Toyota - Previa

1990-00  2000 onwards 

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The long-running Previa still gives more modern people carriers some serious competition, although it was originally too expensive for many family buyers. It's dependable, well built and very spacious.

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	Roomy interior; eight seats in most versions
	Toyota reliability, durability and longevity
	Uncluttered body styling is ageing gracefully
	Still expensive compared to some rivals
	Only one rear side door
	Quite a lot of cars don?t have air con

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Previa is impressive. It's not just its size - a foot longer and four inches taller than the early Nineties Espace. It's the styling - elegantly curves blending into large areas of glass. It looks sleekly efficient, adding appeal to Previa's flexibly generous capacity.
The cabin is long thanks to Previa's under-floor engine layout. Most models are eight seaters; the centre and rear rows are comfortable for all but large adults. The top GX has seven seats; twin centre seats are roomier and also swivel. GX is also the only version with standard air con - desirable, as the interior heats up quickly on sunny days.
The four cylinder 2.4 petrol engine gets thirsty when driven hard but is refined at cruising speeds. Beware of turbodiesels: these are 'grey' imports, Japanese Estima or Lucida.
Previa is nimble on the move and rides smoothly despite some body roll. It?s a bit bulky when parking.