Avensis Estate Recommendations?

[bigcog]

Hey folks, my Corolla is just not gonna cut it on holiday so we need something with decent boot space. This car won't be doing any miles as I use a Yaris Diesel to commute so I'm looking at second hand models around the 2000 W reg that have done 75-100k, in the £2-£3k price bracket. Can anyone pass on any pearls of wisdom, what to watch for, known faults, etc etc. Experiences from owners, anything gratefully received.

[jamesholden]

If it's just for occasional use then you can get an older Camry estate for £1000 or less, and they are huge, so big they have two wipers on the back!

[sjrainsford]

Well, if you aim for one with the older engine in it, like the 3S-FE which is the 2.0 petrol you can have tried and tested engines. As you have probably noticed there are quite a few little niggles with the VVTi engines. The 1.8 leanburn engine (7A-FE) is also another bullet proof engine, but with only 110bhp on offer they struggle a little with this size of car. Power is acceptable, but may not be suitable to an estate version that will be a load lugger.

Obviously the D4D diesel versions are also quite well respected, but you may struggle to get one in that budget. Avoid the older 2.0TD, it was a poor and dated engine in comparison to competitors offerings of that time.

As far as spec goes, i'd aim for as high as you can to get all the kit. This makes it better for re-sale too. Specs to aim for are GLS, SR or CDX with leather etc. The GS model is also quite well equipped, but when buying second hand you don't actually pay any extra for the extra kit so it makes sence to find one with it in.

They are generally very reliable and cheap to run cars, but keep an eye out for ex taxi cars. There are a lot of them around now, keys to this will be well worn shiny steering wheel and poor worn seats and interior. They are comfy cruisers, but the interior isn't exactly bullet proof so expect a couple of rattles that can normally always be sorted quite easily.