Many people ask us: "Why cars coming from Japan have such low mileage?"
The answer is, in Japan, and most cities have populations from 3 to 15 million people. Only 30% of the land is suitable for a living - the rest are mountains. Traffic is congested, so most people drive their car only after work or on the weekend, and they park next to the train station and commute to work. Additionally, because traffic is so dense, drivers generally don't drive fast nor long distances and have to stop for traffic lights every few hundred meters. All motorways are toll charged, so car travel is not cheap. To travel from Niigata to Tokyo by highway can cost up to 300 NZD, to cover 400 km.
All of these factors contribute to Japanese drivers' driving less. Hence, not only the mileage is low, but cars are not used much and are still in great condition, which is good for us.
Another question is: "Why there are so many cars coming from Japan?"
The answer is simple. Japan is a small country by size but has a population of 127 million people. It's a big market for Japanese domestic car manufacturers like Toyota or Honda and many European brands. These car giants market heavily to make people change for a newer car. As a result, many barely used vehicles are available for sale every year.
People also ask us: "Do car owners in Japan get their cars regularly serviced?"
Yes. When sold new, each car is serviced after 3 months and again after 1 year, for FREE, by the dealers such as Toyota and Honda. Japanese drivers purchase mechanical warranties and insurance and keeping their vehicles well maintained as a part of the deal. Dealer urge buyers to regularly service their cars – advice which Japanese drivers follow thoroughly. Also, the Japanese car owners understand that their car will have a better trade-in value when properly serviced. Usually, they trade-in their car within 5 years and maintain a good service history, to get a higher trade-in price. The dealer also services their cars before re-sale at the auctions.
90% cars we receive from Japan come with a full service history.
It is safe to import a Japanese car.