Buying A Secondhand Verso

[Vanquish]

Hi All

I'm looking at buying a toyota verso secondhand. Which engine variant should i get ie petrol or diesel? I have been reading about MIL lamp on and Catalyst failures. Why do you have to replace the catalyst and ECU at the same time? I'm so shocked to have read toyotas have issues as i thought the cars they made are bomb proof.

Looking forward to some response

Vanquish

[hertsnminds]

Which engine variant should i get ie petrol or diesel?

How many miles will you be driving and how often with the car be fully loaded? Do you like to change gear less or more often? If you can answer those questions it will help you decide which engine to go for.

To get best economy from a diesel you will be driving around the 2,000 revs or less mark and getting maximum power around 3,600 revs. With the petrol you will have to get to 6,000 revs to be in the power band.

Another question would be how many toys (driver aids) do you like? This will determine which spec level you look for T2, T3, TR, SR or T-Spirit.

[Tawse57]

Do you mind if I jump in on this thread also as I was about to post my own on this subject.

I am looking at buying either a 1 year old secondhand T3 one with about 15 to 20K on the clock for about £12,000 or getting a new one on 0% finance - not sure which is the best option as I have the cash to pay the 12K and am trying to figure which option is the best bang for buck.

But like Vanquish, I am undecided about petrol versus diesel. I am going to be using the car to carry my surfboard or my mountain bike and am a single guy. I will occasionally have friends in the car but, apart from the afore-mentioned kit plus the wetsuits, etc, I am really undecided about getting a petrol or diesel.

Currently, I do 10,000 miles a year but that might double within 6 months. I have never owned a diesel before but hear a lot about lots of low end torque on the diesel and have read comments that the 1.8 petrol is under-powered and noisy when full. I spoke with a 92 year old Verso owner today, of a 1.8, and he seemed happy carting his electric scooter in the back whilst out driving himself and his wife around the place. He said 'happiness' was the secret to a long life btw :D

I have read the diesel versus petrol thread in here but it did not enlighten me any further. Most appear to be opting for diesel though and I am now afraid that if I go for petrol I might end up with an under-powered car. Then again, is the diesel engine one that sounds like a combine harvester?

I am road testing both next week but would be grateful for opinions from all you Verso owners.

Thank you.

Hope you don't mind me jumping in here Vanquish.

[Vanquish]

Feel free to jump in Tawse57 it's good to debate, I could be looking at either engine variant as my wife is having twins that is why i'm going for the verso 7 seat etc. reading in the forums both cars have issues with mechnical failures etc, which i'm not worried as such as not everyone will have bad experiences possibly. My wife will do approx 10 to 15 k a year and ,mainly town and short distance travelling. i'm looking at more a 3-4 year car possibly.

Looking forward further comments

[Tawse57]

Feel free to jump in Tawse57 it's good to debate, I could be looking at either engine variant as my wife is having twins that is why i'm going for the verso 7 seat etc. reading in the forums both cars have issues with mechnical failures etc, which i'm not worried as such as not everyone will have bad experiences possibly. My wife will do approx 10 to 15 k a year and ,mainly town and short distance travelling. i'm looking at more a 3-4 year car possibly.

Looking forward further comments

I was looking for something a bit older, and hence cheaper, initially but any Verso I looked at over 2 years old seemed to have a big leap in mileage with several 2 and 3 year old Versos I looked at having about 40 to 50 thousand miles on the clock. That kind of worried me as around that time you start to get into replacement of things like exhausts and so on... and I just wondered whether buying older/cheaper and then discovering I had a big ticket item to repair might negate the benefits of buying the older/cheaper car.

From what you say re your requirements I think it sounds like a petrol would be big enough for your requirements - although I am no expert. They used to do a 1.6 petrol but I read online that it was under-powered so maybe you need to consider this when looking.

I think all cars of all makes can come with mechanical problems these days and it is pretty much pot luck what you get whether you are buying new or used.

Congrats on the twins by the way - I wish you all health, happiness and long lives.

[Zwart_Verso]

I was looking for something a bit older, and hence cheaper, initially but any Verso I looked at over 2 years old seemed to have a big leap in mileage with several 2 and 3 year old Versos I looked at having about 40 to 50 thousand miles on the clock. That kind of worried me as around that time you start to get into replacement of things like exhausts and so on... and I just wondered whether buying older/cheaper and then discovering I had a big ticket item to repair might negate the benefits of buying the older/cheaper car.

