Faults:

Front brakes make a fair bit of dust.

Looks like a pimp's van.

General Comments:

Got my super custom from an import dealer last year.

Great car; pearl paint, mags, tint, 4 (count em) sunroofs.

Dual zone climate control (front and back).

3 tiers of seats in the back, the 2nd row swivels from facing front to back - limo style. The 3rd row is on rails and can be pushed towards the cab for about 1.3 metres of 'boot' room, while still being usable.

I took out the seats and put in a cargo barrier as I use the van for work; very nice as far as work vans go with carpet all round, and little things like 12v socket outlets front and back, cup holders and central locking.

Servicing is a straightforward affair and very reasonably priced. Fuel economy is average with about 450kms/tank (55ltr).

The auto is very smooth, heaps of torque, but pretty slow from lights. Once it's moving she's right though, and it's a van anyway!

Why anyone would buy an Aus delivered Hiace with a little petrol 4cyl manual for a lot more than the equivalent year import is beyond me.

For people in Aus looking at Hiaces, the model number of the Japanese imports start with KZH100 :)

Faults:

Heater matrix has begun to leak badly - I have bypassed it to avoid a dash out job. Will leave it like that till winter.

Radiator has begun to leak, will need to be replaced.

Heater plugs are wrung off in head - probably due to muppet previous owner.

General sloppiness in steering and bushes.

General Comments:

Tough and reliable van, but not as tough and reliable as the earlier pre 95 model - they are the best van ever made and will run forever. I am sorry I changed.

I work the van hard, but it does not pull as well as a Mitsubishi l400, although it is more economical.

The older model was a better built and much more substantial van mechanically - one look at the new style diff. will tell you that. The older model was more economical and never once let me down, despite getting dogs abuse.

This is a softer van and not everlasting, but will still outlast any Ford or french offering!

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong although the engine keeps running sometimes even after the key has been turned off. Probably had dirty fuel which has lodged in the fuel solenoid.

General Comments:

Very reliable. As with all diesels the servicing has to be kept up to date. Mine has been serviced every 5000km since new and uses no oil or water.

The van with all my gear on board weighs around 2700kg and I sometimes tow a tandem trailer that can weigh up to another 2200kg giving an all up weight of close to 5 tonnes. Not bad for a 2800cc diesel.

The van is no powerhouse and slows down on the hills, (even without the trailer) and overtaking is not a common occurrence.

I would like to have twin sliding doors and maybe a bit more width to the van. I was going to buy a Transit or Merc, but although they are wider, they are also a lot higher which means I could not reach the roof racks.

Faults:

Battery failed after 5 years (good run).

Headlights have poor light output (replaced with aftermarket H4 inserts).

General Comments:

Good vehicle on & off the road.

Original Dunlop SP-LT5 tyres are noisy at high speed on bitumen & have poor grip in the wet. Replaced with 205/75R15LT tyres on Ford Falcon AU1 15" rims. This also stepped up the gearing by 7% so at 100kph, the engine revs drop by 250-300 RPM approx which made a 1.5 mile per gallon fuel saving.

Seating is uncomfortable on long trips.

Cabin layout is good with all controls in easy reach.

Road noise is excessive, but was fixed by the addition of tar paint on the floor with underlay under the vinyl flooring.