buying a new van. which one? Iload?

russxr67 · 21-12-2009, 10:20 PM

Hey guys ,I am a tradie and am going to upgrade while the govt has the incentive scheme going (ends 31st) .

I currently have a 1999 Hiace van and it has been terrific on the durability front .

Alas,the current offering from Toyota is still much in the same vein as the old model ,and the pricing is not competitive at all . I am seeing a ton of the Hyundai I loads around. Took a 2.4 petrol and one of the turbo diesel models out for a spin today and the diesel came up trumps. Has a 4 star crash rating as well .

Anyone else got one of these vans?
Are they good?

fou_bleu · 21-12-2009, 10:48 PM

I know they are in short supply, but (blue glasses coming on) have you tried the Transit? It is a very good van from what I have heard - makes the Hiace look a little cheap in the interior and a few other areas aswell - HERE.

russxr67 · 21-12-2009, 11:04 PM

Looks too boxy in shape if you ask me. And its a front wheel drive as well.

charlie200 · 21-12-2009, 11:07 PM

Stay away from the Transit's,mine has something constantly wrong with it and its a 2007 model with 90,000 km.Even every Ford mechanic i have spoken to hate the Transit's
The hiace's we have at work have nearly 200,000 km on them with no problems at all with them.

4VCLEVO · 21-12-2009, 11:17 PM

I know what you mean about the hiace, I've been driveing them for the last 10 years. For my next van I was leaning toward vito or the VW but they are expensive. On paper the iload does look the goods. I did have a mitsubishi express for a year and a half, I wouldn't get one again.

Copie · 21-12-2009, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russxr67

Looks too boxy in shape if you ask me. And its a front wheel drive as well.

Weird all the transits we have at work are rwd, they arent all brand new though.

What about the Mercedes vans? rather popular these days.

XR Martin · 22-12-2009, 12:04 AM

You can get a FWD Transit, but its only the base model 2.2L Diesel.

If the guy was talking about the iLoad, its actually RWD.

The Transit is a much better van than a Hiace in every regard except reliability. The Hiace is so damn uncomfortable, clutch action is all wrong, noisy, expensive, gutless, unsafe, under-tyred and under-braked. But it has the most important feature of a commercial vehicle, reliability.

russxr67 · 22-12-2009, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Copie

Weird all the transits we have at work are rwd, they arent all brand new though.

What about the Mercedes vans? rather popular these days.

I'd like to get something that is popular so that servicing and parts are relatively inexpensive. The Mercedes and VW are prolly too expensive to maintain and insure .

russxr67 · 22-12-2009, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4VCLEVO

I know what you mean about the hiace, I've been driveing them for the last 10 years. For my next van I was leaning toward vito or the VW but they are expensive. On paper the iload does look the goods. I did have a mitsubishi express for a year and a half, I wouldn't get one again.

My first van was a mitsi. It will be my last mitsi as well. That thing was cursed.

It was the biggest chunk of I have ever owned.

I was driving home from work one night after working from 7am thru to 1 am. On the way home the left hand rear wheel and axle departed company with the rest of the van as we took a left hander. Never again .

Copie · 22-12-2009, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russxr67

I'd like to get something that is popular so that servicing and parts are relatively inexpensive. The Mercedes and VW are prolly too expensive to maintain and insure .

The Merc vans we use are Mercedes Vito's (not the giant square ones you see motorbike wannabe's using but the smaller version)

They cant be too bad for servicing cost or Aus post wouldnt use them.

Zed7fiddy · 22-12-2009, 09:03 AM

i dont know difference on prices or reliability in the long run or even how it compares to other vans, but one of my bosses uses a old 2001 transit, the other uses a brand new renault and the renault is soooo mcuh nicer, its jsut easier to ge tin and out of it and with a tall roof you can literally jump in the back without having to duck.

Gobes32 · 22-12-2009, 09:35 AM

The i-load, in much the same vain as the i-30, is part of the new Hyundai and you can bet your last dollar that it will be great to drive and rightly priced to boot. What you need to ask yourself is how reliable it will be, because no-one knows for sure..... What are the warranty terms for commercial use? Didn't Hyundai have some u beaut warranty, like five years?

Yellow_Festiva · 22-12-2009, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gobes32

The i-load, in much the same vain as the i-30, is part of the new Hyundai and you can bet your last dollar that it will be great to drive and rightly priced to boot. What you need to ask yourself is how reliable it will be, because no-one knows for sure..... What are the warranty terms for commercial use? Didn't Hyundai have some u beaut warranty, like five years?

The good thing about Hyundai / Kia is that any model sold here has been on the roads in Korea for at least 6-12 months prior to being sold here.