Just a thought, is it possible to but extended warranty in the UK? Here in Holland, extended warranty for:

an extra 1 year or 130,000KM (= 80,000 miles) costs €243

an extra 2 years or 160,000KM (= 100,000 miles) costs €449

These do not have to be applied for until just before the end of the original warranty.

As long as the car is less than 3 years old and done less than 60,000 miles you can still get 2 years warranty.

From what you say re your requirements I think it sounds like a petrol would be big enough for your requirements - although I am no expert. They used to do a 1.6 petrol but I read online that it was under-powered so maybe you need to consider this when looking.

I am very pleased with my 1.8 petrol model, I have just done 3,000 KM. to Croatia and back with 5 adults on board and towing a trailer tent of approx 650Kgs. Absolutely no problems. I certainly would not say it is underpowered.

That said, I must admit I would have liked the 136 HP diesel! Slightly more power, a lot more torque, and a six speed gearbox. But the choice here in Holland is somewhat easier. Our road tax is done according to weight (the diesel is 150KG heavier = 2 tax classes higher) and for a diesel there is a large surcharge, this is offset by the fact that diesel fuel is cheaper that petrol. But the bottom line here is the road tax for the:

1.8 Petrol is €552 per year.

2.2 Diesel is €1320 per year.

Insurance is also higher because it is also based on weight (3rd party part) and catalogue price (comprehensive part). Which means if you do less than 25,000 KM per year the diesel is just to expensive.

It is just a question of doing the maths, which will of course be different for the UK, If the difference is not much then I think it is just a question of which one you come across first.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Andy

[Tawse57]

I am very pleased with my 1.8 petrol model, I have just done 3,000 KM. to Croatia and back with 5 adults on board and towing a trailer tent of approx 650Kgs. Absolutely no problems. I certainly would not say it is underpowered.

That said, I must admit I would have liked the 136 HP diesel! Slightly more power, a lot more torque, and a six speed gearbox. But the choice here in Holland is somewhat easier. Our road tax is done according to weight (the diesel is 150KG heavier = 2 tax classes higher) and for a diesel there is a large surcharge, this is offset by the fact that diesel fuel is cheaper that petrol. But the bottom line here is the road tax for the:

1.8 Petrol is €552 per year.

2.2 Diesel is €1320 per year.

Insurance is also higher because it is also based on weight (3rd party part) and catalogue price (comprehensive part). Which means if you do less than 25,000 KM per year the diesel is just to expensive.

It is just a question of doing the maths, which will of course be different for the UK, If the difference is not much then I think it is just a question of which one you come across first.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Andy

Thanks Andy, I appreciate your views on the petrol model. Good to hear that you found it no problem in pulling 5 adults in it.

Diesel is a lot more expensive now in the UK and the days when you paid extra for a diesel but got that money back in paying less for diesel at the pump than for petrol have long gone. I am also concerned about the noise from diesels also. Having said that the UK is going down CO2 car taxation and the diesel emits less CO2 than the petrol so will be cheaper to tax. It is all very confusing in the UK at the moment with regards to cars.

[hertsnminds]

When I bought my Verso the dealer let me have the car for a whole weekend test drive. That let me try it with different numbers of people in and under different road conditions.

See if your dealer will do the same, then you can load the car up and see if it feels underpowered to you. I have to say the diesel seems to have more than enough power as it keeps turning the VSC on to stop the wheels spinning when my right foot gets heavy :) . Yes the diesel is noisy, when compared to a French engine but then you would hope a Toyota is more reliable.

[Tawse57]

When I bought my Verso the dealer let me have the car for a whole weekend test drive. That let me try it with different numbers of people in and under different road conditions.

See if your dealer will do the same, then you can load the car up and see if it feels underpowered to you. I have to say the diesel seems to have more than enough power as it keeps turning the VSC on to stop the wheels spinning when my right foot gets heavy :) . Yes the diesel is noisy, when compared to a French engine but then you would hope a Toyota is more reliable.

Thanks herts.

[PSM]

I have just bought a new 2.2D SR and am very plesed with it. Seems to have a reasonable amount of power and pulled weel even with 7 in it on the weekend. The ecomomy seems good with between 50-55mpg and it has only done 500 miles so far so would expect this to improve further still. The new SR spec seems very generous to me with front and rear parking sensors, cruise control and multi disc player (with MP3 playback). I also added the bluetooth/ipod connection.

