【アルファード】パフォーマンスダンパーⓇ効果検証＆五味康隆氏によるインプレッション

Product reviewed

Performance damper kits (installed front & rear on the body) for Toyota Alphard and Vellfire—tuned especially for rear-seat ride comfort on the Alphard.

Main features / how it works (from the video)

• They look like a shock absorber, but the damper’s purpose is generating damping force to suppress deformation of the body (not directly changing the suspension).

• They target body deformation caused by:

  • bumps
  • rolling
  • lateral motion This helps the car settle faster after inputs.

• The kits are installed on the front and rear ends of the body to control vibrations and shocks throughout the chassis.

Demonstrated effects (lab-style impressions + driving)

1) Vibration suppression (physical demonstration)

• Before: the simulated frame (with road bumps) causes strong vibration felt in the hand.
• After: tapping the frame becomes quieter/more muted, and vibration does not linger after a single tap.

2) Settling behavior improved

• With the damper: the steering wheel returns faster after undulations.
• Feedback described by the driver/passenger:
  • the passenger’s head movement is reduced
• The time to settle after road irregularities is described as completely different (much faster).

3) Measured g-force reductions

• Vertical g: On a test over a 30 mm bump at 30 km/h, vibration across all frequency bands feels/appears smaller, reducing the floaty/bumpy character.
• Lateral g: On a 30 mm bump at 20 km/h, the car converges laterally faster and shows a smaller peak acceleration.

4) Highway straight-line stability

• Straight-line stability changes a lot for the better.
• Steering feels more solid and “doesn’t loosen” even when returning to center.
• The “finger-width approximation” steering feel is reduced—response is described as more natural and precise, with less hunting.

User experience / what drivers & passengers feel

• Road surface feels smoother
• Steering sharper / more responsive, with reduced looseness and easier operation
• Ride comfort improves, especially for rear passengers:
  • the back seat previously felt shaky
  • afterward, it’s so stable one leg can be supported
  • less side-to-side “throwing”
  • rear comfort described as far surpassing normal driver-seat comfort in the comparison
• Noise/quietness improves notably
  • the biggest surprise emphasized in the video: the Alphard becomes considerably quieter, with less body resonance.

Pros (unique points mentioned)

• Significant comfort upgrade, especially in the rear (reduced head-side motion and body shake)
• Faster damping / quicker settling after bumps and lane changes
• Improved handling stability (less body sway; better steering feel)
• Highway stability improves; steering feels solid and accurate
• Quietness increases noticeably (major standout benefit)

Cons / limitations (only what’s stated)

• No explicit negative downside is stated in the subtitles.
• A caution/limitation mentioned: the reviewer had tested other cars but did not do extensive testing, relying on a clearer “with vs without” comparison for this evaluation.

Comparisons made

• With vs without performance dampers on the same Alphard (fest course):
  • improved steering feel
  • faster settling time
  • improved ride comfort, vibration, and noise
• Driver vs rear seat comparison:
  • Stock: rear ride comfort described as worse than the driver seat
  • With dampers: rear becomes better than the normal driver seat, and the driver also improves
• The dampers are described as improving both:
  • ride quality
  • side-to-side stability, which supports steering precision

Overall verdict / recommendation (concise)

Strongly recommended for Alphard/Vellfire owners seeking better rear-seat comfort plus improved steering stability. The video highlights quietness as the most surprising and impactful benefit. The subtitles suggest installing (or even replacing the stock part) without hesitation, especially for Alphard buyers focused on comfort—particularly rear passengers.

Speaker-specific notes (unique contributions)

• Main narrator (product explanation + demonstration):

  • Explains damping force conceptually.
  • Demonstrates vibration reduction via tapped-frame testing.
  • Notes the Alphard tuning emphasis on rear-seat comfort.

• Yasutaka Gomi (driving impressions on track + highway + subjective feel):

  • Before: the normal Alphard feels “wobbly” with less unified turn-in.
  • After: steering feels sharper; faster settling; reduced vertical/lateral harshness.
  • Strong focus on stability and reduced rear seat shake.

• “Cost/Anzu” and other conversational commenters (comfort/quietness emphasis):

  • Call out dramatic difference in comfort.
  • Emphasize the largest surprise is noise/resonance reduction.

• Comparison/tuning commentary (Alphard-specific insight):

  • States stock rear quality is lower than the driver seat.
  • With dampers: rear surpasses driver-seat comfort.
  • Improved lateral sway stability supports steering feel and precision.