Considering A 2.0 Litre Diesel 2010 Avensis T4

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Hi All

We are looking to upsize our current Toyota Corolla 1.6 Petrol that has proved faithful over the last 5 years. But sadly we have out grown it as a family. And with my partners business requirements we need a larger boot and will be doing more mileage in a year.

We have seen a 1 owner, manual, 2010, T4 model with every extra, it looks a beauty, full Toyota history, and 65000 on the clock, at a cost of 7k.

My main concerns are that it is a cash buy from a local trader a few hundred miles from where we live, and it only has 1 key.

I spoke with my local Toyota dealers yesterday to enquire about the vehicle. They confirmed that it has a full history, that it would cost £150 to have another key programmed (which i thought was fairly reasonable), and points to look out for or to consider...the electronic handbrake is prone to issues when replacing your own discs and pads, only they can reset it, and to ensure we take it on a long run in 4th gear at 70mph to clear soot build up as maintenance, or i could pay them £120 to treat it every now and again, they said not to worry about the dpf so long as we keep it soot free.

We have never owned a diesel before, so any advice would be most appreciated, we have admittedly had 2 petrol Avensis before, a 1.6 gs on a 1998, and a 1.8 sr on a 2001, both gave us some issues with gearbox bearings, water in boot, and bank sensor issues, so sadly they were unpleasant issues, but my other half has something about the Avensis.

I look forward to any responses, hoping to view and possibly purchase it by the weekend.

Thank You All.

[Heidfirst]

I may be biased but get a Tourer rather than a saloon - imo prettier & much more flexible load carrier at the slight cost of being a little noisier inside.

If you are doing the mileage for the fuel saving from diesel v initial cost to work & the type of driving to keep the DPF clear, fair enough but don't rule out the 1.8 petrol - surprisingly good mpg & no turbo/intercooler/DPF/DMF etc. to go wrong at high repair cost. The 2012 facelift saw a lot of improvements to the 2.0 diesel with iirc~15% improvement in mpg & a drop in road tax (a 2012 would also still be in the original Toyota 5 year warranty)

Also, is there anything on a T4 that you really need or want over a TR (long in my opinion the best "bang for buck" trim level)?

Points to look out for:

- EPB actuator failure (probably due to moisture ingress) - rare but over £1000 to fix outside warranty.

- cracking of the door skin by the restraint/restricter. Again rare.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Good Morning.

Thank you Heidfirst.

Your response is much appreciated.

My partner has his heart absolutely set on this particular vehicle, solely because it has a full styling kit which i believe is VERY rare indeed. He has always wanted one but preferably the petrol variant! He knows full well that a diesel variant isn't really suited to us since we may only average 6-7k miles per year, possibly more, then again, possibly less depending on his ill health. I have tried talking to him and it is really stressing me out.

From the advert, the vehicle looks very nice, and it has a full history, we are yet to see it and test drive it at the weekend, in the meantime he has secured it with a deposit and it has been reserved.

I have been doing as much research that i possibly can, and all by myself, in regards to 2.0 diesels, and there is so much to worry about: injectors, turbo, Scv, Egr, Dpf, etc, all very costly to repair, simply put...i dont want him to buy it and regret it later.

Diesels freak me out if i am honest. My father was a motor vehicle mechanic for 52 years before he sadly passed away in 2010, and he only ever drove petrol variants.

If only, we could do lesser miles and some how maintain this diesel so that it doesnt clog up and destroy itself. We do our own servicing and manage our own repairs but i still feel stressed out about this purchase. If it were a petrol variant i wouldnt be so concerned. BUT its this styling kit and the toys that come with it thats making him insane with this particular vehicle. The fact that it is a CASH BUY and only has one key doesnt seem to deter him in the slightest!

I recently read about diesel owners being charged extra for driving through certain city's soon, who knows, may be they will do away with diesels oneday, or penalise owners of them heavy, and diesel fuel charges may rocket soon, it makes me feel that there isnt much of a future for diesels, i apologise deeply for my negativity guys.

Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you.

[Konrad C]

Hi Sam, I would look at other cars before buying. I bought an early 2009 1.8 Tourer for £5600 with full service history okay body and 51000 miles. Only a couple of things were missing and it cost less than £9 to sort those out. It has only the paint in the door stays cracking, due to the metal flexing (getting that sorted soon), and I added Bluetooth/SD card/USB. I changed the sparkplugs and both air and cabin filters. All keys are present. The car drives lovely.

I sound like a saleman! I got mine local to me and the car is honest.

