Kei Trucks - Why Are They So Popular In The United States?
Vložit
- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- Merch & Blog: www.ZackPradel.com
Contact me!
Email: PradelReviews@Gmail.com
Phone: (331) 462-0706
Instagram: @Shooting_Cars
Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
0:29 - Kei Car Requirements & Benefits
1:58 - Kinds Of Kei Cars
2:43 - Why Kei Trucks Are So Popular Now
5:00 - Final Thoughts - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I can attest to this. I work for a large Japanese vechicle importer. A lot of our US customers buy a lot of these small trucks.
Where do you buy them?
@@Lakillika I would like to know as well.
@@dufjdh3u87rhhdbhfhd My condolences for your living in California. Free states allow them, but only if the vehicles are 25 years old or older.
@@Lakillika if you are on the East Coast. Mayberry Mini Trucks. Tony hss a great CZcams channel, great selection, great price for low mileage trucks. Getting my third one from him next week( Acty Van) all come with titles
@@hurtnpinksock ty
The funny thing is that those Kei trucks are hauling more cargo than most full-sized pickup trucks and SUV's will see in their entire lives.
Whod've knownit? A working vehicle hauling more than the 10 meter tall lifted egomobile F690 with quadruple stacked wheels owned by some suburbanite??
@@amistrophy REAL MANLY MEN . . . use the vehicle and tools that's financially sound and reasonable to get the job done in an efficient and responsible manner.
@@amistrophy The F420 is even better with double door cab so you can go haul the same amount of soaked and wet groceries as a SUV on a rainy day
@@neurofiedyamato8763 hell ya bruthuh pickinh uh my kids from school while my engine deck doesn't let me see 12 year olds within 50 feet of my morbidly ob- uh lean mean elementary schooler crushing machine is the amuricahn dream!!
You are obviously blind
The main point is people don't want an 84 months bi-weekly payment plan. A utilitarian vehicle is just better.
That doesn't explain why you would get a Kei truck over a 90s ranger or similar (which is cheaper)
@@Dr.Duck22 Even if Kei trucks cost the same, you probably get more for your money, save money on gas, parking space etc. theres a bunch of reasons
@@TheIIIJulianIII it still takes up one spot and they're not especially great on gas. Maybe better than a ranger but not by much. It's useful yes, and it's cool.
Less milage and lighter usage? A major reason why people bought k-cars other than cost was that they also gave an additional tax credit. But, once they get old enough they don't get the credit anymore. So, it was decently common for them to be exported after that point.
The other major thing if you do landscaping or farming type work is that you can get a dump model. Which makes moving around dirt, compost, leaves, etc. a lot easier.
And then the width means you could drive one of those things between farm rows depending on your spacing.
And in comparison to ATV style pickups these are often similarly or cheaper in cost.
And these things can actually go on road, unlike an ATV.
When you buy used trucks here in America, there is a decent chance they have been run into the ground.
I don't personally have one, but I have considered getting one.
And I have seen them around $3-8k depending on the brand and features.
Mitsubishi dump k-trucks are usually $3-5k or so.
Hondas are like 4-5k for the basic ones but I haven't seen dump models from them for any lower than 6k.
I haven't gotten one yet, but I am considering one.
@@Dr.Duck22 ill be real with you, a kei truck is about 8k right now, a non destroyed 90s ranger where i live is 11k minimum
When you see the prices of old Tacomas and the sizes of modern trucks it all begins to make sense
The only new vehicle I've ever purchased was a 4WD Tacoma Xtracab. Due to a manufacture's defect (DANA Corporation didn't dip the frames), the Tacoma frame rusted through at 91,000 miles and I'm in the southeast where the roads are seldom salted. I stopped using it as a truck and drove it as a 20 MPG two seat car until the frame rusted completely in half at 137,000 miles and I scrapped it. After sending me a deceptively worded not-a-recall postcard, Toyota did nothing to reimburse me for their defect, and the psychos at the Toyota stealership where I bought the truck laughed at my misfortune. I'd have gotten a lot more miles out of a much less expensive Nissan truck. I'm much happier now with a 1996 Hijet 4WD mini truck that goes places the Tacoma wouldn't, has more usable cargo space (slightly larger bed and no wheel well humps), and gets 31 MPG in town.
