1994 Toyota Previa Review (continued)
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Driving Impressions

Sureness of ride is especially important when you're hauling either loved ones or heavy items-or both. So to create a buffer between you and the hard road, Toyota has bolstered the Previa with independent MacPherson struts up front and a four-link coil spring suspension in the rear. The front stabilizer bar came in handy when we went into a sharply curved exit ramp with a bit too much juice: The Previa leaned a little, but overall it performed admirably. The power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering was excellent; our Previa All-Trac LE really did handle more like a car than a van.

The engine performance, however, was somewhat problematic. The 2.4liter, four-cylinder engine seemed undersized for a 3,950-pound vehicle-especially if there are going to be seven people on board and the advertised 3,500-pound load in tow. The Previa gained speed reasonably well in a passing situation that required quick acceleration from 60 to 75 mph, although we felt some gas-pedal vibration typical of a four-cylinder, 16-valve engine. At 35 mph we pressed the pedal to the metal and downshifted into second; the engine made a big fuss and lots of noise when shifting back-another indicator of being under powered.