I did a quick search on Autotrader using Birmingham as centre and got the following searches: - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/toyota/avensis/postcode/b401nt/radius/1500/page/1/maximum-age/up_to_5_years_old/price-from/4000/onesearchad/used/price-to/7500/sort/default

The key will be a bargaining tool for me. I would look closer to home and see a few examples before committing to a car only seen in the advert. I only saw the one I bought! Talk about giving advice.

Be prepared to walk away and tell your partner not to be seduced by the surface. Hopefully you will reign him in.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Thank you Konrad.

I hear you loud and clearly.

I like the look of the petrol variant tourers absolutely, loads of boot space!

But there is no getting through my other half, i spoke with my dealers again today for their advice, very friendly gentleman, as they usually are, he recons the 2.0 diesels are bomb proof, he said to go for it, and to try and hit the 6/7k a year marker but not to stress if we dont so long as we take it on say a 30/45min long drive in 4th gear to clear out any build up, otherwise service on time, and we should be fine!!!

If only he hadn't seen this particular car with the full body styling i'd be stress free right now! Fingers crossed, i guess exterior is everything to some people, i must admit i like the leathers inside, never owned leather seats before!

[Heidfirst]

if it's coming from a Toyota dealer consider taking out Toyota's extended warranty, they do a low (<10k p.a.) mileage option, it includes Roadside Recovery & at least last year they were doing a "2 years for the price of 1" offer. The car has to be serviced once a year by a Toyota dealer though or the warranty is invalidated. Tbh I don't find Toyota's fixed price servicing to be too expensive though iirc the 80,000 iirc will be a biggie.

How are the rear discs/pads? As you said, with the EPB changing those isn't as easy for home maintenance. Hopefully your other half has negotiated the car being serviced/MOTed if necessary pre-delivery as part of the deal.

No modern common rail turbo-diesel is bombproof. I recommend running on branded premium diesel (I prefer Shell VPower although I can buy BP Ultimate etc. slightly cheaper) - it may not give you more power or economy but hopefully it will keep the engine cleaner given the type of driving that you say that you will be doing hence save you money in maintenance costs down the road.

& yes, a fully Toyota Motorsports body-kitted car is rare. To a certain extent I understand where he is coming from - I went out to buy a 1.8 TR Tourer but got seduced by the offer of this 2.2 TSpirit Tourer at a knock-down price. Having lived with it for 2 years now I don't think that I would really have missed anything on it though if I had got a TR.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Glad to hear from you again Heidfirst,

The vehicle is being sold by a local trader in that town, i have googled the company name but there is nothing out there or any where if im honest. But they have a lot of vehicles for sale, especially Avensis for some reason.

I would have been more relieved if it were from a Toyota dealer.

It was mot'd in August 2015, only advisory is rear near side tyre close to legal limit ive just found out.

Do you know much about the EPB if we were to replace discs n pads etc in the future?

I agree 100 percent re.running it on Shell v.power at every fill up. I think it would help. If im honest we've never tried it ever but ill make sure he uses it now though!

So to clarify...do you wish you had of gone for the 1.8 TR spec in the end???

[Heidfirst]

even if it isn't coming from a Toyota dealer it is worth asking a Toyota dealer about the extended warranty.

Probably better with someone like Konrad/Devon Aygo etc. re. actually servicing the rear discs/pads & the EPB - my car has a Toyota Extended Warranty so has to be serviced by a Toyota dealer once a year which is all it needs (plus I don't have the facilities for doing much to the car).

It's a hard one to quantify. I paid a bit more for the diesel TSpirit than a petrol TR but I expect the fuel & road tax savings & potentially the residual value to even that up (or maybe come out in front) by the time that I change again. So essentially I got a lot more toys for nothing.

I think that the only thing that I would really have missed would be the electric retracting mirrors. The sunroof, push button start, heated leather seats, upgraded audio & satnav I could certainly live without.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Good Morning Heidfirst and Konrad, my two very helpful friends, thank you.

So to update you on our viewing of the vehicle yesterday.

Well to clarify first...we bought it! As soon as he saw it he fell in love...and i have to admit deep down...i kinda did to!

The exterior is in good condition considering it is just shy over 5 years, and it appears to be mechanically sound too...for now! The test drive went well, no rattles or knocks, no signs of any leaks, no mayo under filler caps, the exhaust was super clean when i swiped my finger on the inside of it, and no smoking.

