Best Family Hauler?

[einstein640]

_{So sad that Toyota decided to discontinue the Toyota Wish. I find that to be one of the best compromise between an SUV and a car. It drives like a car and hauls like an SUV. I'm using a Pajero Sport now and the switch was not too bad. At first I didnt like the slowness of the steering (need a few extra twirls of the steering wheel in the parking lot) and the initial sluggishness below 2000rpm. But after a week of driving in the city and tight parking lots, I find it is quite chuckable already after getting used to the bigger body and diesel. On the highway it just flies despite it's sheer size and is quite a cruiser compared to the Wish. I remember following two Pajero Sports on the way to Chokechai farm and barely could keep up with them, and now I know that they were just cruising along efforlessly....}

The Wish still continues as a JDM model, but Toyota TH dropped it at just about the right time - it's gas guzzler and the Thai market has become very sensitive to running costs over the past few years.

The cool thing about diesels is that even when under duress, they don't sound like it

you're correct about the gas guzzling part...and I stand corrected that Toyota TH decided not to keep it on their inventory...

[shiroboi]

While you're at it, don't forget the Mitsubishi Space Wagon. I would have considered that if it was still around. Last model was 2011 as I recall. Had the same 2.4L Mivec engine as my old Lancer Ralliart. Good engine.

For the Pajero, I think it can be maneuverable but requires much more driver effort for it to be so. The CX-7 taught me that you can have a larger vehicle and still have it handle respectibly. There's just way too much movement in the Pajero's suspension for our tastes. If you're a truck guy, it's acceptable, if you're a performance car guy, it's not.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I would suggest a pickup.

Plenty of room for you and the children inside.

All the Thai family hangers-on can hang on in the bed.

Edited May 8, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[JoeW]

While you're at it, don't forget the Mitsubishi Space Wagon. I would have considered that if it was still around. Last model was 2011 as I recall. Had the same 2.4L Mivec engine as my old Lancer Ralliart. Good engine.

For the Pajero, I think it can be maneuverable but requires much more driver effort for it to be so. The CX-7 taught me that you can have a larger vehicle and still have it handle respectibly. There's just way too much movement in the Pajero's suspension for our tastes. If you're a truck guy, it's acceptable, if you're a performance car guy, it's not.

However, your freed and the space wagon are in a total different price class if I remember correctly. When I was in the market for a car the Space Wagon was still around, but it costed like 1,3 or 1,4 million baht. For that reason I went with a Pajero sport.

[commande]

Get a Van or aka bus - you know Toyota makes them. Plenty of room for everyone, little turbo diesel, your all set. 7-10 people in an SUV, that's even pushing it...