Are older Japanese imports still a good buy in the UK market?

[Abdul Samad]

Hi all,

I’ve been browsing Japanese second hand cars for sale recently and keep getting tempted by older imports. I’m based in Manchester and working with around a £4–6k budget, so naturally I’m looking at stuff like early 2000s Toyota hybrids, Honda Fit/Jazz imports, maybe even something like a Nissan Elgrand if I stretch it a bit.

My main question is, are these older Japanese imports still actually worth it in today’s UK market? I keep hearing mixed things. Some say they’re bulletproof and better looked after than UK cars, but others warn about rust, parts availability, and insurance headaches.

I’ve seen a few Japanese second hand cars for sale that look super clean for their age, low mileage too, but I’m wondering:

How do they usually hold up with MOTs over here?
Are parts really that hard to source now?
Any issues dealing with DVLA or registration for older imports?
Insurance costs compared to UK-spec cars?

I don’t mind doing a bit of maintenance, just don’t want to end up stuck with something impractical.

Would be great to hear from anyone who’s owned one recently. Cheers

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