Saturday, July 07, 2012 - 09:20 am, by: Mike Triggs(Mikeandimah)
Tharaka, I understood the reason you needed a non-turbo or V8, and for selecting the Jzz-31. It's a great choice. You get most of the "fruit" associated with the (in Japan) more expensive models, with lower insurance costs and perfectly adequate performance (and depending on how you drive, economy).
The reason 3.0s are relatively rare is that they weren't introduced until, from memory, late '93 with the "second model", so the oldest you can find in general are '94 models. There are heaps of '91-93 TTs and V8s getting about because they were the biggest production years (again, from memory) and the years imported into this country in the highest numbers.
The JZZ-31 has none of the mechanical problems associated with the other models (turbos and leaking power steering pumps) and nor do they (in my limited experience, 8 years with two cars) get blinky dash. They do suffer from the a/c display bleed issue (because they share exactly the same part in non-EMV cars). Even our '97 has it.
Anyway, Tharaka, the JZZ-31s are out there, and worth looking at. Few non-enthusiasts looking at your car would even know it wasn't a turbo or V8. I get tourists at my station and some "enthusiasts" have asked me whether my car is turbo or V8, and they're surprised to learn that the Soarer was even available in the 3.0l non-turbo motor. Our car is a G-Pack model and has more "fruit" than most turbos get.
As a matter of interest, where do you come from? I'll have a wild guess and say Nepal
