Review: Toyota Avanza 1.5 G

The Avanza is the Tamaraw FX for the new generation. Unfortunately, we're living in the Innova age.

WORDS Niky Tamayo PHOTOS Marvin Tan  | 9 April 2008

If there's one thing Toyota does well, it's selling itself. Ask any snaggle-toothed backyard mechanic or taxi-driver or even that cute girl next door who has never driven a car (snaggle-toothed or not) about Toyota, and they'll all lavish it with praise. It's a religion, I tell you. A cult following that makes anything with a Toyota badge sell. Case in point: The “Toyota” Avanza. A little disclaimer is in order here: The Avanza isn't a “Toyota” as we know it. It's an Indonesian designed and produced vehicle, brainchild of Toyota's aggressive market localization, which aims to provide target consumers with cars uniquely suited to local needs. This has given rise to such vehicles as the US-only Tundra, the mega-lunchbox Japanese HiAce passenger-utility van, and the wildly popular Asia-only Innova, also designed and produced in Indonesia. The Innova, for one, has taken the AUV (Asian Utility Vehicle) market by storm by providing near-MPV levels of refinement on a utility vehicle platform. Last time anyone did that it was Mazda with the MPV... but the MPV was just too expensive for its time. The Innova, on the other hand, dukes it out with its prehistoric AUV competition at a very aggressive price point. Despite this, the Innova no longer caters to the Mega-Taxi and Barangay Hall crowd. It's just too nice. That's where the Avanza comes in. It fills a gap in Toyota's line-up that the Innova can no longer plug. The Avanza's semi-futuristic looks hides a relatively old-fashioned platform. Look behind the sharp styling cues and you'll notice the thin pillars and upright greenhouse. Body stampings add some character to a body that's not completely unattractive but not as modern-looking as the similarly-sized Suzuki APV. Inside, things are a bit better. While the 1.3 Avanza “taxi” variant has an interior worthy of the Tamaraw FX, the 1.5 G's interior is generally unobjectionable, save the lack of decent cupholders. And the plastics, in true Toyota tradition, are much better than the hard stuff in its main competitor, the Suzuki APV. Despite the 20,000 kilometers on our tester, the panels didn't feel loose or rattly, but the doors and third row lock-down are already slightly mis-aligned after a year of abuse. The Avanza comes off as feeling pretty tinny for a Toyota. Once on the road, tinny is an apt description of the ride. It's jittery, again, just like a Tamaraw... no, wait, the Tamaraw rides softer. it's the same problem many modern people-movers have... stiff springs to take the weight, but relatively soft shock absorbers... which makes for a somewhat uncomfortable ride. It's acceptable on city roads, but I fear for the life of the suspension over rough provincial roads. At least, since this is a Toyota, upgraded aftermarket shocks should be cheap. One unfortunate side effect of the stiffness is the handling. It's quite darty, and you don't really want to take your hands off the wheel on the highway. The Avanza always feels on the edge of oversteer when you turn the steering wheel. Thankfully, though, it still defaults to understeer when driven hard, but the high roll center and live rear axle don't exactly elicit confidence on winding roads... or even straight ones. Even worse, the disc-and-drum brakes are pretty soft. Even without ABS, it's hard to get enough braking power down to lock the tires. Overall, the larger Innova actually feels more secure to drive. But how the Avanza compares to the revised Suzuki APV (the first generation APV wasn't all that great to drive, either), I've yet to find out. Like the Innova, the Avanza has very light foam seats and headrests, which I don't like, as it becomes brittle over time. Unlike the Innova, the Avanza has a proper third row. (For those of you who were waiting for it... this is the positive part of the review) Lighter construction and thinner seat cushions give good elbow room and legroom to the third row occupants. It's not exceptional, but it's pretty good. I'd say most average (5'6”) males could sit back there comfortably. With the third row folded, luggage space isn't very large (for an AUV), but it's tall enough to pile a lot of bags into. The second row is tighter than the APV's, but the first row is better, as the APV's mid-engined layout