Hi,
It's time to change my company car (VW Passat TDI Sport 115bhp) and it looks like I will be going for the Avensis (T3x or T4 model). My passat has been a brilliant car but the leasing company my employer deals with has priced it out of my reach (another £130 per month more), and looking around I think it's a tough match to follow. The Avensis, looks and feels a nice car and it is very tax efficient from a company car perspective (If I opt for the T3x I'll take home another £45 per month more thanI do now). I've had a test drive of the avensis (T2 and Tspirit models) and found it a little under powered despite it being the same BHP as the passat - could this be due the newness of the avensis??? My main question surrounds whether anyone has bought the New Avensis Diesel and can comment on it???
Regards,
John
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Don`t be put off by the Toyota engine feeling tight, as with most diesels, they take 10k miles to loosen up and reach their full potential performance. I personally would opt for the Toyota over the VW, if the leasing price per month were identical. The Avensis did extremely well in the recent ENCAP crash tests, and IMHO their chain cam engines and dealer network are vastly superior to VW. I`ve been treated appallingly by our local VAG dealer in the past, but they will never get the chance again.!!!!
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Got one sitting outside with about 600 miles on it. It is very tight. But VAG is well known for understating its power outputs, so a Passat TDI 115 could well be 125 or more. Toyota's latest 2.0 petrol engines are chain cam, but not the 2.0 litre D-4D in the Corolla, Avensis and RAV-4. That still has a belt. I'll be reporting on how I get on with the Avensis over the next 6 months. Unfortunately my judgement is more than slightly coloured by the Leon 20VT sitting doing nothing in the garage. I'd far rather be in that, but we all have to make sactifices.
HJ
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Know how you feel HJ - all the time I was putting miles on the Passat (to keep the clock on the Leon from skating to 40k in under 18months), I really missed driving my Leon!
I didn't know that VAG was in the habit of "downgrading" the power ratings - is this for insurance group purposes? Have to say my 110bhp TDi has always felt very zippy to me, quicker than most other cars I've driven. I'm wondering now if it actually does have a bit more than what it says on the tin.
Good luck with the sale.
andymc
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HJ,
Any chance of a quick interim report on your Avensis. I've got to make my choice by the end of the week.
The customer service I got from VW was very poor (previous car was a Golf GTI 16v - so I've been going to VW dealerships for the past 6 years) - I even had to tell the dealership when the cambelt should be replaced and even then it took them 3 days because they never had the right parts in stock, then they ordered the wrong bolts and I glad it was the leasing company who footed the bill!!
John
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