Mark in Victoria
a year ago
I had a fantastic experience purchasing a car through Velocity Cars (not to be confused with Velocity Auto Works!) and wanted to share it here to highlight this JDM importer. So… I was on the hunt for my midlife crisis car (lol!), but being half Scottish, I also had to be, well, frugal. I narrowed my search to a few vehicles — some infamous for their frequent need for mechanical work — and the Mazda MX-5, specifically an NC or early ND model. My search evolved over several months, but one car kept popping up: a 2005 Japanese-import NC MX-5, right-hand drive, automatic (erg - but my wife would like that), with a wicked paint job. The price seemed reasonable, yet the car wasn’t selling. Even after a price drop, it still sat there. Was it the RHD? The 6AT gearbox? I wasn’t sure. So, I reached out to Velocity Autos and spoke with Nikola, one of their salespeople. I got the details on the car and then asked him point-blank: why hasn’t it sold? What’s wrong with it? Nik was refreshingly upfront and honest; the complete opposite of the stereotypical “used car salesman.” I truly appreciated that. He walked me through every positive and negative on the car, over the phone. He also provided the original auction sheet from Japan and had zero issues with me arranging for an independent mechanic to inspect the car. Since I lived 100km and a ferry ride away, they even held the car for longer than their usual 3-5 days and worked with me a bit on the price. After everything checked out — including some minor issues Nik had pointed out, which turned out to be even less of a concern than I expected — I made plans to travel, test drive, and finalize the deal. Once again, the experience with Velocity and Nik was smooth, professional, and a pleasure. I felt confident in my purchase, which is all you can ask for when buying a used import. Interestingly, when I posted about my JDM purchase plan in a few forums the weeks before today’s purchase, several people warned me about Velocity Cars. Without getting into the specifics, the concerns all stemmed from events that happened over a decade ago. My own research, as well as a deeper dive by one of the commenters, showed that the company has changed ownership since then. When I mentioned this to Nik after completing my purchase, he explained that the new owners have been working hard to rebuild the brand’s reputation. From my personal experience, they’ve succeeded and then some. From start to finish, my purchase process was 5/5, and I’m very happy with my car. If you’re considering Velocity Autos and hear about past issues, know that my own experience was excellent. I’d happily recommend them to anyone looking for a JDM car!