@@Liberty4Ever Daihatsu is owned by Toyota btw so you basically got another Toyota lol
@@tristan6509 - I know! I think Daihatsu trucks built for the Japanese market, even though built to a much tighter budget, have better attention to detail and are less likely to have major issues like premature frame corrosion. However, they aren't made for salted roads. Before I drive my Hijet on salted roads, I'm spraying the underneath, including inside the frame, with Surface Shield.
@@Liberty4Ever Daihatsu also makes a lot of Toyota's cars and engines for the southeast asian market (Toyota Avanza, Rush, Raize, Calya, liteAce, and basically every Toyota
@@tristan6509 - Daihatsu briefly sold in the US. The Rocky and Charade, for five years starting in 1988.
These trucks are filling the whole that was left behind by the ending of production for the Ranger, S10, Tacoma, and Dakota. People always loved Small trucks like these, and that hasn't changed.
The new "Rangers" aren't the same and are essentially slightly different f150s. The Tacomas are also no longer what they were, now larger and adding bells and whistles that most dont care about.
Ford pushed out the Maverick which, while smaller, still isn't the old ranger
@@Nope_handlesaretrash Trucks are getting bigger to the point where its absurd, no wonder people are turning to imported kei trucks for utility vehicles.
@Nope the problem with those once small trucks is that somehow manufacturers think the evolution of those models should be bigger and heavier while introducing a new model to retain the original smaller truck they want to continue to sell. Every manufacturer has done it except for a few models like Mazda MX-5/Miata that has somewhat retained itself after every generation.
A body on frame, naturally aspirated, manual tranny, two door, 4x4 option, 5.5-6' bed. We used to be able to choose from Hilux, Isuzu, Hardbody, S10/15, Ranger... Now we have four door car derivatives with tons of tech and not much utility. There's a huge untapped market
lol comparing a ranger to a 660c kei truck, nothing like each other, that kei wont pull a trailer up a hill btw
We just got a kei truck a little over a month ago. Didn't know if we could get it "street" legal here in Virginia but we had no problem. We've found for us that it's MUCH more useful than we had intended. Cleaning out the barn... Kei truck... moving firewood.. kei truck... Lowes/home depot run... kei truck. Everywhere we go there is nothing but compliments, questions and adorations for it.
That's the thing, you can haul various loads with a very compact truck/utility vehicle (fits anywhere), and it has decent gas mileage. Unfortunately US automakers just keep making larger gas-guzzling behemoths, which will probably never run off asphalt. Let alone haul a load proportional to the size. Granted much of that is market drive by consumers, and the stupid misconception small engines = worthless.
Personally I grew up driving both small and large pickups, and I ended buying a 95 Nissan pickup off my father as a first-time vehicle. Loved that little hardbody truck.
My name in-laws are farmers (tangerine orchard) in Korea and have a Bongo truck. Just a great no-nonsense utility vehicle.
Freaking sweet man
It's almost like automanufacturers don't know what people want. Small trucks need to return, we must put a stop to luxury city SUVs and pickups
@@cdgonepotatoes4219 Automakers don't really care what people want. They care about what is most profitable.
Truck like this are so popular because they meet people’s needs at a better price. In America, the car companies try to influence what they want you to buy.
"Bad news, boss. The President just signed into law the CAFE standards. Our fleet of cars must meet a specific MPG that goes up every couple years."
"That is bad. What about trucks?"
"Erm, light trucks are exempt. They don't contribute to the fleet MPG."
"Excellent! We'll just make more light trucks, give them the amenities of cars, and do some marketing to steer all potential station wagon buyers towards SUVs or something between an SUV and a car."
