Best value car for carrying gear.

If anyone in WA wants one I have a really good one for sale <4K

If the moniker "people mover" doesn't bother you go for a Tarago! Bang for your buck for carting people and lots of gear is the TCR10 Tarago from 1990-1999. We are up to our 2nd one and probably be the last as 2 of my 4 ankle biters are now driving themselves around on their P's. They may not have the cargo dimensions as a Hiace or T4 VW but are pretty close and hell of a lot more than a Commodore or Falcon wagon. And if you have kids they love the space!

They offer better handling and higher comfort levels than any van of the same decade. Super reliable and very good on petrol for their size and equipment level. They drive like a car, even better than some cars from the same period and hell of a lot more reliable than Commodores and definately better built and cheaper to fix than the German equivalents.

We had an '89 Tarago which was van like and was good and did 450,000klm on the same motor and gearbox and driveline. And then we got the wombat TCR10 '95 model, we are now up to 420,000klm with the same engine, manual gearbox and driveline, and it still purrs along. Neither ever had their heads off or needing anything but consumables including a clutch. I know them mechanically very well as I have done *all* work on ours for over 15 years!

Despite the miles on our '95 Tarago it is not using seriously too much water or oil. But we are up to our 3rd lot of suspension, but they are cheap to replace, particularly the rear as they are coil and shock not struts, fronts are a bugger to fit though.

The 2TZFE injected motor has good torque for a 2.4, the gears are well spaced and they pull a near tonne trailer without any probs and thats including a car load of kids. Best country mileage we've done is 8.5L/100, average country 10.5, city 11.5. Toyota designed this engine (and car) very well. It didn't win People Mover of the year 5 times in a row for nothing.

Do not worry about Tarago's mileages, they are usually driven as mum's taxis and never thrashed. The worst is the interiors as kids do what kids do all over the upholstery. You'd have to have a lot of bad luck to pick one up that needs serious mechanical repairs, unless the dopey owners haven't kept an eye on fluids. These cars have been usually maintained well as they are relied upon as the family hack under orders from mum.

Funnily enough as I use my fourby to cart my windsurfing gear, I have never tried to fit the gear in the Tarago, if you like I can stick a 260 x 70 board in there plus sails and mast and take a pic if you like. I'm curious too see how well they fit.

Dealers are under pressure to move used cars, if you find a low miler bargain them down and you'll have a car that'll last for years and still look OK in my opinion (look great with mags). Be aware though, most dark coloured ones will have the clear coat peeling off, and if it isn't it will soon if not garaged, but lots of cars do that anyway nowadays.

If you need to know more about what to look out for feel free to contact me.

4.3K for an 18 yo car! That should buy you a Commodore or Falcon wagon ~ 10 yo with only 150,000 km. But I did rent a green and purple Jucy Toyota Tarago in NZ for 2 weeks and they are pretty good as Nosinkanow says. It was known as an Emina in NZ but apart from being a few cm narrower, as a Japanese import, it was pretty much what they sold in Oz as a Tarago. Easily fitted my windsurfing gear in the back, had to take it out to camp in the evening.

Seemed to be about as economical as a commodore but the Tarago is a nicer cruisy drive.

But the topic heading is "best value" so go for a Commodore or Falcon. Sure the Tarago has more room for boxes, but windsurfing stuff is long and skinny. You'd have to have a lot of stuff to fill a wagon up. And lot of the commies came with heavy duty Telstra roof racks. Learn how to tie a knot and you're way ahead of a Tarago. (You need a step ladder to get anything on the roof of one). People movers are still priced according to low supply and high demand. There's an oversupply of wagons courtesy of Telstra, best value by far if you don't worry about street cred.

Not any more. SOLD.

Toyota's go for ever! You could be okay with it. Spend the savings on more kit

i way prefer my 97 commodore to my 03 falcon wagon. the moulding around the petrol filler tube stuffs up where I want to put the compulsory plastic crate - don't want the crate on the driver side due to how I stow my gear. It is a big length advantage to be able to fold the passenger seat.

there's a florist selling his van on Bay street

only used for transporting flowers

it's $6k. A white Toyota hiace like mine so obviously awesome. I have his number somewhere

No problem of taking a pic as it's right outside my studio/shed where I work. I'm curious as well as I've never used the Tarago to cart windsurfing gear.

