Toyota Carib

[NarendZORCE]

Taken from: http://www.car.co.nz/family.asp?articleid=4883



The Toyota Carib 20V 4WD is a sporty Corolla wagon with a few extras that you won't find in a Corolla. It has the excellent 20 valve engine that produces a nice wide band of power, a 4WD transmission and a decent cargo area thanks to the station wagon rear.

Do you enjoy skiing but not having a car or SUV that sucks down premium like a 12 year old sucks down Coke? Do you want the versatile nature of a wagon but don't want the look of a bulky Falcon or Commodore or the tired blandness of a Camry? Maybe you just don't want to become one of the "Me Too" SUV club.

Initial impressions of the Carib vary. The styling is definitely not for all. Chrome highlights here and there and the unusual rear light arrangement make for polarised opinions. I can't help but think that it would look much better in something other than white although the more time I had with it the more it appealed as "something different".



Hopping inside you could be getting into any 90's Japanese car although this particular example does feature a few treats that others won't have. The small flashing red light to warn you to put your seat belt on is far better than an annoying chime. The stereo has a large LCD display and is mounted high on the dash for easy viewing from the front and from the rear. I say the rear because it comes with a remote control as standard. Unfortunately it might take a bit of getting used to with so many buttons and I couldn't find a full english setting in the short time I had the car, plus it didn't have a band expander to suit our radio coverage. It has a television function which would prove to be handy for some. A multidisc CD changer is mounted in the boot which may not suit those who intend on cramming the back end with a muddy mountain bike.

The driving position is higher than your average car giving an excellent view all around. Leg room was adequate for my lanky frame, so nobody should really have a problem getting comfortable. The seats didn't have a height adjustment which would have been nice but in all other respects they were easy to adjust and didn't prove uncomfortable at length. The fabric was nondescript, as most imports are, but it wasn't too dull with a good mix of shades if not colour.



In the rear the leg room is just right for the average person and the seats feature twin head rests and a 60/40 split fold for when you need that extra space in the back.

And there is a good amount of rear cargo space too. With both seats down I could fit a mountain bike and still have space for all my gear. Net hooks allow the webbing to be positioned how best suits whatever you carry and the surface is well carpeted to prevent objects slipping around. Underneath is a spare which has a large solid plastic liner above it that could be used to carry any odds and ends without fear of them disappearing into the car body to rattle around for years on end.

On the road the car proved quite capable and displayed better performance than expected. With a 4WD drivetrain you can assume that it will bog the car down somewhat and this combined with the peaky 20 valver I expected it to be lacking lower down in the rev range. This wasn't true. It pulled as well as any front wheel drive and had the added bonus of better grip on loose surfaces. While this example was not fitted with alloys or performance tyres I imagine they would give it superb road holding as the standard tyres would let go into understeer a tad earlier than expected. The steering would benefit from a higher gearing ratio as it seems to require just too much wheel lock for tighter corners. The 6 speed gearbox was an interesting choice for this car. I'm not convinced that the car was much better off with the extra ratio as it just meant more shifting with the closer gears. Some drivers will appreciate it for the extra degree of sporty appeal. An SRS airbag and ABS braking was reassuring.

So could you live with a Carib? If you don't have anything against the looks and need something more economical than your average station wagon, but with the same power, the Carib could be your thing. Space for 4 or 5 five in comfort and easily as capable of handling the open road, inner-city and adverse road conditions. Some Kiwis would say this car fits their needs perfectly.

[Sully]

If only they could do something about the look of it. The BZ-Touring wagon is a much better looking car.

[Master Rolla]

WoooHoooo I drove a BZ Touring Carib today, real niceness five lovely gears and the 4AGE roar, real sweet, makes me wonder as I have a hankering for the previous model AE101 BZ which still has more available and affordable parts than this model also more attractive too but nonetheless a nice car