"Ooh! Let's call it a 'crossover!'"
"A crossover! I like it! Get yourself a promotion!"
and who influences the car companies? Oil companies.
and who influences the oil companies? Defense Contractors / mfg
Just an added point: it's not just car companies but ALL companies. This is where advertising and marketing come in. Businesses used to fulfill consumer demand with services or products. Now they artificially create demand for their services or products that no one really wants or needs.
I lived in Japan for 3 years. Almost all utility and delivery vehicles were of this type. The main reason these were popular is because near many of the small shops and retail stores in Japan there isn't sufficient space for larger vehicles to park. These vehicles can quickly pull up to the front of a store, the driver can hop out, deliver the few boxes he has for that store, and be on his way. They are the perfect size for that purpose.
This is an issue in a lot of U. S. stores as well, but we just block the road with our huge trucks. 😢
In other words, perfect for the majority of Americans. Most guys with pick trucks don't off-road, don't come close to max load, and simply like "being in a truck".
These trucks are also popular in India where Suzuki manufactures them in collaboration with Maruti and other truck manufacturers like Mahindra, Tata and Ashok Leyland use a similar design.
This is also true for many Asian countries
@@nigelis2345 Those lil' trucks are pretty popular in Brazil and all across South America as well. Hyundai is a big player in Brazil.
I love these Kei vehicles. I used to drive these wee trucks, and vans back home in England. These are great for delivering car parts in, and are super handy for sneaking up a back alley to get around traffic. Yes, I did that several times whilst trying to deliver to a few garages in London. Don’t be fooled by the small engines. These are definitely zippy wee vehicles, and are tougher than they look. Great content by the way.
Yes, I have gotten my sambar pickup over 70mph here in Indiana.
@@kdrapertrucker they're allowed on the freeway?
@@1wun1 Why not? They are cars. Registered cars.
@@grisflyt there are places where they're plated like ATV's
@@1wun1 I'm sure there are. But it doesn't make sense. If you can drive a model T Ford, then you should be able to drive these. It's not just that a T Ford offers no protection, it doesn't operate like a modern car. All old cars are essentially death traps. A large Volvo from the late 1990s doesn't offer the protection of a modern hatchback. Where do you draw the line?
These kei trucks are amazingly useful. The small engine isn't good for towing a big trailer, but they will haul a large load if you're not in a big hurry. The 660 cc engine doesn't accelerate quickly but eventually reaches 60+ MPH for driving around town and on secondary roads. The bed of my 1996 4WD Hijet is larger than the bed on my full size bed Tacoma, and more importantly, it doesn't have the two big wheel wells screwing up the cargo area. Ever tried carrying sheets of drywall on top of the wheel wells? Hit a bump and the drywall cracks. The kei truck beds are completely flat. The sides as well as the tailgate can be folded down, out, or removed to make a flatbed. The design is very clever. There are four hooks on each side of the bed on the outside that are used to tie down a load. I found that I can place plastic grocery bags against the inside of the bed sides and wrap the handles over the bed sides to secure the bags using the hooks. Every time I carried groveries in my Tacoma, they were scattered all over the bed unless I took a lot of time to strap them in place. Mom's wheelchair can be placed in the bed and its seat belt is just long enough to secure the wheelchair to one of the hooks.
The small truck zips through traffic and parks in any parking space with luxurious room to spare so there is no concern with door dings (mine or theirs). The turning radius is tiny. On all but the narrowest two lane road, I can slow, swing right as far as possible, and turn 180 degrees in the width of the road. The small size is great off road as well, weaving between close trees, and the 4WD mini trucks with low range are real billy goats. They'll go almost anywhere. They're incredibly tough. They have beefy steel frames that are so short they don't have much flex. They're rated for 350 kg (770 pounds) but I carry half a ton in mine (same as the Tacoma) and other people carry a ton as long as they aren't going fast over bumpy roads.