You could do better than $4300 for that vintage if you just want a reliable hack but cosmetically OK example, but if the thing is immaculate it's around the going price. Excellent, late model well loved ones with top bodies still fetch around 10k for models with lots of factory options. People know that these things last forever and are in demand.

There are lots of people in the same possie as myself and finally selling off these vans as we don't need the space anymore. BTW those BIG headrests were discontinued after around '93 I think. You must have dual air too if you have passengers. It gets hot back there! Air-cons are super reliable and freezing cold. Ours has never once needed attention, both models, not even a re-gas.

See the pic, I fitted my 260x70 board and 460 mast (in blue cover) as a size tester. Now don't forget, these seats are upright with head rests on, fronts are positioned 1/2 forward on their tracks. Dropping the back of the middle row seat will allow more space so your gear can tilt down so they won't be next to your head. Even head rests off will allow better fitting. You can still fit groms in the back and the missus can still have a much preferred commanding view from the front seat. If travelling solo theres still another metre to the front glass if you tilt back the passenger front seat flat, so you can fit an even longer board. Excuse the anti-kids torn seat cover, its had its day but done a tremendous job.



Just folding the middle row seats (or remove with easily accesible 4 bolts - not something I'd do every day) still offers sleeping room if you are shorter or sleep at 45? if you are around 6'. Stack all your gear on the top of a rear seat, without head rests, and you've got a full length bed on one side.

If you fold all seats down flat you have even more length because of the shape of the Tarago's back-end, my 260 board won't touch the front seat. Back seats flip up to the side or remove them via 2 bolts.

If your limit is $8k, plan to do trips and if you have kids, you will easily find an excellent mid to late '90s Tarago, look privately for better value, many families who've had them since new seem to devalue them. Dealers know they are still in demand and hike up their prices.

Here's a link to someone who is dreaming (lots of accessories), but it is a very good low k example, lots of pics and quite a good looker. But like I said, beware of dark coloured ones and the peeling clear coat.
cars.pbcars.com.au/list.php/all_stock/

Good luck with your decision.

Delica...

Ablosutely loooove my LWB (high roof) which easily fits 5 WS boards, 2-3 surf boards, 8-9 sail, masts booms etc etc,

AND I'd still have room left to also fit the family including two dogs...



(note that the LWB in this photo is low roof)

are you using it for anything other than windsurfing?

Mine is just a shed on wheels. I never unpack it and have covered the floor with rubber so it doesn't rust.

I suppose if I had kids then I'd need a child seat for it but it functions ok as a second car for when ms ginger pom and I need to go to different places...

ford and holden are pretty shoddy... the stats support toyota

my hiace has 324k on it and is going fine. It's dual fuel and $690 a year to insure

Forgot to mention, beware of Lucida/Ultima models, they are not a Tarago. They are grey imports and are narrower. Easy way to spot them, apart from looking at the badge, is the rather nice looking front end (pointy headlights and blending grill). Grey imports are very good buys but many, not only Toyotas, do require larger core radiators and many importers don't bother with the mod. You'll see many of these being sold with "new" engines after the Oz buyer, not long after purchase, cooked the motor in our summer.

So those of you with Delicas, check your radiators! BTW, I like 'em lots, at the moment my 4Runner plays along the sand quite nicely. When it dies a Deli is the most likely to replace it.

Went to see some Tarago's on the weekend, a 92 and a '93 for about 4.3K and 4.7K respectively.

The cars themselves needed some tlc as they were stone chipped and pretty much run down. One of them had a smell that made me dry reach... didnt bode well for the searches.

Then spoke to my brother-in-law who is a import fanatic. All their cars are imports and right now he and my sister are driving matching EVO VIII's (they look hot by the way). He put me on to these:



2003, 60k on the clock. 3.5l V6, 8 seater (all seats removable). All for about 17K.

Big enough to carry a 2.8 or longer board inside!

Needless to say I was salivating.

OK so its substantially dearer than the original 8K limit that I originally posted, but this baby is the BOMB.

Before I go to an importer and put down a deposit for one of these puppies wanted to check with you all, as I value your opinions more than my wifes on these matters. Anyone got one and what do you think???

Some pimping low profile mags and that is right on the money

Doesn't anyone know anything about these Nissan ElGrand's?

from the specs I read they are also full time 4wd...