Toyota Verso: wide advantages - Behind the wheel magazine

“Toyota-Verso-1.8СVT-Prestige”, from RUB 1,029,000, KAR from RUB 8.29/km

“Toyota-Verso-1.8СVT-Prestige”, from RUB 1,029,000, KAR from 8.29 RUB/km
“Toyota-Verso-1.8СVT-Prestige”, from RUB 1,029,000, KAR from 8 .29 RUR/km

Big lady! Despite the fact that this is not just a van, but just a compact, “Verso” did not at all seem small-sized. From the stern it almost looks larger than the RAV4! It’s all the more surprising how easy it is to maneuver such a bus through a tight parking lot or a yard filled with cars.

Although maneuverability is not the main feature of Toyota: in this regard, it is no better or worse than many vans, which are characterized by a commanding driving position. Those centimeters of space around the car that are hidden from his eyes are detected by a wide-angle rear view camera and precise parking sensors. “Verso” is generally excellently equipped. Windshield wipers start working with the very first drops of rain, cruise control maintains the permitted speed on the highway, and the road is illuminated by powerful xenon light... Having passed the traffic jam on Varshavka, I didn’t even notice how I drove far into the region: in the company of friends (7-seater car It’s very conducive to such trips!) You don’t keep track of time at all. Definitely, only those who have never driven one can criticize vans!

Potholes are not scary

The Verso's suspension is as simple as that of the Yaris. There are MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear. On the road the car behaves correctly, although it is far from sports cars. However, the brakes are effective and the discs and pads are durable.

The suspension turned out to be very durable. The need for the first serious repair arose only after 150,000 km. Original parts are expensive.

The rear shock absorbers suffer from heavy loads.

Many spare parts are interchangeable with Yaris. But some elements are quite different from the original, and finding cheaper alternatives can be difficult. For example, interior and body parts (headlights, hood, bumper and fenders). Yaris Verso owners will have to rely only on expensive originals. The only way out is to search for “used” spare parts at disassembly sites or on the Internet.

When it comes to corrosion resistance, time takes its toll. On some examples, “bugs” appear on the body with age. Most often, red spots are found in the area of the rear wheel arches and the trunk door.

“Toyota-Verso-1.8СVT-Prestige”, from RUB 1,029,000, KAR from RUB 8.29/km

But the Verso also has a quite reasonable price: 829,000 rubles - other golf-class cars are now more expensive. True, the basic “Comfort” implies a 1.6-liter engine from the Corolla, the capabilities of which are still not enough for a family airliner - after all, it is almost two hundredweight heavier than the sedan. The optimal power unit for the Verso will be the 1.8-liter engine that the Avensis carries, only seasoned with a CVT.

And I really liked this tandem. There is enough thrust reserve even when fully loaded, and when the need arises to extract the maximum from the engine, do not hesitate - press the “Sport” button. The variator will immediately change the gear ratio, the engine will increase speed, and the electronics will make the accelerator pedal more responsive - and the “Verso” will drive even brighter! Perhaps another active driver will reproach the Toyota for its not very informative steering wheel, but a connoisseur of family vacations will certainly note the silence in the cabin and the comfortable suspension.

It is customary to pay for everything good. The Japanese valued the services of a 1.8CVT tandem at 50,000 rubles. But I just want to add another 70 thousand to them for the Elegance package. Aren't alloy wheels, roof rails, 2-zone climate control, leather steering wheel, rear electric windows and good “music” worth the money? Definitely worth it!

General information about the Toyota Verso

Produced in five- and seven-seat versions by the Japanese company Toyota since 2009 . Supports manual transmission and CVT, equipped with front-wheel drive. It is equipped with gasoline and diesel engines.

The car replaced the previous generation model - Toyota Corolla Verso . It inherited some design elements from it, but received increased dimensions. In addition, a new engine was added, and new configuration options appeared.

In 2012, an updated version , the main changes of which were aimed at the front of the car. The choice of interior trim materials has also increased, decorative chrome inserts have appeared on the door handles, and the dashboard has been updated.

