Hi from the bottom of the world.
I have just purchased a 2001 Estima Hybrid with 22,000km on the clock.
After about 1200km I am getting about 11.5 Kpl. Not too bad concidering that my old one got 7.5 Kpl on a trip (LPG) or 6 Kpl around town. LPG is $0.72 per L while Petrol is $1.71 per L. (you think you have it bad). The Hybrid is about 50% dearer to run than the LPG one but still a lot cheaper than the petrol version. My economy should get better as it is winter here and most trips have been short (15km or less or long with 7 and lots of bags.) I expect to get around 14 Kpl or more with less in and summer. On the Motorway (free way) I have got 14 to 16 Kpl unladened but the runs are still short.

 

Welcome indeed! Over a year ago, I wrote a letter to Toyota America expressing interest in getting an Estima here.

One suggestion is to see if you can get a block heater for the car. In the 1500 cc Prius, a block heater is reported to save ~100 ml/day. Not much but a free liter every 10 days isn't bad.

I have a lot of additional questions along the lines of MPG vs. MPG.

Bob Wilson

 

so if the seasons and toilets and cyclones are all backwards down there, does the odometer spin that way, too? Can I pull a Ferris Bueller and back off miles by dipping into the other hemishpere?

only kidding.

The 1st time I crossed the equator, my roomate was King Neptune for the Shellback ceremony. One of my many tasks as a Pollywog was to be the 'Royal Observer of the Toilet' to announce to all when the coriolis effect reversed.

The only problem was that at the equator there is zero effect; it only becomes pronounced far away from it. Try explaining THAT to a bunch of Chief Petty Officer Shellbacks!

 

Welcome to GH!

Sounds like the Estima is serving you well.

 

A block heater is not needed as the MPV is garaged and the temp seldom gets below -5 C in winter and will climb to 5 to 10 C in the day time. Snows about once every few years and that will disappear in a few hours.
You can import from Japan but the steering is on the wrong side for you, so I don't know how your Fed Transport agency will take that. Also parts could be a problem for you. Here thay are imported from Japan by Toyota and I got a 5 year warranty on the Van.(Only 5 in the country at the moment and I have the only 8 seater).
Ask away on anything and I will atempt to answer.

 

You think we are backwards. Think very carefully about that and answer this question. When water goes down the plug hole in the USA, which way does it go down? Anti clock wise! So which county IS backwards?
We can also get the Alphad and all those other loverly Hybrids (If we are willing to pay $$$$$$$$!) which also puts us ahead of you, my poor Pollywog!

About putting back off the miles, we can also supply that for no extra charge, ask any used car salesman. It was a great problem over here for a while, especilly on the used imports from Japan.

Well thanks for the banter and I hope to participate on GH for years to come

 

I wasn't very clear about the block heater. With the Prius, the auto-stop doesn't work until the vehicle is warm enough and the battery to an acceptable state of charge. I had assumed the Estima worked the same way. The block heater is less for handling a frigid engine start as much as trying to get the engine closer to 80 (C) normal operating temperature before starting in the morning.

Do you have a milesage display that shows say 5 minute averages like the Prius? What we find is even in the summer, the first mileage bar is lower than the subsequent, higher MPG bars. In the winter, the warm-up can easily extend over 15 minutes. The block heater just puts the engine, even in winter, on a summer warm-up schedule.

As for steering on the 'wrong side,' we also have postal delivery vehicles with steering on the 'wrong side.' It wouldn't sell to most US drivers but a few of us can also handle chopsticks, eating with the 'wrong hand' and metric. <grins> I'd just tell the trooper, "It is my anti-theft device."

You are right about the parts being a problem. But this is a new Estima? Toyota is selling them in New Zealand?

Bob Wilson

 

I have never heard of block heaters here in New Zealand. They might have them way down south but not up where I live. I have noticed that the fuel consumption is bad for the first 5 mins (display is in 1 minute bars, covering 30 min total, plus instant bar on the right.) You can see the economy go up as it warms up, although it doesnt like 50 kph to much. Just a bad speed for it and I can't seem to pulse it. It shows regeneration although the display doesn't give any E's, so maybe it still glides sort of.
You may be able to import one your self directly from Japan, depends on your counties import laws. Over here we are no longer allowed to have left hand drive cars
Mine is 5 years old but it was imported by Toyota themselves and I twisted a 5 year warranty out of them.
Here you can even inport brand new ones if you wish.

 

Good deal. We don't see single bar warm-up until the temperatures approach 70 (F).

One of the my first tasks was to plot MPG vs. MPH. This gave me reproducable data that I could use in my commuting and cross-country travel.

I had thought about importing an Estima but thought better of it for a first hybrid vehicle. My current thinking is to transplant the Prius hybrid system into a Scion xB shell. A bit small, it would have substantially more space than the Prius. I would also have a lot of salvage parts available.

Bob Wilson

 

Wise that you didn't import one. You might even have to replace the front lights as the beam patern is facing the wrong way. You will have a major project converting a hybrid over, it will be interestig to see that one.
I will keep the site posted on MPG (LPK)