Car reviews

Introduction

When the Toyota Previa was originally launched in 1990, it was one of the first purpose-built MPV’s in the world. This new generation Previa comes with a more modern styling and good looks along with improved practicality, better build quality, a spacious interior and a very impressive diesel engine.

Exterior & Interior

The Toyota Previa is a good looking MPV with space-age looks. The styling still proves popular over ten years after the car was launched and is still in high demand. It is built specifically for carrying people and more importantly for doing it in comfort. There is an option of having seven or eight seats installed and the seats are extremely comfortable. They are also very supportive, and prove to still be comfortable even on the longest of journeys. There is plenty of space inside the cabin and it is possible to slide the two back rows of seats forwards and backwards to configure the seating the way you wish. Whether you want it to be luggage or legroom-orientated, the Previa can deliver.

With all the seats upright, the boot isn’t particularly big, but with both the back rows removed (they don’t fold away into the floor unfortunately) this space increases to a huge 2929 litres. There are also over a dozen storage compartments dotted throughout the interior: comprising of door pockets, cup holders and cubby holes. The dashboard is well-designed and easy to read and use. The entry level GS trim comes with plenty of equipment as standard including air-con, remote central locking, stereo system, electric windows all round, ABS, power steering, driver and passenger airbags, alarm, immobilizer and a multi-information LCD display. The GLS trim doesn’t add much more other than a CD player and a split-level front and rear air-con. The top of the range CDX adds twin electrically operated sunroofs, privacy glass and sat-nav. After the face-lift in 2003 the trim levels were renamed T2, T3 and T-Spirit.

Drive

The driving position is very comfortable and feels natural, coming with plenty of adjustments both to the seat and the steering column. The Toyota Previa offers good all-round views. The handling is surprisingly good for a car as big as Previa. It feels very agile thanks to the well-weighted and accurate steering, which makes parking easy as long as you can find a big enough space. The ride is smooth and composed, if a little firm around town. The Toyota Previa proves to be a good long-distance cruiser with a smooth character.

Faults & Repairs

As you would expect from a Toyota, the Previa is a reliable car. One of the few known problems is related to the fuel safety cut-off system, which could cause the engine to misfire. Other than that you just need to check that it has been regularly serviced, doesn’t have any knocks on the back and sides from parking accidents and that it is an official UK car and not an import, as there are a fair few made-for-Japan cars around. This can be checked on the V5 registration document. The service and repair costs aren’t too bad falling into the same sort of price range as other seven and eight-seater MPVs.