So our series one model will be their series 2. Meaning a lot of the bugs have been resolved.

ltd · 22-12-2009, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russxr67

My first van was a mitsi. It will be my last mitsi as well. That thing was cursed.
It was the biggest chunk of I have ever owned.

I was driving home from work one night after working from 7am thru to 1 am. On the way home the left hand rear wheel and axle departed company with the rest of the van as we took a left hander. Never again .

Brilliant post, maybe its a little bit of jetlag but I laughed my head off.
I don't know what it is with mitsubishis and wheels departing; my brother in law had a magna where the wheel and axle left the vehicle in a corner on South Dowling Street (80kmh zone).
Maybe the guy that oversaw the installation of axles and hubs at Mitsubishi was a chronic alcoholic and always off his face.
Remember the vans that had MITSUBISHI on the back in big black letters?
How many times would people rearrange them to read ITS ?

Windsor220 · 22-12-2009, 10:31 AM

I worked at Mitsubishi for 7 years and we never had any issues with the Express axles. They were fairly reliable but just basic and not very safe (1 star safety rating).

russxr67 · 22-12-2009, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windsor220

I worked at Mitsubishi for 7 years and we never had any issues with the Express axles. They were fairly reliable but just basic and not very safe (1 star safety rating).

The early iteration of the model (which is still in the same form I might add) had a lok nut type setup that had tangs which you bent over to keep the nut from backing out.

It was hopeless. The nut would invariably come loose on a regular basis so i would have to pull the axle and tighten it all the time. As a consequence the rear brakes were always drenched in diff oil because it would not seal .

I'm pretty sure they did away with that design in subsequent models. Thank God.

Just about anything that could go wrong did .

russxr67 · 22-12-2009, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ltd

Brilliant post, maybe its a little bit of jetlag but I laughed my head off.
I don't know what it is with mitsubishis and wheels departing; my brother in law had a magna where the wheel and axle left the vehicle in a corner on South Dowling Street (80kmh zone).
Maybe the guy that oversaw the installation of axles and hubs at Mitsubishi was a chronic alcoholic and always off his face.
Remember the vans that had MITSUBISHI on the back in big black letters?
How many times would people rearrange them to read ITS ?

Glad you got a laugh out of that ltd.

As you could imagine I wasn't laughing when it happened.

russxr67 · 22-12-2009, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gobes32

The i-load, in much the same vain as the i-30, is part of the new Hyundai and you can bet your last dollar that it will be great to drive and rightly priced to boot. What you need to ask yourself is how reliable it will be, because no-one knows for sure..... What are the warranty terms for commercial use? Didn't Hyundai have some u beaut warranty, like five years?

The Iload comes with 5 year/160,000 kms warranty and 1 year roadside assistance which is another great selling point.

I have had the oppurtunity to drive both the petrol and turbocharged diesel variants and whilst the diesel is $4500 more exxy it makes a bucket load more torque. Kw's are pretty much similar but the difference in torque is in the vicinity of 150nm. It boogies for a van and is the most comfortable van I have driven ever.

And....it has a 4 star crash rating because the engine is in the front as it has more crumple zone.

Brazen · 22-12-2009, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russxr67

....and is the most comfortable van I have driven ever.

That to me, would be a MASSIVE selling point. If your van is your office, then the iload would be hard to go past.

Ducati888 · 22-12-2009, 02:00 PM

I had an i-Max as a family rental in Queensland recently. It's basically an i-Load with extra windows and seats. I felt solid and drove well, but was pretty damn gutless. Petrol & auto. I'd go a diesel - torque is way more important in a cargo van.

I also had an i-30 as a rental car recently in Brisbane, and have had a Holden Epica previously. To this day, I have yet to drive an inspiring or memorable Korean car.

Sloth · 22-12-2009, 04:57 PM

I've also had a drive of a i-Load (called an H1 here). Well equipped, very comfortable and in diesel form they go quite hard.

The only real downside is the load space is smaller due to being front engined and the side door opening space is quite narrow - in those areas the Hiace is better.

Dr Smith · 22-12-2009, 05:26 PM

I've had a VW T5 for 2.5 years and just clicked over 75,000km today. It works hard however I think it's the best driving van on the market. 128kw/400Nm 6sp auto, tows 2 tonnes, 6 airbags, ESP, insurance is under $1000 and while servicing is not cheap the dealer has looked after me with free loan vehicles, etc.. I regularly carry a 700-900kg load with a trailer also carrying over 1000kg so can have a GVM sometimes near 4.5 tonnes and still average 750-800km per tank of diesel. It's the luxury mobile of vans but has the strength to take it when loaded. No creaks or groans when going over un-even paths while fully loaded. In fact I have to back off on the freeway as it cruises when fully loaded over 100km/hr too easily. And it's the only 1 tonne van still made in Germany. Next year comes the update with AWD 7 speed DSG option...and I'm there...