The only niggles were the tyres definitely need replacing...and all 4 of them...each are a different brand...the rears are worn on the outside shoulder...not sure what to make of that! My question is: the wheels are fitted with 215/55/r17...now my corolla that i traded in had some Compressor alloy wheels on that i took off prior to sale and they have brand new 215/45/r17 tyres on...do you think i could swap them over??? That would really help us out saving on new tyres.

Another niggle is the offside rear lights have slight condensation build up...is that normal or anything to worry about?

Otherwise everything appears to be ok other than a few missing engine cover clips...and a few clips on the front wheel arch liners which is a bit weird...oh and a missing cigarette lighter...he smokes not me...and never inside the car i can promise you!

It drove home like a dream, filled it up with Shell v power...got 44.5 miles to the gallon so the trip meter said...because of the heavy rains we hit more or less 70mph on the way home...which took us 2 and a bit hours...but it was a comfortable drive.

Ill get on to Toyota tomorrow to find out how much servicing will cost, whether they sell extended warranty, and find out more about having another key made as i previously mentioned it only came with one, and its a smart keyless start which freaks me out! And the cost of missing clips etc.

One last thing to point out, it was advertised as a 1 owner, but the log book said 2, turned out Toyota registered it as a demo car first, then sold it, then we came along. But also it didnt come with a service book, but instead a Toyota printout of all the service history, Toyota already confirmed all its history to me prior to purchase anyway but, should i be worried if it didnt come with the service booklet???

Appreaciate all your input guys, i look forward to reading your replies soon, take care all, have a great weekend.

[Konrad C]

Good Morning Heidfirst and Konrad, my two very helpful friends, thank you.

So to update you on our viewing of the vehicle yesterday.

Well to clarify first...we bought it! As soon as he saw it he fell in love...and i have to admit deep down...i kinda did to!

The exterior is in good condition considering it is just shy over 5 years, and it appears to be mechanically sound too...for now! The test drive went well, no rattles or knocks, no signs of any leaks, no mayo under filler caps, the exhaust was super clean when i swiped my finger on the inside of it, and no smoking.

The only niggles were the tyres definitely need replacing...and all 4 of them...each are a different brand...the rears are worn on the outside shoulder...not sure what to make of that! My question is: the wheels are fitted with 215/55/r17...now my corolla that i traded in had some Compressor alloy wheels on that i took off prior to sale and they have brand new 215/45/r17 tyres on...do you think i could swap them over??? That would really help us out saving on new tyres.

Another niggle is the offside rear lights have slight condensation build up...is that normal or anything to worry about?

Otherwise everything appears to be ok other than a few missing engine cover clips...and a few clips on the front wheel arch liners which is a bit weird...oh and a missing cigarette lighter...he smokes not me...and never inside the car i can promise you!

It drove home like a dream, filled it up with Shell v power...got 44.5 miles to the gallon so the trip meter said...because of the heavy rains we hit more or less 70mph on the way home...which took us 2 and a bit hours...but it was a comfortable drive.

Ill get on to Toyota tomorrow to find out how much servicing will cost, whether they sell extended warranty, and find out more about having another key made as i previously mentioned it only came with one, and its a smart keyless start which freaks me out! And the cost of missing clips etc.

One last thing to point out, it was advertised as a 1 owner, but the log book said 2, turned out Toyota registered it as a demo car first, then sold it, then we came along. But also it didnt come with a service book, but instead a Toyota printout of all the service history, Toyota already confirmed all its history to me prior to purchase anyway but, should i be worried if it didnt come with the service booklet???

Appreaciate all your input guys, i look forward to reading your replies soon, take care all, have a great weekend.

Congrats on your purchase.

I would not worry about not having the booklet, since you have the service printout and Toyota have records.

Sam, I thought you would control your other half? Anyway I would have gone for the car if it is my dream model.

I would never use my cigarette lighter, as I use the sockets for charging my phones, other gadgets, and power the tyre pump.

No you should not use your tyres from the Corolla, as they are a lower profile so are slightly smaller. They will lower the overall gearing and the speedo will over read more. The wear could speed humps. Just get the tracking/camber checked, as well as correct new tyres.

Get some photos of the car and interior - better than the sale versions.

More importantly get the key done for many reasons:

• Removes the missing key in case the wrong sort have it.
• You may lose or misplace your only key.
• That key will get worn - I alternate my keys for both my cars.
• If the key goes faulty and dead Battery.
• And you could get locked out of the car for some reason - especially with some keyless entry cars (happened to my brother with his Nissan).

Sam you truly love your Toyota's!

