Is Avensis a good car? Im offered 1.6 / 1999 / 3.5K

worded

Been offered to view a car from a friend of a friend.

1999
Avensis 1.6
5 Door
105 miles

Asking 3.5 K

Are the avensis a good car?
Is this a good price ?

cantdecide

Yes and you won't get better value for that kind of money. Usual common sense stuff when buying a car applies- get someone to check it over.

unkel

€3.5k for a 9 year old D-segment car is a lot of money in my book

yeah-boy

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=search&maxrows=100&MakeID=31&xMakeID=31&ModelID=259&xModelID=259&Year=1999&xYear=1999&submit=Find+cars+%3E%3E

You aint saving too much. Try get it for 3300 and your laughing.

bazz26

Assuming it is mechanically sound I would be offering more close to €3,100 for it.

1.6 in the 97 to early 2000 Avensis was the same "Lean Burn" engine from the Carina E. Very good on fuel but will not set the road on fire. They were pretty trouble free though.

Make sure it is the Aura model though which should have either an electric sunroof or air conditioning and a cd player. This is easily noticable by the front grill which has a chrome surround.

colm_mcm

Even Terra models are sought after, Bazz. I wouldn't turn a right good one down for the sake of sunroof, and a CD player! hardly any Avensis Auras were out in 99, only really took off after the facelift in 00

bazz26

Maybe so but it would be an added bonus all the same.

E92

There was a Luna Avensis around in 99, it had airconditioning, I remember that car coming out, hard to believe it was 9 years ago now:eek:!

colm_mcm

Luna was 1.8 AFAIK, 1.6 Luna was the run-out model before the current Avensis came out. those old model Luna and Sols are great cars.

E92

In the Mk1 Avensis it was a 1.6 or 2.0TD the first time and 1.6 VVTi or 2.0 D-4D the second time colm_mcm!

EDIT:Here is the pre facelift Mk1 Avensis Luna in 1.6 guise;).

colm_mcm

this will be embarrassing for me if you're right, never remember a 1.6 Luna in the first Avensis....

bazz26

I had a 2001 1.8 Luna at one time. I remember it had nice comfy seats.

Back on topic. OP you should also be looking at a similar year Mazda 626. They can be bought cheaper than the Avensis and are generally bomb proof.

Examples:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=682370
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=871120

E92

bazz26 wrote: »

I had a 2001 1.8 Luna at one time. I remember it had nice comfy seats.

Did you not have a 1.8 Sol? I never remember a 1.8 Luna. The Mk2 Avensis had a 1.8 Luna and was all but identical to the Sol version bar the fact that the Sol had a 2.0 engine(and in later years had the Leather pack fitted as standard).

Whereas with the Mk1 the Sol model had different upolstery to the one in the photo, had a sunroof(Lunas had aircon) or for no extra cost Climate Control instead, rear electric windows and fake wood. The Luna had a kind of Grey/aluminimum instead of the fake wood and no rear electric windows.

junkyard

A 1999 Avensis will only make around 2500 euros down my way and are hard to sell at that, the Carina E was a superior car in many respects, ask any taxi man. The build quality isn't great tbh, they do tend to fall apart.

colm_mcm

Sol had tinted rear windows too IIRC! still can't remember a Mk1 1.6 Luna...

bazz26

E92 wrote: »

Did you not have a 1.8 Sol? I never remember a 1.8 Luna. The Mk2 Avensis had a 1.8 Luna and was all but identical to the Sol version.

Whereas with the Mk1 the Sol model had different upolstery to the one in the photo, had a sunroof(Lunas had aircon) or for no extra cost Climate Control instead, rear electric windows and fake wood. The Luna had a kind of Grey/aluminimum instead of the fake wood and no rear electric windows.

You have me second guessing now. Mine definately had rear electric windows, air con (no climate control) and that fake wood on the centre console. It was an ex demo model and I was told that they sold in very small numbers. Most Avensis sold here were 1.6. :rolleyes: It was the 2001 facelifted MkI VVTi model.

bazz26

junkyard wrote: »

A 1999 Avensis will only make around 2500 euros down my way and are hard to sell at that, the Carina E was a superior car in many respects, ask any taxi man. The build quality isn't great tbh, they do tend to fall apart.

Actually the original Avensis was just a reskined Carina E. It used the same chassis and engines up until late 2000.

E92

bazz26 wrote: »

You have me second guessing now. Mine definately had rear electric windows, air con (no climate control) and that fake wood on the centre console. It was an ex demo model and I was told that they sold in very small numbers. Most Avensis sold here were 1.6. :rolleyes: It was the 2001 facelifted MkI VVTi model.

Fake wood= Sol, and the Luna model for the facelifted Mk1 Avensis was a run out special introduced in 2003 in 1.6 and 2.0 diesel guises.

colm_mcm

E92 wrote: »

Fake wood= Sol, and the Luna model for the facelifted Mk1 Avensis was a run out special introduced in 2003 in 1.6 and 2.0 diesel guises.

that sounds plausable

Spades

worded wrote: »

Been offered to view a car from a friend of a friend.

1999
Avensis 1.6
5 Door
105 miles

Asking 3.5 K

Are the avensis a good car?
Is this a good price ?

Dont know if im allowed do this.

In my local paper, The Sligo Champion, there is a Avensis for sale. Ad reads.

00 Toyota Avensis 1.6, 4Dr Saloon, NCT 01/10 and Tax to 03/08. In mint condition, €3500.

surely that is better value with 2 years NCT already on it

gyppo

bazz26 wrote: »

Back on topic. OP you should also be looking at a similar year Mazda 626. They can be bought cheaper than the Avensis and are generally bomb proof.

Absolutely spot on - I had two of these, and they were utterly utterly reliable, and a totally under-rated car - 1.8l minimum engine size though.

unkel

Yeah the Mazda 626 is at least as reliable as the Toyota - something many people don't know and hence the cheap prices

My sister has had a 2l petrol one for donkeys years. Bought with high mileage, now has intergalactic mileage. Never gave any bother. I drove it for a few hours during the summer. Utterly boring washing machine of a car, but most people (like my sister) wouldn't give a toss about that