Are there any People movers with sliding doors that don't look like commercial vehicles and have decent comfort and style?
intrade,
Mar 1, 4:56am
how many? i seen a toyota porte i think its called with a door like this. i considred it as having a toolbox in there as potential solution for my mobile work.
kazbanz,
Mar 1, 4:58am
How do you define "commercial vehicles" ? How much room do you need? The range of people movers with sliding doors is HUGE. The trouble is that everybodies definition of decent style is different. BUT some suggestions. Mitsubishi Delica D4-looks more like a 4x4 but inside its like a people mover. Mazda Biante--Body looks way more stylish than others But when it comes to comfort and space always I'd recommend the Toyota Alphard /Vellfire. frankly they are unbeatable for comfort and space
saxman99,
Mar 1, 6:12am
Mercedes V Class.
annie17111,
Mar 1, 6:17am
Sliding doors can be a pain if you drive on gravel roads regularly as stones can get caught in the track
kazbanz,
Mar 1, 8:27am
"Strangely" having sold literally hundreds if not thousands of vehicles with sliding doors I have never encountered that issue.
s_nz,
Mar 1, 9:27am
yeah heaps.
My pick without knowing anything about your use case would be the Kia Carnival:
Styling is quite SUV like. Massive interior space, 4 captains chairs, comfort focused suspension, large diameter & reasonable aspect ratio tires (235/65R17 or 235/55/R19).
Let us know more about your requirements and people will give more targeted recommendations: Budget, Number of seats required (and mix of adults and kids), use case (urban / rural), rough annual mileage, how important is luggage space etc.
annie17111,
Mar 1, 9:31am
that's interesting as my husband who works on cars fixes them quite a bit but then we do live in a rural area with a few gravel roads.
familiadude1,
Mar 1, 9:35am
We recently purchased an estima. No complaints so far and can be had for relatively little outlay
imadeyouthink,
Mar 1, 4:35pm
If you have ever been to Vanuatu (Loose coral gravel roads mainly) Their "buses/taxis" are hail type vans. Usually Hyundai. Without exception everyone I got on was a horrible metal on metal grunching noise as you opened the sliding door. The worst ones would need the driver or someone else in the van to help you open it. Probably the finer stuff getting in there rather than bigger gravel. But still, it killed them.
meow_mix,
Mar 1, 6:59pm
I agree with Kaz, there are many medium sized MPVs, but I would go for a Toyota Vellfire, they are awesome vans with heaps of space, you get the unbelievable Toyota build quality, so classy with the tinted windows they look like a Lexus, you won't be disappointed.
kazbanz,
Mar 2, 2:01am
I'll rephrase- IN NEW ZEALAND I have never dealt wit that. In Vila one of the things I would do was get the bearings in bus doors going again. Spray the tracks out with WD40 then get chain lube into the bearing. Mostly it was salt seized bearings. The Taxi's were almost always in better nick. --Past/future tense
tamarillo,
Mar 2, 2:09am
Classy? It’s a horrible looking thing!
timbo69,
Mar 2, 3:36am
Thanks - they do look pretty sharp, Will go look at dealers today :-)
timbo69,
Mar 2, 3:38am
Thanks for your input. Im looking for 7 seats, happy if two are smaller/basic type. Looks are subjective and those Toyota Alphard /Vellfire arent really my style. !
timbo69,
Mar 2, 3:39am
Thanks, Im looking for something new or very near new - not imported.
annie17111,
Mar 2, 4:16am
Are you a panel beater? As I would imagine they are the people fixing issues with sliding doors.
s_nz,
Mar 2, 7:32am
Relatively slim pickings in sliding door vehicles available NZ new these days. For a car based design, the Kia Carnival & Honda Odyssey are all I can think of.
Good news is that the Carnival is well regarded, and has just released a new generation. You could look back a generation for a near new unit if you prefer the old styling etc.
More pickings in cargo van based platforms, but of course they all look commercial: iMax, Ford Tourneo, merc Vito, LDV G10, VW Caravelle.
A left field suggestion is the tesla model X. Its falcon wing doors offer many of the advantages of sliding door's. Very expensive though.
kazbanz,
Mar 2, 10:42am
I know--they aren't a lot of peoples style--they win because they are so darn good at their job.
kazbanz,
Mar 2, 10:46am
HU ? -the main issue has been seized runner wheels.The bearings all seized up and tracks with sand in them. All stuff a mechanic with any skills can deal with. They know me as Tony from Big Blue
tine0212,
Mar 3, 5:03pm
06+ estima with factory bodykit look nice. get the 3.5L 6spd auto over the 2.4 CVT.
s_nz,
Mar 3, 6:19pm
OP want's new or near new or near new, and not a used import.
Also they didn't balk at the price of a new Kia Carnival ($60k - $75k) which gives an idea of budget.
tine0212,
Sep 6, 12:45pm
id much rather a vellfire or alphard over anthing from kia. look at the youtube vids on kia warranty claims - a heap of models are catching on fire.
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