The basic package is equipped with the following equipment:

Driver airbag, front passenger airbag, side airbag, curtain airbag, knee protection.
Child car seat mounting system.
Active head restraints.
Electronic braking system, including traction control, electronic stability control, forced braking assistance system.
Hill start assistant.
“Walk home” function.
Electric power steering.
Headlights with halogen lamps.
Front fog lights.
Rear LED lights.
Heated, electric side mirrors.
Heated rear window.
Adjustable steering wheel with the ability to control the audio system.
Electrically heated front seats.
Central locking with remote control key.
Air conditioner.
On-board device.

“Toyota-Verso-1.8СVT-Prestige”, from RUB 1,029,000, KAR from RUB 8.29/km

Meanwhile, we have accumulated almost a million. But if you sit behind the wheel of a Verso in the Prestige configuration during a test drive, you will immediately understand that without xenon, a video camera, a keyless entry system and other convenient and useful things, a solid family car seems almost defective. And most importantly, only Prestige has a pair of third-row seats. Will you spare 80 thousand for a list of equipment with ten items? No? And rightly so! Only the result seems disappointing - “Verso” turned out to be two hundred thousand more expensive than the attractive base. After all, you can’t get the necessary options individually: Toyotas are sold in strictly fixed configurations.

And yet, even a little over a million for a compact van so rich in talent is quite adequate money in these times. Yes, there are cheaper competitors: let’s say, Zafira, C4-Picasso and Orlando cost around 900 thousand. However, in terms of equipment, spaciousness and liquidity on the secondary market, few can compete with the Verso - except perhaps the Mazda 5 and Turan. But with similar equipment they are more expensive. It is not surprising that in terms of sales volume, the Toyota compact van is second only to the much more affordable Opel.

Advantages of the Toyota Verso

Any potential buyer will want to see the positive characteristics of their future purchase. This model was able to declare itself as one of the most reliable cars thanks to the following advantages:

The biggest advantage is the provision of a high level of security . Already in the basic configuration there are active head restraints for all seats, as well as a full set of pillows. In addition, this includes all the necessary electronic safety and traffic control systems. The car received the maximum number of stars as a result of the Euro NCAP test.
The engines are equipped with a dual electronic variable valve timing system , which provides greater fuel economy and also reduces the emission of harmful combustion products. In addition, the latest Valvematic development has been applied, providing the most efficient control of air flow.
For its class, the car has amazing spaciousness . The manufacturer managed to place three rows of seats. At first glance, the rear seats seem rather weak, but this opinion is wrong. The seats are very comfortable and there is ample legroom. If desired, this row can be removed, thereby increasing the trunk volume.
All modifications are equipped with disc brakes on both axles . This provides better braking due to a high coefficient of friction, and also contributes to high precision in dosing the braking force.
The steering system is equipped with electric power steering , which always operates without any delay. Combined with a decent size wheelbase, it is possible to achieve balanced and confident handling. The picture is also complemented by the optimal turning radius.
Before the update, the appearance of this model seemed boring to many. However, after modernization, it was possible to create a stylish, modern design , thanks to which the car began to look fresh and dynamic. The headlights have become more elongated, chrome trim has appeared on the radiator grille, and the massive air intake adds some aggression.

Review of Toyota Verso 1.8 (2011)

I admit, I was signed up to receive the KIA Carens LUX equipment for March, but, as usual, KIA is KIA, there is no attitude towards customers with a fair dose of lies and incompetence. In general, it was said that there are no cars and when there will be, and whether there will be at all, there is no information, although, looking ahead, I can say that driving along the Warsaw highway in mid-April I was surprised to see several car transporters with new Carens on board all colors and configurations. With such an attitude, as they say: GOD took it away!

