Toyota Tarago 2004 Review

Yet there is a $72,600 Toyota. The top-of-the-range Toyota Tarago tops the Toyota price list in Australia.

Six, seven and sometimes eight-seat people movers – van-style vehicles with three rows of seats and all the comforts of a passenger car – have had a steady niche market in Australia.

They're used by large families, families who frequently travel with friends or relatives, and by businesses which need to transport more than four or five people at a time.

People movers start at under $30,000 but Toyota stretches all the way up to the luxury-vehicle segment with its last word in Tarago, the Ultima model. Competing against it is the Chrysler Grand Voyager Limited, a highly equipped, long-wheelbase version of the Voyager. Tarago uses the 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, giving 115kW of power similar to that in the Camry and RAV-4 all-wheel-drive.

It has a four-speed automatic transmission with column shift.

The Ultima version has twin airbags, side-impact airbags at the front, ABS anti-skid brakes, dual-zone airconditioning, alloy wheels, six-stack CD, leather upholstery, gearshift and steering wheel cover, a power sunroof and satellite navigation.

And the Ultima has parking distance control. Two sonar sensors on the rear bumper detect obstacles up to 1.5m away while others warn of obstacles up to 50cm from the four corners.

Tarago Ultima has heated front seats, and flags it's a luxury model by having woodgrain trim on the dashboard, doors and console.

The Tarago Ultima may be the peak of how the Japanese do people movers. But the American view is something a bit bigger.

The Chrysler Grand Voyager's extra size and weight is helped by a 3.3-litre V6 engine of 128kW. It, too, has a four-speed automatic and the vehicle is listed at $73,950.

Grand Voyager Limited comes with ABS, dual-zone airconditioning, alloy wheels, heated front seats, leather trim, power-adjustable front seats, power sliding doors, power windows, roof rack and 10-speaker sound system.

Its longer wheelbase means reasonable luggage room which otherwise is often a problem in carrying seven people and their luggage.

An all-wheel-drive version of the Chrysler Grand Voyager Limited can be ordered for $78,590.

Toyota Tarago and Chrysler Voyager are both available in less-expensive models, with the same mechanical engine-transmission package as the luxury versions.