Commonly known as the Previa in the UK, the Toyota Estima was launched in 1990. Over its three generations, it underwent major changes to compete well with European minivans such as the Renault Espace and VW Sharan. Although the Estima was discontinued in Europe due to aggressive pricing from Ford and VW in 2006, the second and third generation are among the most desirable MPVs in the UK. A used Toyota Previa or Estima would cost between £2,000 and £12,000, depending on its model, mileage and condition. Now, before making the decision, it is favorable that all the pros and cons of this great MPV are studied, so here is its brief summary.
advantages
- Estima comes with all the safety features one expects from a full-size family minivan; from airbags to collapsible pedals and crumple zones, even today it is among the safest vehicles on the market.
- It comes loaded with equipment, 7 spacious and comfortable reclining seats, all with headrests, separate air conditioning for front and rear, audio system, central locking and power window options are just the tip of the iceberg.
- When it comes to reliability, you can always go for Toyota and Estima is no exception. The best build quality and maximum reliability have kept its resale value and attractiveness high.
- Despite being large, it is agile to drive and behaves like a car on all roads.
- The controls are angled toward the driver and located in the center of the dash, making your ride more driver-friendly.
- Even after cruising 100,000 miles on your Estima, you’ll find plenty of people willing to buy it for a reasonable price, but you can definitely expect better performance than Renault and Ford.
cons
- Although Toyota offered 3.0 and 3.5 liter petrol engines in the second and third generation respectively, the 2.4 liter petrol engine was slated for the European and UK markets, making the engine Toyota Estima was an underpowered engine compared to its rivals.
- Despite having a 2.4-litre petrol engine, it is not an environmentally friendly minivan. With CO2 emissions hitting the 256g/km mark, Estima won’t save you tax money.
- Although its build quality is impeccable, some of its parts are expensive. Also, due to the high demand for Estimates, Toyota dealers charge a premium even on used models.
Its pros definitely outweigh its cons, with an underpowered Toyota Estima engine being the only real hiccup. However, before you buy a used Estima, ask for a full service history and ownership record, just to be sure.
