2012 & 2013 Toyota Van Reviews & Ratings

'Van' means slightly different things depending on where you live. In the Americas, a van tends to mean a boxy vehicle designed to transport people. In UK English, vans tend to be vehicles used by small businesses to transport cargo, although the word is increasingly used to refer to passenger vehicles too.

Toyota is a Japanese company, and one of the largest manufacturers of automobiles in the world. They began production in the 1930s. Their vans became popular in Japan in the post... (full review continues below)

'Van' means slightly different things depending on where you live. In the Americas, a van tends to mean a boxy vehicle designed to transport people. In UK English, vans tend to be vehicles used by small businesses to transport cargo, although the word is increasingly used to refer to passenger vehicles too.

Toyota is a Japanese company, and one of the largest manufacturers of automobiles in the world. They began production in the 1930s. Their vans became popular in Japan in the post war years, and Toyota began to export vans to the USA and Europe in the 1970s and early 80s. Toyota are noted manufacturers of SUVs and large, robust passenger carriers and 4x4s. Their vehicles are renowned for their efficiency.

In the US, the main Toyota van is the Sienna, which is more correctly labelled as a minivan. The Sienna is largely aimed at families, and comes in five main different specifications - the Sienna, the LE, the SE, the XLE and the Limited. The basic Sienna, which costs from $25,000, has a 2.7 litre engine and seats 7 as standard. Some versions of the LE can seat 8, and costs from $26,000 to $35,000. The SE also seats 8, costs around $33,500, and has a 3.5 litre engine.

The SE costs around $33,500. It seats 8, and has a 3.5 litre engine. The smallest XLE is similarly priced at 33,000, has the same engine size and seats 7. It also comes with two enhancements, one aimed at families who have members with special needs. This version is called the Mobility Auto Access Model, and costs $40,000. Finally, the Limited model costs $40,000, and is aimed at Executives as well as families.

The UK and European range of Toyota vans is somewhat different. The two main Toyota van models on sale in these markets are the Hilux and the Hiace. The Hiace is a panel van, mainly used for transporting cargo. It costs from 17,000 ($26,000 in US money), and has a 2.5 litre engine. The Hilux is slightly cheaper, at 16,000. It is more of a pickup truck than a van, and can be used for sport and camping breaks, as well as for moving around cargo and people.

In both the US and Europe, it is fairly easy to buy a second hand Toyota van. Siennas are still relatively expensive if bought second hand, as they are a fairly recent van. In Europe, it should be possible to get a good deal on a second hand Hiace. Toyota vans of all descriptions are available for rent, which may be a good solution if you need one for a particular event or activity but don't want to commit to buying.

In terms of competition, Honda, Hummer, Chrysler, Jeep and other manufacturers produce models that compete with the American Toyota vans. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a European style panel van, then rival models are produced by Ford, Mercedes, Skoda, and many other companies.