemed to drive perfectly. A few months ago i was also in another Mark 2 avensis taxi with over 200 000 miles

and again it seemed to drive perfectly.

As you quite rightly say Druid Boy - a lot of it has to do with whos driven it before you.

Red diesel

[t-spiritpete]

Today i sat in the back of an Avensis Mark 2 taxi with high miles (over 200 000 kilometres) and lo and behold

the car seemed to drive perfectly. A few months ago i was also in another Mark 2 avensis taxi with over 200 000 miles

and again it seemed to drive perfectly.

As you quite rightly say Druid Boy - a lot of it has to do with whos driven it before you.

Red diesel

Hi mate, you are spot on, whether driving a high mileage or low mileage Toyota they all seem to feel the same and I have driven quite a few. This is the sign of build quality, all cars including Toyota have faults but it's more about the bigger picture not just engine and gearbox etc. etc.

Yesterday I was talking to my brother who lives in the west of Ireland where the roads are really bad, he happended to mention how a failed front suspension part that had been on his previous12 year old 150,000 mile Carina E from new was replaced by a spurious replacement part ..... guess what, it lasted 6 months, this says everything about Toyota quality. I always notice on TV what vehicles they drive in the most hostile terrain on the planet whether hot or cold and when their life may depend on it, mainly usually Toyota. So the answer to your question isn't so easy when it includes the Avensis, especially the early models.

Pete.