Good evening Alphard aficionados, I've joined in order to learn more about this unusual import. 

 

In recent days my Dad has had the bad news that he can no longer drive due to deteriorating eyesight so it's going to fall to my mum to do all the driving in the houshold.

 

Dad's had a 57 plate Mercedes Vito for years that has been reliable and both a nice place to carry 5 people and a useful way to get large amounts of stuff around. The issue is that at the end of the day it's a Van and now my Mum is going to do the driving she struggles with the heavyness of the steering and the weight of the clutch, it being a manual gearbox.

 

I spent a happy afternoon earlier this week gathering suitable potential replacements which included newer automatic Vitos & Vianos, but also other potential vehicles that could meet the brief of being easier to drive, a nice place to be and have the capacity for 5 adults and a load of stuff. These other vehicles were the Toyota Alphard/Vellfire, the Nissan Elgrand and, as they have a Nissan Leaf and love EVs a Nissan Evalia and Vauxhall Vivaro-e.

 

From the afternoons research I was already leaning strongly towards the Toyotas but wanted Mum to downselect before making recommendations. She did indeed select the Alphard as the option preferred; she's had Toyotas in the past that have served her very well and the specs of some of the Alphards put the current Mercedes Vito to shame!

 

It's going to be up to me to find her the best condition Alphard in the right spec, for the right price and, once purchased, sort out any issues that might arise and add mods & upgrades as required. I've been messing around with cars since I was a teen and ended up going in to the automotive industry so know my way around things with wheels but my experience is also that Owners Clubs are the undeniable best source of detailed information on the models they love.

 

I look forwards to plumbing the depths of your collective knowledge 👍

On 4/26/2024 at 11:09 PM, SP4x said:

Good evening Alphard aficionados, I've joined in order to learn more about this unusual import. 

 

In recent days my Dad has had the bad news that he can no longer drive due to deteriorating eyesight so it's going to fall to my mum to do all the driving in the houshold.

 

Dad's had a 57 plate Mercedes Vito for years that has been reliable and both a nice place to carry 5 people and a useful way to get large amounts of stuff around. The issue is that at the end of the day it's a Van and now my Mum is going to do the driving she struggles with the heavyness of the steering and the weight of the clutch, it being a manual gearbox.

 

I spent a happy afternoon earlier this week gathering suitable potential replacements which included newer automatic Vitos & Vianos, but also other potential vehicles that could meet the brief of being easier to drive, a nice place to be and have the capacity for 5 adults and a load of stuff. These other vehicles were the Toyota Alphard/Vellfire, the Nissan Elgrand and, as they have a Nissan Leaf and love EVs a Nissan Evalia and Vauxhall Vivaro-e.

 

From the afternoons research I was already leaning strongly towards the Toyotas but wanted Mum to downselect before making recommendations. She did indeed select the Alphard as the option preferred; she's had Toyotas in the past that have served her very well and the specs of some of the Alphards put the current Mercedes Vito to shame!

 

It's going to be up to me to find her the best condition Alphard in the right spec, for the right price and, once purchased, sort out any issues that might arise and add mods & upgrades as required. I've been messing around with cars since I was a teen and ended up going in to the automotive industry so know my way around things with wheels but my experience is also that Owners Clubs are the undeniable best source of detailed information on the models they love.

 

I look forwards to plumbing the depths of your collective knowledge 👍

 

Hello Joe,

 

A warm welcome to you and your Mum to the Forum.

Thanks Rojie, it's taken a while but Mum will be taking delivery of a lovely well spec'd AH20 in the next week or two, I'll get some pictures up when it's arrived 😎