We have some very specific characteristics we were looking for. First, it had to fit at least six people. Second, we really wanted good fuel economy--even the handful of hybrids available either get half the mileage of our Echo or still only have five seats. Could we possibly find a car we like?
Yes. It's the Toyota Avanza. It's inexpensive ($13-17k), compact (5.5 ft tall and 13.5 ft long--3ft shorter than the Ford Taurus X, their 7-seater crossover) and still seats 7 adults. Plus it gets (near as we can tell) ~40 mpg, and it's been described in several reviews as nimble and safe. Here it is in all it's glory:
Cool, no? I love it. The problem? They don't sell them in the States. It was designed from the ground up for south Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philipines), and has expanded to more markets, including South Africa and Mexico.
Why not here, though? Any family with more than three children is forced to drive a) a large minivan with bad gas mileage, b) a large SUV (don't even pretend that your SUV is small--it isn't) with bad gas mileage, or c) two cars. What about all our lip-service to global warming and the environment? I've seen hybrid vehicles that only got 3 mpg better than their conventional counterparts. Why are we not allowed a better option? Are Americans so obssessed with "Bigger is Better" that they won't buy such a practical and sporty little vehicle?
Well, I would. I'm thinking about driving to Mexico to get one, it's that good.
So, all of you out there, pass it on to your friends. There is a better car for large families out there, it doesn't cost an arm or a leg, and it'll save you hundreds of dollars a year in gas. We deserve better, we should demand better, and do it with what companies hear best--our wallet. Ask your Toyota dealer why you can't get an Avanza and maybe we can change the market forces to meet our needs, not their greeds.
13 comments:
I did some more size comparisons. How's this one: it's 8 inches taller than the current Prius, but a full foot shorter in length.
Does it have all the safety equiptment currently required by the US government? That is usually what drives up the cost and the gas mileage (because of the extra weight required).
The South African version has ABS and all the airbags, plus the new stability thing (not sure what it's called). Not sure if they've got LATCH anchors, but those aren't that hard to add. We haven't figured out the Mexican website yet. Ideally, we'd talk to a dealer and say "I want this" and they'd figure it out.
I think you could buy it in Mexico and drive it across the border. I don't recall what the duty is, but it may not be much. NAFTA was supposed to cure that. The issue would be finding parts and getting it fixed in the US. Getting the warranty honored in the US could be exciting as well. But it does look cool and there is some chance that you could overcome the parts & service issues.
I would personally discourage you from even thinking about a hybrid at this point. The repair risks at mileages over 100k are just too big. This will get better over time but not yet. Even more to the point, you will probably never recoup the price difference in gas savings and the repair costs will make it unattractive.
I think it's a cute nice car. However, IMO, if you are going to be hauling around several kids, aren't you going to need some space for all their crap? What about family vacations? Where are you going to put your luggage? What about grocery store trips? I don't see any room at all for anything. Other than that though, it sounds like a great car.
We've been shopping around as well and we have decided when the time is right we are going to get a Hyundai Entourage. Yes, it's a mini-van, but from what I can tell it's even better than the Honda Odyssey. Ben and I have been drooling over them for some time - just not enough to actually go out and pick up a car payment again.
I agree that once you have 3 kids a 5 seater car just doesn't do it anymore, but I'll also agree with Allison, where do you put all your stuff? Other than that, it does seem pretty cool (although I'd find a different paint job if I were you, that green flame thing is tacky!)
Whatever you do, I'd discourage you from moving Elena to the backless booster, I imagine she's probably still too small right now, and she'd be soooo much safer in a 5 point harness for as long as possible! (Please excuse my car seat rant, I'm becoming obsessed right now as Sariah is almost too big for her seat and we have to buy a convertable. I've done a lot of research on car seats, extended rear facing, 5-point harness vs. booster, etc...)
But we don't want to settle for 16 mpg when we're currently getting 36. Fuel efficiency is more important to us (and not just for economic reasons) than cargo space. What we object to is that the American market only gives you the option of cargo space. 99.9% of our trips in the car will be everyday things, where the kids won't have more than what they can carry in their laps. And for the .1% we can buy a car-top luggage carrier. Then we only have to sacrifice fuel efficiency (those things drag like nothing else) for when we need it -- Not for every single trip, commute, and errand.
And honestly, how often will we need to go grocery shopping with all seven seats occupied? Seats are flex-space.
...and I firmly believe that your volume expands to meet capacity. If you have the extra space, you will fill it with junk, and you'll wonder "how did I ever live without this extra space? I could probably use more space."
If you have less space, you'll adapt to use less space.
The green flame reminds me of the pinstriping on my echo.--I told them I didn't like it, they didn't believe me, they watched me peel it off with my fingernails. Same thing here.
hey woman, give Consumer Reports a look over, they have a used car issue every year, around our area, many go for the 2-3 year old minivan. you need space to put your stuff and all 6, 8, or 10 of you eventually. i would strongly strongly recommend against a backless booster for Elena, she is way too young and small. Abigail is just now big enough for one, Elena needs to be in a 5 point harness til she can no longer fit in one, and it's illegal until she is 4 to put her in anything else. consider a slimmed down 5 pointer, the toddler convertable seats are often huge, the other five pointers are usually smaller and thinner and work great. you can find carseats on craigslist and you can look them over before you buy, many people have the manuals and will happily share a full history of the seat.
love ya always,
=0)jess
didn't mean to sound preachy, i'm kinda a car seat witch...i saw a lady at Abbey's school holding a 2 year old while driving..scary...you two are super parents! about the car, is there a chance that it could get stolen cause it will be the only one around? when i was at Pitt there was an English student who had a car that she'd shipped from across the pond and people were forever toilet papering it..
happy christmas!
Hey, I've also heard that Toyota makes and even larger van (10+ seater) that is only available in South America too. It's cheap and gets way better gas mileage. My friend's mom is a missionary down there and told me about it!
The Hiace is actually sold all over the place--all the Avanza markets, plus South America, and Spain (haven't checked the rest of Europe). I'm sure they've got it in Japan, too, along with the Wish (9 person wagon that started the whole thing).
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