I bought a boring but unusual car

[simon_g]

Couldn't find a European market MPV that I liked enough to buy, so I'm importing one from Japan instead. Had an agent bid on a few at auction over the last couple of weeks but this went through on Saturday, in nice condition and fit my budget so now it's mine:



It's a Honda Stepwgn RG1 - 2.0l petrol K20A engine, autobox, 8 seats, powered sliding doors, a nice practical box for carting family, bikes and DIY stuff around in. Long wait now for shipping and paperwork but hoping to have it on the road by early May.

[Mito Man]

Looks cool!

[NotoriousREV]

JDM people carriers are awesome. They know how to do them right. At some point I plan to own a Delica 4x4 on balloon tyres.

[Gavin]

A friend imported a Legrande a year or so ago and it was a fraction of the price of getting a UK importer to do it.

Do you have to swap out dials or radio or anything significant? I think he had to stick a fog light on it.

That looks very smart, an age hiding reg number and it could pass for new.

[simon_g]

Radio is just a normal double DIN - some had an optional bigger built-in screen which I avoided. It has a dealer-fit nav unit in there which will get replaced straight away with a CarPlay one.

It's a digital dash in a strip under the windscreen and still old enough to use a simple conversion chip (actually not necessary for MOT but easier than working out km difference in your head). For rear foglight they're fitting neat ones that replace the bumper reflectors so no need for an ugly thing dangling below.

[IanF]

Very nice! I’ve had lift in one a few times in Tokyo. Was amazed by the space inside - think we had 10 in there plus driver. Thankfully, the girl sitting on my lap was quite svelte!

[Jobbo]

I love the odd Japanese people carriers. We were picked up in Hawaii in a Toyota of some description with a lovely growly V6 engine.

The only ones I can think of which ever made it here which were close to JDM-style cool are the Mitsubishi Grandis, Honda Stream and Toyota Previa. Wonder why the Japanese makers generally don't bother to give us the interesting stuff?

[Rich B]

Yep, JDM people carriers do have a certain something about them - that one looks good. I just came out of a meeting and saw this!

[Jobbo]

I was just googling to try to work out what sort of Toyota I rode in and that came up, Rich - it's an Alphard, apparently. Although I went in a Sienna, more like this:

[Mito Man]

I also want to go in Sienna.

[240PP]

JDMAF

[Coaster1]

Very

K20A engine, so how many bhp?

[Rich B]

K20A engine

Just through some googling, are you sure? Wiki says R20A?

[simon_g]

Yep, k20a - the generation after this (in late 2009) got the r20.

It’s (obviously) not the Type-R one but the economy unit - 155PS.

[Rich B]

Yep, k20a - the generation after this (in late 2009) got the r20.

It’s (obviously) not the Type-R one but the economy unit - 155PS.

Aaah, I thought it was the newer one. In the right colour (white) they look new (in a weird JDM odd way!)

[evostick]

That looks ace.

I've had a mild yearning for a Delica shagging wagon with the crystal roof for years.

[KiwiDave]

See these things everywhere here and a mate has just suggested one as a bike carrying tool. But seeing as you've done the research already - do all the back seats come out and is the floor flat afterwards?

[simon_g]

https://www.honda.co.jp/auto-archive/st ... 2007/seat/



Yeah, that's what I really like about them - rearmost row flips up to the sides so you get plenty of height. Middle row tumbles forward to tuck behind the front seats. Could unbolt any of them if you really wanted more space.

The floor left behind is so flat they actually offered a wood laminate type "flooring floor" as an option.

The later RK ones (2009 onwards) have a really clever system that uses the space behind the rear axle for the rear row to drop into - you still get a totally flat floor but the seats aren't on show.

[Jobbo]

Looking at the size of the bicycles and scooters in that image, it looks more like a K-car size

[simon_g]

Ha, yes those are little bikes. I think it’s a bit over 160cm from back of the folded seats to tailgate - hoping I can get one bike in whole on the diagonal (like in the Berlingo) else front wheels off of carrying a few.

The whole thing is about 4.6m long, they’re not enormous cars.