This is my wife's car, it was good to meet you James and chat about all things automotive. Glad it's getting lots of love in the comments and from James.
@@JayDH84 hi, if you need to carry a mobility scooter, have you considered getting a hoist installed? Makes it so much easier! PB conversions put them in, I know many people who have one and swear by it.
@@MangoFourThirds we did consider this but for the scooter we have we still need a big boot so still need a big car. We could have bought a more compact scooter and hoist but it's useful for us to have a big car to carry other large items.
I am 19, reliability and practicality seems very nice to me, also wish that these kinds of japanese imports were more popular elsewhere than just the UK. I'd much rather have this Estima Hybrid than some Skyline or MX-5.
@@janpaulus3977 These were available as the Previa in the US during the 1990s. They never seemed to be very popular when compared against the Chrysler minivans which is why Toyota dropped them in the US.
I absolutely adore the Estima, out of all cars my dad had. GC8 WRX, Datsun 510, 540i, Corrado VR6, Pajero. The estima gave me many memories. The van was full of family. Last moments with people who aren't here anymore. The swiveling seats and the sunroofs. The TV's and curtains. These MPVs are underrated as hell and I love them to bits.
I live in east London, and these things are really common, to the point that I was surprised that they weren’t even sold here. It’s best to say the south Asian uncles do love their Toyotas and especially the estima
As a teenager I’ve come to the conclusion that the Previa/Estima is probably the best car a teenager can have. It has the street presence of an SUV (if that’s what you’re after), coupled with actual versatility, which is useful if you have many friends who need a lift home from the pub in the small hours of the morning. My family’s Previa has also taken trips to neighboring countries with said friends and still had the room to bring back ~1300 € worth of drink along with us. In addition I can do moving gigs by removing all of its seats. To top it off since the 2nd gen Previa (or for that matter big MPVs in general) isn’t the most common car where I live in Finland you get the feeling of driving something somewhat different from everyone else.
Totally. When I was younger (I'm middle aged now!) at university in the UK, it wasn't the people with flashy cars who made friends easily; it was the guys and girls with estates and MPVs.
I have a 2007 3.5 V6 - it' one of the fastest cars I've owned- and it's a van!, thank god it's limited to 180kph, I want a later model one- but it must be the 3.5 V6.
As a kid, after the Renault safranne my dad got a Toyota previa with the captain seats They were slightly wider than the imports , was a great car, but the fuel economy from the 2.4 was a killer Great for comfort and carrying anything a van can
first generation was sold in the United States. Was replaced by more conventional, and larger van. However it was quite popular with some people because you could get it with supercharger and four-wheel-drive. Very popular for snow and people who lived up in high altitude areas.
Mpv's should return and we should ditch the suv, an mpv can be confortable, can be sporty (insert your ford s-max) and its way more practical then an suv, its just a taller wagon, and so, its absulutly perfect
True that, I got my mum a 2006 2.0 Petrol Mazda5, it is probably the smallest 7 seater you can find but it handles absolutely great and the 150hp engine makes it quite quick considering how light it is, it's basically a Mazda3 Estate but with sliding doors.
I've got one, a 2003 3.0v6 4wd. It's fully loaded with gorgeous heated leather seats, captain seats in rear with foot-rests that fold into many configurations plus TV'S and more speakers than I've ever seen in a car! I absolutely love it as does everyone that has sat in it!👌
I totally agree with the right hand side position for the indicator stalk, it feels more natural for a right hand drive car, where you change gear with the left hand.
@@electricalinput5999 right hand drive cars have the indicator stalk on the left which is counter intuitive. Japanese rhd cars are on the right, which feels more natural.
I had one of these turn up as my taxi on a night out here in Ipswich once. I was very excited, sadly none of my friends, who though I was just weird were into cars like me.
Hey my dad had one of these a few years ago, apart from leather and sunroof, it was fully loaded 2011 model with the light colour interior and 2nd row captain recliners, tv front and rear, tri zone digital climate, three view cameras etc. It was literally a super MPV. Loved it
For disabled needs, I would recommend the Toyota Alphard Wellcab. 2006, 3,0 Ours has a slope rear end with a 2 metre automatic ramp. automatic wheelchair tie downs and a swivel and drop passenger seat. All this installed by Toyota at the factory. The main problems with JDM is finding a local garage that can read the ECU. I ended up using my phone and the Torque app, with the settings for a JDM Camry.
Another great review. I had a 1992 Estima in the mid 2000s. A great practical car when you have 3 teenagers to ferry around. Mine had the captains chairs in the second row which were very comfortable. Totally agree with your comment about shady dealers on industrial estates. Happiest memory with mine was a road trip with my father son and youngest daughter from Morecambe to Prague. The last quality time I had with my Dad who was far more poorly than he admitted to. A little while later it was scrapped but the captains chairs were used by a friend in his transit camper conversion.
We had the old type Estima. This was a very comfortable and practical car. They drive like a car and don't roll in the corners like other minivans. With the 4 wheel drive it was very sure footed in snow.
Great car, super practical, great shape and has dignity. So much storage too. Why aren't all cars like that-who wants an SUV,("You cant beat stupid! ) no practicality and no views out. Any Toyota will be a good buy, but the fuel economy is rubbish though. Great to see these fun real cars, good that there is no leather, simple, and hard wearing everything. We don't need fast cars any more in the UK, we can't drive anywhere fast anyway, not for more than a few minutes at a time, and we are all restricted to 60 mph. Good video.