The US needs mini trucks, preferably with a 1200 to 1600 cc engine, although I love getting 30+ MPG in town in my 4WD Hijet. Protectionism is the reason we don't have something similar. The manufacturers want to sell $70,000 Ford Raptors in the US. The smallest "trucks" we have are unibody cars with pickup beds.
Maybe they are not to your liking, but we are getting smaller truck-y things with the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. Rumor has it Toyota might sell something like that soon, too.
@@unconventionalideas5683 - Toyota is introducing their Stout to compete in the city truck market. All of these, including the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz are unibody construction. A real truck is body on frame construction. The little kei trucks are tiny, but have body on frame construction and the frames are quite substantial. The front of the kei trucks is sort of unibody construction, but kei trucks are tough body on frame trucks where it counts.
I agree overall.
Although, I think a 1000c/1 liter engine would be fairly decent as well.
Particularly if you turbo it for torque.
I would love to see something like that from honda.
Just stick a 1.0 or 1.5 Liter K-series engine with a turbo and a flat bed.
They don't really have an incentive to sell something like that.
Since they are still making the micro trucks for the Japaneese market.
And over here the only thing they want to sell is bigger trucks.
Fold down sides on a truck is a really nice feature. I am not sure if you can get both that and dumping in the same model or not?
@@jonathanlochridge9462 I have a 1995 Honda acty 4x4 SDX 5speed love it but wished Honda had made a diesel version!
I really wish I could get something like this. It would be perfect for me to travel around town off the highways generally.
I could haul a few things so I could have fun trash picking or I could go to thrift stores. Take the cats & a friends dog to the vet.
Ooohhh I could probably buy a smaller liquidation pallets with one. 😮
I'm sure it could probably handle the regular 8-9 foot ones but I couldn't handle it. Might make me enough money to buy the insurance & pay for gas.
Hi! A fan in Japan here. Currently, based on what I see on the road the top three kei-cars are:
1) Suzuki Hustler (they have some fun TV ads aimed at their demographic)
2) Suzuki Jimny (never see them off-road though)
3) The kei-truck/van (everywhere and used for everything)
Special Mention: Daihatsu Copen (the coolest roadster IMHO)
that ABC I was hoping it was Copen instead lol
@@eidrag I took my Copen to an ABCCS car meet - AZ-1, Beat, Cappuccino, Copen, S660. Other such meets are labeled a variation of ABC+S & such. The Copen & S660 aren't 25 years old yet, thus the reason he didn't mention them in this short video, I assume. A big reason I bought the Copen is because it has the most cargo volume, which was useful on long road trips to the far NESW corners of Japan.
The Honda S660 is the coolest. Hands down.
Saw tons of Hustlers in Japan during my week there last year. Cute little guys.
The Suzuki Jimny was sold here as the Samurai. It and the Sidekick/Chevy Tracker were really popular with rednecks where I come from lol
We have 2 of these on our horse farm and we would have a much harder time without them. The one that is a dump ALSO raises the box vertically approx 6 ft and is a 4wd.
I can't say enough about them. Great on gas, run like champs, sturdy little work horses.
Dealers can now legally import the used ones. They cost 4 to 6K for one in great shape. We scored because ours came from a university that was upgrading. Paid about 1500 a piece. Goin strong after 10 yrs.
Those lift/dump models are extremely useful utility vehicles, I'd love to get one
Are they hard to get parts for?
@@DIYJIM seeing as these are Japanese vehicles I highly doubt you would even need parts after 10 years. Now if you did need parts they probably wouldn't be that hard to get
that sound fantastic? what car is that? I never see kei car that dump and raise box vertically
Drove such a vehicle in the Marines. We called them Mighty Mites. They were bloody useful for carrying two mechanics, a big toolbox or two, and a main rotor servo or what have you around the flight line.
Mitsubishi actually made official lhd versions of the '84-'91 minicab called mighty mits.
