Anyone own a Hiace ZX (Jumbo)?

[Gremlin]

I don't know why, as I still enjoy my ute, but I've found myself looking at vans... (yeah, odd like that). Mainly the latest model Hiace as it maximises load space within length, but does sit you over the front wheels. Haven't driven one yet.

So I'm curious how guys find them. Bit more practical than a ute in terms of inside storage, can leave stuff in them (like a spare mountain bike) etc. However, because the GSA is not much shy of 1.6m tall the only option is a hi roof (or mid in Transit - but I want auto and Transit is a manual only option partially for availability, partially for reputation) which also means I'll have to watch for clearances - and the main reason it's stopping me is one client has a 2m parking building, the ZX standing at just under 2.3m. Also means it's going to be a bastard in wind (why I like my ute).

Getting the Jumbo means extra wide, long and height. Wide maximises space, especially for bikes side by side, length, I'm hoping to get two rows of seats in the back, and with the 2nd row folded up against the first enough space for motorbikes. I figure I'd need 2.5m at the back, which leaves just under 1m for foot space, seat and a 2nd folded up. I don't want the sandwich board seats, but has anyone come across folding seats with 3 point belts? Ideally sliding as well. Otherwise, have both seats down, and you've got plenty of seats for mates (would be about 8 seats 2-3-3) with plenty of luggage space.

So... thoughts?

[awa355]

We have a number of the Jumbo versions fitted out for carrying people. Nice to drive but awkward to climb in and out of. When driving with wet boots, it is easy to have your foot slip forward off the pedal pads.

[xXGIBBOXx]

Diesel not the petrol , all the tie down eyes are in the corners of the tray , have had the sandwich seats down and a bike in the back . Have had three big bikes in it before, two in the front one backwards . The front two passenger seat doesn't move . It can get tight if your a big unit . can get a bit tail happy in the wet with no payload .

[Gremlin]

Nice to drive but awkward to climb in and out of. When driving with wet boots, it is easy to have your foot slip forward off the pedal pads.
Not too phased about climbing in and out being 6'3, however, seated position when driving (as below) might be an issue. Mate has a one model back Hiace, in and out doesn't concern me much.


Diesel not the petrol , all the tie down eyes are in the corners of the tray , have had the sandwich seats down and a bike in the back . Have had three big bikes in it before, two in the front one backwards . The front two passenger seat doesn't move . It can get tight if your a big unit . can get a bit tail happy in the wet with no payload .
Diesel v Petrol? Stats wise with the limited mileage I do (I've done 8k in the ute since May last year) the petrol will likely be cheaper to run. Jumbo has the 2.7 Petrol, 3.0 Diesel, unless there are known issues with motors?

Yeup, understand tail happy, ute is the same. A bit of reading advised suspension/wheel changes to improve handling... but always some sort of trade off to carry up to a ton.

[Ocean1]

Not too phased about climbing in and out being 6'3, however, seated position when driving (as below) might be an issue. Mate has a one model back Hiace, in and out doesn't concern me much.


Diesel v Petrol? Stats wise with the limited mileage I do (I've done 8k in the ute since May last year) the petrol will likely be cheaper to run. Jumbo has the 2.7 Petrol, 3.0 Diesel, unless there are known issues with motors?

Yeup, understand tail happy, ute is the same. A bit of reading advised suspension/wheel changes to improve handling... but always some sort of trade off to carry up to a ton.

If a Hiace comes anywhere vaguely close to ticking most of your boxes get one. Even being probably the most expensive option up front nothing else is as cheap to own, and that's from the manager of a fleet of different vans.

Before you look at transits ask about the cost of replacing the ignition key when it wears out, (and they do), and the ignition and all of the door locks.

Edit: and apparently the diesels are still cheaper to own up to 300k, at least.

[xXGIBBOXx]

The petrol auto will rev to to moon and not go any where , as the diesel is all torque but low revving and pulls from any gear with or without a load on

[BMWST?]

jumbos are huge for load space and i jump straight in from a small hatchback and dont feel overly big to drive,A queen size bed flies in.Diesel is much more economical day to day but you pay ruc and rego is much more expensive.If you dont do many Ks diesel may not be the way to go.
Do some sums,get the rego and ruc costs of nzta website

[Gremlin]

If a Hiace comes anywhere vaguely close to ticking most of your boxes get one. Even being probably the most expensive option up front nothing else is as cheap to own, and that's from the manager of a fleet of different vans.

Yup, transit not in the picture. As you say, Hiace is expensive but cheap to maintain, plus it should hold it's value quite well.


Diesel is much more economical day to day but you pay ruc and rego is much more expensive.If you dont do many Ks diesel may not be the way to go.
Do some sums,get the rego and ruc costs of nzta website
I started that spreadsheet thread a while ago, petrol v diesel. Need to dig out some consumption figures, but generally diesel is better if you're doing more km. Less km and petrol is cheaper.

