Ask The Best and Brightest: Would You Pay $22,000 For This Toyota Wagon?
Toyota doesn’t sell the Camry in most European markets; it’s wayyy too big and powerful to find favor with our Continental betters. Instead, they offer the Avensis, which was rumored to debut a complete redesign at Frankfurt but instead only showed a minor facelift. It would be overly simplistic to call the Avensis a “Scion tC sedan or wagon” but that does more or less capture the approximate size and nature of the vehicle. The Avensis platform is normally sold with a choice of two-liter, four-cylinder diesel, turbodiesel, and gasoline engines. The 2.5, 180-horsepower four-cylinder from the tC would fit, however.
The Avensis sedan wouldn’t find too many customers Stateside; very few people want to pay Camry money and get less car in return. This little wagon, on the other hand…
What’s the difference between this Avensis wagon, sold with a Scion tC nose, and the Acura TSX Sportwagon? Oh, gosh, I don’t know. Let’s call it twenty horsepower and eight thousand dollars. No, it’s not much of a niche, but it is one where Toyota could find a little bit of volume, perhaps capture the occasional hipster and/or Outback Sport buyer, and earn a touch of enthusiast cred. Most interestingly, it would exist in a more or less uncontested market segment. Who else makes a small wagon? Don’t say Mazda; this vehicle neatly splits the difference between Mazda3 and Mazda5.
There would be no reason for it to cost more than a similarly-equipped Scion tC coupe. The question becomes: Would you buy it? Do you know anybody who would?
More by Jack Baruth
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I would consider it. Just as well it's not here as I'm no longer in the market. I looked at the Soul, Elantra Touring, Vibe, Matrix, Jetta wagon, and Mazda 3. The Soul isn't really a wagon, like lots of cuv's its inside is smaller then the outside would lead you to believe, and as I need to carry long handled tools I didn't even need to drive it to take it off the list. The Elantra Touring was too hard to find as a stick, too low of mileage for it's lack of power, and too expensive to get even mildly well equipped. Vibe and Matrix, Don't like the looks of the (old or new) Matrix, or the new Vibe, but for my utilitarian needs definitely something to consider. The Jetta too spendy, etc. The Mazda has low clearance and fat tires, both problematic in a winter driver. I also need to haul a half ton of trailer periodically, a no no for a Mazda under warranty. I wound up getting a 2005 Focus wagon when the dealer offered us about $1500 more for our rusty, 140k Elantra hatchback then I would dare ask for it. Only had the wagon two weeks so far but had liked the car when it came out and it is less cramped when loaded then the Hyundai was.
Heck yes! First, it seems mr Baruth is as mistaken about the size of the Avensis as most of the commenters are, thinking it is much smaller than it actually is. I don't get that "this vehicle neatly splits the difference between Mazda3 and Mazda5" bit; it's just simply a direct competitor to the Mazda 6. Anyway, on http://www.toyota.fi/cars/new_cars/avensis/avensis_hinnat.aspx , between the "stripper" 1.6 Valvematic 6 M/T Terra(*) at 24912.83€ (32775$US) and the top-of-the-range 2.2 D-CAT 177 6 M/T Premium at 43952.78€ (57824$US), we find things like the 2.0 Valvematic 6 M/T Sol Edition, 30874.19€ (40618$US), and the 1.8 Valvematic Multidrive S Sol Plus, 34172.86€ (44957.8$US). (*): The trim levels seem to go Terra, Sol Edition, Sol Plus, Premium. So for 22000$US (16722.4€)??? HEEELLLL YEAH I would!