arthurj

Thanks for the info. Can I just ask what sort of mpg you get?

I haven’t got one yet but phoned my local Toyota garage and they said they’d have no trouble servicing one when I get it.

So that means any car made after 2010, definitely safe. Probably all the AH20 range is safe as they wouldn’t have released a car in 2008 without making sure it could be sold 2 years later. The 2AZ-FE was used across 1st and 2nd gen models but IIRC had a minor update about 2007, so possibly not safe for 1st gen models? Unlikely though. They might have tweaked the ECU to make it run better in 2nd gen models.

I believe they’re mechanically the same car as the Alphards, with a different badge, face, dash and trim levels, but share the same chassis, engines, suspension. They’re aimed at younger drivers, while Alphards are supposed to be more executive, apparently. They only came in in 2008, so if you’re reading that they’re more durable I guess it’s referring to both Vellfires and Alphards from 2008 onwards vs older Alphards?

I’m torn between a late 1st gen hybrid and an early 2nd gen 2.4l. The first tend to be slightly cheaper but there aren’t as many around. Apart from the fuel efficiency I like the idea of mild 4wd, which I think would be too much for a 2.4. But are there any problems with the hybrids that would make it a pain to live with?

I measured this the other day to see if I could get an airbed in. Roughly 170cm from the back to the the mid seat base with the seats forward, 140cm wide between the wheel arches. Gen1. Where are you thinking of buying from Chalky? Anywhere in the NE?

Headlights is easiest, you can see them on https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Alphard

I’m thinking about buying a post-2008 Alphard or Vellfire but also want the swivel seats, so I’ve been trying to work this out too. You can see the swivel base in the parts catalogue here. That’s for a 2005-2008 gen 1. There are no swivel seat parts that I can see for gen2 models, even the bench seat doesn’t swivel. Even if they stopped selling swivel seats in 2006 I’m sure the seats are still compatible with a 2008 gen 1. Unfortunately I’m not sure whether they’ll fit in a 2008 gen 2.

Hello. I’m looking to buy or import soon. Can anyone recommend a dealer in the North-East? Anyone I should avoid? Similarly, I’d like to know if there’s anywhere nearby I can repair it. Thanks in advance!