Imagine it is 7 seater and what it must be like with 7 passengers, full cargo area, and only a 4
speed automatic transmission..........and only comes with rear wheel drive.......
The Terios is looking like a much better bet..........but the Rush does have curb appeal.
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
We are a family of four and have a 7 seater Highlander. We used the third row of seats last weekend to go to the beach with some friends. The second time this year we used the third row.
In reality who would buy this car and drive it fully laden the whole time? Not us, but it would be perfect for the school run and doing every day duties, whilst coping with the rough roads and sipping fuel, unlike the 3.5 litre V6 of the Highlander. Don't get me wrong, I love the Highlander. It's silent, refined, quick when I want it to be and surprising how fuel efficient it is for a US market car.
The problem is petrol is expensive here, like Europe and not like the US, where's it's relatively cheap. Very few people drive 3.5 V6s in Europe. European cars are a non starter here. Skilled mechanics are few and far between. Parts are difficult and expensive to obtain and they depreciate through the floor for exactly that reason. The leaves Japanese, Korean or American cars available.
American cars are great. They are strong, reliable and are usually very well equipped, but their thirst for fuel can be a minus point.
Korean cars are starting to find their niche and are doing well. Especially the ones that run on LPG.
Japanese cars are still the best choice for this country, in my opinion. Toyota and Honda appear to be evenly ranked at the top, with Nissan, Mitsubishi and Mazda the next rung down.
I reckon this car could be a game changer here. It ticks a lot of boxes. It does have a few limitations, such as lack of 4x4 and only a 4 speed transmission. But I believe they are intentional to keep the overall cost down and appeal to a larger market. Again, my Highlander is 4x4, I've never got myself into a situation where I've needed it. it's transport, not a an off-road toy.