Toyota Jap import

Posy

Will (probably) be buying a second hand 2004/2005 toyota yaris soon.. my budget is max. €5-6,000. A friend told me they'd seen a couple of Japanese imported ones but I had heard that Jap imports can be a bit dodgy.. How do I even tell it's a Japanese import?
Since I've no idea either way, thought I'd check here and see if any of you good people have any opinions/advice.

Thanks!

colm_mcm

Japanese imnported Yaris's can be spotted fairly handy.

They're badged as a "Vitz" instead of Yaris
They often come in unusual colours
They will have air conditioning
A lot of them are automatic

Pros:
They will be showing very low mileage
They will have things like aircon and rear electric windows etc.
They can be quite cheap
They are generally very tidy

Cons:
Unless the owner can supply the aucion sheet the car came with from Japan, then the stated mileage isn't to be trusted. Irish cars can be clocked too, but it is rife with Japanese imports. Don't buy purely on mileage.
They don't have the same underbody protection as European models so may suffer rust underneath
The radios don't work properly over here, and the only cost-effective solution is installing a messy looking aftermarket radio. (the really basic models are ok as they use aftermarket radios from factory)
Some parts are more expensive.
Many don't have an immobiliser.