Toyota Lucida, any thoughts? - Dave N
Thinking of getting one of these to use as a van. I like the thought of a diesel with auto gearbox, standard a/c, sliding door.

I know they're about the same price as a UK Previa, but does anyone have any experience of these? Parts? Corrosion, MPG etc.?
Re: Toyota Lucida, any thoughts? - Honest John
They shouldn't be the same price. If they are, someone is making a lot of money out of importing and selling them.

HJ
Re: Toyota Lucida, any thoughts? - T lucas
Surely thats the name of the game,cant do it for nothing!Parts easily available either from specialists or your local Toyota Main Dealer,insurance no problem from the likes of Tesco,have seen examples that have been in UK for over 4 years and corrosion protection is fine.I did over 700 miles at christmas in a 2.2 4x4 auto,up into North Wales and Snowdonia with inc about 400 miles motorway work and got 33.4 mpg tank to tank.Overall i think a pretty good vehicle,as ever buy the best one you can afford.Families really seem to like them,probably because its a Toyota,so rarely gives you aggravation.
Re: Toyota Lucida, any thoughts? - John Davis
Dave,
There are web sites devoted to the enthusiasts for this type of vehicle and you will find much information as a guide prior to any purchase. I agree with HJ that, if you find the Lucida in the same price range as the Previa, someone is making a lot of money. I considered the Lucida and looked at many. However, my final choice, almost a year ago, because I wanted a diesel with auto transmission at a reasonable price, I went for the Toyota Masterace. I have been very pleased with it and it has typical Toyota reliabilty. I have a turbo diesel, selectable 4WD, auto transmission, air con front & back, refrigerator/ ice maker/hot box, electronically controlled dampers, skylite roofs (six), power curtains, seven "Captains"seats with some of them swivelling and all convertible to a double bed. These vehicles are NOT for the fainthearted but, if you want low initial price and low mileage, with a specification equal to some of the £15/20,000 "conventional" MPV's, and are prepared to do ALL your own maintenance, they are an interesting and satisfying vehicle. They do have a reputation (aired previously on this forum) of alarming cooling problems but, this is due, in my opinion, to a lack of interest and understanding of their particular design, by previous owners. Also, understandably, the motor trade are not among their admirers. Some repair jobs are difficult and expensive for the customer who has to pay for every job required but, when these costs are considered in the light of the initial price, they are no more expensive to maintain than many others. There have been a number of instances, on this forum, of the difficulties of, say, changing the cam belt on various vehicles. I took 4/5 hours to do this job on the Masterace and, everything was quite straightforward. Also, reasonably costed insurance cover, spares availability and sourcing etc, are no longer the problem they were a few years ago
Re: Toyota Lucida, any thoughts? - test
test