Joe Clifford and Andrew Biddle managed to go 1456 km (905 miles) on a single tank of fuel in a brand new Toyota Avensis T-Spirit Tourer D4-D. This is the distance from one end of Britain to the other. This was a long distance economy challenge taken up by two journalists for Banzai magazine.

The superb efficiency of the engine and 6-speed manual transmission, and the pair's eco-conscious driving style helped the Avensis to achieve whopping 71.5 mpg, which is just 3.95 litres per 100 km. This is just a shade less than the car's official extra urban consumption figure.

The journey included a stop-off at Toyota's Burnaston plant – home of the Avensis – where they saw first hand the attention to quality and the commitment to the environment throughout the manufacturing process.

At the beginning, the two drivers filled the Avensis's 60 litre tank and programmed their route on the car's Touch & Go navigation system. The on-board computer calculated a driving range of just 580 miles, but that limit was comprehensively smashed: the car covered more than 170 miles on the last bar of the fuel gauge alone, in spite of having to tackle mountain climbs, pouring rain and high winds.

"The Toyota shrugged off the mileage with ease and showed such frugality for fuel that we wouldn't hesitate to recommend it highly. That it is also comfortable, roomy, tax-friendly for business users, bursting with kit and beautifully built are simply bonuses.", said Joe Clifford.

2012 Toyota Avensis T Spirit Tourer D4-D - 1456 km

Toyota Avensis T Spirit Tourer D4-D - 1456 km (2012) - picture 1 of 6
Toyota Avensis T Spirit Tourer D4-D - 1456 km (2012) - picture 2 of 6
Toyota Avensis T Spirit Tourer D4-D - 1456 km (2012) - picture 3 of 6
Toyota Avensis T Spirit Tourer D4-D - 1456 km (2012) - picture 4 of 6
Toyota Avensis T Spirit Tourer D4-D - 1456 km (2012) - picture 5 of 6
Toyota Avensis T Spirit Tourer D4-D - 1456 km (2012) - picture 6 of 6

Source: Toyota