ONE of the attributes most people know about Toyotas is that they are all hugely reliable and long lasting, with tough engines and a top quality finish inside and out.

The seven seat Verso people carrier is no exception and in the last couple of years of production, up to 2018, it had the company's excellent five year warranty when new.

The Verso is a family car that's not just reliable but practical, with five rear seats that fold individually to make a myriad of passenger and luggage combinations.

The quality reaches all the way to the car's high level of safety, and in the Euro NCAP crash test, it came right at the top of the list!

Revisions in 2014 included a new grille and slimmer headlights, plus many more improvements both inside and out.

This is an excellent family people carrier, with loads of space in the front five seats, and a decent amount for children in the rear two.

The front and middle rows of seats are well-shaped and supportive, but access to the third row is difficult.

The suspension gives a hugely comfortable ride, which is just as it should be in such a vehicle. It soaks up the worst of surfaces helping to make it a very good long distance cruiser.

Wind noise is kept to a minimum and the cabin is a refined and quiet place to travel.

There are some very good people carriers out there now, which ride well and also take the corners with aplomb.

Sadly this is not one of them. The handling doesn't instil confidence in the driver because the steering has very little feel.

Roadholding is good through a series of corners but there is some roll and it's not up to the best like the Ford S-Max

Three engines were available most recently and the biggest seller - of which many more will be available secondhand - is a 1.6 diesel supplied by BMW with 108bhp.

This replaced Toyota's own 2.0-litre unit , and has higher economy - 62mpg official average - and low emissions of just 119 grammes per kilometre. Performance is fair, with 0 to 60 miles an hour in 12.2 seconds.

There are also two petrol engines - a 1.6 with 130bhp and a 1.8 with 145.

The 1.6, with a manual six speed gearbox, is capable of 41mpg, and covers the sprint in 11.3 seconds, while the 1.8, driving through a standard continuously variable automatic gearbox, takes 10.7 seconds for the sprint and is rated at 43mpg.

So performance is nothing to write home about, but for many owners, that would be no problem at all because they want a car that's as reliable and safe as the best on the market.

Equipment in entry Active models includes electric front windows, hill start assist, remote locking, air conditioning and a USB socket.

Mid-range Icon adds Bluetooth, touchscreen infotainment with DAB radio, alloy wheels, electric rear windows, rear parking sensors and a rearview camera, while top Excel gets bigger alloys, part leather trim, front parking sensors and sat nav.

Pay about £10,550 for a '17 17-reg 1.6 D-4D Design, or £14,000 for a '19 68-reg 1.6 V-matic Icon.