The Tacuma is a five-seat compact MPV that feels more like an estate car than an ordinary people carrier. The Tacuma has many nice features but will find it hard to compete with the competition due partly to its Plain Jane appearance and its lack of power or enthusiasm. It was formerly owned by Daewoo but now sports the Chevy brand.
The Tacuma is not a bad vehicle; it performs very well, but is highly conservative. The Tacuma lacks any frills or excitement; it does what it is supposed top do and nothing more. This alone will limit its selling potential.
The Tacuma offers buyers a comfortable ride, good cabin space, and a sound vehicle at an affordable price. The competition offers powerful engines, luxurious cabins, lots of frills, and the latest in technology to lure potential buyers in their direction. The price tag of the Tacuma accurately measures what the buyer is getting.
The Tacuma has plenty of cabin space and provides many useful storage bins in the cabin area. It delivers a reasonably comfortable ride but is not a powerful or fast car, but is reasonably priced for what it does.
Practicality
The Tacuma comes with Chevrolet’s complete car care package that provides three years of free servicing as a standard. The car itself is reasonably priced but a cost reduction should be sought in order to compensate for the low resale value of the vehicle. The Tacuma reports average fuel costs but could actually be a little less.
Cabin space is adequate, and there are many useful storage compartments provided for oddments such as a sunglasses holder and multiple cup holders. There is also a picnic table located on the back of the centre rear seat, and pop-up picnic tables on the back of the front seats as well. The centre console also provides a 12Volt socket, and all three rear seats can be removed from the vehicle completely to create additional cargo space.
The controls and dials are adequate and functional. They aren’t unique or even stylish, but they serve their purpose and are useful. They give the cabin an outdated look and feel, all except for the stereo functions that are duplicated on the steering wheel for driver convenience. Needless to say, there is a lot of room for improvement in the car’s cabin.
The Tacuma comes with three individual seats for rear passengers. Each seat can be folded up, moved around, or taken out as needed for space. The car’s cabin has more than enough space for passengers to be comfortable, and rear passengers make out really well.
The doors are large enough to provide fairly easy access, the rear doors open wide enough that most passengers shouldn’t have any problems either. The tailgate provides easy access to the boot as well.
Visibility in the Tacuma is excellent due to the high driver’s position making parking a pretty simple task. The car’s steering which can be too light at high or moderate speeds is actually very good at low speeds making parking the Tacuma easy.
Life Style
The Tacuma has good driver appeal, it’s spacious and practical. The ride is geared more towards comfort and the Tacuma delivers a fairly smooth ride for its size. The car is not powerful or fast, so it is a pretty uneventful driving experience.
The Tacuma could easily be used as a family vehicle. It is spacious and offers three seats in the rear. It comes with the picnic trays that can definitely come in handy in a family type scenario. The boot provides adequate storage space for luggage and other family related items. Fuel economy is not great, and the engines may have a difficult time transporting too much weight.
The Tacuma is not an ideal first car. Most new drivers do not need a car full of seats, and would probably prefer a different vehicle. The Tacuma is not difficult to drive however, and could be used as a first car.
The Chevrolet Tacuma offers very little in the form of style or class. It is basically just there, barely noticeable to others on the road. It is of adequate build quality, and is a reliable car, but the only thing it has going for it in the image category is the Chevy logo.
Security and Safety
This vehicle comes equipped with central door locking and an immobilizer. The car has some special security features designed into the interior cabin, such as; storage trays located discreetly under the front seats, and storage compartments built in to the rear floor. The inexpensive nature of the car makes it an unlikely victim of car theft.
Each Tacoma is outfitted with standard passenger and driver airbags and side airbags, and seat-belts all come with a three-point system. The Tacuma also comes with ABS and electronic brake force distribution.
The Finishing Touches
A standard Blaupunkt single CD/RDS stereo comes with the car. The system includes six speakers and produces a good sound quality. Controls are sometimes difficult to use.
There are several exterior color options available for the Tacuma, but blue or silver seem to work best and won’t damage the car’s resale value. The interior only comes in grey and makes the cabin seem extremely grey.
Summary
The Tacuma offers an adequate ride and reasonable comfort, for most buyers that is not going to be enough of a reason to actually purchase the vehicle. Dealers may be willing to negotiate price in order to clear them out of the inventory, but buying one second hand should be a steal at any rate.