Konrad

[alan333]

Your rear tyres with the worn outside edges were probably swapped from the front at some point, I wouldn't worry about it. Regarding tyre sizes the 225 is the tread width, and the 55 is the tyre sidewall height, in percentage of the tread width. So your factory fit ones are 225 x 55% = 123.75 height. Your Corolla ones are 215 x 45% = 96.75 high. According to a tyre size calculator your Avensis ones have a rolling circumference of 2134mm, where your Corolla ones are only 1964mm, which is an 8.64% error in your speedo, which IMHO is too much.

The engine cover clips and the wheel arch liner clips are the same size and type and are available on eBay in packs, like these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10x-Plastic-Trim-Clips-Toyota-Wheel-Arch-Inner-Wing-Lining-Engine-Shields-Cover-/370777701578?fits=Car+Make%3AToyota&hash=item565412bcca:m:m0MD6sQobyW2Vkc98EPS3Ow

Your car should have a service book but all you really need is the proof of servicing, so since you have a genuine Toyota printout of the history you should be ok.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Good Morning Heidfirst and Konrad, my two very helpful friends, thank you.

So to update you on our viewing of the vehicle yesterday.

Well to clarify first...we bought it! As soon as he saw it he fell in love...and i have to admit deep down...i kinda did to!

The exterior is in good condition considering it is just shy over 5 years, and it appears to be mechanically sound too...for now! The test drive went well, no rattles or knocks, no signs of any leaks, no mayo under filler caps, the exhaust was super clean when i swiped my finger on the inside of it, and no smoking.

The only niggles were the tyres definitely need replacing...and all 4 of them...each are a different brand...the rears are worn on the outside shoulder...not sure what to make of that! My question is: the wheels are fitted with 215/55/r17...now my corolla that i traded in had some Compressor alloy wheels on that i took off prior to sale and they have brand new 215/45/r17 tyres on...do you think i could swap them over??? That would really help us out saving on new tyres.

Another niggle is the offside rear lights have slight condensation build up...is that normal or anything to worry about?

Otherwise everything appears to be ok other than a few missing engine cover clips...and a few clips on the front wheel arch liners which is a bit weird...oh and a missing cigarette lighter...he smokes not me...and never inside the car i can promise you!

It drove home like a dream, filled it up with Shell v power...got 44.5 miles to the gallon so the trip meter said...because of the heavy rains we hit more or less 70mph on the way home...which took us 2 and a bit hours...but it was a comfortable drive.

Ill get on to Toyota tomorrow to find out how much servicing will cost, whether they sell extended warranty, and find out more about having another key made as i previously mentioned it only came with one, and its a smart keyless start which freaks me out! And the cost of missing clips etc.

One last thing to point out, it was advertised as a 1 owner, but the log book said 2, turned out Toyota registered it as a demo car first, then sold it, then we came along. But also it didnt come with a service book, but instead a Toyota printout of all the service history, Toyota already confirmed all its history to me prior to purchase anyway but, should i be worried if it didnt come with the service booklet???

Appreaciate all your input guys, i look forward to reading your replies soon, take care all, have a great weekend.

Congrats on your purchase.

I would not worry about not having the booklet, since you have the service printout and Toyota have records.

Sam, I thought you would control your other half? Anyway I would have gone for the car if it is my dream model.

I would never use my cigarette lighter, as I use the sockets for charging my phones, other gadgets, and power the tyre pump.

No you should not use your tyres from the Corolla, as they are a lower profile so are slightly smaller. They will lower the overall gearing and the speedo will over read more. The wear could speed humps. Just get the tracking/camber checked, as well as correct new tyres.

Get some photos of the car and interior - better than the sale versions.

More importantly get the key done for many reasons:

• Removes the missing key in case the wrong sort have it.
• You may lose or misplace your only key.
• That key will get worn - I alternate my keys for both my cars.
• If the key goes faulty and dead Battery.
• And you could get locked out of the car for some reason - especially with some keyless entry cars (happened to my brother with his Nissan).

Sam you truly love your Toyota's!

Konrad

Konrad...what can i say...a true asset to the club.

I will put up some pics shortly once we've replaced some bits and sorted tyres etc.

Regarding your comments on the tyres...do you think from 55 to 45 would really make a difference? And my new tryres are XL's if that makes a difference.

When i ran them on the Corolla i didnt really notice anything if im honest because they take 50 instead of 45 if im not wrong.

Let me know your thoughts please.

[Heidfirst]

Congrats, Sam - enjoy. :) & you have started out with a good run which should have let the DPF regenerate if it needed to.

