Buy an import! Why would you and why Japanese? ……. Well apart from getting a great looking, reliable, high performance sports machine to show off to your friends there are actually a few very good reasons based on cost, condition and performance which make Japanese imports the clear choice when looking for a great car.
COST
So why is the price of these these imports so low? Well fortunately for us the domestic value of Japanese cars declines very quickly for a variety of reasons
A car that is only five years old in Japan is worth only 30% of its original value on the domestic market, and a car 7 years old is worth a mere 16%! This is why the opportunity for us exists to import cars. So why is it this way?
Well, in Japan cars are sold to their masters with ‘shaken’, a combination of safety inspection, compulsory insurance, proof of parking space, weight tax and vehicle tax that is valid for three years. To renew ‘shaken’ is costly (an average of about 1000 pounds) and is also time consuming. It involves putting the car through meticulous inspection process like a mot inspection here as well as having to replace even slightly worn parts and prove things such as proof of parking permit (because space is limited) etc. This lasts you 2 years, then it’s the same again until you buy a new car…
For the driver, ‘shaken’ and government taxes make regular new cars an economical proposition and in the competitive Japanese market dealerships provide customers with further incentives to return their current cars as trade ins. So, when the ‘shaken’ expires after 3, 5, 7 or 9 years most cars are traded. The lack of domestic demand for second hand, leaves dealers holding a lot good quality second hand cars. Low demand & a high endless supply, force these cars to be sold cheaply at auction – in fact very cheaply, and this is where our opportunity arises to make money on these cars.
CONDITION
The condition of the average Japanese used car is a lot better than a car of similar age elsewhere. Why?
1. Low annual mileage (under 6,000miles average per year) due to the congested Japanese roads, high tolls and good public transport restricts the wear on vehicles. This means that the imports we get that are 7 years old (and selling for about 16% of their value) frequently have less than 40,000 miles on the clock, and often, a lot less.
2. The detailed ‘shaken’ test that all Japanese cars must pass, means that they must replace many, even slightly worn parts. UK ‘compliancing’ means that on arrival each import is modified to comply with UK Design Regulations.
3. High costs to keep a car (eg. Up to 4,000 pounds pa for parking) make cars in Japan a luxury; as a result it seems that most drivers take pride in their machines keeping them pristine and servicing them regularly.
SPECIFICATION
The Japanese domestic car market is a highly competitive market, which affects the type, range and quality of vehicles offered.
1. Many ‘options’ that we would expect on only our top level cars, like air conditioning, power steering, power windows and mirrors etc, are standard on almost all cars.
2. Japanese consumers enjoy a greater choice of variants and engines, with options on the top spec vehicles like; automatic headlight dipping, drop down front spoilers, drink chillers/food heaters and adjustable suspension settings etc.
3. The long manufacturer warranties given on the cars shows that the companies producing these vehicles have great confidence in their reliability because they are engineered so well.