Tawse- I would suggest looking at the SR spec instead of the T3 since it is based on the T3 spec but with a few added extras for less money (when new anyway). Also I would ask why you are looking at the Verso as would a normal estate or hatchback do what you need. It does not sound like you will ever carry 7 people so why waste boot space carrying around 2 extra seats that you will not use. My Octavia hatchback will easily carry a bike in the back with the seat down or even in the boot on its own with both wheels taken off. If you went for a hatch/estate of another make you would probably get a bigger range of engine choices (somewhat limited in the Verso) and you would not have to haul around a large heavy (and normally empty) vehicle hence improving ecomony etc.

[Tawse57]

I have just bought a new 2.2D SR and am very plesed with it. Seems to have a reasonable amount of power and pulled weel even with 7 in it on the weekend. The ecomomy seems good with between 50-55mpg and it has only done 500 miles so far so would expect this to improve further still. The new SR spec seems very generous to me with front and rear parking sensors, cruise control and multi disc player (with MP3 playback). I also added the bluetooth/ipod connection.

Tawse- I would suggest looking at the SR spec instead of the T3 since it is based on the T3 spec but with a few added extras for less money (when new anyway). Also I would ask why you are looking at the Verso as would a normal estate or hatchback do what you need. It does not sound like you will ever carry 7 people so why waste boot space carrying around 2 extra seats that you will not use. My Octavia hatchback will easily carry a bike in the back with the seat down or even in the boot on its own with both wheels taken off. If you went for a hatch/estate of another make you would probably get a bigger range of engine choices (somewhat limited in the Verso) and you would not have to haul around a large heavy (and normally empty) vehicle hence improving ecomony etc.

Thanks PSM - 6 foot 2 inches tall I simply cannot fit into virtually all hatches on the market - my legs are either crammed up against the steering wheel or my head is touching the ceiling or both.

When I mention this I usuallu get someone of similar height telling me that they have no problem in a golf or a focus or whatever... but I can only assume they are sat in a REALY BAD FOR THEIR HEALTH way. Putting a seat down really - apart from that it does not help me anyhow - only results in sitting in a really bad way for your posture and hence your health. People stupidly, and perhaps arrogantly, buy cars that are simply too small for them, cram themselves in and, over time, it causes all sorts of back pains, neck pains, breathing difficulties, sciatica, etc, etc.

Even more dangerous is that if you body is too close to the metal frame of the car - i.e. your head to close to the roof or your body too close to the door-frame - if you have an accident then at the imapct point you have metal upon bone impacts which are usually what causes the severe injuries, and even death, in an accident. The numerous crash death dummy videos have shown this time and time again with, for example, the skull smashing into the roof of the car. People die this way.

Thanks for your advice though PSM, I do appreciate you taking the time suggest other alternatives. If I could find an estate with the room I require I would seriously consider it although, frankly, I do not see what the difference is between driving a Verso MPV and driving an estate as both will have, most of the time, an empty back.

IMPO the Verso is not a 7 seater MPV - that was just some silly nonsense that Toyota stuck in an extra 2 seats when car reviewers said it did not have enough seats - as no one in their right mind would put kids in those seats on regular occasions and, even if you did, you would have no boot space anyhow. To me the Verso is a 4 seater in comfort family car, 5 at a pince but certainly not a 7 seater. Also, if you look at the dimensions of a Verso it is no longer than many hatches. Yes, it is slightly wider and certainly higher but when parked next to small family hatches it does not stand out as a massive car compared to, say, the Avensis.

Or am I compeltely nuts... I mean, completely wrong?

[Vanquish]

Hi all

many thanks for the info, I hope to go for a SR variant but either a 1.8 petrol or a diesel depending what I can find when I purchase one

[hertsnminds]

Thanks PSM - 6 foot 2 inches tall I simply cannot fit into virtually all hatches on the market - my legs are either crammed up against the steering wheel or my head is touching the ceiling or both.

It depends what proportion of your height is leg length and how much is body as this will put your seat in a different position to other people of the same height, so I understand what you mean about only fitting in some cars.

Yes, it is slightly wider and certainly higher but when parked next to small family hatches it does not stand out as a massive car compared to, say, the Avensis.

