GO
GoAutoLogo
MENU

> car reviews > toyota > hiace > van range > Our Opinion

Make / Model Search

Super Test

Car reviews - Toyota - Hiace - van range

Toyota models

Our Opinion

We like
Plethora of practical storage spaces and general driver-friendliness of cabin, excellent build quality and finish, huge load area.
Room for improvement
Vague steering, cramped front passenger’s seat, long step down to road when frequent egress is necessary.

11 Mar 2005

At a pre-release drive held in Japan last November, journalists were able to drive the new HiAce back to back with its predecessor.

It is impossible to evaluate a light commercial vehicle during a handful of laps of a short, totally smooth circuit, but the new model’s advantages in power, refinement, spaciousness and comfort were obvious.

But the real question remains: how will the fifth generation HiAce stack up against a range of new rivals, most of which are semi-bonnet Europeans?

Still no answer, but a one-hour drive around Sydney provided a better opportunity of evaluating the new van. The interior has lots of space to store things as well as an impressively designed fold-down centre seat back which can be used as a solid table.

Finish is excellent and the plastics look and feel good. Forward vision through a deep, non-distorting screen is exceptional. Minimum thought has been given to the outer front passenger who gets a non-adjustable seat and surprisingly little width and legroom. At least the driver is well catered for, along with the load.

Toting some 500 kg, including occupants, the petrol HiAce provided quite good performance. Peak torque (at 3800rpm) and power (4800rpm) look too close together on paper but this LWB van with automatic transmission had responsive acceleration and did not hunt between ratios.

The HiAce does not conceal its utilitarian purpose under any pretense of being carlike. There is some lost motion around the straight ahead position in the steering with the driver making regular small adjustments to maintain a straight line. Frankly, it doesn’t feel like a rack and pinion system, although it is. Enthusiast drivers would prefer more weight at the (plastic) rim.

Ride comfort is reasonable. A considerable amount of mechanical noise is transmitted into the cabin but this would be reduced with a full load on board. But the standard anti-lock braking system is powerful with excellent pedal feel.

Those inclined to use left foot braking in automatics will be discouraged in the HiAce by the positioning of the narrow brake pedal to the right of the steering column.

The driver’s seat has good adjustability, is comfortable and well placed in relation to the controls. Ergonomics are excellent. Toyota claims to have developed the new HiAce for drivers who cover up to 1000 kilometres in a day.

But those who get in and out a lot may find egress less than ideal because it’s a fair step down to the road for anyone less than about 180 cm tall.

All car reviews

Super Test

Click to share

Click below to follow us on
Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

GoAuto can help you buy a new Hiace

Customer Terms and Conditions – New Car Lead enquires

Agreement

This is an agreement between GoAutoMedia Pty Limited ACN 094 732 457 of PO Box 18, Beach Road, Sandringham, VIC, 3191 (“we/us”), the owner and operator of the GoAuto.com.au website (“the website”) and the person wanting GoAuto.com.au to provide them with a lead for the purchase of a new car (“you”).

By completing a New Car Lead Enquiry, you agree to the terms and conditions and disclaimers and acknowledge the policies set out below.

Terms and Conditions

  • In order for us to effect a lead you must you must complete a New Car Lead Enquiry (“Enquiry”).
  • We will call you as soon as possible after you complete the Enquiry and certainly no later than the next business day. When we call, we will discuss with you your new car requirements.
  • You consent to our passing on the Enquiry and your requirements to an appropriate authorised motor car dealer as a lead.
  • We will contact you again in approximately eight days following your initial enquiry to check on the progress of the Enquiry.
  • While we will provide the dealer with the Enquiry and details of your new car requirements, we take no responsibility for what happens after passing on that material as a lead.
  • You acknowledge that we are a new car information service providing new car editorial information, pictures and prices to our customers as a guide only. Any new car prices published on the website are the manufacturers’ recommended retail prices and do not include delivery charges and on-road costs. Any authorized motor car dealer to which we pass on your Enquiry as a lead will provide you with full details of the price at which the vehicle will be sold to you.
  • You acknowledge that we do not sell motor vehicles. Any sale of a new car to you by a dealer after we have passed on your Enquiry to that dealer as a lead, is a sale by that dealer not by us.

Privacy Policy– New Car Lead Enquires

  • We take privacy very seriously. We understand that you will only complete an Enquiry if you can trust us to protect your personal information and use it appropriately. Our policy is to ensure that the personal information collected when you make an Enquiry is only used for the purposes of connecting you with an authorised motor car dealer.
  • We do not on-sell information collected from you or any other customer.
  • From time to time, we may email you with information or promotions that may be relevant for car buyers. You will continue to receive communications from us unless you tell us that you do not want to receive any advertising or promotional information in the future by unsubscribing from these communications.
close
* Denotes required field
** Australian inquiries only

Hiace pricing

Toyota models

All car reviews

Motor industry news

GoAutoNews is Australia’s number one automotive industry journal covering the latest news, future and new model releases, market trends, industry personnel movements, and international events.
Catch up on all of the latest industry news with this week's edition of GoAutoNews
Click here