Toyota Mini Buses | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Fri 4 Apr 2014 21:56

Toyota Mini Buses - Ben 10

When we were abroad in Jamaica last year we were transported around in a Toyota mini bus. They were the most prevalent mini bus on the island.

If you watch footage from many overseas locations you see these models being used all the time.

Why aren't they sold here. They are comfortable, roomy and presumably reliable. If you go on the Toyota website, they are not sold here. I would rather travel in one of these than some of the tight space alternatives we have to put up with here.

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Sat 5 Apr 2014 00:08

Toyota Mini Buses - Auristocrat

Probably the Toyota HiAce mini-bus (about the size of a Transit, Vivaro, etc) or, if like a small bus the Toyota Coaster.

Toyota stopped importing the HiAce into the UK last year, and now sell the ProAce, which is a re-badged Peugeot Expert.

The Toyota Coaster has never been officially imported into the UK, although the chassis and running gear are used for the Salvador Caetano Optimo, and these are sold in Western Europe.

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Sat 5 Apr 2014 01:09

Toyota Mini Buses - Wackyracer

There are many Japanese cars (and cars of other origins) that are not made for export.

If you want a model that is not officially sold here, You could always buy a 'grey import'.

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Sat 5 Apr 2014 15:56

Toyota Mini Buses - retgwte

There is still import quotas on car/van imports into Europe from Japan.

Thats why we have Japanese car factories in the UK, so that they can assemble cars here and bypass the import quotas.

So lots of models routine in the rest of the world never make it to these shores for those reasons. The quotas tend to be kept for the most profitable cars, Lexus etc. Mass market stuff they assemble in Europe. Anything else doesnt get here.

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Sat 5 Apr 2014 17:59

Toyota Mini Buses - Auristocrat

So lots of models routine in the rest of the world never make it to these shores for those reasons. The quotas tend to be kept for the most profitable cars, Lexus etc. Mass market stuff they assemble in Europe. Anything else doesnt get here.

So cars like the Honda Accord, Mazda 2, Mazda 3, Mazda 5, Mazda 6, Toyota IQ, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Toyota Verso S, Toyota Rav4, and Toyota Prius, which are all manufactured in Japan for the European market aren't mass market cars?

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Sat 5 Apr 2014 18:24

Toyota Mini Buses - oldroverboy.

So cars like the Honda Accord, Mazda 2, Mazda 3, Mazda 5, Mazda 6, Toyota IQ, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Toyota Verso S, Toyota Rav4, and Toyota Prius, which are all manufactured in Japan for the European market aren't mass market cars?

The cars have a high enough profit margin in them to allow for numbers sold/duties payable/cost of market penetration. Also allow for manufacturer "image" and need to have a "range" of cars.

Seen the price of some of the above? and non of them are cars where there are big discounts on them.

personally I like the hyundai elantra (booted i30) kia version also quite nice!

many examples of cars different to the uk version, but the beancounters say we can't have them.

And IF hyundai are reading this, I'll order an Elantra /130 booted version. 1.6 petro; please.

Edited by oldroverboy. on 05/04/2014 at 18:26

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Sat 5 Apr 2014 18:32

Toyota Mini Buses - gordonbennet

Some of the Heathrow rental sites used Toyota small buses, probably about 20 seater.

Toyota commercial stuff is tough and usually as simple as possible given legislations, they don't fix it if it aint broke, seems to apply to their Hino brand lorries too.

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