Greetings to all ye my people. I seriously need your counseling on the most reliable, durable and easy to maintain family car I can buy in nigeria whether nigeria register or tokunbo. I have read some thread on this topic but I still need more counseling on it in order to go for the best. I have in mind the following cars toyota sienna, camry, corolla, picnic, vw sharan, and mazda mpv 1998-2004 model worth #1M. Thank very much for your urgent response

Please moderators and others out there do not keep silence on me. I look up to you.

Please I am still for your response. Remember your little comment now can save me and many of future agony.

Buy a 2003 Toyota Sienna.

Family car? then go for Toyota Sienna.

Toyota Siena is functional
Honda Odessey is elegant
VW Sharon is durable

Not too sure of other similar space wagons , bt d choice is yours .

@ smart choice. i want to deviate alittle out from the topic. what do you think about 04/05 v6 or i4 highlander. i am looking at getting it for someone. i hope im not making any mistake about its reliability and maintenance. is there anything you have against the ride?

am sorry am not into Toyota. But this should help: http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Reliability.aspx?year=2004&make=Toyota&model=Highlander&trimid=98480#VIP_TAB

camaro: @ smart choice. i want to deviate alittle out from the topic. what do you think about 04/05 v6 or i4 highlander. i am looking at getting it for someone. i hope im not making any mistake about its reliability and maintenance. is there anything you have against the ride?

God will hear your cry as you try to clear my doubt. One of the commentS said sienna is functional, honda odyssey is ellegant and vw sharan is durable. Please I need more clarification on this. Do you mean in term of reliability and durability vw sharan is number one of them all? Again I saw one toyota yesterday that look like sienna with passenger wind down windows, unfortunately no name was written at the back of the bus. Sirs do you any of model of toyota like sienna with that kind of feature? Once again thank you all for your responses. However I am still expecting the comments of the ogas at the top like Ikenna and Sienna.

adejide2: God will hear your cry as you try to clear my doubt. One of the commentS said sienna is functional, honda odyssey is ellegant and vw sharan is durable. Please I need more clarification on this. Do you mean in term of reliability and durability vw sharan is number one of them all? Again I saw one toyota yesterday that look like sienna with passenger wind down windows, unfortunately no name was written at the back of the bus. Sirs do you any of model of toyota like sienna with that kind of feature? Once again thank you all for your responses. However I am still expecting the comments of the ogas at the top like Ikenna and Sienna.

Toyota Sienna
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/toyota/sienna/


Toyota Camry
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/toyota/camry/


Toyota Corolla
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/toyota/corolla/


Toyota Picnic
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/toyota/picnic/single-page/


VW Sharan
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/volkswagen/sharan/


Mazda MPV
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/mazda/mpv/



Ikenna.

adejide2: God will hear your cry as you try to clear my doubt. One of the commentS said sienna is functional, honda odyssey is ellegant and vw sharan is durable. Please I need more clarification on this. Do you mean in term of reliability and durability vw sharan is number one of them all? Again I saw one toyota yesterday that look like sienna with passenger wind down windows, unfortunately no name was written at the back of the bus. Sirs do you any of model of toyota like sienna with that kind of feature? Once again thank you all for your responses. However I am still expecting the comments of the ogas at the top like Ikenna and Sienna.

That may be Toyota Picnic or Toyota Corolla Verso. Picnic is another very strong and reliable Toyota brand and its price is close to your budget, Corolla Verso is way beyond your budget. Please google these cars and check the criteria you are looking for, ok!

What is the size of your family? No pun intended.

adejide2: Greetings to all ye my people. I seriously need your counseling on the most reliable, durable and easy to maintain family car I can buy in nigeria whether nigeria register or tokunbo. I have read some thread on this topic but I still need more counseling on it in order to go for the best. I have in mind the following cars toyota sienna, camry, corolla, picnic, vw sharan, and mazda mpv 1998-2004 model worth #1M. Thank very much for your urgent response

Well, each of those vehicles you mentioned has their advantages and disadvantages.

Toyota Sienna - Has that Toyota durability and very reliable. It is NOT fuel economical which is understandable (3.0L V6 engine). The parts are quite pricy too.

Honda Odyssey - If you must go for this then buy the first generation odyssey (1996 - 1998). From 1999 model has CHRONIC AUTO GEAR problems which is well reported and is comes with 3.0L V6 engine. The 1st generation as i mentioned is very durable and fuel efficient (2.2L or 2.3L I4 engine). Some even come with dual air conditioning.

Toyota Picnic - Has that Toyota durability and very reliable and fuel efficient (2.0L I4 engine) but it is smaller that its competitors. Watch out for RHD to LHD converted since it a a European vehicle. The boot is very small and does not have dual air conditioning for effective cooling for the rear seat passengers.

VW Sharan - Durable and reliable vehicle but comes mostly as manual. The 4 cylinder version is fuel efficient (1.8T or 2.0L) though the 2.0L seem a bit under powered (about 115hp) for a 7-seater vehicle. Generally does not have that luxury look.

Mazda MPV - Another good family vehicle with good interior but fuel thirsty with Ford Duratec engine (2.5L, V6). 2000-2001 uses 4-speed auto gear which from reviews performs better than 2002 - 2006 using 5-speed auto. The 5-speed is known to be more prone to developing problems so you need to take note. One auto gear seller said the gear box for 2000-2001 are two types - one is N45,000 while the other one is N130,000. You may need to consider this just in case you need to change the gear box.

