On Alphard vs Vellfire rental: with a chauffeur, book the Vellfire unless you need the bigger engine: it costs less on every fare. If you're driving yourself, compare the exact car and year, because Alphard rental at Grandpride starts at RM 1,000 a day and the Vellfire at RM 900, and the cheapest of each isn't always the one you want.
Size doesn't decide it. Toyota builds the Alphard and the Vellfire on the same platform, and in our fleet both seat seven and, with a chauffeur, both take three large suitcases. Both have a sliding door on each side and a roomy second row. What you'll notice is the face and the engine.
The Alphard has the big upright chrome grille. The Vellfire has a sharper, darker front with split headlamps. If the photo at the hotel entrance matters, that's the difference people see.
The engine is the difference you feel. Our Alphards come as a 2.5 litre and a 3.5 litre V6; both Vellfires are 2.5 litre, one from 2017 and one from 2018. With seven adults and their bags on board, on a long highway run or a hill road, the 3.5 is the more relaxed car.
To drive yourself
| Car | Engine | Day rate |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Vellfire (2017) | 2.5 litre | RM 900 |
| Toyota Vellfire (2018) | 2.5 litre | RM 1,500 |
| Toyota Alphard 2.5 | 2.5 litre | from RM 1,000 |
| Toyota Alphard 3.5 | 3.5 litre V6 | RM 1,900 |
The Alphard 2.5 has more than one listing, so check the MPV list for its current rate and for which cars are free on your dates.
Every rental includes 120 km a day. A family trip out of town will go past that, so add 50 km or 100 km a day, or take unlimited mileage; it's cheaper per kilometre than paying for the extra afterwards. A Touch 'n Go card can come with the keys, loaded with anything from RM 50 to RM 500. Fuel isn't in the day rate: bring the car back at the level you collected it.
These are long, tall cars. Older mall car parks and narrow housing-estate roads need care, and a full MPV is heavy on a hill. Only the named renter may drive, so book it in the name of whoever will do all the driving. If nobody in the group wants that job, book it with a driver instead.
Driving home for Raya? Our guide to Alphard rental for Hari Raya covers the mileage for a balik kampung run and why the festive weeks book out early.
With a driver
| Toyota Vellfire (2018) | Toyota Alphard 3.5 (2020) | |
|---|---|---|
| By the hour | RM 150 | RM 200 |
| KLIA or KLIA 2, flat | RM 300 | RM 450 |
| Genting Highlands, flat | RM 1,400 | RM 1,600 |
| Seats | 7 | 7 |
| Large suitcases | 3 | 3 |
Hourly bookings run from 3 to 23 hours, with 10% off anything over 12 hours. Hours that start between 7 pm and 11 pm cost 30% more, and 11 pm to 7 am 50% more; the quote already includes that. One-way trips other than the airport and Genting are priced on distance.
The airport and Genting are where these two earn their money. Both fares are flat for trips under 80 km, day or night. Meet and greet runs at KLIA 1 and 2, and if you add your flight number the chauffeur tracks the flight. Our KLIA transfer guide explains the 80 km rule and picking a car by luggage, and the guide to a private car from KL to Genting compares the flat fare with an hourly day up the hill.
Book a driver rather than the keys when you're landing after a long flight, when the passengers are parents, clients or guests (choose "Booking for someone else" and their name and number go straight to the chauffeur), or when the day has a lot of stops and nowhere to park. Online chauffeur bookings need at least two days' notice.
Which one, for which trip
- Family weekend or relatives in town, you driving: the Vellfire (2017).
- Airport run with a driver on a budget: the Vellfire (2018), the lower chauffeured fare with the same seven seats and three cases.
- The Alphard look for a day of mostly city driving: the Alphard 2.5.
- A full car, Genting, a long highway day, or guests you want to impress: the Alphard 3.5, self-drive or chauffeured.
- More than an Alphard: the Lexus LM300H, RM 770 an hour with a chauffeur or RM 3,900 a day to drive. Our Alphard vs Lexus LM comparison goes through what the extra money buys, and luxury chauffeur cars compared puts it next to the S-Class, BMW i7 and Bentayga.
Quick answers
Alphard atau Vellfire, mana lebih mahal untuk disewa?
Dengan pemandu, Vellfire lebih murah: bermula RM 150 sejam, berbanding RM 200 sejam untuk Alphard 3.5. Untuk pandu sendiri, Vellfire bermula RM 900 sehari dan Alphard bermula RM 1,000 sehari.
Can I get child seats?
With a chauffeur, yes: put the children's ages under additional requests when you book and the seats are added to your total. For self-drive, ask us first CHECK: are child seats available for self-drive rentals, and at what price?.
Can someone else collect the car?
Yes, if their details are on the booking. Or skip the collection and have the car delivered: free within 10 km of the Petaling Jaya showroom, RM 100 anywhere else in the Klang Valley, and quoted separately outside it. CHECK: how much notice delivery needs