"Ill get on to Toyota tomorrow to find out how much servicing will cost, whether they sell extended warranty, and find out more about having another key made as i previously mentioned it only came with one, and its a smart keyless start which freaks me out! "

https://www.toyota.co.uk/caring-for-your-toyota/service-and-maintenance/car-servicing.json

If you do go for the Toyota Extended Warranty remember that it has to go to Toyota at least once per year for service or the warranty is invalidated. If you pm PartsKing on here he can probably give you the prices or possibly even sell it to you.

If you don't go for the warranty (which includes Roadside Assistance) but want Roadside Assistance it's £72 from Toyota & it's currently handled by the AA who would charge you more for the same service.

You should be able to get a new service book so that you can record services from now on.

Did you get the user manuals for the car & the audio/satnav system with the car? If you didn't & if you aren't already signed up to MyToyota then doing so will let you download the manuals for your car.

[Konrad C]

Sam,

Here are a couple of examples of the speed difference.

http://www.kouki.co.uk/utilities/visual-tyre-size-calculator

http://www.tyresizecalculator.com/tyre-wheel-calculators/speedo-error-calculator

Basically you will be travelling slower than your indicated speed. At least you are reducing the chance of getting speeding tickets.

With a long geared car you won't notice it too much.

Measure the diameter of the two tyres.

[Heidfirst]

even if your Corolla tyres fitted, imo:

your insurance company would want to know, may consider it a modification & increase your premium. Certainly in the event of an accident it would give them an excuse if not disclosed.

you would notice the negative difference in ride quality going onto 45s, especially XLs (which tend to have stiffer sidewalls).

it would affect your fuel economy, noise & speedo. I haven't checked Alan's figures but assuming that he is correct then I also agree 8.6% difference is too much.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Hi Guys

Interesting reading...thanks a million.

Hmmm...so its looking like some new tyres then...which is a shame...a waste of the ones that i have...which i suppose could go with the compressor alloys that they're currently on if i find a buyer...but i would rather be safer than sorry...certainly wouldnt want to affect suspensions due to road handling or handling etc...

So my first lay outs will be new tyres and a new key.

Heidfirst...yes i got all the handbooks...still to check them actually...took my other half several tries to get the hang of starting the vehicle...didnt realise the switch is so low point on the clutch...and dont ask about the EPB...lol...got there though. All i kept seeing for several minutes was the steering wheel coming out...then in...then out...and so forth...till he got the hang of things. He loved the cruise control feature. And yes we have the audio satnav unit...for 6 Speakers it sounds amazing...i think anyway...i wonder what the 11 speaker version is like!!! Its going to take a while getting used to all these new features guys!

[Heidfirst]

"i wonder what the 11 speaker version is like!!! Its going to take a while getting used to all these new features guys!"

honestly, it's not that different ...

any questions crop up - fire away :)

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

"i wonder what the 11 speaker version is like!!! Its going to take a while getting used to all these new features guys!"

honestly, it's not that different ...

any questions crop up - fire away :)

Good Morning Heidfirst,

THANK YOU so very much for your warm welcome.

I will be sure to fire away lol.

At the moment, i am concentrating on a set of new tyres....and sorting out that new key fob wich stresses me out.

I'll be booking one of those free health checks with my local Toyota dealers...who know me very well if i may say...just to look over the car and make sure things are as they should be! Took my Corolla in for one yearly, i think these checks are quite helpful...although they did miss dodgy drop links once so it makes me think if its the assistant that views the car.

After those issues are sorted...we have decided to keep the vehicle standard...but i would like to buy are;

:front headlamp protectors

:full set of rubber mats

:rubber boot liner

:exhaust pipe finisher

Not sure about adding some Heko wind deflectors, had them on the corolla, if im honest actually, they look nice as a full set, but i find that they can damage rubber window seals overvtime, and affect window closure, so i might leave them actually.

Now my other half says he'd like to add chrome fog lamp contours, and side door chrome garnish trims, and a rear chrome garnish for the boot lid, BUT i wil stand my ground on those bits and say no no and no...i notice chrome doesnt stay bright for long and looks poor after a while, and its wasting money in my opinion.

I would like to add a set of lowering springs though but i wont as i agreed to keep the vehicle standard.

Thats my thoughts for the day mate.

If you have the time, please let me know if you have "accessorised" your own vehicle in some way. I look forward to your thoughts.

Take care.

P.s...the rear view camera takes some getting used to i figured on the school round this morning...dear me...freaks me out...wish i had rear sensors... Think sensors beat a camera hands down guys! I honestly dont see the point of having a camera...especially in the rain...and totally useless in the dark!