The family-friendly Toyota Wish 2003

The Toyota Wish is a compact people mover and minivan (MPV) that has been produced at Toyota plants in Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan since 2003. It has two generations: AE10 which runs from 2003 to 2009 and AE20 which was built from 2009 to the present. It offers two petrol engines; the 1.8 litre and 2.0 litre.

Design, comfort and practicability
The Wish’s strength is probably in the design and comfort attributes which dampen the fact that it is just a people and cargo mover. To some users, it is like a ‘wish come true’. The Toyota Wish is not too big and neither is it small (Length x Width x Height mm: 4,560 x 1,695 x 1,590).

It is comfortably positioned between the Toyota Ipsum and Spacio or its competitors Mazda Premacy and Honda Stream due to its modern aerodynamic profile with outstanding front to rear gentle cascading curves. The body design blends well with the large LED tail lights and crystal clear tear drop head lamps.

The lower roof profile is stylishly and cleverly designed with large windows and windshield to allow ample visibility. The interior design and layout though ‘plasticky’ is cleverly molded and blended with modern materials. Soft polyurethane steering, door handles and smooth curved knobs sit well with the soft fabric upholstery on the seats and doors.

The dashboard and centre console are well laid out for easy access and visibility of infotainment and controls. Seating is comfortable and supportive for the five or seven seater layout, which can also accommodate ample legroom. The middle and rear seats can be adjusted flat to accommodate cargo for shopping, school runs and airport drop-offs.

Performance, handling and maintenance
The Wish’s petrol engines are efficient, reasonably powerful and easy to maintain. The 1.8 litre 1ZZ-FE uses a multi-point fuel injection and VVTi system to deliver an output of 120 horse power (89kw) at 5,600 engine revolutions per minute (rpm) with a highway fuel economy of 15-16km/Litre. The 2.0 litre 1AZ-FE (which powers the Camry and RAV4) delivers more thrilling power of 145 horse power (108kw) at 6,000 rpm and slightly less fuel economy between 13-14km/litre.

The fuel statistics provided can be reduced or improved by the availability of CVT (continuous velocity transmission), 2WD or 4WD options, car loads, the car maintenance standard and driving style (gentle or aggressive acceleration). Handling on road is comfortable for reasonable speeds between 80-100kph. Therefore, the Wish’s profile is not suited for high speed manoeuvres and performance driving because of sway due to the narrow wheel base and high clearance.

Spare parts
Maintenance of the aluminium engine and electronic fuel injection components require use of detergent lubricants and fuels with genuine parts. Availability of fast moving spare parts is easy, body parts are difficult but the breaker yard used parts market fills the gap.
You can buy the Wish at car bonds at Shs23m.

Improvements
In April 2012, minor changes were made to improve the interior and exterior. The designs of the front grille and lights were changed, and by enlarging the lower grille’s opening, a wider and stronger design was achieved.
In terms of the interior, the materials used were re-evaluated, leading to further improvements in quality and texture.