How common is cruise control? I know it's become standard this year, but my budget is probably about half a new one... can't seem to find much reference to cruise control, but then I did see some references to having it fitted.

Also, I'm thinking about a 4WD one. Not to join the local 4WD club obviously, but to help mitigate it's tail happy nature.

[Zapf]

Also, I'm thinking about a 4WD one. Not to join the local 4WD club obviously, but to help mitigate it's tail happy nature.

4WD won't help. Traction is a function of downforce and friction. You can increase downforce by buying a few bags of cement and putting it on top of the rear axle.

Ever seen a RWD HiAce reverse up a slop with no load?

[Gremlin]

Ever seen a RWD HiAce reverse up a slop with no load?
Tried with the ute on a gravel road... same result... going nowhere ;)

[Ender EnZed]

4wds are (relatively) rare and expensive. I'd go 2wd unless you really want the premium spec model and manual unless you're a taxi driver.

The manuals use way less fuel and are a lot easier to manage on hills, especially with tight corners. A long van with no load can be a real hassle without a clutch.

[Gremlin]

4wds are (relatively) rare and expensive. I'd go 2wd unless you really want the premium spec model and manual unless you're a taxi driver.

The manuals use way less fuel and are a lot easier to manage on hills, especially with tight corners. A long van with no load can be a real hassle without a clutch.
According to Toyota, 0.2L/100km difference between manual and auto petrol. Negligible difference. Diesel is 0.5L/100km, bit more noticeable. However, diesel (on those figures) will end up cheaper after 4000km a year... that's a very low point mostly due to petrol combined consumption being around 12.5L/100km and diesel being 9.2L/100km.

I'll stay with auto tho, partly because I haven't driven a manual in years, and mostly because of stupid Auckland gridlock, which I do have to deal with now and then. Auto is a hell of a lot easier.

[Ocean1]

According to Toyota, 0.2L/100km difference between manual and auto petrol. Negligible difference. Diesel is 0.5L/100km, bit more noticeable. However, diesel (on those figures) will end up cheaper after 4000km a year... that's a very low point mostly due to petrol combined consumption being around 12.5L/100km and diesel being 9.2L/100km.

I'll stay with auto tho, partly because I haven't driven a manual in years, and mostly because of stupid Auckland gridlock, which I do have to deal with now and then. Auto is a hell of a lot easier.

Fuel consumption difference between petrol and diesel is well more than that in real life.

And the full time 4WD uses probably 10% more fuel, and I don't think the newer ones come with any other sort...

[BMWST?]

Fuel consumption difference between petrol and diesel is well more than that in real life.

And the full time 4WD uses probably 10% more fuel, and I don't think the newer ones come with any other sort...

agreed and the variance i use of a diesel seems to vary a lot less than petrol.My BMW 120d just about always averaged 6.5 l 100 ks in normal use day to day.My" town " running didnt include stop start commuting,but a relatively free run out to the hutt.If i did do a lot of round town stuff over weekends,errands etc,that tank full never varied much from the previous.Even open road trips didnt chang e much really 5.5 l 100.Was a manual,too high geared for nz speed limit.Go to fuelly.com (http://www.fuelly.com/) to get real world mpg figures

[Ender EnZed]

According to Toyota, 0.2L/100km difference between manual and auto petrol. Negligible difference. Diesel is 0.5L/100km, bit more noticeable. However, diesel (on those figures) will end up cheaper after 4000km a year... that's a very low point mostly due to petrol combined consumption being around 12.5L/100km and diesel being 9.2L/100km.

I'll stay with auto tho, partly because I haven't driven a manual in years, and mostly because of stupid Auckland gridlock, which I do have to deal with now and then. Auto is a hell of a lot easier.

Suspect there's more than that in it in the real world but auto is obviously better for gridlock traffic.

I've only driven the 3.0 diesels but the auto felt a lot further away from a car than the manual. Obviously they both handle like vans but they've got the power to leave cars behind if you cane it. The auto is programmed for carrying big weight so the rest of the time it feels like it's chasing revs it doesn't need. This works alright if you want to floor it everywhere because it's not yours but for a brisk normal pace I much preferred even the older 75kW ('07?) manual over the 100kW ('12?) auto. I think the new ones are 125kW.

Might be alright with a GSA and some gear in the back. At 4000km a year running costs aren't really an issue and the petrol autos probably have less resale value so you'll get one cheaper/better kms/condition. I'd still strongly recommend taking a diesel manual for a drive though.

[The Reibz]

Get the manual diesel one with a turbo. You won't be disappointed

[ducatilover]

4WD won't help. Traction is a function of downforce and friction. You can increase downforce by buying a few bags of cement and putting it on top of the rear axle.

Ever seen a RWD HiAce reverse up a slop with no load?

