Japanese pickup trucks: the best models to import from Japan

The Toyota Hilux is the default Japanese pickup for a reason: it is the most widely supported vehicle of its type almost anywhere in the world, so parts and mechanics are never the problem, and resale is the strongest in the class. That reputation is priced in, which is exactly why the alternatives are worth a look.

The Mitsubishi Triton, sold as the L200 in many markets, and the Nissan Navara are the comfortable double-cab rivals. Both offer comparable payload and four-wheel drive and usually cost less than an equivalent Hilux, so they buy you a newer or lower-mileage unit for the same money. The Isuzu D-Max is the fleet operator's choice, valued for diesel economy and mechanical simplicity rather than for comfort.

One point of terminology matters when you search Japanese stock. What most markets call a pickup, Japan largely sells as a light truck or a cab-over. Beyond the double cabs above, the Japanese domestic market is full of Toyota Dyna, Hino Dutro, Isuzu Elf and Mitsubishi Fuso Canter flatbeds and tippers, and of kei trucks such as the Suzuki Carry and Daihatsu Hijet. If your job is carrying goods rather than carrying people and goods, those are often the better and cheaper answer.

Buyers routinely overbuy. A double-cab 4x4 pickup is the right tool when you need to carry a crew and a load over rough ground, but it is heavier, thirstier and more expensive to service than a light truck that carries the same payload on a flat bed. If the vehicle spends its life on graded roads moving goods, a two-wheel-drive light truck will do the work for less.

At the other end, kei trucks are the most under-appreciated Japanese import in this category. A Suzuki Carry or Daihatsu Hijet carries a genuinely useful load on a tiny fuel budget, fits down lanes a pickup cannot, and is cheap to buy and repair. For farms, market traders and last-mile delivery they frequently beat a full-size pickup on total cost of ownership.

Four-wheel drive and diesel command the strongest demand wherever terrain is rough or fuel is expensive, but both raise questions you should settle first: whether your market restricts diesel imports on emissions grounds, and whether local fuel sulphur content suits a newer common-rail engine. An older, simpler diesel is often the more robust choice in markets with variable fuel quality.

The process is the same as for a car, with two differences that catch people out. First, size: a flatbed or tipper is often too tall or too long for the cheapest RoRo rate and may need a different booking or a container of its own, so get the freight quoted on the actual dimensions rather than on a car rate. Second, commercial classification: many customs authorities tax goods vehicles on a different schedule from passenger cars, which can work strongly for or against you depending on the country.

Everything else is familiar. Confirm your market's age limit and its steering-hand rule before bidding, since Japanese stock is right-hand drive; arrange a pre-shipment inspection where your country requires one; and budget the landed cost as CIF plus duty, VAT or equivalent and clearing, not as the auction price.

Because these vehicles are bought to work, condition matters more than on a passenger car. Inspect the load bed floor and its mounting points, the chassis rails for cracks or crude repairs, the rear leaf springs for sag or replacement, and the clutch and gearbox on a manual. Ask specifically whether the truck has been used as a tipper, since hydraulic work is hard on a chassis.