The Auris isn’t bargain basement cheap to buy, but does represent good value in terms of the build quality, comfort and the equipment you get for the money. Plus it holds its value better than almost any other car on the market today. After three years you should get roughly 40% back of the list price. Low insurance groups – starting at group 4 for the 1.4-litre and 1.33-litre models – should bring the cost of cover down while service intervals are very well spaced at every 20,000 miles.

There’s decent fuel economy from all engines and even an indicator on the dashboard that tells you when to change up (or down) to get the best economy. If cheap Toyota Auris running costs are your priority you’ll opt for the 74mpg (claimed) HSD.

The conventionally powered Auris models, however, score very well on the eco front and all of the engines in the range emit respectably low levels of CO2 while returning good economy. In 2009 the Auris’s conventional engines were tweaked to be even more efficient while the 1.33-litre comes with a stop/start system to reduce emissions (and boost economy) further.

This was part of the introduction of Toyota’s Optimal Drive technology which had a considerable impact. For example fuel economy on the already frugal 1.4 D-4D improved from 56mpg to 60mpg. If low Toyota Auris emissions have grabbed your attention no doubt the 2010 HSD makes the most sense with road-tax-free CO2 emissions of 89g/km and average fuel economy of 74.3mpg.

Toyota’s strong reputation for robust build quality appears to continue with Auris. It’s strongly built, while the interior fit-and-finish is exemplary. Plus Toyota has stringent quality control processes in place. Employees building the car were trained 18 months before it went on sale and each takes personal responsibility for the quality of their work.

Every 15 minutes an Auris is randomly selected from the production line and checked to make sure every weld is up to standard. The majority of five-door models are built in Britain, three-doors come from Turkey and a handful are built in Japan. In 2010 Toyota recalled all Auris models built between October 2006 and January 2010 to fit modified accelerator pedals.

In spite of these hiccups we think that Toyota Auris reliability is creditable.