THERE are plenty of ways to gauge the various merits of a particular car model against its competitors.

One of the more unusual ones concerned a close relative and a 200-mile round trip to the isle of Anglesey.

This particular person has tried, and failed, on countless occasions to be a happy passenger. Never mind the old ‘I can't travel in the back' routine, she can't sit in the front either.

On this occasion she had no choice - it was that or three trains and a bus.

And do you know what. She wasn't sick once, not even a hint of nausea. No stopping at lay-bys, Little Chefs or service stations, just a sweet uninterrupted trip in each direction.

Could be coincidence of course, but it's a fact that whether driving or being driven the latest Toyota Avensis is a smooth, beautifully engineered piece of kit.

Officially, the Japanese company's British-built flagship model has been revised and updated for 2012, which can mean the seat fabrics have been changed and a couple of extra mpg eeked out of a re-worked engine.

There's much more in this case though, especially for drivers of top-selling 2.0-litre diesel versions - like the tested model - who can expect to save £2,000 in cost of ownership compared to the previous model.

Yes, there have been a few styling tweaks. But making the Avensis a more rewarding drive, with better comfort, was a prime goal of the development team.

So the car has a more rigid body, and while it benefits from changes to the front and rear suspension, particular attention was paid to the electric power steering, which adopts a quicker gear ratio, giving more direct performance to make the car more agile.

And thanks to the revised engine the savings over three years/60,000 miles are made via less money being spent at the pumps, lower road tax and - crucial for business users - more favourable company car tax ratings.

The 124bhp Toyota Optimal Drive 2.0-litre D-4D engine is established at the heart of the Avensis range, but compared to the previous engine, fuel economy has improved by 15 per cent, from 53.3 to 61.4mpg and a 14 per cent reduction has been achieved in CO2 emissions, which fall from 139 to 119g/km.

Because of the reduction in CO2 emissions, the D-4D delivers a 17 per cent Benefit-in-Kind company car tax rating, four points lower than the previous model.

Family drivers, meanwhile, can count on a comfortable, well laid-out and nicely appointed hatchback with decent boot space and ample room for three adults in the back.

Sat-nav is standard in all bar entry grade T2 spec along with the advanced information features included in the Toyota Touch & Go system - something Toyota says its key competitors can't match - and there's a a choice of six-speed manual or Mulridrive S automatic transmission, with prices from £18,450.