1993 Toyota Previa GL from UK and Ireland - Comments

Just one thing - the idle's erratic at cold temperatures... apparently a common fault, it's fine once the engine warms up.

This vehicle obviously has its roots in van design - Toyota's own Hi-ace had a similar mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration... but this is no glorified van like the Nissan Serena (which has a similar engine layout).

Interior space is awesome... except in the front, where headroom is inhibited by the fact that you're sitting on top of 2438 cc's worth of engine and by the sloping roofline. You can actually carry eight people and their small luggage in complete comfort unlike some other people-carriers of the era. The cabin is amazingly rattle and scratch free for a ten-year-old car, but it feels plasticky. The dashboard still looks odd, even after fourteen years, with the 'pod' in the middle. And surely they could have made the fusebox into a cubby hole and moved the fuses elsewhere? The seats are easy to fold up, but couldn't they have found a way to enable the mid bench seat to be folded or removed?

Engine economy and performance is no more than adequate - 31 mpg on a long run, 12.9 seconds to 60 mph. The engine sound itself is a little whiny. Not what you'd expect from multivalves and DOHC.

The manual gearbox is a pig of a thing, recalcitrant and notchy (owing to the odd layout?). I really wish I'd bought one with an auto 'box.

The handling is really well balanced - thank you mid-engine, steering vague, ride good. I've yet to drive it in really wet or snowy conditions, but I wouldn't like to drive it in full-blown winter with the cheap summer tyres it's wearing right now.

It still looks imposing and... unique, none of which could be said of the Mk. 2 Previa (with front-engine, front-wheel-drive, and rear twist beam axle!), which looks like a hash-up of Ford's 'new-edge' design.

Double-overhead-camshafts per cylinder. All-independent suspension. Mid-engine. Rear-wheel-drive. Eight seats?! Try to think of any car with more than two seats to have offered this bizarre (for a family car) spec. You'll never find any people-carrier as unique and well-rounded as this. Buy one now. But make it auto...

A refreshing readable review. Thank you.

How does the vehicle feel when pushed? Is it well balanced (within the obvious constrains of being a bit of a bus) or does the front end wash out. I would expect the later, bearing in mind the target audience.

Neil.

As regards the Previa's handling: it remains neutral as long as the tyres are in good condition... I had a few understeer/power-oversteer on tight corner moments when the tyres were of poor condition, but that's hardly the car's fault.

Middle bench: in the US version, the middle bench is removable using 2 latches (like most minivans). Also, the middle bench can be slid forward and backward for legroom adjustments and the middle bench seat-back reclines. If you remove the headrests, you can actually make a flat surface or bed abutting the third row seats. Also, the middle bench can be put in facing backwards.

I use Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 snow tires on a RWD Previa and it is fantastic in winter. I don't feel AWD or ABS is necessary with those tires. -bz.