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Date:         Tue, 4 Nov 2003 19:17:34 +1300
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Interior size:  Vanagon v. Toyota van
Comments: To: Tom LaLanne <lalanne@ix.netcom.com>
In-Reply-To:  <004501c3a26f$779244d0$6401a8c0@IBM>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>Andrew, > Since you advertise yourself as a VW/Toyota van nut on the >Vanagon list, I figured you would be the perfect person to ask this >question. A good friend of mine owns a 1987 Toyota van, which he >raves about. He also claims there is no car on the road that holds >more inside than a Toyota van. Somehow that assertion seems >unlikely to me. My gut tells me that a vanagon must have more >interior room than the Toyota, although I have to admit that I have >never looked closely inside a Toyota. That feeling is based on the >idea that the vanagon appears to longer, wider and taller on the >outside than a Toyota, and the fact that autos manufactured in >Northern Europe regularly have more interior room compared to >outside dimensions than those manufactured elsewhere, including in >Japan. Two examples of cars which come to mind with huge interior >dimensions compared to their exterior sizes, excluding the vanagon, >are a Volvo 245 wagon and a Porsche 944. I have owned both of these >cars, and always marvelled at how much they held compared to cars >with similar exterior dimensions. > Do you know the interior volume of a vanagon compared to >a Toyota van? That info would help our discussion greatly. >Thanks. >Tom LaLanne >'86 Subie Westy

Hi Tom

Just measured the interior of my LWB Hiace (sorry, no neometric tape): L 3.0m (rear window to front of cargo floor) L 3.27m (rear window to front seatback) W 1.52m H 1.35m W external 1.67m

But this van wasn't ever sold in USA.

What you have in mind is the RWD Liteace/Townace/Masterace. I don't have one at hand to measure, but this is a SMALL van. It comes only in SWB and is narrow... wait, I have a 1983 comparison of test of a VW Caravelle, Isuzu, Mazda, Nissan vans... and Liteace (sld as Tarago in Australia). W 1.445m H 1.20m Dashboard to rear seatback 3.04m (no cargo-floor length given, as it's a passenger version) Overall its interior space is about the same as a RWD/4WD Estima (=Previa), but narrower than the export-market Previa. So the T3 is a lot larger... though you have to subtract the engine compartment!

As you can see with the Hiace, the external & internal widths are not that much different, so it's extremely space-efficient. It's available in extralong (and also short) wheelbase too, and the VW ain't.


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