4WD ones just understeer in a boring and casual manner.
The RWD isn't really that tail happy in the wet if you drive like a normal person, but can be provoked in to slow gay wallowing drifts.

I'd be interested to see the running costs comparo between the oil gobbler and the petrol one.
Petrol ones are a little lacking in torque, and the diesel makes fuck all torque for a 3L and absolutely no power. Not like there is a huge array of options to choose from sadly.
Any of them Renault, Merc etc vans fit the criteria?

[Gremlin]

Any of them Renault, Merc etc vans fit the criteria?
Some of the Euro vans seem to have questionable reliability or expensive servicing. Going to Merc/Renault usually results in a freaken massive van (like, bigger than the big Hiace). The nose would make it safer but to get the same load space (~3.5m) the van is heading to 6m and often with a REALLY high roof. Also don't want a panel van, as it wouldn't be that nice for passengers plus blind spots are going to come into play (although tinted windows at night will be fun). I'm wanting to get a van with a reversing camera, just to make things a little safer, and some already have aftermarket units fitted.

Not crucial, but going with a van over 5.5m will make things like an Interislander trip cost more, from about $175 to $210 for a cheap fare (under 5.5m it's the same as a ute). Also, general town manoeuvrability will be more tricky. Looked at a couple of Hiace options yesterday, yeap, she's a big van alright so wouldn't want to go bigger really, as it's also going to be my only 4 wheels, so daily use, not just moving stuff. In between comparos I also found an electrified fence the hard way...

[ducatilover]

Fair enough mate.
Some of the early current gen 3.0 Toyotas were problematic, but they seem to have ironed out most of the faults now.
I'd keep the ute. Or, not even bother with four wheels? Two bikes is a better way to have four wheels

[Gremlin]

Some of the early current gen 3.0 Toyotas were problematic, but they seem to have ironed out most of the faults now.
I'd keep the ute. Or, not even bother with four wheels? Two bikes is a better way to have four wheels
I presume 3.0 to be diesel, but early current gen would be '05 onwards, which is sort of the era I'm looking at. Few options around '05-07 for $22-26k, don't really want more expensive. Petrol will probably be the choice, simply because there are more available, with lower km than a diesel etc.

Yeah, point of starting the thread is to simply get the bits of info digging might not reveal, and ownership stories. 4 wheels is handy you know... for moving bikes. :woohoo: Was moving my boss' bike to a dealer for some work on Saturday. When going mountain biking, fark, I wouldn't even make the park before dying if I rode there (because of poor shape, but I could end up road kill). One I regularly visit is an hours drive.

Pros and cons, ute v van... I still like the ute, just have to figure out which suits my needs better.

[Ocean1]

I'm on my 3rd Granvia. Fully appointed coach. I take the rear seats out, build a simple ply liner and use them for work.

They're essentially the Japanese export version of the model Hiace supercustom we never got here.

Couple of reasons, at 9k-11k for a good one they're way cheaper than any other comparable option. They're comfortable to use as a family car. The middle seats can be reconfigured to get two bikes in, although I nave a trailer so I never bother. They're a lot quieter than a commercial van, with all of the insulation and lining. Access through the rear door is better then most, low sill and enough width and height.

I've kept a running search for replacements for almost 10 years, but we're now at the tail end of them, I haven't seen one for sale under 100km for a couple of years now. So I dunno what the next van will be, probably bite the bullet and spend twice as much for a gen 3 Hiace, which may be more modern but is nowhere near as highly spec'd.

[ducatilover]

I'm on my 3rd Granvia. Fully appointed coach. I take the rear seats out, build a simple ply liner and use them for work.

They're essentially the Japanese export version of the model Hiace supercustom we never got here.

Couple of reasons, at 9k-11k for a good one they're way cheaper than any other comparable option. They're comfortable to use as a family car. The middle seats can be reconfigured to get two bikes in, although I nave a trailer so I never bother. They're a lot quieter than a commercial van, with all of the insulation and lining. Access through the rear door is better then most, low sill and enough width and height.

I've kept a running search for replacements for almost 10 years, but we're now at the tail end of them, I haven't seen one for sale under 100km for a couple of years now. So I dunno what the next van will be, probably bite the bullet and spend twice as much for a gen 3 Hiace, which may be more modern but is nowhere near as highly spec'd.

I've used a Granvia as a rally service and tow van for a mate and it was a bloody good beast. A bit flabby (as one expects with an ubervan) but bloody comfy and the big V6 has plenty of wick. According to him it's super reliable and reasonably hungry (but that does involve towing a rally car, and raping it to remote service spots)
I'm surprised you can chuck a bike up one of them though, thought the floor was fairly high

[BMWST?]

mitsi l300 vans are on runout at the moment,bloody cheap

[Gremlin]

mitsi l300 vans are on runout at the moment,bloody cheap
Never touching a Mitsubishi (well, never is harsh, and I've been proven wrong, so I'll avoid them as best possible).

