How do I import an Alphard Hybrid from Japan?

I have also heard used vehicles are *much* easier to bring over than new, used to see it a lot with motorcycles.

For everyone interested in that minivan, please recommend your friends to purchase the Mazda 5, it is another "euro" sized minivan, and the first modern one here. If it sells I'd think it a safe bet others would try out the market, especially if they already have one being sold elsewhere. The bigger problem is most manufacturer believe americans want 4500lb minivans. Sad but true. . ..

 

It'd be EXTREMELY unlikely that you'd be able to have it certified for a reasonable cost for use in the US. Motorex brings over Nissan Skyline GT-Rs and they're not cheap. See http://www.skylinegtr.com/q&a_pg.html "What modifications do you perform in order for the GT-R to meet US regulations ?" and http://www.motorex.net/common.html. See http://www.skylinegtr.com/STOCKLIST.html for an example of the prices.

Besides the all the work they had to do, I believe they had to buy some Skylines and crash test them just to prove that they met US standards since no car sold here by Nissan is considered similar. You'd probably have to buy an extra one to have it crash tested.

I've personally seem some imported Skyline GT-Rs. They don't even have a VIN. In place of where you'd find one, there's a metal placard that reads "SUBSTITUTE FOR U.S. VIN" followed by a some letters and #s that don't at all match the format of a US VIN.

 

If bringing foreign vehicles to the U.S. via private sale were that easy, you'd see almost every other car on the road done in this fashion. I would have me a new Renault Megaine in a heartbeat..or some other Euroo-model, especially Citroen.

When I moved back from the UK nearly 10 years ago, the only thing we could bring back without modification/certification was anything pre-1968. I had a 1967 Austin Mini (automatic) but elected not to bring it back since it was not very healthy.

There is way more to certification than meets the eye. Even the Glass/windshield has to be changed out. Believe me, it will cost almost as much as the vehicle (or more) to have shipped over.

I've heard of people importing them in to Canada (through "connections") but if you want to have it registered in the US, you may run into some serious problems.

 

I noticed the Estima uses a drifferent hybrid "system" then the Prius. Does anybody know the difference?

 

I just looked at the Mazda 5. It looks nice but the mpg's is the same as my Chevy Venture extended mini-van.???

 

From what I understand the Estima is the newer version of Previa (remember those) that was sold in the US from 1990-2000. Instead of bringing the new version the gave us the Sienna (I do not want a bulky minivan). Bring me the Estima(Previa Back) in a hybrid version...