Ranked #264 car in the UK · Saloon · 11 units sold last year

Toyota Avensis

The Toyota Avensis (2009-2018) is the dependable fleet saloon and estate - the sensible, durable choice for high-mileage drivers, now discontinued as Toyota exited the traditional saloon class here. Petrol and frugal diesels, with the estate hugely practical. It's comfortable and utterly reliable rather than engaging, and as a used buy it's a high-mileage workhorse: cheap, roomy and tough, ideal for big annual mileages on a budget.

Toyota Avensis
Photo: Cutlass via Wikimedia Commons · CC0 · source
Body
Saloon
Years
2009–2018
Fuel
Petrol / Diesel
Economy
48 mpg

combined

Insurance
Group 23

The short version

27/100

Forecourt score

Value 32 · Reliability 14 · Insurance 44

The Toyota Avensis loses value faster than most cars and costs about average to run. Its MOT-based reliability is average, 62 out of 100, ahead of 14% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 32% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20). Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Petrol · 1798cc

Power

147 ps

Drivetrain

FWD

Cam drive

Chain

Quoted MPG

42 mpg

The volume Avensis (2009-2018, used only). 1.8 Valvematic petrol - chain-driven. Big-boot saloon/estate of the rep era. Cheap and tough.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

2018
20092018
90,936 mi
0Expected: 90,936180k
good
PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

How we got this number — click for the breakdown, or to challenge it.

£5,350

Range £4,350£6,450

medium confidence

When new (2018)£24,500Age-based value£7,595Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region-£20Market calibration-£1,825Forecourt price£5,750Private sale£4,950Part-exchange£4,350
Holdthis 8-year-old

Fair value — the 9-year mark is the sweet spot.

At 90,936 miles it’s about the ~97,180 typical for a 8-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

£

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2018-registration Toyota Avensis loses value over time.

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2018 car with 90,936 miles you entered above — worth about £5,350 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 11,367 miles a year.

5-year total

£16,710

Per year

£3,342

All-in per mile

£0.29

Fuel per mile

14.5p

Depreciation£0
Fuel / energy£8,250
Servicing£1,765
Road tax£975
Insurance£5,720

Best age to buy — around 3 years

A 3-year-old example loses roughly £1,650 a year — under half the £3,600 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 32%
Reliabilitybetter than 14%
Fuel economybetter than 67%
Cheap to insurebetter than 44%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

Petrol

The default choice: lowest purchase price and easy upkeep, at the cost of higher fuel bills than a hybrid.

New price
£36,000
Annual fuel / energy
£1,694
3-yr depreciation
53%

Watch for

  • ·Carbon build-up on direct-injection engines
  • ·Ignition coils and spark plugs with age
  • ·Cam or wet-belt service where fitted

Diesel

Makes sense for high motorway mileage; less so for short urban hops, where the DPF struggles.

New price
£38,500
Annual fuel / energy
£1,674
3-yr depreciation
56%

Watch for

  • ·DPF clogging on mostly-short journeys
  • ·EGR valve and turbo wear with mileage
  • ·AdBlue system upkeep on newer engines

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 22/06/2026) · Petrol 153.3p/L, Diesel 172.5p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 24 of 50 (mid — around the UK average) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

3 years
0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+
Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£1,144/ year

Roughly £95 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.
Age bandLower riskTypicalHigher risk
Age 17-25£2,608£3,260£4,239
Age 26-32£1,361£1,602£1,954
Age 33-39Selected£1,007£1,144£1,350
Age 40-49£855£950£1,101
Age 50+£762£847£999

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

11,367 mi/yr
2,000UK avg for this model: 11,36730,000

Routine service

£185

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£210

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£195

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£1,833

48 mpg, £1.49/L

Insurance

£1,144

Age 33-39, group 23

Clean-air zones

Depends on variant

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£3,567 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£80

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£240

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£520

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£900

per year · high risk

Tyres

205/60 R16 · 225/50 R17 · 245/40 R18

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£300

set of 4, fitted · £60 per tyre

Mid-range

£440

set of 4, fitted · £95 per tyre

Premium

£620

set of 4, fitted · £140 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

OptionNew costAdded used valueReturn

Tow bar (factory-fit)

Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.

£650£45069%

Parking sensors & reversing camera

Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.

£500£30060%

Heated seats / cold-weather pack

£450£20044%

Metallic or premium paint

Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.

£600£20033%

Panoramic / opening roof

£1,100£35032%

Larger alloy wheels

£700£20029%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 90,936 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

BrakesWatch now

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 8.1% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 3,576,790 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingWatch now

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120medium severityParts high

Recorded in 9.3% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 3,576,790 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Tyres & wheelsWatch now

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 6.3% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 3,576,790 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

SuspensionWatch now

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450low severityParts high

Recorded in 5.9% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 3,576,790 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewWatch now

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 3.7% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 3,576,790 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

EmissionsWatch now

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£800medium severityParts high

Recorded in 3.5% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 3,576,790 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 3,594,253 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

A 3-year-old Avensis passes its MOT 84.3% of the time; by 25 years that has slipped to 69.6%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

1%of 29-year-old examples are still taxed and on the road — a useful read on how well the model lasts.

From 461 vehicles registered in 1997.

Survival by registration year

25%50%75%100%19972018

Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.

What’s on the road

The fuel-type split of every Avensis currently MOT’d in the UK. From 300,772 vehicles.

