Faults:

Blown interior bulb.

It's had a smoker in it.

Worn wiper blades.

General Comments:

I bought this car to accommodate the needs of our young family, and have been very pleased with it on most counts. Our previous wagon was getting a bit long in the tooth, and we were looking for a personnel carrier and were totally sold on the modern, swoopy styling of the Grandis. I have to say that as a life long petrol head, I never thought I’d ever be keen on something like this – maybe it’s maturity catching up with me? It is however very smooth to drive, has plenty of room for the family, and what really sold me on it is the 50/50 split rear seat, which is very handy for large loads or picking up visiting relations while still retaining more than ample room for 5, or 6 if the mid seat has three abreast. The middle seats fold upright and can be slid forward for a huge, near flat rear load area.

Plus points are.

* Comfortable, multi-adjustable seating all round

* Loads of covered storage compartments

* 7 interior lights, plus lighting in foot-wells and doors

* Good steering lock

* Commanding driving position

* Tinted rear windows, with curtains

* Smooth and quiet progress

Negatives are:

* 25 – 26 mpg, probably because it weighs 1,660kg empty

* 4 speed only automatic transmission

* auto air conditioning is a little too clever for its own good

The only other personnel carrier I seriously compared this to was the Mazda MPV, and the Mazda looked like a much older car in comparison. Honda Odyssey’s have bad reputations for transmission problems, so they were ruled out.

Overall, I love it!

Faults:

2nd row left hand passengers side seat sliding mechanism stopped working. Fixed at service.

Front tyres have been replaced.

General Comments:

We have owned this car for over a year, and it has proved to be very reliable and comfortable, as well as maintaining its good looks. This car has done several country trips, and has carried at times seven people very well.

The performance of the car is terrific, provided you switch the gearbox to manual mode, something very easily done by moving the gearshift to the right.

This also showed up a rather unexpected issue, which is the shift from first to second will have the engine struggling to climb into the torque band (maximum torque developed at 4000 rpm), so the secret is to hold first just shy of the change up point, and then when near the top of the steep hill use the manual mode and shift up to second. Worked well in the Snowy mountains country as it does not let the engine labour, which in turns hurts fuel economy. Mind you, I only use the full automatic mode for slow work; the manual shift is so much easier to use and great if you prefer driving a manual, something that is hard to come by in this segment.

The brakes are excellent, and the ABS and EBD work extremely well. I have used them under true emergency conditions, and the vehicle pulled up straight without drama.

The interior is still great even after one year of ownership.

Finally the headlight issue will be sorted out thanks to the fitting of aftermarket headlights. The high beams are poor, and I will be fitting new globes.

Other than that this car is wonderful, it does what is asked of it and everyone is still very comfortable.

I would like to see an extra gear fitted; the four speed sometimes leaves you wanting an extra gear, but I would have no hesitation in recommending this vehicle.