The choice is yours!

I want to suggest this vehicle but i'm not sure if you can get it at your budget of N1m

Highly grateful to all your contributions. We are six in my family. Mention the name of the car and price. Does anybody knows the car that look like toyota sienna with wind down window?

2004 upward toyota sienna is the one equiped with wind down windows.

Thanks for the info

Dodge Cavaran and Ford Windster are both durable and affordable.

Thank you for your suggestion. What about their running cost. Are they almost problem free and parts cheap and readily available?

adejide2: Thank you for your suggestion. What about their running cost. Are they almost problem free and parts cheap and readily available?

If you are buying a direct tokunbo with low mileage then you will minimal running cost, if you must buy a Nigerian used car make sure it is well maintained by the previous owner.
Parts are cheap and readily available.

The use of dodge and ford cars are not common in nigeria especially dodge probably because of maintenance cost and low reliability. Please I need more counseling on this to avoid falsehood in the forum.

ping2ping: I want to suggest this vehicle but i'm not sure if you can get it at your budget of N1m

. I am still waiting for your suggestion.

Sorry I actually attached the picture of the car to that post but somehow it did not show. I meant 2001 toyota avensis verso. You can google it

chucky234: Dodge Cavaran and Ford Windster are both durable and affordable.

. Are they reliable and relatively free from problems.

adejide2: . Are they reliable and relatively free from problems.

They are reliable, no car is totally free from problems,a good car depend on the maintenance habit of the owner.

I will assume you meant "dependability" and tolerance for abuse (omit an interval point in maintenance). Ironically, the answer from the menu you presented is the Corolla. You can run the Corolla to the "ground" but the impending risk of purchasing a deferred-maintained one is higher. I did not consider the Mazda because I don't know of it and [maybe] never seen it. Never heard of Picnic.

Sharan I think has two types...

smartchoice: Sharan I think has two types...

My mistake. I mistook the Sharan for the Routan. I've never seen a Sharan.

I have somebody in US who promise to get me one family car with the exception of sienna because of high cost. Do you know other family car in US that is reliable and durable apart from honda odyssey that is good for nigeria road and has cheap running cost.

Trac:

My mistake. I mistook the Sharan for the Routan. I've never seen a Sharan.

. What are the two types and which of them is good to drive in nigeria.

adejide2: . What are the two types and which of them is good to drive in nigeria.

I have never seen the Sharan. As a matter of fact, it was from this thread I got to know of the Sharan. The Routan is what I have seen and acquainted with. It is a Chrysler with no influence of VW in it. Due to the financially ailing corporation, VW took the tabs to alleviate the loss of investment Chrysler put into the development of the Routan. Hence, the VW badge. Chryslers are not dependable vehicles. The Routan still requires the maintenance attention of a Chrysler which certain VW owners are crossed about.

adejide2: I have somebody in US who promise to get me one family car with the exception of sienna because of high cost. Do you know other family car in US that is reliable and durable apart from honda odyssey that is good for nigeria road and has cheap running cost.

I will not recommend the Sienna V6 on Nigerian roads except modifications are made. I want to believe the Honda variant to the Sienna is the same philosophical (planning) embedded approach. A vehicle you cannot find the fuel to refill should not be an option unless the required modification is done. Anyone that tells you the 4-cylinder variant is underpowered should not be taken seriously. Don’t go by the kilowatt figures because you’ll be wasting your time.

Frankly, your approach to this objective (that is your inquiry) is somewhat wrong. Retracing, your inquiries will begin at the mechanic to whom will work on your choice of vehicle for the next decade. It is what he says that you will do/follow. If what you are told to get is a Mazda (for example), then that is what you will get. They are the ones that will eventually have an affair with the vehicle for the extended duration of time in ownership. I had a client mid-year; he gave his requirements and I looked at it as a bad option of a deal. My recommendations were given in response with official documents; giving no room for doubts. He did a wise thing, he consulted with his mechanics and they couldn’t sustain my recommendations and I could justify why: socio-economical factors.

You will be importing a non-tropicalised car to a non-tropicalised region. You will have trade-offs in reliability. This is due to the principles of optimizations in the overall design/product of the vehicle. In certain aspects, it may not be noticeable. In some areas, it will. Further explanation will derail the topic as it is manufacturing-biased rather than the discussion, thus leaving the thread topic void. So, the reliability gotten in non-tropicalised regions should not be expected in Nigeria. Vehicles are built to two international standards. There is a way around this [however]. In the United States, you can purchase cars for any price if time is not a factor. At a lower purchase price, the rest of the intended purchase amount should be used to do extensive service on the vehicle. Two approaches to this: a Nigerian works on it with the forecept that it’d be taken to Nigeria or a the white man is briefed that the vehicle will be taken to regions like Haiti or Jamaica. What to be done is understood and a mini-project is begun. An impedance to this will be the type of transaction with your friend. If it’s profit-oriented, cost becomes higher because of the engulfed profit. Nevertheless, over a decade period, it details the cheapest approach than plain purchase-and-shipping.

I intentionally left a lot out due to discretion. Overall, you should have an idea of what I’ve made sketchy and ponder upon it to unravel. Above all, your mechanic will have the golden-say on what you may or mayn’t get. It is their duty to maintain it for your entire duration of ownership. Never argue with them (even if you are smarter). They work on numerous cars in all kinds of state and there are certain x-factors that aren’t widely known that they encounter.