Toyota Avanza Buyer's guide review

Toyota and Daihatsu are two prominent automotive manufacturers with deep roots in Japan's industrial landscape. Initially focusing on the production of automobiles, Toyota quickly rose to prominence for its commitment to quality, innovation, and efficiency, becoming one of the world's largest automakers. In 1967, Toyota acquired a controlling stake in Daihatsu, further solidifying its presence in the global automotive market. Today, both Toyota and Daihatsu continue to uphold their legacies of excellence, offering a diverse range of vehicles tailored to meet the evolving needs of consumers worldwide.

Toyota Avanza which is known as Daihatsu Xenia was manufactured with a collaboration between Daihatsu and Toyota. So, it is a reliable and efficient vehicle that has a low repair cost. As Avanza was first manufactured for the Malaysian and Indonesian markets, it has a good market value within those markets. The Sri Lankans also are now interested in buying it although it is still rare to find on Sri Lankan roads. Toyota Avanza is the most affordable seven-seater vehicle in the market. It is not an SUV but an MPV, a Multi-Purpose Vehicle that gaps the bridge between SUVs and cars. The vehicle was designed for city driving, not for rugged use like an SUV. Talking about the generations of the vehicle, it was first manufactured in 2003, and the first generation was manufactured from 2003 to 2011 where the second generation was manufactured from 2011 to 2021 and the third generation was continued from 2021. Because of the import ban, the third generation is not available in Sri Lanka. Today, we delve into the 2nd-generation MPV of the Toyota Avanza.

When it comes to the engine of the Toyota Avanza, it has a 1.5-liter, Inline 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine. It creates a maximum power of 106 break-horsepower at 6000 rpm and a maximum torque of 136 Nm at 4200 rpm. As a high-revving engine, an average rev is needed to achieve the maximum engine power. It means that there is a good fuel economy with light acceleration and one can have the maximum power output if he accelerates enough. Talking about the gearbox, the Toyota Avanza has a 5-speed manual option although the 4-speed automatic option is more popular in Sri Lanka. Auto gearboxes have a better weight-bearing capacity than CVTs and the repair cost of an automatic gearbox is lower than a CVT gearbox. The vehicle has a fuel tank of 45 liters and it consumes 1 liter of fuel to travel 8-9 kilometers within urban areas and towns. It can be managed up to 14-16 km per liter on long journeys. The service cost of the vehicle depends on the oils and the service station but it is low, although Avanza is a seven-seater vehicle.

Toyota Avanza has a unibody design instead of a chassis-on-frame design. As it was designed to maximize cost-effectiveness and give a reliable vehicle, it does not have many luxury or fancy options, but all the necessary options are there. There is a normal hood on the exterior that has beautiful body lines that continue to the front bumper. The shell has a chrome and black color design. The vehicle has halogen headlights, without an LED option. There are fog lights that would enhance the headlight visibility. Real air vents are located on the face and the bumper has a beautiful design on both of its sides. Toyota Avanza has a similar look to the Toyota Elite as both vehicles were manufactured by the Daihatsu Company. There is the VVTI badge on the driver’s side that stands for the Variable Valve Timing Intelligence option of the vehicle.

Moving to the side, the tires have 15-inch alloy wheels, with disc brakes on the front and drum brakes on the back. The front has a MacPherson suspension system, and the back has a Live Axle suspension system with a coil spring. There is a considerable ground clearance as a crossover SUV does. So, the crossover SUVs have become a new trend in the world. There are normal side mirrors, but no signal light blinkers on them. There are no signal lights on the sides either. The front doors have a good opening radius. There are pull-up chrome door handles adding a nice look to the whole vehicle. The backdoor also has the same opening radius.

The rear lights were designed without attaching them to the tailgate. There is a badge displaying 1.5 to indicate the engine capacity of the vehicle. The "S" badge means the grade of the vehicle. There are several grades of Avanza as S-grade, G-grade, etc. There is a rear wiper, perfectly tinted rear glass, a spoiler, along with a set of LED brake lights. The silencer is hidden and it gives a clean look to the exterior. A small deficiency of the vehicle is that there's no button to open the tailgate. It has to be opened manually by using the key. When there are seven people comfortably traveling in the Avanza, the luggage space is a bit compromised by that. If it is not the boot space can be extended by bending the third-row seat over. There's no boot lip. Among other vehicles that could compete with this, such as the Mitsubishi Xpander, Avanza has the most popularity.

Avanza is a very simple vehicle without luxury options but with all the necessary options. There are beige, brown, and black interiors available. There are six speakers with good sounds. If there is a good infotainment system, passengers can have a good music and entertainment experience. There are four power shutters and the driver's side has the auto option. The simple unique air vents that are in Corolla 121 can be seen without even a slight difference. There are automatic mirror controls, conventional wipers, and headlight controls on the right-hand side. But the cruise control options are not available. There are not many digital screens but one small digital screen for the trip meter. The gauge clusters include a fuel gauge, a speedometer, an RPM gauge, and a temperature gauge. All the available gears are listed down similar to old conventional vehicles and there is a set of lights in the middle to indicate the current gear. The steering wheel is perfectly round. The infotainment screen can be replaced as the media unit is not connected to it. There is a clock that only luxury vehicles have. There are hazard light controls and the AC temperature and the fan speed can be controlled by using the knobs.

There are several storage areas including an ashtray that is rare to find in new vehicles. Although the Avanza has a conventional, sweet, and simple interior design, there are no wireless charging options in it. There is a cigarette lighter that can be replaced with a 12 V power outlet. There is a conventional gear selector and a shift lock button. Although most of the new vehicles have either foot brakes or parking brakes, Avanza has a handbrake. There is no sunroof or any other options available. There are practical door bins that have plenty of space that can be used to keep washcloths or other belongings. The glove compartment has plenty of space, but it is not too large or small.

Becoming a seven-seater vehicle, there are a few AC vents for the five rear passengers to reduce the heat. The seats are very comfortable and have a nice design on them. The same design could be seen on the upholstery of all doors adding a nice touch to the vehicle. Although Avanza is a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, the rear middle passenger can have good headroom and legroom. It means that the other two passengers can have better headroom and legroom than him. There are two storage areas and door bins as Avanza is a practical vehicle. To get into the third-row seats, the second-row seats must be bent. It is also spacious with good legroom and headroom. Although the knees touch the seat, the passenger does not become stuck. There are hooks to hold tight. Third-row passengers also have two storage areas for them with a small space to keep a water bottle. The third-row window cannot be opened as it is completely sealed. Only the shutters on the doors could be opened. But that won't be necessary because the AC would be more than enough for all five passengers.

Toyota Avanza stands out as a versatile and reliable vehicle, adeptly blending practicality, comfort, and affordability. Its spacious interior, efficient engine options, and reputation for durability make it a popular choice among families. As of April 2024, the average Sri Lankan market price for Toyota Avanza or Daihatsu Xenia lies around 7 million LKR depending on its condition. You can find the latest price with more details and cars of this model for sale from the following link Toyota Avanza Latest Price