Hello from London

[Aruphardo]

Hi all,

 

I am based in Sutton, London.  Hello to you.  
 

My interest in importing an Alphard/Vellfire directly from Japan began after watching a YouTube video by Matt Watson and a few Alphard review videos by JayEmm.  I haven’t yet bought one.
 

Since my interest began, I have been seeing more Alphard (or equivalent models from other brands) on the road.  I think this vehicle segment is under served in the UK.  Unlike the SUV segment that is overcrowded.  
 

I am interested in a post-2012 Alphard / Vellfire with ottoman seats and 4WD.  I want to travel the UK with my family in comfort.  I am sure the vast space could come handy for other applications too. I want to have reliability that Toyota is known for.  I am aiming to keep one for a long time so repair ability is very important for me. Modern EVs are not  repairable.  
 

I would love to hear from anyone who directly imported an Alphard.  I am uneasy about buying a second hand car unseen and any tips to avoid buying a dud would be appreciated!  
 

Happy motoring

[Alphard Club]

Hi Michael

Welcome to the club.

One thing comes to mind with ottoman seats (ones with built in armrests) was the extreme difficulty it was putting my kids seats in using the isofix. i thought i had screwed up when i first tried and thought i was going to have to sell the car on, but eventually got them in. I also found them bulky seats and not the most ideal compred to the non-armrest version. 

Also, the 4wd system adds something roughly like 100kg to the weight of the vehicle. I never found the 2wd a problem, although the 3ltr is a powerful motor if you have poor tyres then they can lose traction when applying the power. Some dealers won't touch 4wd vehicles, so may want to do some homework to why that is.