Bought new, Owned for 9 Years
Fuel Economy: 10.0 km/litre (10.0 L/100 km), RON95, Mileage: 1,200 km/month
- Spacious, comfortable
- Very reliable
- Aircond is very powerful, including the rear blower
- Lots of cubicles
- Simple and functional dashboard (I prefer simplicity)
- 6 speaker radio is surprisingly good (for a relatively large cheap MPV)
- Handling is also surprisingly good for an MPV with ladder frame chassis (of course, it is nowhere compared to Proton’s)
- The third row is quite acceptable for medium size adults (1.7m tall and below)
- Acceleration is quite good for a 1550kg MPV with only 2.0 liter engine (maybe due to manual transmission)
- Good allround view
- Clutch is relatively light and the engagement point is just nice (I’ve driven a Proton Wira 1.6 manual, the engagement point is high, not comfortable during traffic jam)
- Durable brake pads. The van has done 160,000km, still on original brake pads (service centre confirmed replacement not needed yet).
- Durable ancillary/fan belt. The van has done 160,000km, still on original belt (service centre confirmed replacement not needed yet).
- Small turning radius, for a van this size.
- Fuel economy: 10 ~ 12km/l, RON 95, mileage, 1200km/month. I seldom drive in traffic jam as this is a manual transmission van.
- Flexible seating arrangement and seat folding mechanism
- The chain type mechanism for securing the spare tyre is better than the hook type used in Avanza.
- Light, smooth and positive gear change (though not as buttery as a BMW's manual)
- Manual transmission is relatively low, need 6th gear. In 5th gear, the engine is already running at 3000rpm at 105kmh.
- There is a noticeable drone when engine speed passed 3200rpm (approx.)
- Beige interior colour needs extra care to ensure it “looks†reasonable clean. Darker shade is recommended for family oriented vehicles like this
- Engine is really loud above 3500rpm, especially when overtaking with full load
- Engine sound coarse when revved hard, especially beyond 3500rpm. In comparison, Avanza's 1.5 sounds smooth even when revved hard.
- Seat backrest is adjustable for all seats, even for the third row
To Improve
- Better sound insulation, especially to reduce engine noise
- 6th gear for manual transmission.
- Perhaps UMW Toyota would consider bringing in the diesel version
- Darker shade for interior
- Reduce the stroke of gear change. Something like Avanza's is welcomed.
- Head rest for the centre seat for 2nd and 3rd row seat.
- 3 point seat belt for centre seat for 2nd and 3rd row seat.
Yes, I would recommend this car