Toyota Tarago is a popular people mover that has sold in Australia in large numbers since the 1980s. Early versions were virtually vans with extra seats and side windows, but from 1990 Tarago was a pure people mover with all that means in the way of comfort and safety.
Tarago has very good resale value so you will pay top dollar for a good one. Naturally, that extra purchase cost is to your benefit when you come to trade it in.
A surprisingly weak point of the 1990 Tarago is that all rear occupants have to get in and out of the one door. From 2000 onwards there are passenger doors on both sides of the rear compartment.
Tarago is spacious, with a virtually flat floor throughout, although moving about inside isn’t all that easy due to the relatively low roof. Seating is provided for seven or eight, depending on whether the centre row has twin individual seats or a three-place bench.
Boot space is reasonable even with all the seats being used – and very large if the rear seat is folded out of the way. It’s not possible to carry large amounts of luggage for seven or eight people if they are all travelling in the vehicle, but Tarago is hardly alone in this.
Comfort is generally good, though rough roads with a fair load on board may cause the ride to deteriorate. Handling is good – for a people mover, that is – and it’s safe in the way the vehicle understeers to push itself back into line if the driver makes a mistake.
Performance from the four-cylinder, 2.4-litre engine is adequate for most drivers, though the Tarago will struggle on hills if it’s carrying a big load. Toyota offers the option of a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic transmission on the four-cylinder versions, with the auto being by far the more popular. Manual gearboxes could be hard to get out of when it comes time to resell.
A V6 option for the Tarago finally arrived early in 2007 but it hasn’t proven to be all that popular. The V6 engine comes only with a sophisticated six-speed automatic.
Most Taragos have rear-wheel drive, but some early models offered the option of extra grip by way of four-wheel drive. These latter weren’t aimed at off-road users, but at providing greater safety on icy and/or unmade roads.
Toyota’s spare parts network is one of the largest in Australia and has operated efficiently for decades. Parts prices are about average for this type of vehicle. Some body parts on the 1990 to 2000 Tarago can be pretty expensive due to their size and complexity.
We haven’t heard any complaints about availability of parts on early models at this stage. Parts recyclers are, as usual, a handy source of bits for older cars.
Toyota Taragos have been a longtime favourite with commercial operators, as hotel shuttle buses and airport transfer vehicles. These may have done some hard work, though to compensate for this they are usually serviced religiously by the book. Ask to see the service records.
Insurance on the Tarago can be slightly more expensive than average but not outrageously so. Shop around for the best deal, but be sure to understand exactly what you are getting for your money.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Check the condition of the seats, carpet and trim carefully for signs of heavy-duty usage.
Make sure the engine starts easily. Ideally get to it when it’s stone cold in the morning, and look for a puff of smoke from the exhaust when it first kicks over.
Engine wear may also show up smoke from the exhaust pipe when the engine is accelerated hard after it’s been idling for a while.
The gearbox or automatic transmission should be precise and smooth in operation, with no crunching from a manual gearbox on fast downchanges.
We have come across more than one Tarago 4WD that has obviously spent time at the beach. Beware...
Look for rust in the lower areas of the body and in the floor of the cabin and luggage area, though it’s certainly not a common occurrence. Vehicles badly repaired after a crash may suffer from rust |
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