Martin
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Avensis 1.8TRAt the very last minute I had to borrow a new Avensis overnight. As I haven't shown a huge interest in the new Avensis, the only thing I knew until I got home was that had a petrol and was a mid range model. It turns out it was a 1.8 TR which is one step up from the bottom of the range in terms of trim level.
First impressions were that the door handles felt flimsy, which is a hate of mine as you use them every day and it is the first impression. Once inside it felt well put together, but the material were nothing special (fairly hard plastics, some too shiny). It did have a decent equipment level though, leather MF wheel, climate control, cruise control, auto lights/wipers etc. The wheel was a nice size and thickness, but the seats were very flat and felt a bit 'plump', due to a strange density of foam.
Not a great start, but things got a lot worse when I drove off as I didn't know they put the 1.0 engine from a Yaris into the Avensis!! Gutless doesn't really go far enough...... In 6th gear at 50/60, full throttle doesn't even generate any additional forward motion and it wasn't any better in the lower gears. Changing into 4th and sometimes 3rd on a dual carriageway just to keep up with the cars in front (rather than to drop someone), was a strange and rather unpleasant experience.
The problem is mainly down to the gearing, it's way too high presumably in the quest for better mpg and lower co2, but it just killed the engine. Mind you, it didn't get much better at higher revs as it was just noisy and reluctant to rev. I was amazed to discover that it had 140hp, I don't know where the majority of them were!
It was a fantastic advert for the 4 cylinder diesel engine 
It rode OK, slightly better than the Passat, but I didn't like the way it didn't feel that well ties down over bumps. It had stacks of grip but too much body roll for the seats and very little feedback/sensation of anything through the wheel.
With the diesel engine, it would probably make a good motorway car, but without it I couldn't wait to give it back.
If only I knew what I was getting next........ 
Anyway, here it is in all glory!
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BeN
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Ugh.
What a nasty looking car.
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PG
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Having to thrash a 4 cylinder petrol engine to go anywhere is never a relaxing way to drive. Is that engine a turbo pterol or N/A?
As you say, what that car needs is a decent turbodiesel engine.
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Matt
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Giving Vauxhall their due, their 1.8s always seem well geared to not require thrashing to get decent real-world progress, whereas even the 'mighty' E36 needed paddling to its sweet spot approaching 100 leptons...
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Mark
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| Matt wrote: | | Giving Vauxhall their due, their 1.8s always seem well geared to not require thrashing to get decent real-world progress |
That's true - pretty good engines (apart from the electric throttle on the Petrol).
I also think a big problem regarding the Avensis and many other new normally aspirated Petrol units is the need (requirement for regs) for low CO2 emissions, which, coupled with extra weight, etc, really does hammer the way they respond.
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ALF
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| Matt wrote: | | Giving Vauxhall their due, their 1.8s always seem well geared to not require thrashing to get decent real-world progress, whereas even the 'mighty' E36 needed paddling to its sweet spot approaching 100 leptons... |
Vauxhalls engines are not always so clever. I read a first drive of the new Avensis "sport tourer" 1.6 Turbo petrol. It's trying to do much the same thing as our (four year old) Audi, and weighs the same, but despite the intervening four years of economy obsession, the emissions are nearly identical and the economy is worse. And that is despite it being 400cc, 20 bhp, and over 30lb/ft down - making it a lot slower. Progress, that is not... One reason I bought the newer shape (at the time) A4 is that the 2.0T models are incredibly economical for the performance (as are similar cars like the OctaviaRS) and it's a bit of a shocker than some brand new cars are still not catching up.
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