NV200 vs Townace: An economical light commercial van is an essential tool for a business, especially SME’s. The perfect blend for such a van is fuel economy, affordability to buy and maintain, and last but not least, sufficient Cargo space.
The two ideal mini-vans for that job are the Toyota Townace and the Nissan NV200.
On this article I will try to explain why the Nissan NV200 might be the better choice for your business in the NV200 vs Townace battle.
The previous model of the Townace that was produced up to 2007 was an excellent van. It had lots of space, it was very reliable and very easy to maintain.
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Even today, prices of the old Townace van keep going up. At the moment, a clean Townace, (The older model) can go for as much as Ksh.900,000. This is almost the same price as the 2014 Toyota Townace designated by the model code S400.(The newer uglier model).
So why isn’t the newer Townace not popular?
It is ugly
The newer model of the Townace from year 2008 is outright ugly. It looks crumpled and with a face that only a mother would love.
It has a problematic gearbox
The S400 Townace has given many owners a headache with its gearbox. It starts by a knocking sound on engaging “Drive” and this can be mistaken for a worn out engine or gearbox mounting but unfortunately that’s not it. That’s how its gearbox starts to die.
The other problem is that its transmission control module or gearbox computer dies without notice. It is very expensive as well and is not easily available.
It is prone to overheating especially in the long run
Chances are, if you have owned an S400 Townace for a while, you may have encountered an instance of the engine overheating. The vehicle runs on a 1500cc 3SZ-VE engine. Once the engine overheats, you the only option is buying an entire engine since you cannot overhaul it and no spare parts dealer will be willing to sell a slimmed engine.
Why the Nissan NV200 might be the lesser evil.
The NV200 is good looking. You can use it both as a family van and a cargo van, without having to embarrass your family.
Well, it also comes with a 1500cc engine. A 1600cc and 2000cc engine options are also available.
The NV200 is cheaper compared to the Townace with its prices starting at Ksh.950,000. You can also get one with a 5 speed manual transmission.
Nissans have a problem with their CVT transmission as we have discussed in the past, and if you get the Townace with the CVT you might have to cope with that problem in the long run but that can be solved by installation of an aftermarket transmission oil cooler.
If you want to get the best out of the Nissan NV200, buy one with a manual transmission. It will serve you faithfully.
The other problem you will have to deal with when it comes to the NV200 as with all other Nissans is the suspension. You will be changing bushes quite frequently, but to reduce the intervals always get genuine bushes and other components.
When you compare the two, the NV200 is ultimately the lesser evil.
And once more, if you want the NV200 to serve you very well, get the manual transmission option; they are available and they are very good.