2024 TOYOTA AVANZA E 1.3

Toyota Avanza at a glance

When it comes to Mini-MPVs, the Toyota Avanza is one of the country's default choices. Having that T badge on the grille sure helps its popularity, but is there more to the Avanza than just the badge power? Before we answer that, a brief history. The Avanza was first launched in the Philippines in 2006. It's essentially a rebadged Daihatsu Xenia and the product was largely developed by Daihatsu. The Avanza is part of Toyota's two-prong approach in the MPV market with this model catering to the more budget conscious crowd. It was successful enough to warrant a second generation that was launched locally in 2012. Toyota retained the formula of the first-gen Avanza for its second iteration. It uses a traditional ladder-frame chassis like a truck, but it's wrapped a round a unibody for extra refinement. They even kept the rear-wheel drive layout. The current generation has been around for nearly a decade, but a series of updates and facelifts have kept it up to date.

Good buy or goodbye?

If you're looking for an MPV that offers a car-like ride and handling experience, you won't find it here in the Avanza. If anything, there are a lot of reasons that might put you off this MPV. For example, the ride is stiff, especially when it is empty inside. It's not helped by thinly-padded seats either. The handling is more of a mini-truck than car-like because of the way it's built, and you have to look out for cars that haven't had their fuel pumps replaced yet. Air-fuel sensors also seem to be a weak point of the Avanza. That sounds like it has a lot of cons then, but consider the Avanza's advantages as well. After all, it is a Toyota, so it's got proven reliability and you won't have problems looking for places to service it. Because of its truck-like construction, the Avanza is robust and can also carry heavy payloads. That boosts the Avanza's versatility since it can double as a vehicle for business and family. Last but not least, the Avanza has strong resale values, meaning you still get most of your money back when it's time to let it go. If you're willing to put up a few sacrifices in ride, comfort, handling, and refinement, then the Avanza can reward you with decades of faithful service. It may not be the most car-like, but at least you have the Toyota reliability factor.

Pros:

- Peace of mind from Toyotas - Can carry heavy payloads - Easy parts and servicing - Strong resale values - Can easily fit business and family purposes - Maneuverable

Cons:

- Entry-level models are five-seater only - Truck-like ride and handling - Air-con performance not the best - Late 2017 to mid-2019 models affected by fuel pump recall - Reports of fuel knock on select models

Variants:

Cargo (2019-present) 1.3 J M/T 1.3 E M/T 1.3 E A/T 1.5 G M/T (2012-2018) 1.5 G A/T 1.5 Veloz A/T (2018-present)

Dimensions and capacities:

Length - 4,140 mm (2012-2015) / 4,190 mm (2015-present) / 4,200 (Veloz) Width – 1,660 mm Height - 1,695 mm Fuel tank capacity – 45 Liters Ground Clearance – 185 mm

Powertrain

Engine - 1.3-liter, gas, 4-cylinder in-line, 16-valve DOHC, VVTi (2012-2015) / 1.5-liter, gas, 4-cylinder in-line, 16-valve DOHC, VVTi (2012-2015) / 1.3-liter, gas, 4-cylinder in-line, 16-valve DOHC, Dual-VVTi (2015-present) / 1.5-liter, gas, 4-cylinder in-line, 16-valve DOHC, Dual-VVTi (2015-present) Horsepower – 95 HP (1.3-liter/ 103 HP (1.5-liter) Torque – 133 Nm (1.3-liter)/ 136 Nm (1.5-liter) Transmission options – 5-speed manual / 4-speed automatic Driven wheels – Rear-wheel drive

Approximate fuel economy and range:

City - 8.5 km/l (1.5 G A/T) to 11.1 km/l (1.3 E M/T) Highway – 14.4 km/l (1.5 G A/T) to 15.6 km/l (1.3 E M/T) Estimated range – 382 km to 702 km per full tank

Alternatives

Mitsubishi Xpander Honda Mobilio Suzuki Ertiga