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At the last count there were no less than 15 versions of the Auris with two petrol and three different diesel engines. I drove the middle of the three diesels – a 124bhp, 2-litre ‘D4-D 130’ – and despite it not being the most powerful its 221lb/ft of torque available between 2,000 and 2,800rpm makes it very responsive and gutsy. Even without working its six-speed ‘box, the 2-litre makes short work of spirited overtaking while going uphill, and it accelerates quietly but energetically out of tight corners. The claimed performance figures are 0-62mph in 10.3 secs with a max of 121mph – more than enough for most of us.

I drove the car right across London, up to Yorkshire and then all around the Dales, so got a pretty good idea of how the Auris behaves. It’s hard to fault either in town or on the motorway, and although some of the road surfaces in the Dales on are much less than perfect, the suspension soaked up the bumps and flattened everything out very effectively. Furthermore, the electric power steering feels precise with the car being quick to respond even to demanding steering inputs without undue body roll or any other unseemly behaviour. In short it’s sure-footed, rides comfortably, steers accurately and brakes strongly.

Toyota has earned itself a reputation that is second to none in this area and there was nothing about the Auris to indicate that that reputation will suffer in the slightest. Everything about it, inside and out, looks and feels solid, well-built and durable. Along with sound customer service, this is why the brand and the model will continue to shine in independent ownership surveys.

With 5, 4 and 3 stars in the EuroNCAP tests for occupant, child and pedestrian safety respectively, the Auris is a class leader. On the T-Spirit spec version I tested, there’s a long list of safety features and equipment as standard, including: driver and passenger front and side airbags, curtain airbags, driver’s knee airbag, dual seatbelt reminders, Isofix child seat mounts, seatbelts with pretensioners, load limiters and emergency locking retractors, whiplash injury lessening front seats, a Minimum Intrusion Cabin Structure, side impact beams all round, head impact protection in the roof and pillars, ABS, brake assist and brakeforce distribution. (Vehicle Stability Control is a £350 option.) There’s also an immobiliser, smart entry, remote double central locking and a remote alarm with perimeter and interior microwave protection.

The Auris front seats are accommodating and supportive, and this comfort isn’t achieved by constant adjustment of the seating or driving position; it feels right from the off and stays that way. There’s plenty of space all around too, and the unusual bridged centre console not only looks neat but allows the handbrake, gear stick and climate controls to be a little closer to the driver than they’d ordinarily be. This also allows for a handy oddments tray just beneath the bridge. The 354-litre boot is capacious, but the rear seat backs fold forward to allow a max 761-litre boot capacity.

Toyota dealers aren’t usually the first to step forward and offer a discount, but with residual values as high as any in the class, (Astra, C4, Civic, Focus, Golf, Megane, 307 etc.) and with a 3yr/60,000m warranty, you shouldn’t feel too cheated if your dealer hung onto his shirt after purchase. The powerful 2.0 litre D-4D motor produces less CO2 than all bar the weedy 1.4 petrol engine, while its fuel consumption is something to behold: 52.3mpg on the combined cycle, (40.4mpg urban, 61.4mpg extra urban). That’s impressive. In fact, even in perhaps this most competitive of market sectors, you won’t do much better than an Auris.

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