Newbie looking for advice?

[tipovtong]

Hi everyone,

I joined the group to look at getting some info on 7/8 seater for my daughter. Her current car (Pug 5008) clutch is just about gone so I am looking for some help/answers whilst looking for a new (used) one. We viewed an 08 Alphard last week and she fell in love ,, problem was when we went back to dealer with deposit it had sold.

Question 1 , do all Alphard's have the reversable middle row of seats? 

2. What model/variants have the twin sunroofs ?

3. Are there specific documents that seller MUST provide if its an import? 

4. I have noticed that there are a few Hybrid versions priced lower than a standard, is there a problem/issue with the hybrids that makes them hold a a lower resale appeal?

5. Is there a way to get the language on the display changed to English or is that just something that is not changeable?

Thank you in advance for anyone who can offer a bit of guidance .

[Rojie]

7 hours ago, tipovtong said:

Hi everyone,

I joined the group to look at getting some info on 7/8 seater for my daughter. Her current car (Pug 5008) clutch is just about gone so I am looking for some help/answers whilst looking for a new (used) one. We viewed an 08 Alphard last week and she fell in love ,, problem was when we went back to dealer with deposit it had sold.

Question 1 , do all Alphard's have the reversable middle row of seats? 

2. What model/variants have the twin sunroofs ?

3. Are there specific documents that seller MUST provide if its an import? 

4. I have noticed that there are a few Hybrid versions priced lower than a standard, is there a problem/issue with the hybrids that makes them hold a a lower resale appeal?

5. Is there a way to get the language on the display changed to English or is that just something that is not changeable?

Thank you in advance for anyone who can offer a bit of guidance .

 

Hello Mick,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

Q1   No.

Q2  Most do.

Q3  To have a car exported (from Japan) it must have an Auction Sheet. A brief summary of the condition. It does not include mechanical issues.

       You should insist on sight of this sheet. It is a good starting point. Importer will need to get the vehicle registered at DVLA and MOTd.

Q4   Early hybrids can be an issue. It is very difficult to locate competent engineers to work on the battery system. New batteries are very expensive, plus the cost of removal / refitting. General advice is be wary of the Generation 1 machines. prior to 2008.

Q5  No, other than replacing the head unit, and that can be fraught with problems.

 

Hopefully this proves useful, and other members will add anything I have overlooked.

The vehicle will need undersealing, if not already.

 

Worse thing you can do is drive one ! Result, love at first drive.

Just do the due diligence, don't skip on it.

[tipovtong]

Thank you Rojie for a quick response, it is most helpful 👍

[Gamith]

As far as I am aware only the first generation (up to 2008) have the reversing middle seats - I am prepared to be corrected 🙂

 

The options with the head unit is to keep the current one and either learn Japanese, use google translate and/or make stickers for the buttons or replace the head unit and for that you will need to do a fair bit of research as there are lots of functions that are likely to be affected; reversing camera, front side cameras (if fitted), steering wheel controls for audio at least. This is complicated a bit more if you have 18 speaker system fitted and / or the drop down screen(s). 

The connections behind the head unit are unlikely to fit a replacement so expect a lot of wiring work or fitting of specific adapters.