Why was the original previa (in the 1990s) criticized so much?

Q: It was a nice minivan. Why did it get so much criticism?

A: It wass criticized because it was only a 4 cylinder engine while other minivans were offering a V6. The engine is mounted under you so access was the easiest but most fluid checks could be done under the hood anyway.The biggest criticism was it's price. They were really expensive. A fully-optioned LE back in 1991 was close to $28,000. It was primarily criticized for being a 4 cylinder van for that much money. For all the criticism, they are considered one the most reliable minivan ever built by most critics. Very low maintenance and well built. When I was in the process of buying my 1994 Previa LE last year, I took it to the dealership for inspection first. There was a 1991 Previa with 794,000 miles on the original, never been rebuilt engine. It was having it's first transmission replacement done. How many vehicles can do that? I've seen quite a few now with over 500,000 miles- not kilometers but actual miles. A testament of their durability. Heck even the three mechanics I go to on occasion rave about them. Sorry for ranting on so much but I love mine. Many ex-Previa owners that own Siennas have told me that their Previas were more reliable. These vans are that good. They are nice vans, but they were never big sellers in the US. It was discontinued here in the US and replaced by the Sienna- which is made and sold only in North America. The rest of the World still has the Previa. It's been redesigned but it's completely different from the Sienna and still called the Previa. Also, if you look at the rear of the Siennas, you can still see a hint of the Previa in it's styling.

Related items