Can personally recommend the Mitsubishi Grandis, one of the better looking MPV and dirt cheap now at around 1k in either 2.4 Mivec petrol or 2.0 VW diesel form. Also always fancied an import Mitsubishi Delica D5 and would love to see a review of one on the channel. Great fo see MPVs getting some love.
As an Australian viewer I never ever thought that I would ever see a Toyota Tarago on this channel let alone on any car channel. For context the Tarago is a slightly different variant of the estima that was only sold in Australia. The name Tarago comes from a town in New South Wales which is called Tarago Thank you James for being willing to explore anything and everything that the world of cars has to offer
You need to try the 3.5 V6, I've got one if you want to come to Edinburgh to try it and I've also got some other interesting cars that you could feature including an E39 M5, E90 M3 ( 4 dr), Ep3 Civic Type R, Mercedes 190e 2.5-16 Cosworth.
I had one almost new direct import from Japan. A 2019 model that was brought into Malaysia in 2021. I’m not sure about the chassis but love the smooth buttery 2.4 and its CVT wasn’t too bad either. Practicality and boot space was outstanding especially with the underfloor space. Swallowed our bicycles with ease. I was sad to part with it eventually.
We’ve still got our 2006 Toyota Tarago here in Australia - planning on keeping it as long as possible. It seats 8, can double as a van if you fold all the seats, and you can easily sleep in it if need be. It’s fairly simple, old-school Toyota engineering that feels like it will outlast me.
The Toyota Previa was released in the late 90s in the Philippines and it sold well until its last released on 2009, the hybrid variant were never released during those times.
I’m just fascinated by how many different MPVs there are from Toyota. At my last count there were ten separate van models post-2010 with at least one example for sale on AutoTrader
I looked at these, Alphard and Elgrand back in 2019 and discounted them all (mainly on fuel economy) , favouring the 2005 Honda Stepwgn I still am proud to own to this day. The RF iteration Stepwgn spanning 2001-2005 housing a K20a 2.0 na VTEC engine is a cracking vehicle and maybe a contender for your next JDM minivan review? It's been 5 years of trouble free motoring with only a pair of anti roll bar drop links and set of tyres being needed. It's passed each MOT with flying colours, twin sunroofs, electric remote sliding door and that bulletproof heart.
I have owned two of these in the past. One for necessity (family) and one for road trips with the boys. The 2nd one was a 1998 model, which I owned for 10 years from 2011 to 2021. It was super reliable and we went all over Europe including the Grimsel Pass from Switzerland to Italy. It never missed a beat. The only problem in 10 years was the tired AC, which was overcome by the two sunroofs. Super comfortable to drive all day /night without getting tired. I bought it for £2000 and sold it for the same price 10 years later. A feat never repeated with any of the other 59 cars I have owned to date. Super fond memories. Looking perhaps at a newer Toyota Alphard - Business Edition with the proper rear captain chairs.
My auntie lives in Birmingham. When ever I go I see this car and other 7 seater Toyota vans like Toyota Noah Voxy and esquire and the Estima cars as taxi. Everywhere It’s good to see more jdm cars. Used for taxis. Up north every texi driver has demand in Birmingham and other cities in Uk because of number of passenger that these cars can fit.👍
Back in the 90's I purchased one of the first Japanese Toyota Estima (1992 built ) imports for £5000. It was 2.3? diesel/auto and kept it for 12+ trouble and rust free years. The earlier Estima was a narrower roof line than the UK Previa, something to do with Japan's vehicle taxation. The auto gearbox seemed a bit low geared and changed up quite early which was explained by what area of mountainous Japan it was built for. I could carriy 7 seven adults, off road motorbikes, growing children, camping year and towed with it...( "Not all at the same time"!! )...and it did low 20's mpg (gearbox?). It was a truly do all comfortable reliable vehicle. My wife loved it because the driving visability was brilliant as you are sitting so much higher than some vehicles. TRY ONE..and BUY ONE!
I've always like family cars like this, but that's maybe because that's what my dad always have since I was a kid. One more thing that I love about Estimas is the aircon vents for the passengers in the back. In short, everyone in the car got their own personal aircon. I always think about that because I always move around with the family in a Toyota Wish (it can be considered as a "sportier" version of the Estima, and this one got the captain seats that you liked) and the Wish only got less than five AC vents in the car, all at the front.
Oooh i have this facelift version, but with 2.4L non-hybrid. Malaysia btw. Its not the spriteliest for sure, but given enough highway, it will hit 180kmh without u realizing. That CVT is good on highway, just keep track of the balanceshaft which u MUST change, latest, every 120k km, or risk wrecking other part of the engine. Ours is already 10 years old (recond unit) and done 180,000km. N ours is the lowliest trim of the 2.4L, which is a GOOD thing, alot of mechanical bits for the interior instead of electronics. N we use it both as a people carrier and cargo carrier. N owh yes, its definitely hauled some questionable things😅
We never got this in a Hybrid in Australia. We also missed out on the final facelift with the two tone colour scheme. But there are plenty of Hybrid Estimas imported.
