Avanza II

Ok, so driving the Avanza is quite pleasant. But there are some things that bothers me.

1) The rings (is that what you call them?) on the steering wheel is too thin. Sometimes when I need to turn the steering a few times, it felt as if I am losing the grip. But wife does not want me to get a steering cover of any kind.

2) I still miss not having a reflecting rear mirror. This is very important as it lets you see what is behind the car when you're reversing. Unfortunately, this is not a Toyota product and the third-party device sort of screws onto the fibreglass. Which is not a very nice thing to do. I have seen one and touched it. It felt flimsy and could fall off after some time.

3) There are no coin slots in the car. Drivers in Malaysia has been blessed with Toll Booths for decades now. We are a priviledged Nation that gets to donate to charity everywhere we go. But this means lots of coins. And lots of coins jangling in the car is not a good thing. It would be very expensive to replace a broken glove box due to lots of coins inside. At least with the coin slot, you will know how may to put in and what to do with the rest, especially when there is a Barney Kiddy ride nearby.

4) The small rear view mirror. With the Avanza being such a big vehicle, you will know there are blind spots. I need to get a bigger mirror for my wife as she relies a lot on the side mirrors, which is not a good thing if a fat clumsy motorcyclist passes you by.

5) Outside noise. When we first got the car, the cabin was very quite. That is, until I started the engine and drove away. Once you're on the road, all the noise starts to sneak into the cabin. It is insignificant at first but after a while, it tends to get to you. Then you'll have a very irritable time driving the car. Maybe I should start insulating the car after two years or when the warranty runs out.

So far, these are the things I noticed while driving the Avanza. Added to that. I had two near misses when putting on the brakes because in panic mode, either my left hand went for the gear stick or I stepped on the brakes too hard.


This is the view I seldom get to enjoy.
Mommy being the chauffer!


Boot space is OK but you'd have to sacrifice
the last seat to have all these space


I am still not used to the small pedals. See how big
my boots are, compared to my Wife's shoes


I love these small drink holders. Unfortunately, so does
Kaelynn and with her around, it won't last long, I tell you