Autoblog

n!ck @ Apr 10th 2008 7:54PM

I've been in a pretty bad front end collision in a 1994 Previa. And I still have my front legs.

I've seen the crash test video's, theres some warpage around the door frame on the previa...but not nearly as bad as a mid-late 90's ford f-150 (front engine).

My point is, having the motor in the front doesn't make your car any safer. Of course there are to be safety improvements when toyota moved from the previa to the sienna. The previa debuted in 1990, and was in production untill 1997/98 without any major updates. Comparing it to the sienna, a car made in 1998, is a little ridiculous. The improvements between the two platforms are likely due to a better understanding of frontal crashes. Not necessarily moving the motor to the front. A lot can be learned in 8 years, i.e. 2 generations on most platforms. Had Toyota kept developing the MR platform i think it would have been one of the greatest vans ever.

My friend got her feet crushed in a 1996 Pontiac Grand Am (front engine) as her boyfriend managed to drive it into the side of a store. the floor buckled and pinned her legs in between the dash and the floor.

They discontinued the MR platform of the previa because it was too costly. The car shared nothing in common with the rest of the toyota line up. Not even it's motor was shared. It's base price price balloned through the years, especially when they dropped the N/A motor from the line up.

The Toyota Previa is one of the best built vehicles that Toyota has ever produced. I am still driving that same Previa from 1994 to this day. No dash rattles, no hiccups, no nothing. 385000 km's and still ticking.

My parents have moved on and have a 2001 lexus rx300 and a 2006 lexus rx330. My dad still prefers the previa.

I own a 1990 Toyota Celica Turbo4wd (aka GT-Four, Alltrac) and I can't move into anything newer Toyota has to offer. I still daily drive the Previa. I love it.

The end of the Previa marks the end of an era for Toyota. Just like the innovative Celica GT-Four, MR2, Supra, and AE86.

Auto companies should be encouraged to innovate. Us North Americans shouldn't be so scared of change. I think we're beginning to change our outlook towards different cars. Look at all the people jumping on the hybrid bandwagon.

Its a prime time to bring back that MR Previa platform.