Toyota PREVIA
If You Must Have The Very Largest MPV People Carrier, Then You Must Consider Toyotas Previa. Vanessa Hinkley Does Just That
The original
Toyota Previa MPV looked so futuristic that it was hard to imagine how it had been passed for production. This latest one looks even more avant garde but were so used to artistic shapes these days that no one gives it a second glance as you drive down the road. Which is fine by me. You dont buy a huge People-Carrying MPV like this one to attract attention.
Practicality is everything. Still, if you can mix that with a dash of style, then it should liven family life up a bit. For that reason alone, I was keen to try Toyotas largest.
| Build |
 |
| Comfort |
 |
| Depreciation |
|
| Economy |
|
| Equipment |
|
| Handling |
|
| Insurance |
|
| Performance |
 |
| Styling |
 |
| Value |
|
Strangely enough, theres still arent many large MPVs that can match the Previas ability to carry up to eight people. There are three rows of seats, with those in the middle and at the rear being benches that recline and slide back or forth to alter the amount of leg and luggage room. Opt to order your car in seven-
seat form and the middle bench is replaced by two individual seats. Though like the individual seats, the two split-folding benches are removable, they do, I found, come with three disadvantages.
The first is weight: even the basic chairs arent light and the benches require a real workout. I certainly couldnt manage them on my own. The second is the latest Previas need to have somewhere to store the things should you take them from the vehicle. Our garage probably like yours is already full of junk and I couldnt imagine where I was going to put them.
In the old model, that wasnt a problem since the rearmost seats folded up into the side of the cabin: even better, some rivals allow you to store them under the floor. Even if you leave all of that aside, theres a safety issue in that those in the middle of each bench have to make do with a lap belt rather than the proper three-point affair. These niggles apart, however, I did find the Previa a versatile travelling companion. Entry to the rear of the airy cabin is easy thanks to two huge sliding doors.
Once inside, I counted no fewer than 18 different storage compartments, including a split-level glovebox and deep front door bins. All of which ought to be useful should you decide to take up the option of folding the seats into a makeshift double bed (not something I was tempted to do I have to say). Thanks to a longer wheelbase (and suspension that no longer intrudes into the cabin), theres certainly a more spacious feeling in the latest Previa for passengers at least. As ever with vehicles like this, luggage room with all the seats in use is a different story.
And as ever, if you plan to regularly use the car to capacity, paying a bit extra for a roof box will probably prove to be money well spent. Should you start to remove those seats, youll quickly arrive at van-like levels of carrying capacity (103.4 cuft with two seats in place). Fortunately, a van isnt the first thing that springs to mind on first acquaintance, thanks to that swoopy styling, a look
Toyota calls One Wave.
Its a pleasant mix of curves and creases, the only drawback being a tapering away at the rear, reducing back seat headroom by about an inch.
You dont buy a vehicle like this for great handling, so the Previa van-like demeanour wont be too much of a shock. If youre talking petrol power, combined fuel economy is substantially better in the 5-speed manual model (30.1 mpg as opposed to 26.9 mpg for the 4-speed auto), though the UK importers expect relatively few petrol Previa buyers to choose a stick shift.
Most appear to feel that the automatic better suits the smooth, unruffled characteristics of the astonishingly refined VVT-i engine. Rest to sixty occupies 10.9s on the way to a maximum of 115mph, though acceleration figures through the gears reveal a more leisurely performer. With the D4-D turbo diesel version, you can expect to see nigh-on 40mpg with a restrained right foot.
Rest to sixty occupies 13.6s on the way to a maximum of 109mph. Either way, ride and handling characteristics are well controlled, without ever encouraging you to venture near the cars limits.
The Previa costs a little more than its mainstream large MPV rivals but then it does offer a little more space. And its very well equipped. The all-alloy 2.4-litre four cylinder VVT-i engine is Euro IV compliant, prices start at £20,405 for a T2 variant ranging up to £24,955 for the T Spirit auto.
The 2.0-litre D-4D turbo diesel version has proved popular and in this instance prices range between £21,905 for a T2 up to £24,955 for a manual T Spirit.
Though this car is too big for my needs, if space was a major requirement and the budget wasnt too tight, Id have to consider it carefully.
<< Back to Toyota car reviews
<< Back to car reviews homepage
Find New & Used Cars in the UK |
New & Used Toyota Cars For Sale UK