I've only ever had one Estima, a V6 which had already been spec-ed up when I bought it. Somehow, I just never got to like it, I went back to a Lexus RX300. The later version you tested appears to be much better. Good test, much enjoyed
Grew up in a first gen Previa, then I brought my own when I was 25, bloody great cars although extremely thirsty, only 250 miles from a tank of £100 petrol! Very common for head gasket failure due to their mid engined layout, mine went through 2 engines before I gave up on her
Yes, Id have one, being one of the first purchasers of the original Spacecruisers in this country, I have searched for a car that equals it, and I think that this would. The only car that came near in my affection was the Hyundai i800 which came close.
I was debating getting one of these, or a gen 2 Prius. Settled on the Prius, and I’m so glad I went Prius. Much better daily. Yes, I know Prius only has 5 seats (bar Prius +). Prius looks better too, in my opinion.
Same category, different buyer was the Spacia in Australia, aka Lite-ace people mover but with a better engine and an even better price. It is a fantastic utilitarian piece of kit and mine is still driving as good as new even after 25 years 😁.
The US market has a very similar version called the Sienna, which replaced the Previa. The third generation is basically an Esteema in layout but with a more squared off body. It has the same hidden runner sliding doors on both sides and also has 7 or 8 seat configuration. We hired a 2018 model in Florida and it easily had space for 7 of us and our luggage, and with a bit of seat jiggery pokery even a wheelchair. I thought the Sienna was a fantastic vehicle the 3.5 V6 had plenty of power. In 2020 a fourth generation was launched and Toyota gave the minivan curves with a slight nod to the mk5 Supra ( sounds strange I know ). I did post a video of the hire car on TH-cam and I’ll put a link in a reply to this comment as I forgot to copy it beforehand.
There is one called Toyota wish with a 1.8 liter engine. Make sure you test the one with steering paddle shifter. It’s not much but light enough to be fast for its category. I hired one and it was nice.
I dont really need a minivan. But I would really like one. I just wish we had some in the US a tad smaller and with better ground clearance like a CUV or SUV.
I live in Thailand and we have a second gen Estima. Great for hauling my family round. It has a bodykit that was installed by its Japanese owners. It looks cool but bits of it keep falling off
I have owned several previas this shape .....I know but for me superb cars ...have used as animal ambulances !! Removal vans ,and trips from farms to city's no problem at all .
Having lived in Birmingham for 3yrs, the Estima is so common there, especially in the Taxi scene, you’d be mistaken for thinking they were actually sold here 😂
No sunroof is actually great personally. I'll take one in a truck as they're required to be there as an escape hatch, but on a car it's just an annoying scalp heater and interior destroyer. Plus they put a lot of extra weight at the highest point of the vehicle. Not as bad as glass roofs, but over time they start leaking. Honestly I don't understand why we don't get these anymore. I know a lot of people who get Transit Custom's and whatnot because they need to haul stuff on workdays, but can throw the seats back in when they want to go on a family road trip. The Estima is way nicer on the inside, you actually have room to exist on the front and rear seats and there's absolutely no way in hell they're as unreliable as whatever fomoco puts out. Funnily enough the new VW Transporter is a rebadged Transit Custom and as soon as they announced that the prices for T6 Transporters shot up on the used market, especially for the models without Ford engines.
In 2001 when I started driving at 16, my parents handed me down a 1995 Acura legend LS sedan which I promptly totaled, and then a 1993 Acura legend coupe… and I totaled it. The only car left was a 93 Previa…😂 I did not feel cool driving it, and they were not considered cool like they are today. However, with the double sunroof, the huge space in the back, the supercharger and all-wheel-drive I regret not appreciating it more now that I am in my late 30s. And yes, I did total the Previa. I haven’t been in an at fault accident since but mind you I lived in Seattle at the time and the Previa did not have ABS and none of them had stability control. Lmao🤦♂️🤷🏻♂️ Oh, there was a Isuzu Axiom after the Previa which I loved…. Went through two transmissions…. Looking back my parents had really good taste in cars LMAO.
When I was younger I thought anyone who drove an MPV had simply given up on life. Now I totally see the point and how brilliant they are. How we've ended up with SUVs is beyond me.
....egoism...conceited personalisty of a consumer....SUV has authoritative appearance and stance with all comfort focused mainly in front....meanwhile MPV has socially/family friendly purpose of distributing utility to all Passengers....
I completely agree that the indicators should be on the right hand side of the wheel. It is how it should be in a right hand drive car, dam those lazy European manufacturers for not swapping the stalks for the uk and fooling us into thinking that was how they should be.
School run near me in London is full of these. And the Elgrand. A couple of poseurs have Alphards. If you are on a budget, have more than 2 kids, a 10 year old + JDM import like this makes a lot of sense. I think the import tax drops significantly at the 10 year mark and the Japanese don’t like old second hand cars, so they are very cheap.
@@disarchitected: the Japanese taxation system makes it punitively expensive to run an old car, so many get cleared out towards their 10th anniversary and exported to other countries
I love the JDM mini vans. I'm trying to decide whether I should replace my Zoe with something bigger, or keep it and spend the money on a second vehicle that can do the practical things like transporting bikes or large model planes. The JDM mini vans are just much cooler than a large old estate car, though an estate is probably slightly more sensible. Have you reviewed a Stepwagon? They seem to be the next step down from the Alphard etc, in terms of luxury, complexity, and in terms of space. How about an Oddessey/Stream - they seem to be a really odd cross between the min-van and an estate.
