Editorial

(Home) Owning a Toyota 'Ace

Email me with comments - Dave Mason, 26 Feb 2003.

Good points Bad points

Value for money. Lots of features. Well built. Little depreciation. Generaly very reliable. Spares readily available. In the middle row 7 seaters have two "captain's" seats and 8 seaters have a single and a double that make a bench. On both 7- and 8- seaters the middle row can turn to face rearwards. Large luggage space behind back seats. All seats in rear fold flat. Back row also fold against the sides. Spacious interior - accepts 8'x4' (2440x1220mm) sheets easily (photo). 10 years or so old. Need at least a small amount of interest taken in maintenance. Manuals not available for much of the car (this site is better?). Oil change (diesels) every 3,000 miles. Cooling systems need some special care. Major engine work requires floor panel removal.
Early models (pre 93?) come with only lap belts, not 3-point, in the rear. Care needed driving where headroom is limited. Not liked by some insurers, especially in N. Ireland.

The common spec is 2000cc turbo diesel, automatic, pas, electric (front) windows and mirrors, central (but not remote) locking, front and rear heating/climate control, twin aircon - sometimes with hot/cold box, 6 skylights or twin sliding moonroofs. You buy with limited choice and get a car with incomplete service history, so you're pretty well obliged to change the cambelt on import. Small glove compartment and not many "cubby holes".

Toyota auto box is very effective and reliable It has 3 forward ratios plus an electrically-selectable overdrive which you leave on most of the time as effectively a 4th ratio - plus the torque converter "locks" when cruising producing a 5th small drop in engine revs and eliminating the wasted energy usually associated with auto transmission. Underseal may not be good for many UK winters - time will tell.
Odometer measures distance covered in Km.
Radio fitted for use in Japan won't work in UK. Converters of a kind are available. The best option is to replace the unit with a contemporary one but the "hole" is an unusual size and it can be hard to do a neat job.

Forward, and high-up, driving position gives good visibility. Short wheelbase gives tight turning circle. Centre of gravity is surprisingly low. Distinctive. Popular with children. Easy to spot in car parks. Moderate fuel consumption (diesel) for an MPV. Quite a climb to get in. Elderly passengers (in the back) may appreciate a stool to step on. Short wheelbase leads to some fore/aft pitching on bumpy surface. Driver's spine is right over front axle so gets full effect of bumps (on most cars you're halfway between the axles so you only feel half of each bump, but twice over!). Sedate acceleration, especially during first minute of warm-up.

Selectable 4WD is provided more often than not. When not selected you have rear wheel drive. The front hubs can be set manually to freewheel or lock, then 4WD is selected by a switch on the dashboard. With 4WD you also get the option of a Low ratio in the transfer box - for crawling up the side of mountains?. With most of the weight on the front axle you can NEED 4WD on a slope with a poor surface. Presumably this is why Toyota provided it on what is otherwise a large taxi. There is no centre diff so 4WD must NOT be used on a good surface e.g. tarmac.

Moot points (you either like them or you don't).
Rear seats access from nearside (sliding door) only.
Extra mirror (removable) at the back (and sometimes some on the front) to help with parking.
Illuminated compass on dashboard, passenger side.
Colour schemes are rather retro.
Toyota Electronically Modulated Suspension (TEMS)

Good points	Bad points
Value for money. Lots of features. Well built. Little depreciation. Generaly very reliable. Spares readily available. In the middle row 7 seaters have two "captain's" seats and 8 seaters have a single and a double that make a bench. On both 7- and 8- seaters the middle row can turn to face rearwards. Large luggage space behind back seats. All seats in rear fold flat. Back row also fold against the sides. Spacious interior - accepts 8'x4' (2440x1220mm) sheets easily (photo).	10 years or so old. Need at least a small amount of interest taken in maintenance. Manuals not available for much of the car (this site is better?). Oil change (diesels) every 3,000 miles. Cooling systems need some special care. Major engine work requires floor panel removal. Early models (pre 93?) come with only lap belts, not 3-point, in the rear. Care needed driving where headroom is limited. Not liked by some insurers, especially in N. Ireland.
The common spec is 2000cc turbo diesel, automatic, pas, electric (front) windows and mirrors, central (but not remote) locking, front and rear heating/climate control, twin aircon - sometimes with hot/cold box, 6 skylights or twin sliding moonroofs.	You buy with limited choice and get a car with incomplete service history, so you're pretty well obliged to change the cambelt on import. Small glove compartment and not many "cubby holes".
Toyota auto box is very effective and reliable It has 3 forward ratios plus an electrically-selectable overdrive which you leave on most of the time as effectively a 4th ratio - plus the torque converter "locks" when cruising producing a 5th small drop in engine revs and eliminating the wasted energy usually associated with auto transmission.	Underseal may not be good for many UK winters - time will tell. Odometer measures distance covered in Km. Radio fitted for use in Japan won't work in UK. Converters of a kind are available. The best option is to replace the unit with a contemporary one but the "hole" is an unusual size and it can be hard to do a neat job.
Forward, and high-up, driving position gives good visibility. Short wheelbase gives tight turning circle. Centre of gravity is surprisingly low. Distinctive. Popular with children. Easy to spot in car parks. Moderate fuel consumption (diesel) for an MPV.	Quite a climb to get in. Elderly passengers (in the back) may appreciate a stool to step on. Short wheelbase leads to some fore/aft pitching on bumpy surface. Driver's spine is right over front axle so gets full effect of bumps (on most cars you're halfway between the axles so you only feel half of each bump, but twice over!). Sedate acceleration, especially during first minute of warm-up.
Selectable 4WD is provided more often than not. When not selected you have rear wheel drive. The front hubs can be set manually to freewheel or lock, then 4WD is selected by a switch on the dashboard. With 4WD you also get the option of a Low ratio in the transfer box - for crawling up the side of mountains?.	With most of the weight on the front axle you can NEED 4WD on a slope with a poor surface. Presumably this is why Toyota provided it on what is otherwise a large taxi. There is no centre diff so 4WD must NOT be used on a good surface e.g. tarmac.

Moot points (you either like them or you don't). Rear seats access from nearside (sliding door) only. Extra mirror (removable) at the back (and sometimes some on the front) to help with parking. Illuminated compass on dashboard, passenger side. Colour schemes are rather retro. Toyota Electronically Modulated Suspension (TEMS)