The best-selling model in Japan is the "minivan."
However, even if you say a minivan in a bite, it has different displacements and sizes. As a family car, we will thoroughly explain how to choose the best minivan for travel and the outdoors and recommended minivans.
Best points for choosing a minivan
A minivan is a wagon-type vehicle equipped with three rows of seats to secure passenger capacity.
Broadly speaking, Honda Freed is a typical model with a small class engine of about 1500cc, and Nissan Serena and a large class are typical of a medium class model with an engine of about 2000cc. The representative model with an engine of 2000cc or more is the Toyota Freed.
Below, I will explain the points to choose a minivan.
Financial problems
There are various purchase budgets and vehicle prices, ranging from 2 million yen to 7 million yen.
In addition, maintenance costs are also involved. It costs a lot of money just to own a car, such as automobile tax, automobile inspection expenses, voluntary insurance and fuel costs.
Use applications
I think that few people can get on a minivan just by commuting.
Consider your hobbies, travel, frequency of going outdoors, etc., and think about how you will live by car, such as the number of passengers and the distance traveled.
Design
I think there are various tastes for the exterior and interior, such as luxury is better and sporty is better.
I think that each person has their own hobbies, such as a car that suits large-diameter aluminum wheels.
Safety
For Toyota, the safety functions of minivans differ depending on the manufacturer, such as Toyota Safety Sense C and Honda Sensing.
There is also a difference between standard equipment and optional equipment.
I think the above are the points necessary for selecting the main minivan. Since it is basically a minivan that is positioned as a family car, if the standard model is Toyota Voxy, Nissan Serena, or Honda, it would be a Step WGN. The taste changes a little, but the Mitsubishi D-5 is one of them. I think that it is better to select it in consideration of the points mentioned above, such as wanting to reduce the maintenance cost based on the car model in this area, or having a wider living space.
This is the recommended minivan
Mitsubishi D-3
It is an OEM of Nissan NV200 Vanette. The feature of D-3 is in a comfortable space.
First of all, the ground height set as low as 386 mm makes it easy for children and elderly people to get on and off, and when the rear seats are folded down, a space of about 180 cm can be secured, so even large people can relax.
And there is a luggage space with a sufficient load capacity. The height of the room is as high as 1305mm, so there is no feeling of oppression. The side doors are also sliding doors on both sides, so it is a very easy-to-use car. The seating capacity is also set to seat 7 people.
Price range: 2 million to 2.1 million yen Fuel consumption: 12.8 to 13.2 km (JC08 mode)
Nissan Serena
Serena, which is the first in this class, is familiar in commercials, but it is equipped with cutting-edge power.
It is Nissan's original development called e-POWER, which basically runs on a motor, but it is equipped with a power generation engine to cover power without charging.
In addition, a one-pedal drive that can control the speed only with the accelerator pedal is also installed. Therefore, we have achieved the highest fuel efficiency of 26.2km in this class.
Of course, the living space is perfectly secured, and there is also a setting for 8 people, so it can be said that it is the highest peak for a minivan of this class.
Price range: 2.31 million to 3.41 million yen Fuel consumption 15.0 to 26.2 km (JC08 mode)
Toyota Alphard
It is a car that can be said to be a representative of Japanese minivans. The powerful front mask, profound feeling, and luxurious interior are in a unique position and faithfully represent the concept of a large space luxury saloon.
In terms of safety, it is equipped with the 2nd generation Toyota Safety Sense, which is unique to luxury cars, and pre-crash safety is suitable not only for daytime but also for pedestrians at night. Lane tracing assist, which not only informs the meandering of the vehicle body but also controls steering, and road sign assist, which reads road signs with a camera and displays them on the display, are also newly installed.
The executive lounge Z, which is the highest grade, has been added to create a space comparable to that of the hotel's finest suites.
Price range: 3.35 million to 7.5 million yen Fuel consumption: 10.4 to 19.4 km (JC08 mode)
Manufacturer options you want to keep
There are various options, but the one that is surprisingly convenient or useful is the rain clearing mirror.
The side mirrors are hydrophilically treated so that no water droplets remain. It is also a recommended option from the viewpoint of safety, such as when driving a long distance in the rain. Navigation is indispensable as an option.
There are dealer and manufacturer options, but if you want to replace the navigation system in a few years, you should choose the dealer navigation system, and if you want to use it as it is, you should select the manufacturer navigation system. Most of the dealer navigations are the same size as the ready-made products, so they can be replaced later, but since the manufacturer navigation is a special size, it is basically not possible to replace it with the ready-made products.
The screen of recent maker navigation is good. I think it is better to attach an engine starter as well. If you install ready-made products later, recent cars have excellent anti-theft devices, so various parts are required and the amount including wages is very expensive. It keeps the inside of the car comfortable not only in cold weather but also in hot weather, and warm-up operation can reduce the load on the engine.