One of the reasons I bought the Verso was its exterior dimensions, it is actually 4mm narrower than the C4 hatch I had before, yet fits 3 more comfortably in row 2 than the C4 did (in it's back seats), especially when there are two child seats in the car.

[Tawse57]

Thanks PSM - 6 foot 2 inches tall I simply cannot fit into virtually all hatches on the market - my legs are either crammed up against the steering wheel or my head is touching the ceiling or both.

It depends what proportion of your height is leg length and how much is body as this will put your seat in a different position to other people of the same height, so I understand what you mean about only fitting in some cars.

Yes, it is slightly wider and certainly higher but when parked next to small family hatches it does not stand out as a massive car compared to, say, the Avensis.

One of the reasons I bought the Verso was its exterior dimensions, it is actually 4mm narrower than the C4 hatch I had before, yet fits 3 more comfortably in row 2 than the C4 did (in it's back seats), especially when there are two child seats in the car.

I have long, long legs Herts and this simply rules out so many cars. If I could fit comfortably in an Auris or a Golf or a Focus I would go out and buy one today.

Yes, a friend of mine was saying what a big car the Verso is until I mentioned that it is often no bigger than many perceived to be smaller cars on the market.

For example, The Verso is 1770mm wide, the new Ford Focus is 1839mm wide. The Verso is only 32 mm longer but if you asked Joe Public I suspect most would tell you the Focus was the much smaller car.

[PSM]

I am 6ft 4 (with 35" legs) and find I can get comfortable in most cars although I do accept that everyone is different. My main point was that the 2 seats in the very back take up boot space and you will never use them so is it better to get a car with the big boot but without seats (I know the VW Touran can be specced without the rear 2 seats hence making the boot deeper- However I do not like the look of the Touran). Also I saw that they do a C4 Grand Picasso with only 4 seats in it (all be it they were 4 arm chairs) and called it a C4 Lounge. I also bought the Verso because of the way it fits so much into such small exterior dimensions. I would disagree and find the rear 2 seats very useful. They are certainly big enough for kids on a long drive and fine for adults for shorter journeys. On the ecomony front I still think there is an additional penalty for having the verso over an estate. The verso is a tall car and so the aerodynamics must be compromised. This can be seen in the fuel consumption (and hence tax bracket) figures which are barely any better than my 170BHP diesel hatchback. Also the toyota diesel does not seem as economical, for the power, as other makes of diesel engines. I picked a Verso because the benefits, for me, outweighed the few drawbacks of the Verso. However, as I read your first post it seemed that there could have been better options for you but maybe not!!!!! If you get one I am sure you will enjoy it and at the end of the day it is all about what you want and makes you happy.

[Tawse57]

I am 6ft 4 (with 35" legs) and find I can get comfortable in most cars although I do accept that everyone is different. My main point was that the 2 seats in the very back take up boot space and you will never use them so is it better to get a car with the big boot but without seats (I know the VW Touran can be specced without the rear 2 seats hence making the boot deeper- However I do not like the look of the Touran). Also I saw that they do a C4 Grand Picasso with only 4 seats in it (all be it they were 4 arm chairs) and called it a C4 Lounge. I also bought the Verso because of the way it fits so much into such small exterior dimensions. I would disagree and find the rear 2 seats very useful. They are certainly big enough for kids on a long drive and fine for adults for shorter journeys. On the ecomony front I still think there is an additional penalty for having the verso over an estate. The verso is a tall car and so the aerodynamics must be compromised. This can be seen in the fuel consumption (and hence tax bracket) figures which are barely any better than my 170BHP diesel hatchback. Also the toyota diesel does not seem as economical, for the power, as other makes of diesel engines. I picked a Verso because the benefits, for me, outweighed the few drawbacks of the Verso. However, as I read your first post it seemed that there could have been better options for you but maybe not!!!!! If you get one I am sure you will enjoy it and at the end of the day it is all about what you want and makes you happy.

Thanks again PSM. I do appreciate the imput. I tried a Grand Picasso and, again, I could find a way of getting the steering wheel away from my thighs. Nuts for such a big car on the outside. The only car that truly grabs me, I have to admit, is the CRV but I have a fear that 4x4s are about to be taxed off the road and I also really do not wish to go into the 20K plus area for a car. The Verso seems the best compromise I have to say.