What does auction grade 4 or 4.5 mean — is grade 4 safe to buy?
Looking at imported Japanese cars and every listing mentions an "auction grade" like 4, 4.5 or R. What do these actually mean and is a grade 4 car safe, or should I only go for 4.5 and above?
2 Answers
- 1✓ Accepted answerJapanese auction grades run roughly 3.5 (rough) up to 5/6 (near new). Grade 4 = good, original-condition car with only minor wear — perfectly safe to buy. 4.5 is cleaner still. The one to watch is "R" (or RA), which means the car was repaired after accident damage — not automatically bad, but you must know what was fixed. Also check the interior letter grade (A/B/C) and the body map for repaint/dent marks. Most important: the sheet itself can be forged, so verify it independently before you pay.
- 3Adding to this — grade 4 with mileage under 80k and interior B is a sweet spot for value. Just never trust a printed sheet the dealer hands you; get the chassis number checked against the auction record.
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