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“Which car to buy under 25 lacs PKR? JDM or local?”

This is the most-asked question on all of Pakwheels’s social media platforms, and the answer is controversial. On the Pakwheels forum and in the offline market, JDM vs local is the most common argument between buyers, it’s indeed a heated argument of all time.

We’ll try to expose the real truth about the JDM vs. Local car argument so you’ll know which car is best for whom, especially under a 25 lac budget. 

All the data for this article is obtained from multiple car users (both JDM and PKDM), forums, and experts’ opinions.

Disclaimer: This guide is specifically written for individuals considering JDM vs. PKDM cars within a 25 lacs budget and may not apply to higher budget ranges.

JDM vs. PKDM Cars Highlights 

Here’s a quick comparison if you don’t want to read the whole article:

JDM

1. Better Built quality (If Genuine)

2. More Features

3. Good Fuel Avg.

4. Ugly Shapes

5. Lack of availability of Spares

6. Expensive Spares

7. It’ll be a pain in the brain if it starts giving problems

9. Less mechanics

10. Noiseless Cabin and Very Robust Cars

PKDM

1. Lower Built Quality

2. Bad Quality Plastic

3. Good Fuel Avg

4. Decent Shapes

5. Less features

6. Spares are readily available

7. Spares are dirt cheap

8. It gives problems more often, but mechanics are able to understand it

9. Mechanic Available in every nook and corner

10. Noisy Cabin

11. Official support with warranty

Issues With JDM Cars in Pakistan

Keep these things in mind when buying a JDM in Pakistan under 20 lacs PKR

R Rated JDM Cars Import by Showroom Dealers

Almost all the JDMs in showrooms are R-rated. These showroom owners import total loss cars to Pakistan and get them repaired by local mechanics.

Showroom dealers usually import:

  • Water flooded cars
  • Total loss accidental cars
  • Discarded or scrapped cars

The showroom dealers uses “Jugaaro repair”  techniques to save the cost. Their most common “Jugaars” are:

  • Using other model compressors, e.g., putting Mira’s AC in Aqua.
  • Using very low-quality bumpers and body parts
  • Using “Kaabli” parts in the interior and engine
  • Getting it repaired from unprofessional mechanics
  • Bypassing vehicle’s ECU to get rid of warning lights and errors after restoration

The only thing that matters for showroom dealers is keeping the restoration cost as low as possible in a way that it is not visible and detectable by the customer during the purchase.

And if you think you can import S, 6, 5, or 4-rated JDM cars by yourself, their pricing will be just too expensive to make sense for you.

The import tax, duty tax, customs tax, currency conversion, and shipment charges will make the car just too expensive that you could buy an almost new Changan Alsvin for the price of that 2020 660cc JDM.

Spare Parts Pricing and Availability Issues of JDM Cars

You might find the parts of your JDM car in used condition, also known as “Kaabli parts.” Still, these Kaabli-used parts are much more expensive than those of PKDM cars.

For example:

  • Suzuki Alto Hybrid S 2021 headlight cost: 40-50K PKR (Kaabli)
  • Suzuki Alto VXL AGS headlight cost: 7-12K PKR (Kaabli)
  • 2021 Suzuki WagonR 660 Hybrid headlight cost: 50-75K PKR (Kaabli)
  • Suzuki WagonR VXL AGS headlight cost: 10-15K PKR (Kaabli)
  • Daihatsu Move 2015 headlight cost: 20-30K PKR (Kaabli)
  • 2nd generation Suzuki Cultus headlight cost: 12-18K PKR (Kaabli)

There’s almost a 350% price difference between PKDM and JDM cars’ headlight costs. Other major parts, such as the dashboard, steering, compressor, body parts, and bumpers, also have the same price difference as headlights.

Less Understanding of JDM Cars by Local Mechanics 

Most local mechanics work on the formula of “drive until it’s wrecked” formula. It means not to repair the car until it’s totally broken down or ruined.

“Car is driving normally, but still see the check engine light? No problem, just bypass it!” 

They don’t bother diagnosing and repairing the issue unless it starts giving noticeable symptoms, and JDMs don’t work like that.

If you choose to bypass the check engine and warning light and don’t repair the unnoticeable issues, they might cause major troubles in the future.

These JDMs do look nice, drive nice, and have a technology basket, but they have no official support in Pakistan.

On the other hand, you get official support for all PKDM cars and a warranty if your car is not too old. You’ll also be assured that your car is in the hands of a certified technician.

Pros of JDM Cars 

If you can afford these issues with JDM cars, then they are a good deal. Here are some pros of JDM cars relative to PKDM cars:

  • Loaded with a lot of techs
  • Pleasure to drive with soft and very smooth suspensions
  • Great cabin isolation
  • Safety is uncompromised
  • Very solid in build (if genuine or repaired by a good mechanic with genuine parts)
  • Highly reliable and built to last (if maintained properly)
  • Fuel average is great
  • AC performance is up to the mark in JDMs, not comparable to same-league PKDM cars
  • High-quality paint (if genuine) and plastic’s are dense and don’t feel cheap

Verdict

If you want to drive a JDM car, go ahead. The JDMs within a 20 lac budget, like the 2010-2013 Mira, Move, and Stingray, are indeed good options. Their drive and built quality will be much better than our PKDM cars, but you should note that 90% of them will be total loss repaired cars.

Just make sure to do a complete inspection, check their auction sheets, and get them checked by a local mechanic or use Pakwheels inspection service for ease.

However, if you don’t want to take a risk, go for a brand new Alto VX. It’ll be a 100% safe and secure option. However, in that case, you will have to compromise on built quality and ride quality.