Faults:

Rear brakes seizing.

General Comments:

Brilliant, this is my second Stepwagon. I imported it from Japan myself and I will certainly be buying a third one.

I see one reviewer said it's very uneconomical at 14 mpg. I've had two of these and both return between 40-45 mpg. I do a mixed driving, city and rural so I can't understand why someone reports 14 mpg.

It's a really practical vehicle; seats 8 and all the back seats move in so many ways. My Steppy gets used as a kid carrier, a van to move cement and sand or as a general furniture removal van. Once had two double beds complete with mattresses plus a sideboard in the back

Faults:

Rust has appeared on chassis rails and boot floor. I suspect this is attributed to the area we bought the car from which was close to the ocean.

General Comments:

The Good:

- Spacious (we can fit 8 adults).

- Ergonomic (well thought out interior).

- Easy to drive.

- Controls in easy reach.

- Easy to park.

The Bad:

- Poor fuel economy (just over 14mpg).

- Poor quality interior plastics.

- Steering is overly weighted.

- Slow.

- Seats are not comfortable.

I have been daily driven my Stepwagn for more than a year now and put on some mileage. I have found the experience okay. First off, it's a smart looking MPV and it fits its target audience very well. It's easy to load and unload the kids on the school run. The middle row folds neatly away if more space is needed. All the seats (including 3rd row) can slide and recline and there's plenty of cubby space for your junk. The general driving experience is okay.

The fuel economy is shockingly bad. Granted I do mostly city driving, but I average 6.3L per kilometer (just over 14mpg); this seems very poor for a 2L engine. I suspect the engine is too small for the weight of the vehicle and the 4 speed auto does not help. Although the Stepwagn is easy to park, the steering weight feels overly heavy and can be annoying at low speed maneuvering. The seats on long journeys can be painful as the padding is stiff.

Reliability wise, the Stepwagn has never given us an issue, although I have noticed rust on the underside. This might because I purchased the car from the Chiba region which is near the sea.