Michael Brown

Its also ULEZ compliant

I drive fair distances and often, keeping within the speed limits. The hybrid comes into its own in slow moving traffic as under 10mph most of the driving is on the electric motors, either front or back or both unless the battery bank wants charging up and the engine kicks in to charge up the bank. Its a a stop start engine, that took a bit of getting used too. My Alphard cost me £9,500. in August 2022, the most I had ever spent on a motor and I have always wanted to try a hybrid. So when the Inverter packed up the Alphard was useless and I did not want to have to throw it away and finding Peter Holland on reccommendation was my saviour. I'll bet when Alfie was new they would have given the Battery bank and Inverter a set life and mine ran out when he was 16 years old.Now I would hope to have at least 10 years use, should I keep it that long. My biggest problem is my insurance is crippling me, because I had to write off two Estima's and a claim made against me. Been trouble free since June 2022. I just hope my insurance comes down conciderably next March or I will be thinking of selling Alfie and buying a motor made for the British market and not an import, as that is I am told will get my insurance down. I am getting 36 -38 mpg on a regular basis and most I have had is 40. So I have been happy with that. The Estima only did 32mpg on a good day and that was a 2.4 engine too but not a hybrid. When I drive to southern Scotland the journey is 410 miles. On the Estima on a full tank, I would have to refill at Carlisle, 65 miles short of my journey. But now not only can I make my journey in one hop, I can drive around for a week whilst there and only filling up before return journey. So I am pleased with my hybrid.

Hello Ben Last year my Hybrid Inverter packed up and I had a chap reccommended to me, Peter Holland. Who specialises in car and boat electrics, sort it out for me. Peter could not find and parts to repair the Inverter, but said the Inverter was still made in Japan. For £5,200. inc del and VAT it could be ordered. Well I don't have that kind of money floating about, so I rang my bank and explaining what the money was for, managed to borrow over 3 years. I rang Peter back, having to pay upfront for the new Inverter was told it would be 10 days. 2.5 weeks later it arrived and as he already had Alfie, then fitted it, set it up, road tested it and Peter rang me. Not had a problem with engine since. Things have a limited life, I hopefully will get at least 10 years life out of it. I saw it as an investment in Alfies future

Hello Adrian The Auto light setting will turn on your lights automatically. It has to get pretty dark for that to happen, or they turn on going through a tunnel

Disaster ......... I pulled out the 2 bags it was in and on a quick inspection there are holes in the tent material. So sorry now not available

Hello Brian The photographs I have of the driveaway tent, are locked in an old computer and I cannot remember the password to get into it. The awning tent itself is in a shed outside my backdoor. The padlock is seized up and I am going to have to cut it off. At least if you had a name, you could look it up on the Internet. I see you are up in Scotland and if weather is kind to us I will be driving up to Scotland next Saturday, to a village called Palnakie about 55 miles from Carlisle. I live in West Sussex near Selsey. I will report back later this evening if I find the name

When I used to go camping I had an Estima Aeras, I used a 2.5 - 3.0m square awning /tent I used to fit to the vehicle. It had a built in groundsheet. You could roll up some of the sides. If you wanted to go out for the day you detatched it from the vehicle and zipped it up. Its held up with rods that click together. I used to rotate the middle row of seats. Take out the back 3rd row and I made a wooden bed base and put a mattress on it. sleeping in Estima under a duvet, heaven. I used the tent part to wash, prepare meals and eat in, stopped using it and I will see if I can find the name of it or some pictures, probably in an old computer

Glad I am not the only one having to fork out huge ammounts of money to drive their Alphard. Perhaps we ought to have a £3,000. club. If my premium is'nt reduced significantly next March, Alfie and I will be parting company. I'll be sorry to say good bye. I am already looking for a replacement, but built for UK market. My insurance broker says the insurance will come down a lot if I don't have an import. My insurance this year has been £305. a month, over £3,000. this year

Sorry to see that John, My 04 Estima looked a bit like that in June 2022 and the insurance wrote it off, they said because it was an import it would be too costly to repair. I was insured Fully Comprehensive, but I think they gave me a fair price for it. I bought it off the insurance company and tried to get it repaired. But unfortunately it could not be done because the main body members had been spread outwards. My insuranse is high now at £305. a month and I have been told don't buy an import buy a vehicle made for the British market. So unless my insurance next March is greatly reduced, I will be selling mine reluctantly. I'd be sorry to see it go. Lovely vehicle to drive and so spacious.

Well done in sorting out the problem you had, but, sorry what is sugru ?

Niot heard of that one, do you have a picture of what it looks like ?

I am insured with Aviva

Cost of insurances depend on age, where you are, how much damage to your vehicle in an accident, trouble free driving etc etc. Insurance companies are inclined to write your motor off rather than repair it. I have only ever had fully comprehensive insurance and unfortunately a claim was made against me several years ago after I misjudged moving my Estima in a hospital car park. I washed the paint from another car off my bodywork, the other driver claimed £1000. from my insurance because the cars touched each other and his paintwork on his plastic bumper was little damaged. Then my insurance wrote off the next 2 Estimas. Not had anoer accident since June 2022. Then I changed to an Alphard. I got an insurance quote for £1,500. on top of the £565. I had paid for the Estima. When it came up for renewal in March 2023, an eye wateruing £4,200. At renewal in March 2024 £3,600. As i had had a new Hybrid Inverter fitted April/May 2023, I wanted to get my monies worth. Alfie is driving very well apart from the trailing arms still to be replaced, 2 weeks time. If my insurance is not greatly reduced in March 2025, I will be looking to change vehicles and not an import. The insurance companies have gotten their monies back from paying me out over the 2 write offs. I am now 73.

I'd better take a picture of mine tomorrow. I have the Alphard carpet that came in the vehicle, matching the trim colour. My pedals are the same as yours Paul

I occasionally find my right foot slips off the accelarator pedal, especially at the wrong moment. For instance when pulling away at a junction when you need that extra umpff ! Has anyone else experienced this ?