2010 Toyota Allion Review

Detailed Review

The Toyota Allion was introduced to the market in 2001 together with the Toyota Premio. They are technically the same with differences being in body styling and interior. The Toyota Premio is marketed as a luxurious, upscale saloon whilst the Allion is marketed as a sporty, no frills saloon. The Allion is more maneuverable and responsive than the Premio due to lower body weight.

So far, there have been 2 generations of the Toyota Allion, the 1st generation T240 and the 2nd generation T260. The T240 was in production from 2001 to 2007 and the T270 in production from 2007 to Present. The Toyota Allion is sold exclusively in the JDM and only available for export to the second hand market.

The Toyota Allion is an all-time favorite amongst Kenyans who love it for its good fuel economy and practicality. It is comparable in size to the Audi A4, Subaru Legacy Saloon, Mercedes C180, and the BMW 318i.

The 2010 Toyota Allion T260 is available with 3 engine variants: The 1.5Litre 1NZ engine, the 1.8Litre 2ZR engine and the 2.0Litre 3ZR engine. All are mated to an automatic CVT transmission. The Allion is available in 2WD and 4WD options. The 4WD option only comes with the 1.8L engine.

The 2010 Toyota Allion is available in 3 Grades: The Toyota Allion A15, The Toyota Allion A18, and The Toyota Allion A20. Below are the specs for each of these grades.

1. The Toyota Allion A15: This is the base level grade that comes with the 1.5 Litre 1NZ-FE engine, CVT Transmission and 2WD.

2. The Toyota Allion A18: This comes with the 1.8 Litre 2ZR-FE engine, CVT Transmission, 2WD/4WD options.

3. The Toyota Allion A20: This is the premium grade version that comes with the 2.0 Litre 3ZR-FAE engine, CVT Transmission and 2WD. Its got many other extras such as Alloy Rims as standard, fog lights, navigation, and a sunroof option.

Interior
Legroom & Space
The 2010 Toyota Allion is a comfortable car with seats that are well padded, all with headrests. At the 1st row, the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable(optional) while the passenger seat is manually adjustable for all options. The legroom at the front is good and a tall driver will have sufficient room. The 2nd row has good legroom even for the middle seat. The reclining seats with headrests really enhance the comfort of the car.

Cabin Storage
There are several storage compartments in the 2010 Toyota Allion. These are useful for storing items such as smartphones, beverages, goggles, handbags etc. For the 1st row, there 4 cup-holders on the centerbox and door panels, a storage shelf below the dashboard, a glovebox and the centerbox. For the 2nd row, the only storage is the seat jacket pockets.

Boot Space
The boot space for the 2010 Toyota Allion is typical of any saloon car. The boot can carry medium sized luggage such as suitcases and groceries. The rear seats are foldable to create extra space. However, it cannot carry bulky or oversized luggage that station wagons would typically carry.
Other Extras – Double Din Stereo, Navigation(Optional), Reverse Camera, Auto Headlamps, Keyless Entry

Exterior
The exterior dimensions are close to those of the Toyota Premio and Avensis. Most come with steel rims with plastic covers, but go for alloy rims as much as possible.

2010 Toyota Allion Fuel Consumption
2010 Toyota Allion A15 Fuel Consumption: 18.6 km/L (On Average)
2010 Toyota Allion A18 Fuel Consumption Fuel Consumption: 17.0 km/L (On Average)
2010 Toyota Allion A20 Fuel Consumption Fuel Consumption: 15.6 km/L (On Average)

2010 Toyota Allion Acceleration 
2010 Toyota Allion A15 accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 10.5 secs.
2010 Toyota Allion A18 accelerates from 0-100km/h in 9.7 secs.
2010 Toyota Allion A20 accelerates from 0-100km/h in 9.4 secs.

2010 Toyota Allion Fuel Tank Capacity: 60 Litres

2010 Toyota Allion Ground Clearance
The Toyota Allion has a ground clearance of 6.4Inches(165mm) when unmodified. This height may not be a problem if the vehicle is lightly loaded. However, when fully loaded the vehicle may not clear some speed bumps on Kenyan roads. In this case, you many need to increase ground clearance. Read our guidelines here on how to safely increase a vehicle’s ground clearance.

