1999 Toyota Estima

specifically. It is a component most sellers ignore until it fails roadside. We replaced it before listing so the next owner does not have to think about it. The van was driven and verified by our team. A/C blows cold. Everything works. The first-generation Estima is one of the most unusual vehicles Toyota ever built. The engine sits under the front seats, mounted at a 75-degree angle between the axles. Mid-engine layout in a family van. The weight distribution that results is closer to a sports car than a minivan, and the driving feel reflects that in a way nothing else in the segment offers. This example has the supercharged 2TZ-FZE. An Eaton supercharger engages via an electromagnetic clutch controlled by the ECU, adding boost under load and producing 160 HP. The supercharger is chain-driven. Combined with rear-wheel drive, 8-seat configuration, and an automatic transmission, this is the Estima specification that does not compromise on anything. The van is white over grey, super clean inside and out. Rear windows are tinted. LM Sport wheels with new tires. Driver and passenger airbags. 93,831 km on the clock. Mileage: 58,310 miles (93,831 km). Fuel economy: approximately 19 MPG combined based on real-world 2TZ-FZE RWD automatic data. Interesting Facts The 2TZ-FZE’s Eaton supercharger uses an electromagnetic clutch to engage and disengage based on throttle demand. At light throttle the supercharger disengages and the engine runs naturally aspirated for fuel economy. Under load it re-engages and delivers full boost. The system is seamless in operation and adds no parasitic drag during highway cruising. The mid-engine layout of the first-generation Estima placed the engine under the floor between the axles, tilted at 75 degrees to fit within the van’s floor height. Toyota chose this configuration specifically to avoid raising the floor or the roofline, preserving interior space while improving weight balance over any conventional front-engine minivan design. The first-generation Toyota Estima was sold in North America as the Toyota Previa from 1990 to 1997, where it also received the supercharged 2TZ-FZE from 1994. The JDM Estima received additional configurations including all-wheel drive and extended wheelbase options not available to American Previa buyers. The Toyota Estima in this generation qualifies for legal import under the federal 25-year exemption rule. While the Previa version was sold in the US, the JDM Estima in this specification with these equipment levels was never available to American buyers. Key Features 1999 Toyota Estima Supercharged 2TZ-FZE 2.4L supercharged inline-four 160 HP Eaton supercharger chain driven Rear-wheel drive 8-seat configuration Automatic transmission Mid-engine layout 58,310 miles (93,831 km) White exterior Grey interior Rear tint LM Sport wheels New tires Driver and passenger airbags Alternator replaced All fluids, filters, spark plugs replaced New battery Cold A/C About Us We’ve been working with Japanese vehicles for over 25 years. Long before opening our location in the United States, our team was importing and servicing these vehicles in Europe when many of them were still new. Because of that experience, we know these platforms extremely well. Every model has its own weak points, and we inspect and address them before the vehicle is offered for sale. All vehicles are serviced at our facility in Japan before shipping. Fluids, belts, filters, batteries, and common failure points are inspected and replaced when necessary. Unlike many dealerships, we actually drive our vehicles. They don’t sit in a parking lot. Our trucks and cars are used regularly so we can verify reliability before they reach their new owner. When you buy from us, you’re getting a vehicle that is fully prepared and ready to drive from day one. JP-TRADE is our first location in the United States, supported by a team of more than 40 people across Europe, Japan, Korea, China, and the U.S. If you made it this far, here is a little bonus for you. Why did Toyota put a supercharger on a minivan engine instead of a turbocharger? Toyota chose a supercharger over a turbocharger for the 2TZ-FZE for a specific reason: lag. A turbocharged engine in a heavy family van would have created a noticeable delay between pressing the accelerator and feeling the power arrive, which is exactly the wrong characteristic for a vehicle that needs to pull confidently from a standing start with seven or eight passengers aboard. The Eaton supercharger delivers boost immediately at any RPM, with no turbo lag and no waiting. It also allowed Toyota to keep the engine’s unusually compact packaging under the floor without routing exhaust gases through a turbocharger in a space-constrained location. The result is a supercharged mid-engine minivan that pulls like a naturally aspirated engine twice the displacement. It is an unusual solution to an unusual engineering problem and it works exactly as intended.