10,000 report Toyota Hiace + suggestions to improve ride please?

[lamborghinifan]

Well for the last 5 years I've had a number of work vans, all VW's all Turbo Diesel. 2001-2009 models, FWD, + AWD. great to drive, never really thought too much about them. lots of little and big things have gone wrong with them and they are expensive to service and repair. about 45-50k to buy new.

bosses got sick of the expense and I was given a new '10 Toyota Hiace, 3.0 Turbo Diesel, LWB. About 35k to buy, $150 fixed 5 year servicing.

i never appreciated the VW's until now.
After 10,000k's:-

RWD is good, turning circle is fantastic, AC good, seats relatively comfortable. driving position overall ok. no bonnet to speak of is unnerving though. electric windows good. the cargo area is very functional

lack of cruise/c annoying, middle seat only useful for midgets or people up to about 165cm and quite skinny- it would also best be described as a "bench." bluetooth audio is so bad it is unusable- even after software upgrades.

3.0 TD is very torquey but is 9 years behind the equivalent VW. very slow, and i'm barely convinced it is a turbo. it is very hard to feel it kick in. overtaking is now a luxury i can rarely acheive. nothing above 105 ish. needs a 6th gear- maybe.

and for the really bad bits. the ride is simply awful. it lurches about, it finds ruts corrugations, bumps that in any other vehicle i'd be pressed to notice. any puff of wind on top of this and it becomes simply dangerous. at any given time unexpectedly it can lurch a foot either side. on one country trip i had the wheel at a 10-15 degree angle into the wind and at any wind break, such as a tree it would dive in the direction of the wheel. this coupled with having no bonnet scares me.

i've hauled many different loads all across the country, overloaded utes, caravans, old cars, new cars. i'd rather tow the caravan.

it has about 500kg permanantly, mostly sitting low. removing the ladders makes only a little difference.

has anyone else had this experience? the slowness i can live with, but the lurching/wind etc. any suspension upgrades help? airbags? even different profile or width tyres/rims. (old territory rims mmmm).

any suggestions would be great. but the purpose is not to toyota bash, please.
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thanks ed.