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Toyota Avensis vs Volkswagen Passat: which is the better used buy?

On DVSA MOT records the Toyota Avensis is the more reliable used buy: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 2.1 percentage points ahead of the Volkswagen Passat on first-time MOT passes. Its raw pass rate is the lower of the two (74.1% against 77.0%) because Toyota Avensis on the road are older on average: cars of their age pass 69.8% of the time, against 74.8% for cars the age of the Volkswagen Passat fleet. That comparison covers 23,292 real tests across every generation on the road, not a survey. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.

MOT first-time pass rate

Counted from DVSA’s anonymised MOT test records. “vs age-matched” compares each model against what the national fleet scores at the same age — the only fair better-or-worse number, because an older fleet fails more whatever its build quality.

Toyota Avensis
Pass rate74.1%
Age-matched national69.8%
Difference+4.3
Tests5,560
Volkswagen Passat
Pass rate77.0%
Age-matched national74.8%
Difference+2.2
Tests17,732

These figures count every generation still on the road, not only the one described below: mostly Toyota Avensis registered 2004–2017 and Volkswagen Passats registered 2004–2022.

Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). National first-time pass rate 77.3%. Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a first-time pass; DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. The difference is worked out before rounding, so it can be 0.1 away from the two rounded figures beside it.

Toyota Avensis

third generation 2009–2018 · large family saloon and estate

The Toyota Avensis passes the MOT first time 4.3 points more often than cars of the same age, and every registration year with enough tests is at or above the average for its year. Its biggest recalls: the accelerator pedal (R/2010/010), the fuel tank (R/2018/340, builds to April 2015), the rear suspension arm (R/2012/085) and, for 2015–2018 cars, the EGR cooler (R/2021/104). What Car? ranked it second among used executive cars in 2023. Toyota’s Service Activated Warranty can restart cover only on a car under 10 years old and 100,000 miles.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2010/010recall
    Accelerator pedal may fail to return to idle
    174,426 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 1 November 2008 and 31 December 2009
    Large recall — 174,426 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2018/340recall
    A potential crack could develop in the fuel evaporative emission control unit mounted in the fuel tank
    85,909 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 28 January 2008 and 22 April 2015
    Large recall — 85,909 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Cover — Toyota’s Service Activated Warranty has an age and mileage limitminor
    Not a fault. Toyota UK says its Service Activated Warranty is applied each time a car has an eligible service at an authorised Toyota dealer and lasts until the next scheduled service, but eligible services are available only until the car turns 10 years old or reaches 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
    All; the age limit means the oldest cars can no longer be brought back into cover
    Check: Work out whether the car is inside both limits (under 10 years old and under 100,000 miles) before counting on Toyota cover, and ask a Toyota dealer to confirm for the VIN.
  • Interior — scratchy plastics and ignition-slot marksminor
    What Car? says the dashboard plastics can scratch, and that on T2 and TR models the area around the ignition slot can be marked by the key; push-button start on T4 and T Spirit models avoids that.
    2009–2015 cars; check the trim level
    Check: Look at the door-handle panels and the area around the ignition, and at every alloy wheel: if all four are marked, look for other signs of neglect.
Typical asking price:
not given as a fixed figure — the model guide shows the median and middle 80% of asking prices for the cars advertised on Autoza that day, when at least 10 qualify
Fuel economy:
What Car? gives official lab (NEDC) economy of 67.3 mpg for the 2015–2018 1.6 diesel, 62.8 mpg for the 2.0 diesel and 46.3 mpg for the 1.8 petrol (its March 2019 update); real-world economy will be lower, and we have no sourced real-world figure.
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:
2013, 2014
Full Avensis fault guideUsed Toyotas

Also compare:

