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Toyota Estima - Japanese MPVs Should I? - Docefc

One thing I am not is a car person, I know nothing about them and don't particularly enjoy having one but we're a growing family and time has come for an upgrade. We like to camp and have previously been able to fit all our tent gear + child 1 in the Fabia Estate but with a 2nd child here now it's all become very cramped and not safe to do so. So we're looking at MPVs because I like how practical they are and the MiL has started to join us on days out, but has had to drive herself because of space. So we've started looking at practical but ugly cars like Sharans, Galaxies and Zafiras.

Then down our road I spotted this car that I loved immediately, I've been clocking the family getting in and out and just love the way it looks, it's a white 2010 Toyota Estima and having spent some time in Japan it feels like a car Japanese people would have as opposed to Japanese cars in the UK which feel like cars pandering to the UK with a Japanese badge.

I've started to look for one but it appears they're all imports and this makes me uneasy, we've worked really hard to pay the 2018 Fabia off entirely and with 35,000 miles on the clock, the full manufacturer service history, it's still worth about 6k (although it has a scrape down one side I intend to fix before moving on).

Does anyone have any advice for dos and don'ts if I was to take the plunge?

Toyota Estima - Japanese MPVs Should I? - nellyjak

Have a look at my forum post further down (started by movilogo)...about Toyota imports.

Trust me...you have little to be concerned about....I've had my Estima for 5 years now...never regretted it for a minute.

Fabulous vehicles ...just go look at one and drive it...my guess is you'll SO want one.!!

IMO, you simply can't get a better MPV.

Edited by nellyjak on 27/04/2021 at 10:22

Toyota Estima - Japanese MPVs Should I? - badbusdriver

For your useage the only thing, I'd be at pains to point out is that JDM import MPV's, such as the Estima, (unless very young) don't have a 3 point seat belt in the centre of the bench, just a lap belt. So regardless of whether it is a 7 or 8 seater, I'd consider it a 6 seater with either 1 or 2 extra seats to be used only if necessary.

Because of the other current thread, I had been looking at Estima's again myself, and really fancy a 7 seat version with the two 'captains chairs' in the middle row which recline, swivel, and have built in footrests(!), they look sooooo comfy!.

See what I mean on the interior pics of this example on Autotrader, 202104181510761

Be aware also that these are not ideal for higher mileages, not because of any reliability issues, but because your most efficient engine option is a 2.4 hybrid, which isn't actually going to have very high mpg. You also get a non hybrid 2.4 and a 3.0 V6, both of which will be less efficient!.

Toyota Estima - Japanese MPVs Should I? - nellyjak

The seat belts were never an issue for me....as there is only me and my wife.

We use the Estima more as a day van..we simply love the space and the comfort.

Mine is the 7 seater with the two centre captain's chairs with the footrests..and you are right...SO comfortable....as are the driver and passenger seats with their luxury upholstery and arm rests.

It's a vehicle you can drivefor many miles without fatigue.

As for mpg. well, that was never an issue for me either, only doing around 5k miles p.a. ( it isn't our only vehicle) and I could never resist the 3 litre V6 and the enjoyment/smoothness of driving it.

Toyota Estima - Japanese MPVs Should I? - movilogo

Seat belt comment is interesting. I was under the impression that Estima captain seats have 3 point belts in front facing configuration and lap belt only in rear facing configuration. However, after watching few YouTube videos it it now seems it varies across models. Some models have only lap belts in both front and rear facing configurations.

Toyota Estima - Japanese MPVs Should I? - nellyjak

Seat belt comment is interesting. I was under the impression that Estima captain seats have 3 point belts in front facing configuration and lap belt only in rear facing configuration. However, after watching few YouTube videos it it now seems it varies across models. Some models have only lap belts in both front and rear facing configurations.

Yes...the seating variations with an Estima are numerous..just depends what the original owner wanted/specified when he bought the vehicle.

We were lucky in that ours was exactly what we wanted

Toyota Estima - Japanese MPVs Should I? - movilogo

Frankly, the 3-pt seatbelt is so common I never realized some cars may come with lap belt only!

In this YT clip, around 2:30 mark, you can see 3-point seat belts on both 2nd and 3rd row seats.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-vRwv64aN8

From safety perspective, I think front facing seats should always come with 3-pt belts. Rear facing seats may have 2-pt belts.

Some campervans/motorhomes also provide lap belt only for passengers I think.

