US Yaris in the UK?

[carlgt1]

Hi, I'm supposed to be relocating back to the UK in a month. I have a Yaris I bought here in '07, which I put up for sale but I was wondering if it would be sensible/feasible to have sent to the UK for use there.

Has anybody tried this (or I suppose a European-bought Yaris in the UK)? Were there any big issues in having to "convert" it for the British road (i.e. headlamps point the wrong way etc)?

Thanks for any help & advice!

[MadMax]

I am retired USAF and spent a tour in the UK (albeit a while back), but I still go there on occasion for work and know folks stationed there, so I may be able to help a little.

Lots of military people ship US cars to the UK, mostly Air Force as the vast majority of US facilities there are air bases. There are requirements you will have to take care of, I think one has to do with the headlights...adding some tape to keep the beams from shining into the eyes of oncoming drivers (since they are slanted for the other direction). I believe fog or running lights are also required.

Otherwise, since the Yaris is sold in the UK it shouldn't be a problem. However, prepare yourself, as from my experience of doing this there are a few considerations...

For one, you will be sitting on the opposite side of the vehicle and although it is doable, it is not optimal.

Secondly, insurance will likely be much more expensive, getting insured by a British insurer with no "no claims discount" is expensive, expect to pay $2-4000 in the first year depending on age. See if you can transfer your US no claims record across.

The same will be true for parts, but at least they will be easy to come by as you are driving something that is sold in the UK. Still, expect to pay as much as double for everything.

Thirdly, your US warranty will no longer be valid. If you need any warranty work done, be prepared to pay for it yourself then fight with Toyota to reimburse you.

However, that last one is not always the case, we took a VW Passat to Germany and the local dealership actually did a US recall fix on it, but it was a German car in Germany so we had a bit of an advantage.

Lastly, while it still is a great gas sipper, be prepared for a shock. Gas is $7-8/gal over there, maybe even higher.

Oh, and roads are generally much more narrow over there. It isn't a big deal with a Yaris, but it will be different than you are used to in the States. When I was last there this past January, I ended up with a Jag saloon (wagon) rental, worth about $67K, to drive from London up to Huntingdon in a sleet story at night. About half of that drive was highways, but the other half was back roads and it will a bit harrowing!

That is all I can think of at the moment, I hope it helps!

Cheers! M2

[MadMax]

Oh, and since you drive an 07, I forgot to mention that as of next year, you will have to get an annual Ministry of Transport (MOT) inspection, without which it is illegal to drive on public roads. Emissions and sound checks are conducted during the MOT test, and you will automatically fail if you do not meet the standards. Getting caught driving without a valid MOT in the UK is a big no-no, and you will get a fixed penalty and points on your UK driver's license. The Police have cameras on their cars that scan all of the license plates and check a database for MOT and Insurance, so driving without either has become an increasingly silly thing to do (That from a British bud of mine).

Cheers! M2

[carlgt1]

thanks for the quick reply! I should have mentioned that I have lived & driven in the UK before ('03 to '07), but with a "normal" driver-on-the-right car ('98 Citroen Xsara). so hopefully I'll still have my drivers record & insurance etc. I'll have to look into the MOT inspection & the headlights thing. there were little plastic clear reflectors for the headlights when I took the car on a ferry trip to Europe (Belgium-thru-Italy) so maybe there's something like that for making the EU-style headlights proper for the UK?

but right now the shipping seems much cheaper ($1000 each way) than the money I would lose selling it right now in the US with this bad economy. I don't think they'll hit me up for VAT since it's over a year old (that seems to be the cutoff point where they think you're bringing it in to save on costs/tax).

[MadMax]

I know you can get the headlight strips, as all my buddies stationed over there with US-spec cars have them. If you can't find them, let me know and I will see about getting you some.

And I did the same thing when I shipped a second car to Belgium when were were stationed there in 2002, I paid to ship it (I think it was about the same price) to save buying another car over there. I would've lost too much selling my Passat and buying another car. But that was a left-hand drive (or is it right, I always get confused) car in a place where they drove on the same side of the road. I think the only problem you might have over the long run is the fact that your car is set for a road that cants in the opposite direction of what the roads are in the UK. As such, you may be due for alignments more often than normal. Or, it might not be an issue whatsoever. I know there are a lot of US-spec cars that were left over in the UK after their owners left to come back to the States.

I really don't think it will be a big deal overall, as I said I saw a lot of Yarii when I was over there back in January. It isn't that card driving on the "wrong" side of the road, but it will take some getting used to. Just be careful until you get acclimated to it.

Cheers! M2

[carlgt1]

thanks for the tips! when I had an internship in Italy I drove my car (UK "sided: i.e. right-side driver) across Europe and around Italy for a few months -- it was a little weird being on the "wrong side" but not too horrible. The main problem was toll booths & parking places where I had to unbuckle and reach across the seats to the other window. So I guess my US-bought Yaris in the UK will be the opposite of that!

[BurningSky]

how i wish i lived in the states with your relaxed rules on the roads. if you speed too much in this country do you not only lose your license you can go to prison! its interesting you found our country roads harrowing, i think they are great to drive along a night :-)