@@christiangomez2496 Huh, I always assumed that that was just a nickname we’d made up.
@@FS2K4Pilot it's fine, but cushman also sold a taiwanese made version of the minicab known as the varica or the white truck.
For people who actually use the vehicle for work. Instead of the Crew Cab F150 with shiny bumpers a short bed used to haul the average american family to golden corral.
🤣
No. To work alone and the family occasionally to Red Robin.
lmfao
Yup, similar reason I see older workhorse trucks going for high prices in good shape. Even absolutely beat up they're appreciating
Go live in your socialist Europe city
We drove Kei Trucks in the USAF during the 90s as parts haulers between avionics shops on the flight line. We had a little fleet of those trucks.
in korea we use bongos mostly, theres a handful of f150s and f350s, and like 10 rangers. theyre fuckin awesome, theyre bigger kei trucks, think a kei thats a bit bigger and a long bed. best goddamn trucks we have and im buying a personal one here in a bit.
I saw a few still in service at Joint Base Lewis-McChord just a few weeks ago.
I do wish these were a thing when I was a teenager. So many possibilities me and my buds could’ve done with such a unique platform.
need t bring da boys to the party? PUT EM IN THE BED! if not comfy enough, PUT A BED ON DA BED.
Hayabusa swap or Honda CBX 6 cylinder.
Big turbo and ECU remap
Instant 90 hp
The university in my town has been ditching regular pick up truck for these kei trucks. Since they are small enough to drive on small pedestrian path, they don't rip up the lawn. They can be driven without pedestrians needing to move off the paved path in certain area. The workers also love these because how low to the ground they are so they can easily pick up anything the trucks are carrying without having to constantly hop on and off of the truck bed.
In my hometown in Europe small Japanese trucks were already extremely popular when I was a kid. The city employees that did gardening in public parks or cleanup work. Even maintenance crews would use them. You can fit a reasonable amount of stuff in those cars while still being able to carefully drive it on super narrow alleys, side walks and paths in parks to get where you needed to get. They are super affordable and barely use any gas. They are also easy to repair. Some of them were actually equipped with brushes and big vacuums so they could do sidewalk cleaning with them. I always wanted one of them. I would worry about my safety though as people to tend to drive very fast in Germany and they offer pretty much no protection lmao.
They really are perfect for that stuff. Some cities by me use UTVs for a similar goal, but their beds are often way smaller.
Here in the Philippines, before the western kei vehicle boom even started, these kei trucks especially the Suzuki Carry are really popular business vehicles that you can rely on. They're commonly known as Multi-cabs here since these are usually converted to a public transport vehicle similar to a jeepney and of course this type of kei vehicle is the most common one to see here. These are literally everywhere from cities to even secluded places deep in the provinces. That's how reliable and a good alternative they were to a motorcycle or a larger similar vehicle like the Mitsubishi L300. And yes all multi-cabs here are Left hand drive :)
I did not know they made left hand drive Kei trucks. Good for you!!
@@mztokyo7630 Suzuki might've actually made LHD versions of their Indian Carry variant back in the day but most kei trucks and Vans here (also other vehicular imports) from Japan are usually LHD-converted since RHD vehicles here are illegal.
Here's a wiki link to get a gist of the kei vehicle scene in PH: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multicab
They convert it. They chop it up when they put it on cargo containers and they get reassembled.
@@SatoVerds0027 do they also cut the underchassis? I sometimes see multicabs that are longer than kei vehicles
@@padorukurumi6572 it depends on where you get your unit. Some chassis are welded back together and some are intack. There a lots of dealerships. Some do a really good job overhauling the engine and replacing with new parts and some don't, they just make it look good. It's kinda a gamble also so you have to do some research.
The real reason we don't have these clearly isn't safety concerns, our requirements have become more stringent with time. It's because the automotive industry doesn't want people to have the option for anything other than their overpriced garbage.
