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My wife and I recently went for a test drive in a 2005 2000cc Toyota Wish. This vehicle is very suitable for our requirements and is within our price range. It has low km and is in excellent condition. It was imported by Toyota NZ and comes with a 2-year Toyota SBT warranty. We are quite interested in this vehicle. However, we have since read all the correspondence recommending us to avoid this vehicle from the AA website. I have summarised this as follows:
-questionably reliability of CVT gearbox for this year of vehicle
-high service costs of CVT gearbox
-uneconomical costs of repairing a faulty CVT gearbox
-high service costs for Toyota D4 engine
I'd still like your comments on this vehicle but I would conclude from earlier letters if it were your money you'd be looking elsewhere.
Our advice would be to try to find a 1.8 litre with the conventional 4 speed automatic transmission. There are plenty of Toyota Wishes around with this engine/transmission combination, which has a better reputation for reliability.
Thanks for your reply. I do have concerns about the performance of a Corolla-sized engine in a mid-size car carrying a full load of passengers (and gear). My wife thinks the Ipsum/Premacy sized vehicles are too bulky to drive. The 2005 Honda Edix has a 2000cc version. Would you have any comments relating to this model?
This would be a good choice. We are not aware of any issues with the Edix and should suit your purpose well.
My wife and I took two Honda Edix’s for test drives during the weekend. The car is fairly wide and outward visibility is not great due to the thick pillars (front and rear). However, the car is well-appointed and the space and seating options are very suitable for our requirements. The Edix is a nice drive and feels nimble in the city and stable on the highway. We have now purchased a 2005 Edix 2000cc from a dealer who was very helpful and made the buying and trade-in process a pleasant experience. My wife and I have been AA members for over 30 years and we thank you for your advice in helping us select our upgraded car.