Previa, Lucida Etc...

[sturose]

I am looking to change my car in the next few weeks, I'm currently driving a land rover discovery but I am sick of it spending half it's life in the garage!!

I have been doing research on other seven seater vehicles and toyotas seem to be coming out on top in terms of reliability so they are currently at the top of my shortlist.

Just a few things I need to know first though....

I realise that there are UK spec and Japanese import models but how easy/hard is it to obtain spare parts for these vehicles, are there any specialist breakers to obtain major or body parts or is it main dealer for everything??

Are they as reliable as I am led to believe? (I have read about cylinder head problems on imports!)

For a fairly competent DIYer, how difficult are most routine repairs/servicing on these vehicles? I don't mind using the local garage for major work but I am not the sort of person to take my car in because the exhaust is rattling or the starter motor needs replacing.

I am looking at these vehicles because it seems that Toyota are one of the few manufacturers who realise that people with large families (six in mine) may also have a dog or want to actually take luggage with us when we go away on holiday!! :o

Stu

[sjray]

Over the last 10 years I've owned two UK spec Previas as we are a family of 8 and always needed something bigger to get around in. Spares has never been a problem as they continue to be supported by Toyota for many years (20 I think) after end of manufacture. You're right about the head gasket as it needs to be dealt with straight away otherwise you lose the engine and they are not easy to replace - a dealer will want £5-6k for a new one. We've found a local garage that is run by former Toyota mechanics who do all my serving and repairs though the local main dealer is still quite happy to work on it. I would say buy an import at your own peril as these can be harder to maintain and source reliable spare parts.

[brendahy]

Hi we've had our 1996 import since July 2009. We bought it for £100 knowing it had suspect overheating problem so finally (after a month of using it in which we were completely smitten by it!)we put it into a place in Scotland called cylinder head express. The guys there fitted a recon engine+service for £1800 and its been a dream ever since. Great reliable car starts 1st time every time and we get about 30mpg, though we're using it totally urban so mileage may be slightly better for combined. We've managed to find most parts/accessories on eBay, in fact we've just purchased a new heavy duty radiator for £50 as I burst ours running over the kerb (eeek! hubby not amused) We're now looking to purchase a 2cd car for spares. We have used our car for family trips inc dog and everyone has plenty room. Also had all seats in back folded and fitted in a standard size dishwasher and a larger than standard reclining armchair no problem. Its a great car so versatile and comfy and we hope to use ours til it literally falls apart as there is nothing else out there that compares to this mpv for this kind of cash. Theres tons of info/resources on the net for these cars and even the manuals are available albeit translated versions for around £20 for DIYers such as yourself.

Hope this helps!

[sturose]

Thanks for the replies, sorry it's been a while since I replied to my own topic but I've moved house and the car had to wait!!

I'm now at the point where I need to change my car urgently and from the replies I am still undecided whether to go for the UK spec Previa or the import for the economy of diesel??

I think I will almost certainly be opting for one of these MPV's as I have searched and can't find anything that compares for space.

Could anyone give me an idea of the difference in running costs between the petrol Previa and the diesel imports as this will probably be the deciding factor. If the savings on fuel outweigh the higher maintenance costs on the diesel models then this would be a better option for me. I have also noticed that there are a number of spares and imports breaking for spares on eBay as mentioned by brendahy so hopefully obtaining parts will not be a major issue.

Any help to decide will be appreciated.