Import vs Local: Which Should You Choose?
Importing your own unit can save money on paper — but it isn’t always the cheaper or faster option once you account for everything involved in getting a car from a Japanese auction to your driveway in Nairobi.
What “importing yourself” actually involves
Sourcing from an overseas auction, arranging shipping, KEBS/PVOC pre-export inspection, port clearance, KRA duty, NTSA registration, and transport from Mombasa — each step has its own timeline, paperwork, and chance for costly delays.
The real cost comparison
- Buying locally in-stock: the price you see is the price you pay — duty, clearance and registration are already done.
- Importing on order: typically 8–14 weeks door to door, with the advantage of choosing exact spec, colour and mileage.
- Importing solo: the same timeline, but you carry all the risk if a shipment is delayed, a unit fails inspection, or duty calculations change.
When importing makes sense
If you have a very specific spec in mind — a particular trim, colour, or low-mileage example that simply isn’t available locally — ordering an import is usually worth the wait.
When buying local makes more sense
If you need a car within the next few weeks, or you’d rather have it inspected and sitting in front of you before you commit, in-stock local units remove almost all of the uncertainty.
The fastest way to import a car is to let someone else carry the risk of the shipment, the inspection, and the paperwork — that’s effectively what you’re paying for with an import-on-order service.
We run both: a curated, inspected lot of in-stock cars for those who want to drive away this week, and an imports-on-order service for buyers with a specific spec in mind.