makes for awkward seating for the people up-front. Forget what I've said about handling. The Avanza was built as an inner-city runabout, and it's here that it shines. The slim pillars and upright greenhouse give you an excellent view of the road, and the tightly geared steering is great in traffic. The Avanza is also blessed with a tight turning circle, perfect for negotiating those horribly tight excuses for U-Turns that sprout up like mushrooms all over the metro. Best of all: the Avanza has one gem of an engine. The Avanza's 13-second 0-100 time (torque-braked... with a gentle launch, it's 0.5 seconds slower) is much quicker than the 1.6 liter Suzuki APV. Variable valve timing allows the engine to have both good torque and good top end power, something which the less sophisticated APV engine lacks. Another reason for this quickness is the 4-speed gearbox. It's got very short gears for an automatic. First gear tops out at 50 km/h, while 4th gear does 100 km/h at a buzzy 3000 rpm. This makes for spritely acceleration in traffic, though you'll need to cruise at just 60 km/h to keep the engine at 2000 rpm on the highway. Doing so should reward you with 15 km/l or better on the highway. In its time with us, the Avanza hit 11.25 km/l in mixed use. While that included highway time, that figure includes hard driving, acceleration testing, and metro traffic. Reports from owners suggest fuel economy figures closer to 8-10 km/l in daily city use. That's pretty good for an automatic-equipped seven seater. But it should be. You're paying a lot for the Avanza 1.5 G. And while that 810k gets you dual airconditioning, dual airbags and ABS, the same amount of money could get you a Suzuki APV with the same amount of kit. Or if you really need a rugged, utilitarian people-mover, a Crosswind without airbags, ABS or even power windows (hey, you asked). But if your religion forbids you from buying anything but Toyota, buy an Innova. Yup, an Innova that's more modern, more refined, more comfortable, more stable and much larger than the Avanza. Or the Vios, which is just as nimble, even more refined and more fuel-efficient. Or even the new Corolla, whose base model costs less than the Avanza and comes with much more refinement and luxury. In the end, the Avanza fails to live up to the Toyota nameplate, simply because Toyota has too many great products in this price range already. People walking into Toyota showrooms looking to buy an Avanza may end up driving away in something else. But they'll still be driving away in a Toyota. Amen. SPECIFICATIONS Vehicle type 5-door, 7-passenger MPV Vehicle layout Front-engine, rear-wheel drive Price P 813,000 Length 4,120 mm (162.2 in) Width 1,630 mm (64.2 in) Height 1,695 mm (66.7 in) Wheelbase 2,655 mm (104.5 in) Curb weight 1,085 kg (2,392 lb) Engine 3SZ-VE; normally aspirated 16-valve DOHC EFI inline-4 gasoline Displacement 1,495 cc Engine features Variable valve timing on intake valves (VVT-i) Max. power 108 hp @ 6,000 rpm Max. torque 141 Nm @ 4,400 rpm Transmission 4-speed automatic THE GOOD Peppy engine-transmission combo Good fuel economy Spacious cabin Great third row space THE BAD Tinny construction Jittery ride Darty handling Poor brakes THE LOWDOWN If you have enough money for the Avanza 1.5G, you have enough money for the Innova, which is a much better car... with a diesel, to boot. Front suspension Independent: MacPherson strut, lower control arm, stabilizer bar Rear suspension Non-independent: live axle, multiple links, coil springs Brakes (front/rear) Ventilated disc / drum; without anti-lock Tires Dunlop SP10, 185/65R-15 88S Major standard features Driver airbag, power windows, mirrors and door locks, fog lamps, AM/FM stereo with 4 speakers and in-dash single-CD player with MP3 capability, 50/50-split folding second row seat, one-piece third-row bench seat with two headrests and two three-point seatbelts, anti-theft alarm, remote keyless entry, high-mount third brake light on rear spoiler, rear airconditioning, full-size spare tire bigbigcar.com TEST RESULTS Acceleration, 0-60 kph na Acceleration, 0-100 kph na Fuel economy, city 8 to 10 km per liter Fuel economy, highway 13 to 15 km per liter Fuel economy, mixed city and highway 11.25 km per liter Top speed (manufacturer claimed) na Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation lent the test unit for this evaluation.

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