7-seater showdown: Toyota Avanza vs. Toyota Rush

The Filipino automotive scene has seen a constant surge of mid-size seven-seater vehicles — and it is not difficult to see why. They can haul both creature and cargo, are typically fitted with a fuel-efficient engine, and have a higher ground clearance than sedans. In short, they are very practical and can take on more than just the average city road.

Two of today’s more popular models include the Toyota Avanza and the Toyota Rush. Interested to see which among the vehicles from Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) best suits your budget and your needs? Join us to find out.

Exterior

The Toyota Rush is slightly longer and wider than the Toyota Avanza. The former measures 4,435 millimeters (mm) long, 1,695mm wide, and 1,705 tall. It also has a higher ground clearance at 220mm. The latter, on the other hand, is tall with dimensions that measure 4,395mm long, 1,730mm wide, and 1700mm tall. Its ground clearance is from 180mm to 190mm.

At the fore, the Toyota Avanza sports a black grille flanked by split-type LED headlights, LED clearance lamps, and front fog lamps. At the side are body-color side mirrors with turn signals as well as body-color door handles. Its rear feature LED taillamps, a pair of reflectors, and a spoiler.

The Toyota Avanza rides on a set of 15-inch steelies or 15 or 16-inch alloy wheels.

Meanwhile, the Toyota Rush packs a chrome front grille, LED headlamps, LED clearance lamps with line guide, and front fog lamps. Should one pick the range-topping GR-S variant, the chrome front grille and the LED headlamps will be replaced with smoked versions of the exterior appointments alongside other model-specific kits namely the front bumper, the side body molding, the rear bumper, and GR-S badges.

At the rear are two LED combination lamps and a rear spoiler. It also sports a roof rail.

The Toyota Rush wears 16-inch alloy wheels shod in either 65R16 or 60R17 tires.

With the option to slap a Gazoo Racing factory kit for a sportier look, we’re giving the round to the Toyota Rush.

Interior

Things take a different turn when one opens the doors of TMP’s Avanza multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and Rush sport utility vehicle (SUV).

The Toyota Avanza surprisingly has a more upmarket interior appeal with seats finished in two-tone black and brown fabric. Similarly, the door trims don brown accents. It also comes with a urethane steering wheel, a urethane shift knob, and floor carpets complete with “Avanza” branding.

Other notable interior features include a 4.2-inch thin-film-transistor (TFT) multi-information display and a 6.75-inch display audio or an eight-inch display audio with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — depending on the variant.

The Toyota Rush offers fabric seats, fabric door trims, and a two-tone instrument panel. It does redeem itself with a leather-wrapped steering wheel in the range-topping GR-S grade.

Across the board, the Toyota Rush variants all get a seven-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

With a more impressive cabin, we give this round to the Toyota Avanza.

Engine

Under the Toyota Avanza’s hood a 1.3-liter engine with the top-of-the-line GR-S trim getting a more powerful 1.5-liter powerplant. The gasoline mills are either mated to a five-speed gearbox or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The 1.3-liter engine makes about 97 horsepower (hp) while the larger 1.5-liter engine makes approximately 105 horses.

All the variants of the Toyota Rush are equipped with a 1.5-liter powerplant. They are mated to either a five-speed manual tranny or to a four-speed automatic transmission. All powertrain setups make a respectable 102hp.

Thanks to its ability to offer more flexible powertrain options, this round goes yet again to the Toyota Avanza.

Safety

Safety-wise, the Toyota Avanza offers typical features like front airbags and seatbelts, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), vehicle stability control (VSC), and hill-start assist control (HSA). In addition, the top-tier model gets additional safety features in the form of the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) which includes a blind spot monitor (BSM), rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA), as well as side and curtain airbags.

The Toyota Rush also comes with a similar suite of safety features but without the TSS.

That said, we give this round to the Toyota Avanza.

Verdict

The Toyota Avanza comes out as the better vehicle in our seven-seater showdown. It was able to outshine the Toyota Rush (aka baby Fortuner) in various aspects that are considered important by most.

The Toyota Avanza is currently sold in four variants with prices ranging from P833,000 to P1.059 million. The Toyota Rush, on the other hand, is being offered in three trim levels with prices ranging from P1.012 million to P1.176 million.

Photos from Toyota Motor Philippines

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