We all love JDM cars, they are stylish, have good performance, and have a good durability reputation. But what about the price? Are they cheap? Well, most people (people who don’t know about JDM) think that JDM cars are very cheap, but in reality, they are not!
To give you a perspective, a used (but in good condition) 1997 Toyota MK4 Supra was recently sold for $176,000. Focus on the word “used”, and this does not even include the shipping costs.
With prices like these, can you really say that JDM cars are cheap? We don’t think so.
You might now ask, why are these JDM cars so expensive? Mainly because of the demand for these cars. JDM has a very high demand from JDM lovers and if you understand supply and demand, you will know why these cars are so expensive.
Although most JDM cars are expensive, there are still some JDM cars that are cheap and affordable. Here in this article, we will look at some of the cheapest JDM cars in the market.
1. Honda Accord 4th gen
Although this doesn’t look like a typical JDM car that you are used to seeing, it is still a JDM car. Most importantly, a JDM car is cheap. The Honda Accord is a very practical vehicle with 4 seats and a 130-140 horsepower 2.2L engine. Keep in mind, these JDM cars are extremely customizable and you can bring up that horsepower by a lot with some aftermarket modification. Speaking of modifications, don’t forget the exterior of the car as well. If you don’t like the look of the Honda Accord (let’s be honest, it’s not the best-looking car), you can customize that as well to give it a bit more Bazaam!
You can find a Honda Accord in good condition for about $2000 and you will be able to go a bit lower depending on your negotiating skills.
Although this car is relatively cheap, it has some common issues as well:
- As these cars a bit old, there may be rust is some areas.
- There is a common issue on the fuel pump on these cars as they tend to go bad quiet easily.
2. Mitsubishi eclipse 2nd gen
This is a thing of beauty! Made famous in the fast and furious franchises this car is basically a budget supercar. It has the same 4 cylinders that you get in an EVO, is all-wheel drive, mid-engine with stock turbo combined to generate a whopping 207 horsepower. The eclipse has a good reputation for its handling capabilities. All though some might argue that the overall car design is sort of boring we think that it is one of the slickest looking cars and we think some might agree with us as well.
Remember we mentioned that this car was in fast and furious? Some people really buy these cars for their love for Paul Walker and customize their cars to replicate the one Paul drove in the very first Fast and Furious movie.
With that said, for a car that has been around since 1995 -1999, they have held up a reasonable value at $3200.
Some common issues for these types of cars are:
- Rust is a common issue on inner panels of the car due to the age.
- The stock turbo has small issue with its seals and these are not common on every eclipse, just on a couple.
3. Mazda MX-5
Mazda Mx-5 or otherwise known as Miata is a fun, small, reliable, and good sporty-looking car. Although it is not a family JDM car with four doors where you can take your whole family for a spin, this little convertible provides an amazing darning experience with great handling and if you need more power, there are always tons of engine modifications that you can to this car to get that extra boost you are looking for. The MX-5 comes in mainly two engine variants, a 1.6L engine and a 1.8L engine with a 6-speed manual transmission.
The price of these cars starts at around $2000 depending on the model (engine type) and the condition they are in.
Some common issues that you can find in these cars are:
- Rust as for the old production age.
- Spark plug wires are not that durable and has to be replaced from time to time.
- The alignment of the car easy sets off and you must fix it occasionally. (Depending on how your drive, if you drive aggressively this might be the case and if you drive softly and gently, you will not find to fix the alignment as much occasionally.)
4. Honda Civic 6th Gen
A car that has been adored by almost all JDM fans, the Honda civic 6th gen. This car holds its reputation for the possibility of the insane number of modifications that can be done to it. The civic comes in three models, a hatchback, a coupe, and a 4-door sedan. Remember when we said that this car is adored by almost all JDM lovers? Well, that much love for this car brings a big community as well. If you are a civic owner, you are automatically a member of that prestigious community. These cars come in several engine v-tec engine types and are easily replaced with more powerful engines to get more performance.
The retail price of these Honda civics is around $1200, which is a bargain for this type of legendary JDM car! The only downfall is that these cars are hard to find as owners don’t want to sell them.
Some common issues of these cars can be identified as:
- The windows tend to malfunction overtime and has to be replaced.
- Rust is a common issue on these cars for their age of production.
- Those V-tec engines tend to have some rattling noises overtime.
5. Nissan 300ZX Z32
The Nissan 300ZX Z32, a thing of beauty! This is really a fan favorite for its looks. This car has an eye-watering 3.0L V6 that generates 220 horsepower. This is one of the most powerful budget JDM cars to be ever produced that backs up with an amazing body design (sort of similar to a Toyota MK4 Supra). This is an of course a mid-engine car that is highly customizable.
There is also reports that this car has another rear-engine variant with twin-turbochargers.
The price of a Nissan 300ZX Z32 will go for around $6000 depending on many factors such as the engine type and the overall condition of the car.
Some common issues of this car are:
- There are some electrical issues reported.
- As for the big engine, the space on the engine bay is a bit tight.
6. Lexus IS300
Although this doesn’t look as much sport as some of the JDM cars we have discussed here, it’s still an affordable JDM car. This 4-door sedan produced by Lexus has a 3L engine that produces 207 horsepower and is rear-wheel drive. This means that you can take your whole family for a chill Sunday cruise and step on the paddle and do some daunts in a parking lot when you want to let loose.
The price of a Lexus IS300 goes for around $2500 for a car in good condition.
Some common issues that are reported with this type of car are:
- There is a slight acceleration lag in stock cars, this can be avoided with aftermarket modifications.
- Also, there are some issues with the air conditioning.
There you go, some of the best and cheapest JDM cars in the market today. Please keep in mind that this process may vary depending on the time you read this article and on several external factors and this cost does not include import costs, these are the prices if you wish you buy these cars from the US. Also, if you know some more amazing JDM cars that are cheap and affordable, please comment below and share them with the community.