Volkswagen Passat

B8, 2015–2023 · mid-size family saloon and estate

The B8 VW Passat (2015–2023) is mostly reliable, but owners report mechatronic failures around 75,000 miles on the dry-clutch DQ200 DSG fitted to 1.4 TSI and 1.6 TDI cars, and AdBlue/DPF faults on short-trip 2.0 TDIs. Best-buy: 2019–2021. Worst: no single year stands out on DVSA MOT results.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2024/014recall
    On certain vehicles with electromechanical brake servo and DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) of a limited production period there is a possibility that a heat protection mat was incorrectly fitted. In individual cases the brake fluid reservoir can melt and cause a brake fluid leak into the engine compartment.
    26,721 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 8 August 2019 and 20 October 2023
    Large recall — 26,721 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2016/145recall
    Child lock may disengage
    13,620 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 25 November 2015 and 14 April 2016
    Large recall — 13,620 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • DSG DQ200 mechatronic failuremajor
    Hesitation in low gears; juddering from standstill; transmission fault codes
    2015–2017 (1.4 TSI / 1.6 TDI with the 7-speed dry-clutch DSG) · 70,000–85,000 miles · £1,500–£2,500 mechatronic; £2,800+ full DSG
    Check: VW schedules no gearbox oil service for the dry-clutch DQ200, so do not expect DSG fluid records — many specialists advise a voluntary mechatronic oil change around 60,000 miles, and evidence of one is a plus rather than a requirement. Diagnostic scan for stored P-codes. Test drive in Drive (D), Sport (S), and manual modes, and pull away uphill from a standstill to provoke any judder.
  • EGR cooler coolant leak (EA288 diesel)major
    Coolant level dropping with no visible external leak
    2015–2018 TDI · £900+ for an EGR cooler replacement at a specialist
    Check: Check the coolant level is at the mark and ask whether it has needed topping up. This is not a DVSA safety recall: DVSA lists no EGR recall for the B8 Passat, so a recall check will not show it.
Typical asking price:
not given as a fixed figure — the model guide shows the median and middle 80% of asking prices for the cars advertised on Autoza that day, when at least 10 qualify
Fuel economy:
47–54 mpg real-world for 2.0 TDI 150
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:
2019, 2020, 2021
Used Volkswagen Passats for saleFull Passat fault guideUsed Volkswagens

Also compare:

Which one suits you

Toyota Avensis

Good for: Buyers who want a plain, quiet, reliable family saloon or estate and will check the age and the service record rather than chasing a particular year.

Less good for: Anyone who wants an automatic diesel (What Car? says the 2015–2018 diesels had no automatic option) or a car that is engaging to drive.

Volkswagen Passat

Good for: Family buyers wanting saloon or estate space, long-distance commuters, anyone wanting low motor-tax-band diesel.

Less good for: Buyers tempted by sub-£10k pre-2018 DSG examples — the gamble rarely pays off.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more reliable, the Toyota Avensis or the Volkswagen Passat?
The Toyota Avensis. Measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 2.1 percentage points ahead of the Volkswagen Passat on first-time MOT passes, across 23,292 DVSA-recorded tests covering every generation on the road. Its raw pass rate is the lower of the two (74.1% against 77.0%) because Toyota Avensis on the road are older on average: cars of their age pass 69.8% of the time, against 74.8% for cars the age of the Volkswagen Passat fleet. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
How do the MOT pass rates of the Toyota Avensis and the Volkswagen Passat compare?
74.1% of Toyota Avensis pass their MOT first time (5,560 tests in DVSA's records) and 77.0% of Volkswagen Passats pass their MOT first time (17,732 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Toyota Avensis's age average 69.8% and cars of the Volkswagen Passat's age 74.8% — so the Toyota Avensis runs 4.3 points better than its age group and the Volkswagen Passat runs 2.2 points better than its own. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
Which years of the Toyota Avensis and Volkswagen Passat should I avoid?
Toyota Avensis: No year is named: DVSA’s MOT table rates every Avensis registration year it can measure (2013 to 2017) level with or above all cars registered that year. The oldest cars carry the oldest recalls: those built 1 November 2008 to 31 December 2009 are in the accelerator-pedal recall R/2010/010 (DVSA gives one total of 174,426 vehicles for the whole recall, across seven Toyota models) and, to January 2011, the rear-suspension-arm recall R/2012/085. The table has no row for those years, so ask for the car’s record for both. Volkswagen Passat: DQ200 dry-clutch DSG failures around 75,000 miles are the most reported fault on owner forums, with a mechatronic replacement at £1,500–£2,500. How often they happen is not known, so treat it as a reason to test the gearbox hard rather than a fault every early car has. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2015, 2016 and 2017 registrations above all cars registered those years, so they are not named as years to avoid. Judge a Passat by its registration, service history and the checks below rather than by year.
Is the Toyota Avensis or the Volkswagen Passat cheaper to run?
On fuel it depends on the engine. Toyota Avensis: What Car? gives official lab (NEDC) economy of 67.3 mpg for the 2015–2018 1.6 diesel, 62.8 mpg for the 2.0 diesel and 46.3 mpg for the 1.8 petrol (its March 2019 update); real-world economy will be lower, and we have no sourced real-world figure. Volkswagen Passat: 47–54 mpg real-world for 2.0 TDI 150. For cars registered from April 2017, vehicle tax works the same way for both: the £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included, plus the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 on a car that listed at over £40,000 new — the price when new, not what you pay for it used. Any Toyota Avensis or Volkswagen Passat registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pays a CO2 band instead, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates). Insurance differs mainly by driver and postcode rather than by model, so treat any model-level insurance figure with caution.

MOT figures are counted from DVSA records and are the only measured statistic here. Prices, economy and tax bands are indicative and vary by specification, condition and where the car has lived. Last reviewed: 2026-10-06 / 2026-10-06.