The Iload would be my next buy however the VW is car-like in driving and more durable then a Merc Vito.

dsyfer · 22-12-2009, 06:03 PM

I can highly recommend Fiat Ducato vans, I have had a high roof one for nearly two years, 2.3 turbo diesel, 6 speed, over six foot in internal height, and the best is it's brilliant to drive and very economical, factory recommended service intervals of 40,000kms.

**Peuty** · 22-12-2009, 06:14 PM

Stay away from Transits like the plague. Dead turbos, destroyed gearboxes, dodgy EGR valves. You name it, it'll go wrong. All in under 100,000km's too.

VW Crafters are no better, just fyi.

4VCLEVO · 22-12-2009, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

I've had a VW T5 for 2.5 years and just clicked over 75,000km today. It works hard however I think it's the best driving van on the market. 128kw/400Nm 6sp auto, tows 2 tonnes, 6 airbags, ESP, insurance is under $1000 and while servicing is not cheap the dealer has looked after me with free loan vehicles, etc.. I regularly carry a 700-900kg load with a trailer also carrying over 1000kg so can have a GVM sometimes near 4.5 tonnes and still average 750-800km per tank of diesel. It's the luxury mobile of vans but has the strength to take it when loaded. No creaks or groans when going over un-even paths while fully loaded. In fact I have to back off on the freeway as it cruises when fully loaded over 100km/hr too easily. And it's the only 1 tonne van still made in Germany. Next year comes the update with AWD 7 speed DSG option...and I'm there...

The Iload would be my next buy however the VW is car-like in driving and more durable then a Merc Vito.

Fuel consumption looks pretty good. My '03 hiace (petrol) was put over the weigh bridge at 2400kg and gets 15-16L per 100km or 420km to a tank and with a 1500kg sisorlift on a trailer it pushes fuel consumption up to 22L/100km.

4VCLEVO · 22-12-2009, 09:29 PM

I was just checking out the specs on the iLoad, the engine power and torque of the turbo diesel is very good at 125kw@3800 and 392Nm@2000-2500 and has a good tow cap of 2000kg but it weighs in at a hefty 2084kg.

russxr67 · 22-12-2009, 10:38 PM

It is heavy but that is where the extra torque of the diesel shines. In petrol form it almost seemed sluggish until you had the engine working and was more in the rpm band .

More expensive in the diesel version by some 4k but worth it imho. I am still working on the dealer pricing atm . At first they were reluctant to move from the base price of $33490 saying that the margin was nominal even at that figure but with salesman it is a little hard to tell whether they are full of it or not.

I currently have them at $32200 and they reckon they have no room to move from there.

I have given up on the trade in side as well as my Tojo van is only worth 3k (according to them)as a trade . I will just have to sell that privately. Redbook states that the Tojo is still worth around 6k.

Mr Hardware · 22-12-2009, 10:47 PM

Quote:

They cant be too bad for servicing cost or Aus post wouldnt use them.

Yeah but they run transits too so that means nothing.

So will it be commerical use? Does the warranty cover that?

Why not buy the toyota (apart from price, which if it's a business vehicle is a write off anyway)? Everyone knows toyota make the most reliable products, if it were me i'd be hard pressed to go past them.

russxr67 · 22-12-2009, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

Yeah but they run transits too so that means nothing.

So will it be commerical use? Does the warranty cover that?

Why not buy the toyota (apart from price, which if it's a business vehicle is a write off anyway)? Everyone knows toyota make the most reliable products, if it were me i'd be hard pressed to go past them.

Reliabilty aside the Toyota is now competing against a new player in the van market that seems to have it trumped in just about every department.

I am not buying on cost alone ,if that was the case then there are other choices out there to consider. I have also taken into consideration other factors such as driveabilty,engine power and fuel consumption,warranty ,roadside assistance etc. Add all of those up and the fact that the Hyundai is some 8k cheaper then it becomes a serious contender.

The facts are that Hyundai is still perceived as a company which produces cheap,unrelaible cars for the masses but the reality is that the company has leapfrogged the competition in recent years. A fair bit of their product have won awards ( the i30 and i load are two) in their sector.

4VCLEVO · 22-12-2009, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

Yeah but they run transits too so that means nothing.

So will it be commerical use? Does the warranty cover that?

Why not buy the toyota (apart from price, which if it's a business vehicle is a write off anyway)? Everyone knows toyota make the most reliable products, if it were me i'd be hard pressed to go past them.

Toyota don't seem to care about them. They have a label of reliable so they sell them selfs, like the hilux. They are underpowerd, overpriced and underneith its still the same van you were buying more than 20years ago. There towing cap is well down too.