Anthony Manoharan's 1997 Nissan 180 SX that he imported from Japan.Supplied
When winter finally lost its grasp last year, Anthony Manoharan pulled his 1997 Nissan 180SX out of storage for the first time. Driving it on a cool spring day was a 25-year dream come true. Because it is a right-hand-drive vehicle, he rowed through the gearbox with his left hand, listening to the cult-famous, turbocharged SR20 four-cylinder engine wind out.
Manoharan, who owns a Muay Thai and boxing studio in Toronto with his wife Ashli, says his passion began in high school. It started when he bought his first car, a 1990 Nissan 240SX. It was similar to the 180SX but lacked many of its features, including the turbocharged engine.
Manoharan says the Nissan was a less popular choice among car enthusiasts than the Honda Civic, which was the preferred tuning platform in the late 1990s. However, he chose it because he was a huge fan of Formula One racing, and preferred rear-wheel-drive cars. “There was the 240SX or the 300ZX,” says Manoharan. “I didn’t have the money for the 300, so I got the 240 instead.”
Not long after buying the car, Manoharan began researching modifications and the potential of swapping in an SR20 engine. Over time, he built his 240SX to 180SX specifications.
But for more than two decades, he pined for an authentic 180SX. Two years ago he made that dream a reality by importing one directly from Japan.
Manoharan used popular Japanese car search platforms Goonet Exchange and CarSensor, browsing through every 180SX that was available before landing on what he calls the perfect car: a clean 1997 model with 33,000 kilometres on the odometer.
Because of a mandatory vehicle inspection program in Japan, it isn't rare to find a low-mileage vehicle is good shape.Supplied
He worked with an importer who took care of all the legwork, including having the car inspected in Japan before securing it in a shipping container bound for Canada two years ago.
Used car prices in Canada have risen significantly over the last few years, fuelled by low supply and continued fallout from pandemic-era supply-chain shocks. According to AutoTrader’s price index, the average transaction price for a used car during the first three months of 2026 was $36,713. That’s expensive, but for buyers willing to look abroad, Japan offers a practical alternative with an abundance of choice.
Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) cars offer Canadians a treasure trove of used vehicles. Finding well-maintained JDM cars with such low mileage isn’t an anomaly; the global market is flooded with them, thanks to Japan’s mandatory vehicle inspection program, known as Shaken.
An inspection must be completed every two years and includes an exhaustive inspection of nearly every part of the car. The body is examined for damage or illegal modifications, and checks are performed on the emissions system, brakes, suspension, undercarriage and even the headlights. New cars are the only exception, exempt from Shaken for the first three years.
The Shaken inspection can be expensive, especially as a vehicle ages and requires more maintenance. Most vehicle manufacturers recommend major service items – such as the timing belt, water pump, and brakes – as a car nears 100,000 kilometres, all of which must be completed to pass the Shaken inspection. In Japan, weight and road taxes increase once a vehicle is older than 13 years, prompting many drivers there to sell their cars before these costly milestones are reached.
As a result, many of these older, meticulously maintained, low-mileage JDM cars – including models well-known here, like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda Civic – find a second life on Canadian roads. There are also Japanese market European cars such as BMWs, Porsches and Ferraris that can be had for a significant discount versus buying them in Canada. And, because of the strict biennial inspections, they are often in better condition and many are even left-hand drive.
When Anthony Manoharan imported the Nissan 180 SX from Japan, it had 33,000 kilometres on it.Supplied
As long as a vehicle is at least 15 years old, it is exempt from the regulations of Canada’s Motor Vehicle Safety Act and can be registered and licensed in most provinces. Quebec restricts registering right-hand-drive cars that are younger than 25 years old and Prince Edward Island enforces a similar road ban on right-hand-drive vehicles.
Many specialized companies, such as Calgary-based B-Pro JDM Imports, help clients source and import vehicles directly from Japan while managing the paperwork and shipping logistics.
There are also dealerships that import and stock JDM cars in their inventory, such as Upper James Toyota in Hamilton, Ont. Vehicles on the lot have already passed safety inspections, meaning they can be purchased and licensed just like any other used car.
However, Gu-Sang Park, a sales manager at the dealership, notes that there are only a couple left, adding that the dealership is likely not importing any more because of increased shipping costs caused by a rise in global fuel prices.
One of the remaining cars, a 2008 Toyota Vitz (a Japanese-market Yaris), has fewer than 10,000 kilometres on the odometer and is essentially a “brand new” used car. Because it is 18 years old, it still features analog instruments alongside physical buttons and dials, unlike many new cars that relegate core functions to a touchscreen.
The Vitz is known for its reliability and low running costs, so finding one in this condition in Canada is almost unheard of. The only catch is that it’s right-hand drive. While that isn’t much of an issue once you get used to it, you do have to give up going through drive-thrus when you don’t have a front-seat passenger to collect the food.