We like MPV in our family. It's Grand Scénic 2005 2.0i and exactly what fulfills what we need from daily mula. We were lucky picking reliable example. But it gas got old and time of replacemet Is upcoming. After it recently got stuck in muddy mellow I certaily want the next one to be some AWD. What a pitty last Espace just sligtly bigger than Grand Scénic wasn't AWD! But don't want SUV And not US or JDM full-size MPV either. It's too big, something more compact... I researched with conclusion that ideal will be BMW Gran Tourer 220d X-Drive with 30mm lift kit offered by some experts. Also think of higher springs stuffed with airbags inside of the rear And aside coils in front. Maybe 16' wheels with 60% sidewall as well. Let's see how this sort of "allroad" upgrade is gonna work....🤔
Nissan Serena hybrid? Imported VW Sharan 1.4 TSI with DSG? Essentially I'm asking you to review the other 2 cars on my "which one to buy" list now you have done the estima! Thanks
Yes I want one. I will look at one this week…BUT… I’d love some advice from those with experience…..where on earth do you get insurance? So without going into detail I usually pay 400-500 quid for an X5, discovery 4, Volvo XC type of thing…… my first look and it’s all around the 1k mark. It’s putting me off slightly! I’m trying to cure stupid but over 1k for insurance is just that!
I think the OG zafira would be a good review. Its a shame they finally killed the zafira tho and the modern interpretation of MPV is literally take a van and cut windows in it vs making an MPV on purpose
Why import into the UK? Not sure what it does that a 2nd generation Sharan / Alhambra doesn't do and they are available as diesels as well, which is vital in a car this size.
Not had a modern Toyota, so cannot comment on build quality, but I have a MK1b MR2 that invariably needs welding come the MOT, which is a pity as the engine is bullet proof.
This is my wife's car, it was good to meet you James and chat about all things automotive. Glad it's getting lots of love in the comments and from James.
@@JayDH84 hi, if you need to carry a mobility scooter, have you considered getting a hoist installed? Makes it so much easier! PB conversions put them in, I know many people who have one and swear by it.
@@MangoFourThirds we did consider this but for the scooter we have we still need a big boot so still need a big car. We could have bought a more compact scooter and hoist but it's useful for us to have a big car to carry other large items.
@@JayDH84 you would be able to put a hoist in the estima and still have room for the scooter and extra items 👍
@@MangoFourThirds true but I don't need one at the moment.
You know you're old when reliability & bland practicality turns you on! Love it!! 😭😭
I am 19, reliability and practicality seems very nice to me, also wish that these kinds of japanese imports were more popular elsewhere than just the UK. I'd much rather have this Estima Hybrid than some Skyline or MX-5.
@@janpaulus3977 These were available as the Previa in the US during the 1990s. They never seemed to be very popular when compared against the Chrysler minivans which is why Toyota dropped them in the US.
Nope...you only finally matured...
theres a scottish company that turns thesse into campers....
@@iainansell5930do you have a link? Ty.
I absolutely adore the Estima, out of all cars my dad had. GC8 WRX, Datsun 510, 540i, Corrado VR6, Pajero. The estima gave me many memories. The van was full of family. Last moments with people who aren't here anymore. The swiveling seats and the sunroofs. The TV's and curtains. These MPVs are underrated as hell and I love them to bits.
I live in east London, and these things are really common, to the point that I was surprised that they weren’t even sold here. It’s best to say the south Asian uncles do love their Toyotas and especially the estima
So does the Orthodox Jewish community in Stamford Hill and Golders Green
Hahah this car is very famous with the brown uncles and Jewish uncles near north London
@@mohammedafeef8184 in the midlands, especially around Coventry and Birmingham, any Uber XL you get in has a 50% chance of being an estima.
As a teenager I’ve come to the conclusion that the Previa/Estima is probably the best car a teenager can have. It has the street presence of an SUV (if that’s what you’re after), coupled with actual versatility, which is useful if you have many friends who need a lift home from the pub in the small hours of the morning. My family’s Previa has also taken trips to neighboring countries with said friends and still had the room to bring back ~1300 € worth of drink along with us. In addition I can do moving gigs by removing all of its seats. To top it off since the 2nd gen Previa (or for that matter big MPVs in general) isn’t the most common car where I live in Finland you get the feeling of driving something somewhat different from everyone else.
Totally. When I was younger (I'm middle aged now!) at university in the UK, it wasn't the people with flashy cars who made friends easily; it was the guys and girls with estates and MPVs.
and it has JDM street cred
My daughter has a 2008 3.5 V6. It's faster than you might expect, and extremely well equipped.
I have a 2007 3.5 V6 - it' one of the fastest cars I've owned- and it's a van!, thank god it's limited to 180kph, I want a later model one- but it must be the 3.5 V6.
