I am considering purchasing a Townace/Liteace.Could someone please tell me what is the difference between the two?Also reading the notice board it looks like most people seem to have problems with these vehicles which are not only difficult to repair but also expensive if you can find someone to do the repairs at all?The spec you get with these vehicles is excellent compared to other mpv`s but not much good if your going to get alot of problems.What sort of mileage could I hope for out of one of these vehicles?Confused! - (#973) steve ford, 2 Sep 01
Depending on the year, townace and liteace could be identical...
These cars can go on for high milages, all it takes is a little tlc. Remember that you're talking about a ten year old vehicle, with no service history...
But, if you're mechanically competent, they are both enjoyable to run and maintain, and cost-effective also.
For example, mine is 1991, has 105K miles, and following a cylinder head problem caused by a recurrent coolant leak, has been totally reliable. I use it for my business.2.5 years driving, average of 28mpg, no problems since the head was sorted. - (#974) David Miller, 2 Sep 01
agreed - very similar experience to me. Following common threads on this BoK it seems that the Head Gasket surely must be the most common fault - but perhaps (dare i say?) the most rewarding to fix -in that once sorted gives a dependable vehicle. . . . (except for the starter - eh Dave?) - (#976) Mark Adams, 2 Sep 01
Steve,
I am a relatively new owner and, probably like you, I looked at all types before a decision to buy was made. All of the Espace's, Serena's, Spacewagons etc which I looked at had twice the mileage, were (at least) twice the price and had half the specification. I am very pleased, even though my vehicle is now off the road so that I can attend to the mandatory "head job". The cooling system, and the 10 year old head gaskets, seem to be the "Achillees heel" of these vehicles but, with the low purchase price, and high specification, it does allow for some expenditure in bringing these splendid vehicles up to scratch.
Spares are not a problem. What is a problem is the motor trade's attitude to imports but, this is changing. I would say, go for it and, if buying from a dealer, get some sort of warranty. I bought privately and saved around 1000GBP. Some of the dealers will tell you about the high price of spares but, this is true of many vehicles and, other sites will tell you of the expensive horror stories with the conventional MPV's - (#977) John Davis, 3 Sep 01
Go on then, I'll throw in my two pennorth. For an MPV there is probably nothing to compare in terms of space, build and equipment spec., despite being over ten years old. If looking to buy a first time import, you are likely to get a vehicle with no rust and very low mileage. The Japanese don't salt their roads in winter and being a small island, they don't get to go far. The head gasket affair seems to be a rite of passage for these vehicles but once sorted, being a diesel, if serviced regularly should easily surpass 250k miles. Parts are becoming more easy to find as they become more popular. Even the dealers are having to acknowledge their existence as demand increases. For the money, I think there is nothing to touch them. But if you have something like £10k or more to spend then you might want to look at something more modern and faster.
Ian - (#979) Ian Dunse, 3 Sep 01
I was thinking for quite some time whether to go for the Townace or the Liteace. Although the engine and the underbody are about the same, there is a slight difference in size:
Townace
4.30m x 1.70m
Liteace
4 m x 1.60m
Townaces usually have higher specs, like CD players, electric curtains, 4WD etc. I decided for the Liteace simply because of the size. Perhaps a couple of cm do not make too much of a difference, but I am happy with my vehicle.
No problems with headgaskets, cooling etc. at all. It is a 1991 (H Reg) and had 111 Tkm on the clock. I have done 15000 since last October.
Just some tuning was needed to reduce the smoke.
Holger - (#982) Holger Laux, 3 Sep 01
i agree
had my townace for 1.5 years without a hiccup
no water problems, not really anything
upto about 178000 knms at the moment - (#984) skippy, 3 Sep 01
As David says, some Liteaces are same as Townaces. The smaller ones have less boot space and a fold-down third seat in the middle instead of the full three.
Best advice on reliability is to be choosy and have a few test drives - tell the salesman you know about the heating problems and insist on taking it for a good long, mixed drive, up hills, town idling, dual carriageway thrashing etc. If you see any oil warning lights or the radiator symbol light (low coolant) or if temp guage goes over halfway, just walk away!
This will also give you a good idea on whether the performance suits you - a good one will be quite nippy in town, but they don't really stand a chance against more modern MPVs on fast motorways.
Judge the indicated mileage (kilometrage?) against the state of the car - if the seats, trim, screen print on instruments etc look very worn on a low-mileage car, it may have been clocked.
Hope this helps - (#1079) Steve Ford Elliott, 13 Sep 01