Before deciding to buy a car, I stopped by a Toyota service center and by chance I was given the opportunity to test drive a Verso. The impressions were mixed, and the managers did not fully understand the situation regarding the configuration of the car, i.e. roof rails are only on the most prestigious configuration, and I need them, but there is also a third row of seats and other “rain sensors”, which is not important to me, in general, as they say, they “scared me off”, and the price “did” its not the last thing , which led to the decision to purchase a KIA, after all, the difference is 200,000 = and this is only according to the price list, but, as it seemed to me, I save money and get a five-year warranty (for those who want to buy, read the fine print of the terms of this same kiyanisty warranty), 2 -x liter engine, same body volume, independent rear suspension, good old automatic. In general, I was daydreaming until they cooled me down.

That's how it all started. The question immediately arose of what to take, the season was just around the corner, it was unclear what was going on with the cars (deliveries), and I returned to the idea of purchasing Verso. In a dialogue with the manager, I found out for myself that the initial information received in May 2010 was unreliable and everything was not so bad. I was confused by the variator, and in order to solidify the decision, I went for a test drive again. Having looked closely and listened, I decided to take it! I was inspired by the engine with variable valve opening phases, which cannot but affect the dynamics of the car for the better, as well as the minimum consumption at idle, which is not the least with our traffic jams, and the overall consumption as a whole (now, according to the computer, it shows 8 ,4-9!), 17th cast wheels and roof rails completed the picture. I went to make an advance payment and draw up a contract.

It turned out that cars from 2011, in the Elegance configuration, were already sold out until July, so I was not interested in a car costing more than a million with unnecessary functions, also from 2010, black or gray, a car with a manual and 1.6 liters. Moreover, I needed white or blue-gray metallic, and I could only “pull”, and even then with difficulty, the “Elegance” package. In general, I entered into an agreement at my own peril and risk, with the hope of “failure” cars... lucky! They called and said that the car was available! It’s in a port in Finland, they promised to deliver it in two weeks(!). By the way, it was delivered the same day, which I have no doubt about is the indisputable advantage of the Kashirsky department; in other Companies no one began to talk to me about this. I came “for the first acquaintance”, the car is clean in a separate bright room, look, admire, look for defects in the body, in the interior, no one customizes or gives advice, no one imposes extras for unrealistic money. In general, I’m alone with my conic. I looked at it and went to pay, impressed.

The job is done, I’m driving along the Moscow Ring Road, people’s views know no bounds, needless to say, it tickles my soul pleasantly! You look back, it’s just a small bus, of course the car is wider. You immediately get used to the instruments, the only thing I didn’t like right away was the “leapfrog” with the lighting of the dashboard; when you drive without light, the instrument panel glows with a bright light, because The devices are recessed quite deeply and are still located at a relative distance, of course - this does not cause irritation, although it is unusual, but you just have to turn on the lighting, because... There is a stupid decree that no one knows - to drive during the day with a light on, then the light fades, i.e. based on the dark time of the day, when bright lighting of the dashboard is not required, this is where the inconvenience arises, especially in sunny weather! The display is basically invisible, no information, just the speedometer! Now, having skated for a month, I really can’t get used to it. Otherwise, I'm happy with almost everything.

The ride is excellent, the large wheels “swallow” many of the holes in our roads, it picks up speed like a diesel locomotive, very effective brakes, fairly high-quality “music”, people from behind praise and praise the landing, of course the absence of a tunnel in the middle is great! 140 km/h at 2000 rpm is also very pleasing. There are plenty of “hidden places”, the upholstery is somewhat “watery”, but, as I understand it, this is a tribute to the safety of passengers, after all, this car takes first place in it, there are airbags in the most unexpected places. It is very gratifying that in its category Verso also took first place “car of 2011”!

In general, summarizing my impressions, I can say with confidence that at this stage I am very pleased with the car! And Toyota’s service inspires respect and confidence. As for the purchase - someone who is looking for a family car and not only a car, in which both in a suit and in a T-shirt-shorts, the interior is always comfortable and does not necessarily have to have two or more children plus various living creatures, if you just want internal volume and convenience, reserve reliability and safety, buy, buy!