Market Watch: Buy These Tried And Tested Used Family MPVs

Gathering supporting documents for aging, petrol-powered MPVs sounds like an attempt to start a fire with popsicles. Not only are their inefficiencies amplified on full load, the fact that family-leaning EVs can perform way better without much compromise makes for a case not worth fighting.

But is it a lost cause? Absolutely not.

You might have memories of family trips to Genting Highlands in a 1994 Honda Odyssey, fighting over the Game Boy with your sibling in the third row, legs tangled, feet pressure firmly applied on side windshield. Or even wondered how it was like living in “that” iconic egg-shaped early 90s Toyota Previa in 2020.

Nostalgia is a strong tool. And while said MPVs aren’t the most efficient tools for the trade in the modern world, their subdued aura and strong provenance could persuade families to pull the trigger.

2017 Mazda Biante

A naturally aspirated motor in charge of lugging seven passengers and a driver isn’t the last word in efficiency, but the Mazda Biante chooses to focus on its strengths elsewhere. For starters, side windows are massive all around - a feature toddlers will take advantage of at the expense of leaving abstract works of art.

Third row seats flip up “cinema” style like a Honda Jazz. Its ability to slide both second and third row seats by huge margins also makes us wonder if captain seats are absolutely essential.

2016 Honda Stepwgn Spada

Honda’s decision to expand its engine lineup to include force-fed options might rile purists, but it’s tough to argue against a 1.5-litre turbo application on a Stepwgn. 140hp and 200Nm aren’t exactly numbers worth celebrating, but a CVT gearbox, rear torsion bar and OEM 205 section, 16-inch rims point towards this being engineered solely to be a reliable family runabout.

COE for this 2-owner example expires in a couple of months - you might want to give it a new lease of life just for its two-way tailgate! Vowels might be missing from this “wagon”, but that’s not going to hamper its appeal. Even if it's sold at time of writing, do look out for these short term, more bang for buck deals.

2017 Toyota Noah 2.0X

On one end of the people-mover spectrum we have the trendy ID. Buzz in customisable flavours. These potential customers might be cross-shopping for the latest gizmos that the Chinese would willingly deliver in spades. “Halfway house” versions include the latest-gen Toyota Noah with self-charging hybrid tech, now officially available via Borneo Motors Singapore.

Before feature-packed variants prospered, there was a market for spec-lite choices. In steps this 2017 Toyota Noah, free from hybrid assistance. No keyless entry, DRLs, electric seats and cruise control? No problem.

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