since i am in the repair business as well as the importing business i feel i can give an unbiased answer to your question.
now since you are posting this on a LC forum i am going to assume you are buying a LC...(otherwise you would be posting on the appropriate forum, no?)
first off your link is based soley on fuel economy, not repairs. a 200K vehicle will need more repairs sooner than the 80K vehicle if both have been looked after. it is a falacy that a JDM will cost more to repair than a Domestic of the same model. if the unit never was introduced to the Canadian market then, duh, it will cost more.
to compare repairs of a diesel to a gasser is comparing apples to oranges. the diesel will go further before needing repairs (usually) but in the end cost more to repair. gas also fluctuates more than diesel so the cost of filling the tank can vary week to week if not day to day.
in most cases the RHD unit that had a sister version sold in Canada will have parts that interchange EXCEPT the actual RHD specific parts.
now down to the nitty gritty...
take a normal 20 year CND old land cruiser and it will have on average 400K on it and will already be in need of some repairs, brakes clutch, tires, springs, exhaust, etc etc. oh, and a body and maybe a frame.
now a low km unit from Japan that is in decent shape to begin with will get roughly 200K of reliable use before needing $$$$ spent on it. (if you get a neglected JDM or a roll-back then all bets are off) use your head when shopping, price is not the best judge to go by.
now you need to compare apples to apples so no gasser vs diesel here.
with the diesel you must still compare apples to apples, not just CND vs JDM. if you take a HJ60 and a HJ61 (for example, you can also use the BJ70 and the BJ71). what do you get for your investment?
if you shop well you can get a HJ61 for roughly $12K-$18K these days.
this will include the factory cable lockers, factory trubo, factory winch, factory SR, PW, AC, PDL, upgraded interior and a direct injected engine. AND low milage.
compare this with the CDM HJ60.
you can get these anywhere from $5K to $15K. sounds good eh?
now we have to compare apples to apples:
add a trubo $4500 (of course you can do a junkyard turbo for a few hundred)
add AC $2000 (if you can find it)
add $4500-$6000 for locekrs (or lock-rite for $500 per end)
add $2200 for a winch (or a junker winch for less and of course add the cost of a proper bumper)
SR, PW, PDL, AC etc too expensive to even consider.
AND usually in the range of 400K to 600K so the engine is ready to be rebuilt at $1000/hole
AND the frame will usually need rebuilding or replacing
AND the body will need work
AND the interior is usually less than clean.
Now add to the factoring resale value down the road. you drive the JDM for 100K or 150K and you will still get some money back, drive the CDM for the same and your resale will suck.
unless you find a Yank that is in desperate need for a diesel.
to take this to the next level the whole idea of the JDM importing when it all started was to find vehicles that we didn't have over here, not flood the market with junk cars from Japan. so the oportuinity to own a 73,74, 77, 81 series vehicle was a reality.
in the end if you are making a decision based on fuel mileage or a tight wallet then go buy domestic, there are some great deals right now.