  • Petrol 57.4%
  • Diesel 41.6%

Common MOT failures by mileage

The defect categories this Avensis fails on most often, and how the failure rate climbs as the miles add up — from the same DVSA test records.

Category0-30k30-60k60-100k100k+
Brakes2%3%6%8%
Lighting & signalling1%2%6%9%
Tyres & wheels2%3%5%6%
Suspension1%2%6%
Driver's view1%2%3%4%
Emissions2%4%

Share of MOT tests in each mileage band with at least one defect in that category. The peak band for each is highlighted.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a Avensis at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

  • 0 yr8,771
  • 1 yr29,410
  • 2 yr50,062
  • 3 yr45,831
  • 4 yr56,193
  • 5 yr67,047
  • 6 yr78,138
  • 7 yr88,452
  • 8 yr97,180
  • 9 yr104,603
  • 10 yr110,467
  • 11 yr115,089

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records (ages with at least 10 tests shown).

Reliability

62/ 100

Average

Composite of MOT pass rate, defect prevalence and cohort survival from 3,576,790 tests — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

81%first-time pass rate

25th percentileBelow catalogue average

Based on 253,415 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

0%50%90%

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

  • 01The diesels are the high-mileage choice - frugal and durable when serviced on time.
  • 02Toyota dependability means many have covered huge fleet miles trouble-free; check the service record.
  • 03Spacious, comfortable and unburstable rather than fun - a sensible, cheap used motorway car.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Toyota Avensis, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Around average

Theft risk is around the UK average. Like most modern cars it has keyless entry, so relay theft is the method to guard against.

Parts theft

Around average

Parts-theft risk is around average — catalytic-converter theft is the main thing to be aware of on any petrol or diesel car.

Worth doing

  • Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
  • Park in well-lit, busy areas, and consider a tracker for faster recovery.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Toyota Avensis into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

CityAreaDaily chargeLikely outcome
LondonAll of Greater London (within the M25)£12.50
Likely charged
Diesel before Sept 2015 — likely below Euro 6.
BirminghamInside the A4540 Middleway£8.00
Likely charged
Diesel before Sept 2015 — likely below Euro 6.
BristolCity centre and part of the Portway£9.00
Likely charged
Diesel before Sept 2015 — likely below Euro 6.
GlasgowCity centre
Likely charged
Diesel before Sept 2015 — likely below Euro 6.
EdinburghCity centre
Likely charged
Diesel before Sept 2015 — likely below Euro 6.
AberdeenCity centre
Likely charged
Diesel before Sept 2015 — likely below Euro 6.
DundeeCity centre
Likely charged
Diesel before Sept 2015 — likely below Euro 6.

Zones that don't charge private cars

  • BathCity centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
  • BradfordOuter ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
  • SheffieldInside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
  • Newcastle & GatesheadCity centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
  • PortsmouthPart of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Toyota is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~180

Large network

Mass-market

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Toyota is 4% of all franchised outlets)

Servicing, parts and warranty work are easy to find UK-wide, and most independent garages know the brand well — which keeps maintenance competitive.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

Length

4,700 mm

Width

1,840 mm

Height

1,450 mm

Kerb weight

1,550 kg

Boot

460–480 L

Fuel tank

48 L

How many are still out there

Of every Toyota Avensis ever registered in the UK, this is what's actively on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, or gone for good.

Total ever registered

184,448

Currently taxed & on road

55,533

30% of all registered

SORN (off road)

21,427

12% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

107,488

UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025

-12.2% vs 2024
178,91155,533

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 1 Jul 2026

Common questions

Toyota Avensis, answered

Is the Toyota Avensis ULEZ compliant?
Whether a Toyota Avensis is ULEZ compliant depends on its engine and registration date: petrol from 2006 and diesel from September 2015 generally qualify, and electric versions are always exempt.
What insurance group is the Toyota Avensis in?
The Toyota Avensis sits in insurance group 24 of 50. Your actual premium still depends on age, postcode, annual mileage and no-claims history.
Is the Toyota Avensis reliable?
Our reliability score for the Toyota Avensis is 62 out of 100 (about average), derived from DVSA MOT records, with a first-time MOT pass rate of about 81% at the reference age.
What economy does the Toyota Avensis get?
Expect roughly around 48 mpg combined for a typical Toyota Avensis, based on official figures and our running-cost model. Real-world figures vary with driving style, load and conditions.
What are the common problems on the Toyota Avensis?
On the Toyota Avensis, the issues that come up most by mileage include Brakes, Lighting & signalling and Tyres & wheels. The section above breaks down each one with its typical mileage, repair cost and severity.
How many Toyota Avensiss are on UK roads?
About 55,533 Toyota Avensiss are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Common questions

Toyota Avensis, answered from the data

Is the Toyota Avensis reliable?
The Toyota Avensis scores 62/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 25% of the cars we track. That is computed from 3,594,253 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Toyota Avensis cost?
A 2018 Toyota Avensis with around 90,936 miles is worth roughly £5,350 today (typical range £4,700–£6,000). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Toyota Avensis depreciate?
A new Toyota Avensis typically loses about 44% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Toyota Avensis?
The Toyota Avensis sits in insurance group 24 of 50 — the middle of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Toyota Avensis?
The most common age-related issues we track for the Toyota Avensis are: brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right); tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Toyota Avensis cost to run?
Expect around 48 mpg combined, £195 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.

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