I have decided to change my wrx and go for an sti, however I am undecided between a 2005 uk car or a 2003/4 jdm model. The car is used everyday although I am not to bothered about comfort. I know the jdms are better cars but how do they hold up in everyday use and also are they any worse mpg wise than a uk car. I know the insurance would be a bit higher but the road tax would be less so evens out really. My head says keep looking for a UK 2005 spec car, although the jdm is a little appealing, does anyone have any experience of these 2 cars as everyday transport.

 

Daz

I have had a 2001 jdm sti as a daily driver for more than 4 years. I have done more than 60000 miles in it during that time, 50k of which I clocked up in the first 2 years due to weekly trips of 200 miles each way. The only thing I could possibly complain about is that it does not have cruise control and the right leg can get a bit achy at a constant speed for a while, but this would be the same as a UK model. I am considering selling or breaking the car now as I hardly use it. The gear ratios are maybe a little lower than a UK car, 4000rpm shows 90mph on the speedo on mine.

I have driven a standard 2006 UK STI on a track and found it had a little more bottom end than my 2.0. I don't have any other experience of UK cars.

The insurance for a JDM will be more and you will be more limited in choice of insurers, but if you are alright paying it then personally I would prefer the JDM with the DCCD, twin scroll turbo, quick rack and all the other things they come with over a UK car.

Hope this helps.

Edit to add that it now has 92k on the clock and is still going strong on original engine, gearbox etc. I had to replace the clutch, radiator and a wheel bearing but other than that it has just been service items which will be the same as a UK car.

 

I went from UK Spec cars to JDM and my insurance was cheaper

 

interesting - have you considered depreciation also? I guess the JDM would hit the rocks a little harder maybe?

 

You may well find the uk loses more over the more desirable JDM car

 

JDM V5/6 (99/00) STi Classics are selling at over £5k for good ones.

MY99/00 UK Turbo £3500.

 

Thanks for advice, but anyone any experience of a blobeye UK car and JDM, especially in the running costs

 

Weird you say that my mates looking to get his 1st scoob and he said a import was cheaper then a UK car too, I was shocked.

 

I was under the impression that the JDM cars [imports]were more to insure and would depreciate quicker than the UK cars' however in a recent thread I started, similar comments were made, suggesting that the JDM cars hold their money better and are cheaper to insure.
Could it be that the JDM owners are only commenting on these points?
I maintain the opinion that JDM cars are cheaper/evenly priced second hand but I can't comment on insurance as I haven't had a quote.

 

In the last 12 months JDM's have suffered less in depreciation IMHO, probably because the £ has tanked against the Yen so it's an expensive exercise to try and import a JDM now and there arnt that many of the later models around, it's harder to find a Blobeye JDM STi than a UK spec one for example.

I've had my MY05 JDM STi for 13 months now, it hasn't missed a beat, cost me nothing to own other than the usual service costs and fuel. 10K miles covered, now has 38K on the clock.

 

I was looking for a '03 JDM for the last few months. Everyone i saw advertised i just missed out on. Was gutted. Did a lot of research and found the 05 UK car was not that far off the 03 JDM. Would still have got the JDM if i could have but i really am pleased with my 05.

 

I have only had jdm cars, 1994 wrx, 1998 sti 4 and 2001 sti 7 in that order from 2000 to now. My insurance went up each time, especially when they regrouped everything a few years ago and the car jumped from group 17 to group 20.

There are now new groupings, I found out today from the Thatcham website, and these have to be used by all insurers as of 31 December 2009. I have looked on the site and it shows different groups for different models of impreza, even within the sti variants there are differences, perhaps this regrouping has something to do with the jdm quotes being less than uk.

thatcham.org | Research | Insurance Group Rating

As for running costs, I used to get 25mpg on a 200 mile run at 4k rpm in the 2001 with just an exhaust, panel filter and walbro fuel pump for mods, 2.0 litre engine.

 

You're slipping Tony, that's pretty tame for you

dnc

 

I lived with a Spec C (better version of JDM STi ) as a daily driver for 2yrs ... loved it

Insurance issue is a myth, it's the same as a UK or maybe slightly less. Tax will depend on when car was imported as mine was a 54 plate so should have been lower tax however was imported & UK registered after Mar 2006 so incurred the highest band

TX.

 

i use my jdm blob sti everyday..absolutely no problems what so ever...

the only difference ive noticed is the insurance is a tad higher, but if you shop around you will find the price you want...

other than that everything is hunky dory....

 

my JDM MY06 Type 20 350bhp is EXACTLY the same as the Cost of a WR1 at my insurance

Love mine

Tony

 

My JDM Spec C Hawkeye with mods declared only costs £600 to insure