ikw777 said...

Has anyone got an opinion on the latest series of Hiaces (Fifth Generation) which they have been making since about 2005? Are they as indestructible, reliable and durable as previous models?

My budget could just about stretch to one of these (2nd hand). Do you reckon I could get 10 years + out of one - say out to 500,000km?

taxi

Luma said...

taxi

Windsurfing van / expedition vehicle

Looking to have a vehicle that will run for years driving all over the place and supporting my interests in windsurfing, sailing, exploring and DIY.

Get an iload or transporter if you plan on driving it any sort of distance . While the Hiace might be pretty durable the ride in them is horrible and as said above they are a balls up in a crash.

Passenger seat is very cramped and has no adjustment. Loaded up they do well.

CJW said...
Get an iload or transporter if you plan on driving it any sort of distance . While the Hiace might be pretty durable the ride in them is horrible and as said above they are a balls up in a crash.

Although Hyundai now have a reasonably respectable brand I really fail to understand how they used to make really **** vehicles and ppl just kept buying them to a point where the company made enough money to improve the quality of their product, as a business model it is pure madness. I mean do ppl just keep buying **** cause its cheap for long enough for this change to happen? Really baffles me.
Honestly don't understand ppl that buy these vehicles. Like great walls. Oh my god. Seriously.

^^^ Thanks for that. I clearly needed a good serve.

airjunkie said...
I can't comment on the hiaces . . .

but i have a coupe of mates who own transporters from new (T5) and they have a few expensive regular problems by design
. . . . from memory i think one of the common problems is the water pump failure which is internal on this engine and very expensive to fix
happened twice in three years to one of the owners - the other t5 just once

Asked my VW specialist mechanic about T5 transporters. "Very nice but you need deep pockets to run them". However they are servicing T4s with 500,000km on them, original motors. I've only had a T4 for 12 months, so far so good. They are pleasant to drive, great ergonomics, I'd rather long distance in a T4 than semi-reclined in a Commodore. A HiAce might get to 500K cheaper, but would you last the distance? Go for a low milage, last of the T4s ~ 2003.

If your are looking for something reliable , test drive a ford transit. We used them in the UK as a work vans . We were building LV powerlines and the vans were pretty much a treated hard. We nick named them Pommy hiluxes unbreakable.
Very confortable ride and would easilly sit on 140 on the highway . Towed 2 tonne cable trailers used them to winch up conductor and best of all overloaded them with scrap copper on the way to the scrappy

It wasnt a vehicle I purchased they were company provided . Cant say I can compare them to the Hiace as I have tried one but I would certainly put them in the mix.
Have fun shopping

Ian K said...

airjunkie said...
I can't comment on the hiaces . . .

but i have a coupe of mates who own transporters from new (T5) and they have a few expensive regular problems by design
. . . . from memory i think one of the common problems is the water pump failure which is internal on this engine and very expensive to fix
happened twice in three years to one of the owners - the other t5 just once

Asked my VW specialist mechanic about T5 transporters. "Very nice but you need deep pockets to run them". However they are servicing T4s with 500,000km on them, original motors. I've only had a T4 for 12 months, so far so good. They are pleasant to drive, great ergonomics, I'd rather long distance in a T4 than semi-reclined in a Commodore. A HiAce might get to 500K cheaper, but would you last the distance? Go for a low milage, last of the T4s ~ 2003.

I've got a T5 1.9L diesel with 178000Ks. Had from new (2008). They are great to drive untill something goes wrong...$$$$$. Don't get them serviced from the "$tealers", there are quite a few competent mechs around that will do the servicing at less than half.
It may be me, but I have never wrecked so many tyres on all the cars I have ever owned as with the VW. And tyres for these are not cheap and never on special at "Bob Jane" or elsewhere. You also need special "gold dust" sprinkled oil that you can't get from Super Cheap or Repco.
I reccon I'll go Japanese for the next van.
My 2c

I have 6 of these and also had 6 of the older ones. So far they have all needed new plugs at around 200k and new front bearing hubs at 250k. The older ones needed plugs changed more regularly but the front hubs just needed repacked bearings. I also had to change a few heads (not all of them)on the older ones at 300k but the new ones seem to be going better. Also the older ones needed a few rear door latches replaced where the new ones seem to be going fine. Finally the new ones don't seem to use oil as soon as the older style. Only other thing I have noticed is the new ones chew out the front tyre quicker.
I rate them but have always had the manual petrol but are building(they are campervans) a new slwb auto diesel so we will see how that goes.

Having driven Bedfords and VW vans and survived by not crashing I'd put the Hace in the same category somewhat, air bags Mae a big difference. The iLoad has a better crash rating for obvious reasons with extended nose/bonnet, Vito the same but with a 5 star rating but you pay for it.

ikw777 said...


The vans with a nose can't compete in interior space though, especially length (which you need for windsurfing)

How much length do you need? HiAces, Transits, Transporters, Vitos, Sprinters and the French vans all come in a variety of lengths.

Plenty of LWB T4s about, shade over 2.8. You seem set on a matching old school no nose van, Toyota are the only newish ones still around that I can see.

sold my hiace at 600,000kms, saw it at a tip with 110,000kms on it .
Ive had finally rusted away from my driving it on a salt lake way back at 400,00kms.
most euro vans have better seats but the hiace will go on forever.
in relation to crashing, I always figured ,dont fn crash