Vehicle: 2010 Toyota Wish 2.0 Luxury
Price as tested: CDN$32000 (Estimated)

Performance: When you consider the fact that Wish’s major powerhouse remains decade old engineering, you aren’t going to get excited about. What this 4-cylinder 16-valve 2.0 liter DOHC with Toyota’s variable valve timing or VVT-i does is to provide transportation needs without any fuss. If that’s what you are looking for, Wish is certainly up to the task of 99% of the driving audience needs. This 3ZE-FR has 140hp and 153 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal, which is enough to move 7 persons around. Its also up to the refinement and smoothness one expects from Toyota powerplant. The low-end is more than giving itself a decent launch while VVT-i steps in to help boost mid-range. Sadly, Toyota’s stubborn to use an ancient 4-speed automatic has given Wish a rather high rpm when driven on the highway. 100 km/h at 3000rpm has geared rather high for highway cruising. Toyota should have given Wish a proper 5-speed automatic instead. Even if it got paddle shifters as standard, it really doesn’t give the engine a nice boost due to the lack of a 5th and 6th gear. Due to the lack of a manumatic gate on the 4-speed automatic, one can manually up and downshift using the paddles at anytime.

Handling: Given the Wish’s status-of-life as a people mover, its driving experience is competent if not exciting. As with most Toyota, Wish’s chassis feels detached even though its solid and rattle-free. Latter is a good thing as it gives suspension a proper place to hang its heads. On the other hand, the suspension feels firmer than the Picnic it replaces. That’s despite that fact that it still lacks Mazda5 and Stream’s sportiness,. The dynamics is competent and sure-footness but certainly far from being sporty. As with most Toyota suspension, Wish is able to absorb bumps and roughness with ease. But certainly won’t have a sense of European suppleness as its Mazda5 rival. The electric power steering feels rather numb and dead, however, response is decent. There are pronounced body rolls while terminal understeer occurs as it starts to enter corners. Another oversight is the lack of any stability control available in the Wish. Shame on you, Toyota!

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, Wish’s brake feels are up to Toyota’s standard on providing good feedback. The pedal feels alive whenever driver needs to hit the nail. ABS doesn’t step in unnecessarily is another good step for Wish.

Interior: Wish’s cargo space starts with a low liftover with a tailgate that is completely up on the top, without anyone hitting the head. As with most of these compact minivan, the rear cargo space is minimal with the 3rd row up. With the 3rd row folds flat, there are more than enough space for five persons on a weekend gateway.

The 2nd and 3rd row have decent enough space when it comes to leg and headroom.

In the front, Toyota’s corner cutting is obvious. There are plenty of cheap plastic materials on the dashboard and door panels. The instrumentation gauges and auto climate control are well-lited for proper control. Both the climate control and stereo are placed beside the shifter for nice ergonomics.

Conclusion: After driven the Wish, one has to wonder why Toyota refused to bring a compact minivan to compete with the Mazda5 and Kia Rondo Stateside. It just doesn’t cut it whenever it competes with two of the best cars in the segment. Perhaps Toyota should continue to sell it as a domestic model instead.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Toyota Wish
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Performance: 2.25/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 3/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 2/5

Overall rating: 2.5/5