As a kid, after the Renault safranne my dad got a Toyota previa with the captain seats
They were slightly wider than the imports , was a great car, but the fuel economy from the 2.4 was a killer
Great for comfort and carrying anything a van can
first generation was sold in the United States. Was replaced by more conventional, and larger van. However it was quite popular with some people because you could get it with supercharger and four-wheel-drive. Very popular for snow and people who lived up in high altitude areas.
Now you just need a Toyota Noah or Honda Stepwgn on the channel!
I wish they sold the Stepwgn in the UK. Geek chic at its finest.
Mpv's should return and we should ditch the suv, an mpv can be confortable, can be sporty (insert your ford s-max) and its way more practical then an suv, its just a taller wagon, and so, its absulutly perfect
True that, I got my mum a 2006 2.0 Petrol Mazda5, it is probably the smallest 7 seater you can find but it handles absolutely great and the 150hp engine makes it quite quick considering how light it is, it's basically a Mazda3 Estate but with sliding doors.
@@sheeshulex i fucking miss the 5th grade men, it was a cool time, enjoy it while you can 😭
True abt the mazda too btw, we should bring back those tho
I've got one, a 2003 3.0v6 4wd.
It's fully loaded with gorgeous heated leather seats, captain seats in rear with foot-rests that fold into many configurations plus TV'S and more speakers than I've ever seen in a car!
I absolutely love it as does everyone that has sat in it!👌
how is it on fuel compared to the hybrid
@@mohammadhaseeb122 hybrids will always be better on fuel but much more costly to fix if things go wrong.
I totally agree with the right hand side position for the indicator stalk, it feels more natural for a right hand drive car, where you change gear with the left hand.
LHD cars always have the stalk on the left side, it only makes sense for the stalk to be on the right in a RHD car.
@@electricalinput5999 right hand drive cars have the indicator stalk on the left which is counter intuitive. Japanese rhd cars are on the right, which feels more natural.
We've got LOADS of these in Malaysia! Chuffed to bits with these!
although it took UMW like a lot later to brought it in officially
I had one of these turn up as my taxi on a night out here in Ipswich once. I was very excited, sadly none of my friends, who though I was just weird were into cars like me.
I have a 1996 lucida had it for 8 years she's been great for airport trips and trips to the tip and moving houses
Hey my dad had one of these a few years ago, apart from leather and sunroof, it was fully loaded 2011 model with the light colour interior and 2nd row captain recliners, tv front and rear, tri zone digital climate, three view cameras etc. It was literally a super MPV. Loved it
For disabled needs, I would recommend the Toyota Alphard Wellcab. 2006, 3,0
Ours has a slope rear end with a 2 metre automatic ramp. automatic wheelchair tie downs and a swivel and drop passenger seat.
All this installed by Toyota at the factory.
The main problems with JDM is finding a local garage that can read the ECU.
I ended up using my phone and the Torque app, with the settings for a JDM Camry.
Another great review. I had a 1992 Estima in the mid 2000s. A great practical car when you have 3 teenagers to ferry around. Mine had the captains chairs in the second row which were very comfortable. Totally agree with your comment about shady dealers on industrial estates. Happiest memory with mine was a road trip with my father son and youngest daughter from Morecambe to Prague. The last quality time I had with my Dad who was far more poorly than he admitted to. A little while later it was scrapped but the captains chairs were used by a friend in his transit camper conversion.
We had the old type Estima. This was a very comfortable and practical car. They drive like a car and don't roll in the corners like other minivans. With the 4 wheel drive it was very sure footed in snow.
Great car, super practical, great shape and has dignity. So much storage too. Why aren't all cars like that-who wants an SUV,("You cant beat stupid! ) no practicality and no views out. Any Toyota will be a good buy, but the fuel economy is rubbish though. Great to see these fun real cars, good that there is no leather, simple, and hard wearing everything. We don't need fast cars any more in the UK, we can't drive anywhere fast anyway, not for more than a few minutes at a time, and we are all restricted to 60 mph. Good video.
Can personally recommend the Mitsubishi Grandis, one of the better looking MPV and dirt cheap now at around 1k in either 2.4 Mivec petrol or 2.0 VW diesel form. Also always fancied an import Mitsubishi Delica D5 and would love to see a review of one on the channel. Great fo see MPVs getting some love.
As an Australian viewer I never ever thought that I would ever see a Toyota Tarago on this channel let alone on any car channel. For context the Tarago is a slightly different variant of the estima that was only sold in Australia. The name Tarago comes from a town in New South Wales which is called Tarago
Thank you James for being willing to explore anything and everything that the world of cars has to offer
And very popular with a certain demographic
The notorious TT or SSS, selling KFC’s out of food in one drive thru order
@@Joshbfil0 Came to the comments to see if any Aussies would mention the stereotype 😅
You need to try the 3.5 V6, I've got one if you want to come to Edinburgh to try it and I've also got some other interesting cars that you could feature including an E39 M5, E90 M3 ( 4 dr), Ep3 Civic Type R, Mercedes 190e 2.5-16 Cosworth.
great vid, my dad bought one of the gen 1 from new. he put 220 k kms on it then got rid of it. never had an issue with this
Actually been hunting for one of these. Nice review
I had one almost new direct import from Japan. A 2019 model that was brought into Malaysia in 2021. I’m not sure about the chassis but love the smooth buttery 2.4 and its CVT wasn’t too bad either. Practicality and boot space was outstanding especially with the underfloor space. Swallowed our bicycles with ease. I was sad to part with it eventually.
