Toyota Caldina/Surf/Estima 1988-2006
Toyota never bothered the local market with its 2.0-litre Turbo Caldina and that’s a shame. These are a smart, fast, family wagon; cheap but very scarce. The later ST246 version with 190kW is easier to find and only a little more expensive than 1990s versions.
If you need a bigger vehicle, the Estima and Alphard will accommodate eight, with the ‘Wellcab’ Alphard accommodating a wheelchair in its rear section. These have come from Japan as low-volume imports and cost less than $20,000.
Toyota’s turbo-diesel Surf was once popular and available everywhere, but time has slashed the numbers of available and prices are climbing. A late-series 2.4 at $12,000 is probably better buying than the 3.0-litre for $18K.
Caldina 1998-01 $12,900 [1]
Caldina GT Four 2002-06 $13,465 [9]
Surf 2.4 1988-95 $9850 [10]
Surf 3.0 1993-99 $13,550 [4]
Estima 1999-04 $10,145 [19]
Estima 2005-09 $14,835 [33]
Alphard $18,990 [20]
[*] = number of recorded sales
(Note: concours & special cars may demand more.)
Numbers from our 2021 Japanese Classic & Performance Value Guide.
| 2020 Market Review: Toyota Caldina/Surf/Estima
From Unique Cars #454, June 2021