Toyota Avensis
Derbyshire's dependable family and fleet car.
The story
The Avensis replaced the Carina E and was designed mainly for European buyers. It was quiet, comfortable and almost never broke down, which made it a favourite with taxi firms and company fleets.
Inside
Well screwed together, with lots of equipment and room for five.
In period colours
Tap a colour to respray the drawing.
The second-generation Avensis was shipped from Derbyshire to Japan and sold there, a rare case of Britain exporting cars to Japan.
Meanwhile, in 1997
Tony Blair became Prime Minister, and the first Harry Potter book was published.
Best-selling single of 1997: Candle in the Wind 1997 by Elton John
Before you buy a 1990s car
- On petrol engines, check the cooling system and any sign of head gasket trouble.
- Ask when the timing belt was last changed, where fitted.
- Parts for mass-market cars are widely available; specialist and low-volume models can be hard to find.
General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.
Rivals of its day
Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.
See the real thing
These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.
Today's money: the launch price adjusted for inflation to 2026, using the Office for National Statistics price index.