I'll save this video for after 11 am, so I can play the JayEmm drinking game 🍻
@@Spenny909 what’s the game ?
We’ve still got our 2006 Toyota Tarago here in Australia - planning on keeping it as long as possible. It seats 8, can double as a van if you fold all the seats, and you can easily sleep in it if need be. It’s fairly simple, old-school Toyota engineering that feels like it will outlast me.
The Toyota Previa was released in the late 90s in the Philippines and it sold well until its last released on 2009, the hybrid variant were never released during those times.
I’m just fascinated by how many different MPVs there are from Toyota. At my last count there were ten separate van models post-2010 with at least one example for sale on AutoTrader
I looked at these, Alphard and Elgrand back in 2019 and discounted them all (mainly on fuel economy) , favouring the 2005 Honda Stepwgn I still am proud to own to this day. The RF iteration Stepwgn spanning 2001-2005 housing a K20a 2.0 na VTEC engine is a cracking vehicle and maybe a contender for your next JDM minivan review? It's been 5 years of trouble free motoring with only a pair of anti roll bar drop links and set of tyres being needed. It's passed each MOT with flying colours, twin sunroofs, electric remote sliding door and that bulletproof heart.
I have owned two of these in the past. One for necessity (family) and one for road trips with the boys. The 2nd one was a 1998 model, which I owned for 10 years from 2011 to 2021. It was super reliable and we went all over Europe including the Grimsel Pass from Switzerland to Italy. It never missed a beat. The only problem in 10 years was the tired AC, which was overcome by the two sunroofs. Super comfortable to drive all day /night without getting tired. I bought it for £2000 and sold it for the same price 10 years later. A feat never repeated with any of the other 59 cars I have owned to date.
Super fond memories. Looking perhaps at a newer Toyota Alphard - Business Edition with the proper rear captain chairs.
My auntie lives in Birmingham.
When ever I go I see this car and other 7 seater Toyota vans like Toyota Noah Voxy and esquire and the Estima cars as taxi. Everywhere
It’s good to see more jdm cars.
Used for taxis.
Up north every texi driver has demand in Birmingham and other cities in Uk because of number of passenger that these cars can fit.👍
Back in the 90's I purchased one of the first Japanese Toyota Estima (1992 built ) imports for £5000. It was 2.3? diesel/auto and kept it for 12+ trouble and rust free years. The earlier Estima was a narrower roof line than the UK Previa, something to do with Japan's vehicle taxation. The auto gearbox seemed a bit low geared and changed up quite early which was explained by what area of mountainous Japan it was built for. I could carriy 7 seven adults, off road motorbikes, growing children, camping year and towed with it...( "Not all at the same time"!! )...and it did low 20's mpg (gearbox?). It was a truly do all comfortable reliable vehicle. My wife loved it because the driving visability was brilliant as you are sitting so much higher than some vehicles. TRY ONE..and BUY ONE!
I've always like family cars like this, but that's maybe because that's what my dad always have since I was a kid. One more thing that I love about Estimas is the aircon vents for the passengers in the back. In short, everyone in the car got their own personal aircon. I always think about that because I always move around with the family in a Toyota Wish (it can be considered as a "sportier" version of the Estima, and this one got the captain seats that you liked) and the Wish only got less than five AC vents in the car, all at the front.
Oooh i have this facelift version, but with 2.4L non-hybrid. Malaysia btw.
Its not the spriteliest for sure, but given enough highway, it will hit 180kmh without u realizing. That CVT is good on highway, just keep track of the balanceshaft which u MUST change, latest, every 120k km, or risk wrecking other part of the engine.
Ours is already 10 years old (recond unit) and done 180,000km.
N ours is the lowliest trim of the 2.4L, which is a GOOD thing, alot of mechanical bits for the interior instead of electronics. N we use it both as a people carrier and cargo carrier. N owh yes, its definitely hauled some questionable things😅
We never got this in a Hybrid in Australia. We also missed out on the final facelift with the two tone colour scheme. But there are plenty of Hybrid Estimas imported.
I've only ever had one Estima, a V6 which had already been spec-ed up when I bought it. Somehow, I just never got to like it, I went back to a Lexus RX300. The later version you tested appears to be much better. Good test, much enjoyed
I've got one and I've done almost 80000 miles on it without any issues at all!!!!!
Great cars! I bought one for my daughter in law and we have a Vellfire.
I had a 91 Previa with a stick I drove nearly a million miles.. I absolutely loved that van.. It was killed by a truck in NYC who backed over it..
We had a Toyota Targo in the Australian Army as a duty vehicle excellent car
Grew up in a first gen Previa, then I brought my own when I was 25, bloody great cars although extremely thirsty, only 250 miles from a tank of £100 petrol! Very common for head gasket failure due to their mid engined layout, mine went through 2 engines before I gave up on her
@@bendoyle5023 250 miles only？is it a 3.5 and what year?
only 250miles ? is it a 3.5 and what year?
Yes, Id have one, being one of the first purchasers of the original Spacecruisers in this country, I have searched for a car that equals it, and I think that this would. The only car that came near in my affection was the Hyundai i800 which came close.