Granvia... Regular height roof isn't going to give 1.6m of vertical load space, length won't allow much more than a bike only (ie, another row of seats). Re lining, valid point, considered a Hiace commuter for example, but then I have a pile of seats that don't suit me...

[RJC]

I'd be interested to see the running costs comparo between the oil gobbler and the petrol one.


I just did the maths on running costs for Hilux petrol vs diesel, in total running costs the diesel isn't cheaper to own till about 15,000km a year. The extra rego cost and cost of service is what kills it in the early KM's.

[ducatilover]

I just did the maths on running costs for Hilux petrol vs diesel, in total running costs the diesel isn't cheaper to own till about 15,000km a year. The extra rego cost and cost of service is what kills it in the early KM's.

What would happen if the odometer stopped? I've found that odometers do stop very often :innocent:

[Gremlin]

What would happen if the odometer stopped? I've found that odometers do stop very often :innocent:
Might be good for an owner, or seller... as a buyer it scares me :blink:

[Ocean1]

What would happen if the odometer stopped? I've found that odometers do stop very often :innocent:

On an auto Hiace?

Your transmission stops working. :yes:

[RJC]

What would happen if the odometer stopped? I've found that odometers do stop very often :innocent:

Guess you'd save a couple of bucks.

I can afford to buy new Hilux, would seem wrong to cock about with it to avoid a couple of dollars of RUC.

[ducatilover]

Might be good for an owner, or seller... as a buyer it scares me :blink: Scares the shit out of me too. But I get to see how most second han vehicles get treated, and I am scared of anything now :pinch:


On an auto Hiace?

Your transmission stops working. :yes: Are they a digital system? I suppose it's ann faggoty CANbus crap these days. Bah humbug


Guess you'd save a couple of bucks.

I can afford to buy new Hilux, would seem wrong to cock about with it to avoid a couple of dollars of RUC.

Fair enough. If I could afford a new Hilux, I'd spend the money on beer instead.

[Ocean1]

I've used a Granvia as a rally service and tow van for a mate and it was a bloody good beast. A bit flabby (as one expects with an ubervan) but bloody comfy and the big V6 has plenty of wick. According to him it's super reliable and reasonably hungry (but that does involve towing a rally car, and raping it to remote service spots)
I'm surprised you can chuck a bike up one of them though, thought the floor was fairly high

They're a bit less wallowy with 17/65/225s on them. Although they still grind the edges off the fronts pretty quick, I'm up for another pair now.

The floor is almost 4" lower than a super custom, haven't compared it to a new Hiace.


Granvia... Regular height roof isn't going to give 1.6m of vertical load space, length won't allow much more than a bike only (ie, another row of seats). Re lining, valid point, considered a Hiace commuter for example, but then I have a pile of seats that don't suit me...

A granvia is 1.3 through the rear door, a little more inside that. I can fit my 525 in there by myself easily enough with the LH middle side seat turned sideways so the front wheel goes alongside it. Having said that a jumbo has enough extra height to take your GSAs mirrors, :rolleyes: and length enough to make bike transporting to events etc an easier job.

One other feature you get in a granvia: the rear seats slide fwd to meet the middle seats turned around 180deg. With all of the backrests down you have a passable double bed. It's not a feature I've used often, mostly because it's a pain to refit the rear seats.

[Gremlin]

A granvia is 1.3 through the rear door, a little more inside that. I can fit my 525 in there by myself easily enough with the LH middle side seat turned sideways so the front wheel goes alongside it. Having said that a jumbo has enough extra height to take your GSAs mirrors, :rolleyes: and length enough to make bike transporting to events etc an easier job.

One other feature you get in a granvia: the rear seats slide fwd to meet the middle seats turned around 180deg. With all of the backrests down you have a passable double bed. It's not a feature I've used often, mostly because it's a pain to refit the rear seats.
Yeah, mirrors and screen are a touch under 1.6m. Even removing those, the bars, reservoirs etc aren't far behind. Other bikes like tourers, Multistrada etc are also ball park 1.4-1.5m tall.

I'm busy figuring out a custom seating solution (preferably cheaper of course) for 2 rows of seats, that ideally fold, slide and have integrated 3 point seat belts. Making a bed would be a nice goal, but I suspect the list of demands is already too high. Plus they'll need LVV cert.

I was behind an iLoad today, and noticed it has a pretty low loading height. Couldn't find stats, but taking overall height and load space height, it must be 550-600mm. I was wondering why there were no freaken Hiaces around to compare it to, when one drove past, and it's higher. Same calc, the hiace is around 600-650mm. I was pretty satisfied both were lower than the Commodore tailgate until I measured when I got home... it's around 620mm. I think the previous Hiace was higher, but struggling to find specs.