Told you they wer good !!! Dont take my word though

Very different - but a car that MK and I found even more fascinating - was the mid-Nineties JDM Toyota Hiace. Yes, really. Equipped with a punchy 3-litre turbo diesel, the Hiace was the top-of-the-line model normally found only in Japan. A lesson in developing a sophisticated and extraordinary luxurious people-mover, the Super Custom Limited had every feature known to humankind - and then some.

But it was no object of derision - there are plenty of reasons why you might need to have a built-in kettle and fridge.

Seriously.

After all, this is a vehicle that would quite happily do an interstate trip, and the passengers would be so relaxed and comfortable that you'd have to prise them out at every stop. If they could serve themselves hot coffee along the way, well, so much the better

The car uses three rows of seats, with the two rear rows able to be moved fore-aft on tracks. Set at their rearmost positions, the legroom is simply enormous - more than you'd find in any conventional car, bar a stretch limo. Rear passengers have their own sunroofs (yes, this car has four separate sunroofs), air-conditioning and heating controls, and huge picture windows. Access through the sliding side door is easy - even for an adult - and the seats are supremely comfortable, helped no doubt by their individual fold-down armrests. Even with the seats positioned towards the back of the car, there is luggage room for a few suitcases standing on their ends; while with the rear seat shuffled forward a little, six suitcases would fit without problems.

From the built-in intercom allowing the driver to address the passengers to the electric curtain controls, this was a car that could easily be dismissed as a gimmicky design indicative of Japanese domestic madness... until you drove and rode in it. Then, you could only admire the long-legged, relaxed gait engendered by the combination of the turbo diesel and soft suspension, and the absolute comfort and relaxation of the passengers.

I'm sure that MK and I would have much preferred to have had the Hiace for the week rather than the Ford Focus ST170 which was our 'official' car of the trip. In fact, when I think about that centre seat in the Hiace - which could be spun around to face the rear, so forming a comfortable working space - the Hiace would be almost perfect for a pair of working journalists collecting stories around a big city.