They are brilliant. Had a V6 here in HK. Sweet family ride but understeery. Pretty sure the same shape is still available here!
I was debating getting one of these, or a gen 2 Prius. Settled on the Prius, and I’m so glad I went Prius. Much better daily. Yes, I know Prius only has 5 seats (bar Prius +). Prius looks better too, in my opinion.
Same category, different buyer was the Spacia in Australia, aka Lite-ace people mover but with a better engine and an even better price. It is a fantastic utilitarian piece of kit and mine is still driving as good as new even after 25 years 😁.
The US market has a very similar version called the Sienna, which replaced the Previa. The third generation is basically an Esteema in layout but with a more squared off body. It has the same hidden runner sliding doors on both sides and also has 7 or 8 seat configuration. We hired a 2018 model in Florida and it easily had space for 7 of us and our luggage, and with a bit of seat jiggery pokery even a wheelchair. I thought the Sienna was a fantastic vehicle the 3.5 V6 had plenty of power. In 2020 a fourth generation was launched and Toyota gave the minivan curves with a slight nod to the mk5 Supra ( sounds strange I know ). I did post a video of the hire car on TH-cam and I’ll put a link in a reply to this comment as I forgot to copy it beforehand.
2018 Toyota Sienna that we hired in Orlando.
th-cam.com/video/lJbT-VmEm9M/w-d-xo.htmlsi=VHL1r1HVwt1qz9Wj
There is one called Toyota wish with a 1.8 liter engine. Make sure you test the one with steering paddle shifter. It’s not much but light enough to be fast for its category. I hired one and it was nice.
Love it - want one.
I f you buy one, get the 3.5 V6 - you wont regret it.
And in Australia, the Estima/Previa was badged as the Toyota Tarago. You will, however, see them imported as greys.
Okay, maybe I should have watched the entire video before commenting.
Having lived on a small tropical island which had to import it’s RHD vehicles, I love JDM vans you can’t get in North America or EU. ❤️
TY J! 🙏🙏.Seems a capable vehicle in most regards!
Good matter of fact review, I had a space cruiser, 2 generations of Previa and a Sienna, If anyone can Toyota can
I dont really need a minivan. But I would really like one. I just wish we had some in the US a tad smaller and with better ground clearance like a CUV or SUV.
My mom had one! It was awesome!!!
Hi Jay, appreciate your practical review. Can you review Honda Stepwagon (2012 -2015) please :-) . Looking forward to the review. Thanks.
Great review.
I live in Thailand and we have a second gen Estima. Great for hauling my family round. It has a bodykit that was installed by its Japanese owners. It looks cool but bits of it keep falling off
I have owned several previas this shape .....I know but for me superb cars ...have used as animal ambulances !! Removal vans ,and trips from farms to city's no problem at all .
Having lived in Birmingham for 3yrs, the Estima is so common there, especially in the Taxi scene, you’d be mistaken for thinking they were actually sold here 😂
Give James any Espace to review, I really like how the 3rd gen looks but they're all little spaceships
This is pretty much everything I want in a car
I prefer the Alphard but I do like it! Get the Honda Stepwgn on!
No sunroof is actually great personally. I'll take one in a truck as they're required to be there as an escape hatch, but on a car it's just an annoying scalp heater and interior destroyer. Plus they put a lot of extra weight at the highest point of the vehicle. Not as bad as glass roofs, but over time they start leaking.
Honestly I don't understand why we don't get these anymore. I know a lot of people who get Transit Custom's and whatnot because they need to haul stuff on workdays, but can throw the seats back in when they want to go on a family road trip. The Estima is way nicer on the inside, you actually have room to exist on the front and rear seats and there's absolutely no way in hell they're as unreliable as whatever fomoco puts out. Funnily enough the new VW Transporter is a rebadged Transit Custom and as soon as they announced that the prices for T6 Transporters shot up on the used market, especially for the models without Ford engines.
Try a Noah/Voxy for the complete collection of Toyota MPVs. It's Honda counterpart stepwgn is also great.
In 2001 when I started driving at 16, my parents handed me down a 1995 Acura legend LS sedan which I promptly totaled, and then a 1993 Acura legend coupe… and I totaled it. The only car left was a 93 Previa…😂 I did not feel cool driving it, and they were not considered cool like they are today. However, with the double sunroof, the huge space in the back, the supercharger and all-wheel-drive I regret not appreciating it more now that I am in my late 30s. And yes, I did total the Previa. I haven’t been in an at fault accident since but mind you I lived in Seattle at the time and the Previa did not have ABS and none of them had stability control. Lmao🤦♂️🤷🏻♂️
Oh, there was a Isuzu Axiom after the Previa which I loved…. Went through two transmissions…. Looking back my parents had really good taste in cars LMAO.
When I was younger I thought anyone who drove an MPV had simply given up on life. Now I totally see the point and how brilliant they are. How we've ended up with SUVs is beyond me.
....egoism...conceited personalisty of a consumer....SUV has authoritative appearance and stance with all comfort focused mainly in front....meanwhile MPV has socially/family friendly purpose of distributing utility to all Passengers....
The mitsubishi delica too was not sold elsewhere.
