Importing a Toyota hybrid minivan from Japan to US?

July 24, 2006 10:19 AM

We love our Prius. We reproduced. Hybrid SUVs are lame. Is there any way to import this from Japan?

To elaborate,

-from whom (us, japan, third party) can we buy the new version?
-is there any shot of this being legal/drivable in the US, since it's pretty close to the American Sienna?
-I saw an '02 model for sale from an Japanese export car dealer. Is there any difference in my chances if I buy used?
-OK, the steering wheel is on the wrong side. Is it legal to drive a car in the US with a right-handed steering column, or are there places that can switch the steering column to the left-hand side? (please excuse me if this idea is ridiculously laughable)

posted by ericbop to Travel & Transportation (13 answers total)

In general, the answer to any car importation question is that it's impossible. If it's an at all new car, it has to pass all the relevant US standards. This is surprisingly difficult. The particular sticking point is usually the emissions, since the makers tune the systems to meet the regulations in the countries they are actually selling to.

And, even if you're lucky and it theoretically passes the standards, how do you prove that? Are you going to pay for crash tests and emissions testing?
posted by smackfu at 10:36 AM on July 24, 2006

I imagine getting parts for it may be a bit of a pain as well.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 10:46 AM on July 24, 2006

For importing a car between US and Canada, each country has a list for each model of what modifications are needed to the other country's version of that model. But that's where the models are very similar to start with (and even then there are some you can't import).
posted by winston at 10:47 AM on July 24, 2006

EPA list of importers.

LIST OF NONCONFORMING MOTOR VEHICLES
CAPABLE OF BEING MODIFIED BY A
REGISTERED IMPORTER

more here.

It is entirely likely that it will be cost-prohibitive if not outright impossible.
posted by ninjew at 10:58 AM on July 24, 2006

Why do people need such a bigger car when they make children? It's a marketing scam.
posted by xmutex at 11:32 AM on July 24, 2006

Why do people need such a bigger car when they make children? It's a marketing scam.

I guess it depends on how many children. When we had 1 child, we drove a Honda Prelude, possibly the smallest car known to man. However, now that we have 3 children, the least amount of car possible for us is a mid-sized sedan. We'd be more comfortable in an SUV or a Minivan, but we like to drive, and hate trying to maneuver refrigerators down the road.
posted by thanotopsis at 11:37 AM on July 24, 2006

Xmutex, A few thoughts: Car seats, often for multiple children because of parents helping out other parents with taking care of kids. This continues past car seat age. My parents used to take me, my brother, and our friends swimming by loading us all into the available space in the family station wagon (including the bed). That is now illegal (for good reason), kids need to be shoulder belted.
posted by Good Brain at 11:45 AM on July 24, 2006

There are some decent small suv's that get respectable mileage...and won't carry the hybrid surcharge. Have you looked at the Toyota RAV4 or the Honda CRV? The RAV4 gets 24/30 (city/highway), which isn't bad at all.

(A small SUV for long trips and bikes plus an infant trailer for short trips would probably be much better for the environment, as well, if you are into biking.)
posted by rsanheim at 1:39 PM on July 24, 2006

That looks a hell of a lot like the upcoming Sienna . It's a hybrid minivan, not an SUV. There may be a bit of a wait, but best guesses are that it should be over here by 2007.
posted by maudlin at 1:43 PM on July 24, 2006

Hybrid, schmybrid. If you're prepared to swap inner space (+ big bux) for outer grace, get on the Tesla waiting list. Think of it as a Pebble Beach golf cart (close to $100K) for speed players (0-60 in 4 sec). More here.
posted by rob511 at 2:27 PM on July 24, 2006

I think it might be legal to drive a car with a right sided steering column - some usps mail jeeps have them and before Infiniti started producing the G35, I saw a few Nissan Skylines imported from Japan.
posted by ruevian at 3:32 PM on July 24, 2006

ericbop: How many kids? Do you have a pre-2004 Prius? The hatchback model (2004-present) has the interior room of a Camry and plenty of cargo space. If you've got an older Prius and love it, trade up to the newer model.

My husband has a hybrid Escape. It doesn't have any more room in it than my Prius. It has the same hybrid system as the older Prius. I wouldn't say it's lame, but its navigation system doesn't hold a candle to the one in my Prius.
posted by Joleta at 3:57 PM on July 24, 2006

In addition to the need for car seats, which are bulky side-by-side, kids tend to grow. We survived years in a Toyota Tercel until #1 son got tired of riding economy class -- his legs simply got too long to sit comfortably in the back seat. We moved up to a Taurus S/W and he hasn't complained since.

I want a Prius...
posted by lhauser at 7:31 PM on July 24, 2006