Buy/Drive/Burn: Alternative Japanese Minivans From 1997

In the first van edition of Buy/Drive/Burn, we inquired which luxurious minivan from 1994 you’d relegate to each category. Using typical One Simple Trick methodology, I lured everyone in with a picture of the Previa (above). Then, when the Previa was not a choice in the transportation trio, you all doused me in Haterade.

Well, here you go. Import vans — including the Toyota Previa. Douse me in clicks!

All of our 1997 contestants today are considered alternative minivans. In ’90s guise, no member of this group ever made a huge dent in the oligarchy controlled by Ford, Chrysler, and GM. In 1997, each of these vehicles were near the end of their respective iterations, and each was about to achieve more success by losing some quirkiness and picking up more conventional qualities. Get ’em while you can. Note: All of these are two-wheel drive and automatic.

Mazda MPV

The first generation MPV had a very long lifespan, offered in North America between 1989 and 1999. Based on a Japanese luxury model called the Luce (you’d know it as a 929), the MPV featured rear-drive (real 4WD optional) and a smooth V6 engine in upper trims. The MPV had an optional bench seat for middle row passengers, meaning full eight-person seating was possible, rather than seven in other vans. Biggest disadvantage: No sliding doors. Originally a three-door, another door was added to the driver’s side in 1996. Entry and egress was still less than ideal for rear seat passengers.

Honda Odyssey

The Odyssey was (and is) Honda’s only foray into the minivan market in North America. Debuting in 1995, the Odyssey utilized the Accord’s platform and inline-four engines. Seating configuration was for either six or seven persons (2-3-2 or 2-2-2). ABS and dual airbags were standard, as was dual-zone climate control. Honda spent extra time engineering a third row seat which folded flat into the floor. Isuzu also had a turn selling the Odyssey, as the oft-forgotten Oasis. Biggest disadvantage: Seating for seven was only available in the lower trim LX. The EX came with the power equipment families wanted, but only six seats.

Toyota Previa

Noticing the scale of the minivan market in the United States, Toyota wanted a piece. The company brought its new JDM Previa minivan to market for model year 1991, taking the place of the boxy and rather dynamically challenged Van. The Previa stuck to the same formula as the Van, though: rear-drive (AWD optional) and engine in the middle, underneath the front seats. Starting in 1995, all models featured a supercharged 2.4-liter inline-four. 1997 was the last year for the Previa in the US market.

Toyota had been readying the Camry-platform Sienna to take over, which would prove much more suited to American tastes. Biggest disadvantage: The mid-engine layout did not allow room for a V6, and even supercharged engines only provided 158 horsepower for the heavy, expensive Previa.

So there you have it. Three Japanese vans, each with a flavor that wasn’t quite what the American market wanted. Which one depletes your bank account, and which one becomes a hot mess?

[Images: Toyota, IIHS, Honda]