Toyota Estima - Japanese MPVs Should I? - badbusdriver

In this YT clip, around 2:30 mark, you can see 3-point seat belts on both 2nd and 3rd row seats.

Not in the centre though, which is what I said.

In that clip, at 2.38 you can clearly see the lap belt in the centre of the rear bench. It doesn't have a lap belt in the centre of the middle row because this is the 7 seat version with the two captains chairs. However, had it been the 8 seater version, the centre seat in the middle row bench would also be a lap belt.

Hence my comment about treating it as a 6 seater with, in this case 1 extra (2 if it were it the 8 seater) seat for use only when necessary.

If the OP is unlikely to ever have more than 6 in the Estima, no probs. But I wouldn't choose one of these if I regularly needed all 7 seats, as a lap belt is much less safe in the event of an accident.

Toyota Estima - Japanese MPVs Should I? - movilogo

I am confused now. I looked into the video again and I could see seat belt for middle row seats coming from top of each side.

Do you mean it is a 2-point seatbelt but going from shoulder to hip rather than 2-point seatbelt as in airlines?

I somehow assumed 2-point seatbelt = lap belt = airline style. It didn't occur to my mind that 2-point seatbelt can be just shoulder to hip belt without the lap part (as in 3-point seatbelt).

What about the 3rd row seats? Are these 2-point belts as well?

If you check this video at 08:30-09:20, then it clearly shows 3-pt belt in forward facing position and 2-pt belt in rear facing position.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRocY48P0qA

This is older Previa. I find it surprising that Toyota offered this in older Previa but not in later Estima models!

How can prestige models like Alphard/Vellfire/Estima pass Japanese regulations with 2-point seatbelts? I thought Japan takes safety more seriously than Europe!

EDIT: I read your post again and now understood. You mentioned only 2nd row centre seat where it it is a 3-seater rather than 2-seater captains seat configuration.

Edited by movilogo on 27/04/2021 at 16:52

Toyota Estima - Japanese MPVs Should I? - badbusdriver

I am confused now. I looked into the video again and I could see seat belt for middle row seats coming from top of each side.

Do you mean it is a 2-point seatbelt but going from shoulder to hip rather than 2-point seatbelt as in airlines?

I somehow assumed 2-point seatbelt = lap belt = airline style. It didn't occur to my mind that 2-point seatbelt can be just shoulder to hip belt without the lap part (as in 3-point seatbelt).

What about the 3rd row seats? Are these 2-point belts as well?

If you check this video at 08:30-09:20, then it clearly shows 3-pt belt in forward facing position and 2-pt belt in rear facing position.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRocY48P0qA

This is older Previa. I find it surprising that Toyota offered this in older Previa but not in later Estima models!

How can prestige models like Alphard/Vellfire/Estima pass Japanese regulations with 2-point seatbelts? I thought Japan takes safety more seriously than Europe!

EDIT: I read your post again and now understood. You mentioned only 2nd row centre seat where it it is a 3-seater rather than 2-seater captains seat configuration.

Imagine we are talking about an 8 seat version. This would have the two front seats, then a 3 seat bench in the middle, then another 3 seat bench at the back. The two outboard seats on each rear bench has 3 point belts, but the centre seat on each bench will just have a lap belt (like an airline).

That older Previa had an extra feature which I hadn't been aware of, which is a separate lap belt for the two captains chairs in the middle row. This is because the 3 point belts are mounted on the car rather than the seats. So if you chose to sit in the middle row facing rearwards during travel, you wouldn't be able to use the 3 point belts as they are in the wrong position relative to the seat. So the lap belt is there to use only in that situation. In the Estima video you can see that it has seatbelts built in to the captains chairs, so even facing rearwards, you can still use the 3 point belt.

Bottom line is that in all but the youngest 7 or 8 seat JDM MPV's, you will get a maximum of 6 proper 3 point belts along with 1 or 2 lap belts. Had a look on Autotrader and I saw a 2018 Vellfire (7 seater) which did have a (roof mounted) 3 point belt for the centre rear seat. On a 2013 Honda Stepwagon (8 seater), the centre seat on the middle row did have a 3 point belt, but the centre seat on the rear row still just had a lap belt. Re safety, it does surprise me too, but presumably certain aspects of car safety are not considered of similar importance to EU?. It is about the only area where the MPV's we got officially in the UK are better, as we had 3 point belts for all seats in MPV's many years ago.

Edited by badbusdriver on 27/04/2021 at 18:26