I've owned and driven both Starex and Spacegear. Earlier models pa.

When I bought a new van last year, Starex pa rin ang binili ko, even though its front is not that attractive, you know. It's just that CRDi wasn't available at that time, else I should have bought that variant.
It's not Korean vs. Japanese vehicles. Hyundai has really improved a lot and is getting worldwide attention. Just my personal experience and opinion.