Job Discussion Forums

[giza]

There is also road tax. It ranges from Y4,000 to Y40,000 (depending on the car's engine size) payable every year in May.

[Stella]

I'm here to confirm that the driving here is frustrating and bad but as others have said because it's slower probably less really huge crashes. I've been in three accidents here and they have all been Japanese people just pulling out and smashing straight into me. Driving here certainly makes you pay close attention to what's hapening around you because there are so many Japanese drivers who aren't doing that!

Re: the cost of expressways, I think some earlier said it was about 1000 yen for 50 km but I know in my area it;s more than that. I pay 1000 yen if I drive about 25 km on the expressway.

If you are thinking about living in a smaller city then parking might not be so bad. I live in a city of about 120,000 people (about an hour from Hiroshima) and my parking is a big spot that comes with my apartment for 3000 yen a month.

I'm taking my car back to Auatralia - if that's where you are from and that's where you want to take one back to you can get info at:
http://www.dotars.gov.au/transreg/vsb/vsb_10.htm#INTRODUCTION

Stella

[Gouki]

Hi Stella,

What kind of car is that?

[Stella]

Hi!

It's a Honda Civic. I chose that because Hondas cost sooooooooooooo much more in Australia than here.

I've checked on freight prices to get it home and it should be about 100,000 yen. Even adding that and import tax etc. to the purchase price it will atill be cheaper than buying the same model back in Australia.

[Gouki]

[Celeste]

Gee, in Vancouver, Canada, Honda Civics are known as really great used cars and have an extremely high resale value. In what country do they not retain their resale value?

[Stella]

Gouki,

Re:
It better be a good Civic, as Hondas don't retain their values very well. You could well get a second hand car in Australia for a very competitive price.

I beg to differ!

On the contrary Hondas hold their value very well in Australia. I owned one there before I came to Japan and sold it for a good price used. I paid about AU$7000 for the car I have here after checking up on the value of it back home. The same used model back there is worth double what I paid here. Of course mine also has much less km than usual in Aust and things like A/C, Power windows etc that all make it worth more in Oz too. I have friends that own a car dealership in Australia and asked them about trade-in values and they confirmed the values I had found.

I've checked into this pretty carefully and although I may be wrong, I don't think I am. Either way, we'll seen next year when I take it home.

Que sera sera

Stella

[Gouki]

Stella,

I'm referring to the Australian market (Hondas there do not retain their values well). However, in your case, you are indeed getting a far cheaper car than what it is being sold in Australia (and with less kms as well!).

You can make some profit selling it too

[David W]