WHY IS IT WORTH BUYING?

Everyone naturally wants to buy a car to drive or to resell as cheaply as possible, which is why US auctions are so common in Lithuania and many people use large companies such as Copart or IAA. What many do not realise is that US auctions are often risky: the cars cannot be inspected before the auction, and defects are frequently disguised.

When weighing Japanese auctions against US auctions and the local market, remember that in Japan you can buy a lower-mileage car in better condition for less — and the Cloudauto team brings its experience and knowledge to the purchase, along with every service involved in shipping the car to the country you choose.

Most of us have heard about the impeccable order in Japan and in Tokyo's millions-strong city, about high-quality Japanese equipment, and about Japanese discipline, thoroughness, diligence and honesty. Car auctions in Japan are no exception: before putting cars up for bidding, auction houses inspect them carefully, teams of inspection specialists assess their condition and the cars are graded — you will find the grading descriptions here. The inspections aim to be as accurate as possible; accuracy of information is the auction houses' commitment to buyers. So by taking part in Japanese car auctions you get the best information about a car's condition together with a competitive price. If needed, for an additional €70 our agent will travel to inspect the car the day before the auction, check its condition further and record a video inspection report. You can then adjust your bidding strategy based on what was found — an excellent way to be sure you are buying at the best price and in the condition you expect.

Cars in Japan often have surprisingly low mileage. Why?

One reason is the country's public-transport culture and how society views cars. Most people commute by public transport because it is extremely well organised.

Another important reason is the cost of running your own car. Owning a car in Japan is expensive: the periodic inspection costs about €1,000–2,000 after the first one, insurance is costly and priced on the kilometres driven, city parking is expensive and road taxes are high. Because of this, Japanese families use their cars fairly sparingly, and those vehicles carry far lower mileage than cars in the USA or Europe.

The figures below show the average kilometres a typical car covers per year in Japan, the EU and the USA:

• Japan = 6,017 km
• EU = 12,000 km
• USA = 14,263 km

In the land of the rising sun, the average car is well ahead of US or EU cars on low mileage.

Simply multiply the average age of these cars by the average annual mileage and you will see the enormous gap between a representative Japanese car and cars from other developed countries.

So a typical Japanese car will have half the mileage of a typical US or EU car. The difference is shown below:

• Japan = 70,308 km
• EU = 121,500 km
• USA = 162,204 km