I completely agree that the indicators should be on the right hand side of the wheel. It is how it should be in a right hand drive car, dam those lazy European manufacturers for not swapping the stalks for the uk and fooling us into thinking that was how they should be.
In the states we get the Sienna but I don't understand why we don't get better JDM vans.
Possibly because JDM vehicles are all right-hand-drive, which may be a little awkward for US use.
The Caribbean has plenty jdm minivans ❤
These are so common in the UK that it's almost like they were sold officially
aren't you sure you're confusing me it with the Previa
School run near me in London is full of these. And the Elgrand. A couple of poseurs have Alphards. If you are on a budget, have more than 2 kids, a 10 year old + JDM import like this makes a lot of sense. I think the import tax drops significantly at the 10 year mark and the Japanese don’t like old second hand cars, so they are very cheap.
Estimas are very popular with the Asian community
@@HPLow: and the Jewish community. The Estima is the 21st century equivalent of the Volvo 700-series estates that were phenomenally popular.
@@disarchitected: the Japanese taxation system makes it punitively expensive to run an old car, so many get cleared out towards their 10th anniversary and exported to other countries
Real world review-.could be cosider a excellant stealth camper sleeper for touring the US and Europe-
I love the JDM mini vans. I'm trying to decide whether I should replace my Zoe with something bigger, or keep it and spend the money on a second vehicle that can do the practical things like transporting bikes or large model planes. The JDM mini vans are just much cooler than a large old estate car, though an estate is probably slightly more sensible.
Have you reviewed a Stepwagon? They seem to be the next step down from the Alphard etc, in terms of luxury, complexity, and in terms of space.
How about an Oddessey/Stream - they seem to be a really odd cross between the min-van and an estate.
The eCVT absolutely is a CVT. It's a continuously variable transmission. That it achieves this in a different way than other CVTs is irrelevant 🤷♂️
You should review a Mitsubishi Delica D:5 variation on the same theme
The aircon isn't dual zone. The front aircon is dual zone. The rear aircon is separate, giving three zones.
We like MPV in our family. It's Grand Scénic 2005 2.0i and exactly what fulfills what we need from daily mula. We were lucky picking reliable example. But it gas got old and time of replacemet Is upcoming. After it recently got stuck in muddy mellow I certaily want the next one to be some AWD. What a pitty last Espace just sligtly bigger than Grand Scénic wasn't AWD! But don't want SUV And not US or JDM full-size MPV either. It's too big, something more compact...
I researched with conclusion that ideal will be BMW Gran Tourer 220d X-Drive with 30mm lift kit offered by some experts. Also think of higher springs stuffed with airbags inside of the rear And aside coils in front. Maybe 16' wheels with 60% sidewall as well. Let's see how this sort of "allroad" upgrade is gonna work....🤔
Indeed. You can't cure stupid, (which is why I do own an S-Max but wouldn't buy a Kuga, for example).
Does anyone else have a strange obsession with Japanese import mpvs? I certainly do!
Nissan Serena hybrid? Imported VW Sharan 1.4 TSI with DSG? Essentially I'm asking you to review the other 2 cars on my "which one to buy" list now you have done the estima! Thanks
I’d have one in a heartbeat 👍
Yes I want one. I will look at one this week…BUT… I’d love some advice from those with experience…..where on earth do you get insurance? So without going into detail I usually pay 400-500 quid for an X5, discovery 4, Volvo XC type of thing…… my first look and it’s all around the 1k mark. It’s putting me off slightly! I’m trying to cure stupid but over 1k for insurance is just that!
Insurance for imports is more as it's harder to get parts. I would hope it's more reliable than a BMW or volvo so hopefully save money on that front.
It's because they are stolen quite frequently in Birmingham I am told!
I insured mine on a standard comparison site. It cost about £400, the insurers are Admiral
@@Althemusicman1 keyless entry is prone to repeater theft. Easy to switch the fob off to prevent that.
A fine car. Have you tried a post 2010 VW Sharan?
I think the OG zafira would be a good review. Its a shame they finally killed the zafira tho and the modern interpretation of MPV is literally take a van and cut windows in it vs making an MPV on purpose
Are the front wheels bigger than the back?
No they aren't.
I'm in the market for one of these. As I can't afford a transporter . Sadly. Most of the decent ones seem to been run into the ground as taxis.
The staple working-class family car of new zealand, in every generation
Very practical car but unsure how much urban miles per gallon you get on the hybrid model.
Please review a RK Stepwagon!? Another alternative to the Alphard, Elgrand and Estima 🙏
Love a JDM import!
These things are absolutely everywhere in Ireland
What about the Mazda 5 which , I think, is a minier mini-van.
The acr50 is so good, that toyota didnt bother with a replacement.
It looks so easy to get in and lot of you know.
Can you please review the Lexus LM?
Why import into the UK?
Not sure what it does that a 2nd generation Sharan / Alhambra doesn't do and they are available as diesels as well, which is vital in a car this size.
In my opinion it's a better quality car. I didn't want a diesel, I wanted hybrid.
Not had a modern Toyota, so cannot comment on build quality, but I have a MK1b MR2 that invariably needs welding come the MOT, which is a pity as the engine is bullet proof.
If you can find one..a Nissan Prairie, the first mpv??
I don’t think we had that model in Australia. Not that I remember seeing