2010 Toyota Allion Stability and Handling
The Toyota Allion T260 is a very smooth car to drive. It glides effortlessly on the road thanks to its CVT transmission and the VVT-I engine. However, under hard acceleration the 1.5L’s weaknesses are immediately manifested. The engine struggles to haul the weight and clearly there’s an imbalance in power to weight ratio. In my view, the most ideal engine for the Allion is the 2.0L 3ZR. It has got the power to quickly propel the car under hard acceleration and its fuel economy is above average. The 1.8L engine offers a compromise between the two with its moderate power delivery and good fuel economy.

In terms of stability, the Allion is stable under normal driving conditions, however aggressive cornering is not advisable.

Service and Maintenance Costs
Minor Service(Done after every 5000kms can be done by any reputable petrol station) – Air Cleaner, Oil Filter, Engine Oil
Major Service(done after every 20,000kms has to be done by a competent garage)-Air Cleaner, Oil Filter, Fuel Filter, Plugs, Front Brake Pads, Rear Brake Pads(If available), ATF Oil, Engine Oil, ATF Filter

Spare Parts Availability, Cost & Where to buy
The beauty of driving a Toyota in Kenya is that spare parts are relatively cheap and readily available. This is also true for the Toyota Allion. Service parts and suspension parts are readily available. With a monthly budget of Ksh.5,000/- you will cover maintenance costs. Used parts generally require negotiations and their prices vary depending on your knowledge. In Nairobi, most spare shops in Industrial area and Kirinyaga road stock these spare parts. You can get listings for these shops here follow this link

2010 Toyota Allion Reliability
The driving conditions in Kenya are significantly different from those in Japan and Europe. Reliability reviews done for those markets largely do not apply to the Kenyan market. There are differences in roads, fuel, climate, spares, and technical expertise. To give you accurate and reliable local insights, we interview experts such as mechanics and car dealers, who have in-depth knowledge of the Kenyan market. We also test the cars ourselves. Our aim is to give you the right information to enable you make an informed decision when buying a car.

The 2010 Toyota Allion is a very reliable car with no known mechanical defects. As usual, we interviewed several Toyota Mechanics and experts around Nairobi for this review. They particularly praise the 1.5L 1NZ FE engine as being a reliable workhorse with bullet proof reliability. The 1.8L 2ZR and the 2.0L 3ZR are also well regarded and no major issues were reported. These engines can clock high mileage without skipping a beat.

One particular concern is around the CVT gearbox that is sensitive to poor quality ATF. The general recommendation is to avoid using cheap ATF as this will definitely kill the gearbox in the long run. Always follow the recommended guidelines as per the Owner’s manual. To download the 2010 Toyota Allion Owner’s Manual click here

Resale Value – Very Good
Comparable Cars: Toyota Premio, BMW 318i, Subaru Legacy Saloon, Mercedes Benz C180

Cost of Ownership
Purchase Price: from Ksh. 800,000
Comprehensive Insurance: Average Ksh. 32,000/ per annum- Or
3rd Party Insurance: Ksh. 7,000/- per annum
Change of Tyres(If neccessary) Ksh. 20,000/- for 4 Tyres
See Latest Toyota Allion Prices here

Conclusion
The Toyota Allion is a reliable, economical car with excellent cabin comfort. The dashboard is minimalistic and somewhat plain but the wood trim adds some touch of class. I found the price tag to be high for the car of its class but understandably so due to its strong demand. Given its good fuel economy and affordable parts, I guess it makes some long term sense as you might recoup through these. The Toyota Allion also commands a strong resale value in the Kenyan market even after many years of use. Other models such as BMW, Mercedes and Subaru do not retain such a strong resale value.

What we like about the 2010 Toyota Allion
1. Good cabin comfort
2. Excellent fuel economy
3. Affordable parts
4. Top notch reliability

What we don’t
Cheap alloy rims on the lower grades