[Jap Import] 2010 Honda Stepwagn Mugen

Loobz

Hi all,

Have been toying with the idea of importing a car from Japan. My family is expanding and was thinking of getting a 7 seater. The options in Ireland are the usual suspects, Grand Picasso, Ford C-max, s-max, Mazda 5 etc.

So I thought what could I get from Japan?

I came across this car, which to me looks the business, for a people carrier.
Its in a car dealership

2010 Honda Stepwagn Mugen

Ok so whats the good points
1) 7 seater
2) Honda reliability (would hope for)
3) Mugen bodykit all round, aftermarket
4) 17 inch alloys, aftermarket
5) Aftermarket suspension (seller cannot give me any details on this) apart from its got aftermarket suspension.
6) The car dealer said this is a mugen stepwagn, so I wonder would it be mugen suspension?

So the cons?
1) 2.0 litre automatic, any idea of mpg (even with the eco button engaged)
2) Lowered, am I likely to face speedbump issues here in Ireland? Ive never driven a lowered car so no experience with this but have a fair idea.
I dont know what kind of suspension is installed
3) Parts - if I land this in Ireland, I wont have another to get parts from.

So, what are your thoughts? Would love to hear the positives and negatives, even if you want to expand on my pros and cons.

My heart is really tugging at this car. It may not be everyones cup of tea, but This thing in my eyes is one slick looking wagon.

Toyotafanboi

Would you be going through an importer or doing the importing yourself? You often hear that tradecarview is full of scams awaiting private deal foreigners.

I think your pros are spot on, much more reliable than anything 1.6d you can buy in Ireland. A decent bit more exciting too.

Tax would probably be very expensive on a 2.0 petrol auto like that, do you know what the emissions are rated at on them?

Insurance on anything Jap is very hard to get at the moment, maybe less so with this because it's a people carrier but i'd at least check insurers have it on their system as it may be one of the first in Ireland.

I'd be expecting low 20's around town, maybe brraking 30mpg on run, I could be way off but I don't think that that's too unreasonable. You'd tolerate an extra €10-€15 a week at the pumps to know that in 18 months time you wont be forking out €1k+ for a clutch and DMF or what have you.

Lellostag

It really is a good looking wee van for sure!

Have you spoken to any of the Irish jap importers, they might be able to tell you more about these vehicles in general? They should also know about sourcing spare parts and suchlike.

It's possible the ride will be stiff and bumpy, but hard to know for sure without driving it. Also insurance might be comparatively high, so try and get a couple of quotes to see what ballpark figures you get.

BMJD

It's very cool but I'd imagine that the motor tax will be horrific on it, and will make it near impossible to resell if that's an issue.

RayCon

Personal taste I know ... but I think that's one ugly vehicle.

Barr

I thought Jap imports were dead and buried in Ireland.

Where is a good place to find a car if tradecarview is a bit dodge ?


I think the car looks great for an 8 seater btw.

methodinsane

Hey,

I know this post is old but did you go ahead with this? I'm also curious about importing a mini-van like this or the Nissan Serena. I'm not too keen on the usual suspects.

Any info you have would be great!

Cheers,
JP