Great video! Just frustrated with the state of this country
Leave if you can, it's not going to get better.
In Canada these Kei cars, and other Japanese imports, only have to be fifteen years old to be legal. Hence the significant numbers of Skylines, etc that can be seen on our roads.
In Australia there isn't an age limit to import them as they are classed as low pollution vehicles because they use so little fuel and even if the engines are no cleaner than other vehicles. We've had a Honda acty, a Daihatsu move and now a Mitsubishi minicab miev EV.
Kei trucks are great because we haven’t seen small trucks in the States since 2011 (last year for the original Ranger). There’s a place for compact trucks: trucks that you can park anywhere, trucks that don’t have DudeBro attitude, trucks that are good for hauling medium sized furniture or appliances, trucks you can tow a small boat or camper.
@@Riorozen Standard truck which being sold WHERE exactly? SUV frame truck have shit little bed mounted high up the arse. Even technical workers are buying old trucks by the mass for this reason.
@@Riorozen Small trucks aren't allowed here because of the EPA, we aren't allowed to import small Trucks either unless they're 25+ years old. Manufacturers get penalized for making smaller trucks. Thats why we don't have more of them compared to other countries.
@@RiorozenSmall trucks died because EPA standards made the R&D needed to produce them cost prohibitive.
We know this because the market for used mini to midsized trucks is very, very healthy, with current not so mid sized trucks doing well.
Hell, today’s half ton’s major advantage over the old Ranger, Mazda B series, andDakota is raw size, which isn’t always an advantage.
Good luck trying to tow something with Keitora's (Kei trucks). They really like carrying stuff but they hate pulling or towing stuff
I've had my '96 Daihatsu HiJet for about 2 months now, and love it! I just got a snow plow delivered, and need to install it, the primary idea of getting it. Fortunately, Indiana allows registration for on-road usage, just not interstates, and I wouldn't want to drive it there anyway. But, I believe only 29 states allow them on the road, with many of those having significant restrictions. It is incredibly useful for so many things around the house, a powered wheelbarrow for yard work, quick errands to the store, and snow plowing.
Cool! Can I ask where you purchased it from? I'm looking to get one near Muncie.
I do enjoy Indiana's laid-back vehicle laws. Most states just use them as a poor people tax anyway (especially inspections).
I’m so glad we don’t have the 25 year import law over here.
In rural areas and mountainous areas of Japan, there is one light truck per house. They are ideal for use on the narrow roads peculiar to this country, in agriculture and forestry. (Often there are more cars for commuting and shopping.) But Mitsubishi, Subaru and Honda stopped making them, leaving only Suzuki and Daihatsu.
You are very knowledgeable. I live in Japan and you are right.
As far as I am concerned these are a superior replacement for a Gator or a Mule. Fully enclosed cockpit and a bigger bed, and every bit as capable off road. Ive had my '91 Daihatsu Hijet for 8 years. They recently enabled use of these in very limited scenarios on road, but Im not going to title mine, I only use it off road. It was not taken very good care of by its previous owners but I love it. I use it cutting trees and hauling hay bales (16 - 20 at a time). Nimble as heck dodging around trees (where my fullsize pickup would get wedged) but when I hear it getting scratched I can ignore it, and it can climb any hill I have and will go through 2' of snow like its not there (last winter it did get stuck-ish in 4' snow drifts. But so did my Kubota 4x4 tractor). It also hauls my garbage cans to the street and I use to to fetch my mail most days. I wish an American company would start making these. Small, light, cheap to run, simple, no electronics besides a radio, mechanical 4x4 and locking rear diff. As dependable as death and taxes. Id buy a new one for $10k, maybe $12.
You’d see them on the road in the UK a lot. A local sandwich shop to me used to use Daihastu Hijets for lunch deliveries.
As a lover of all things Japan, If the front crumple zone wasn’t your knees I’d be all over these sorts of vehicles. I’ve been a van lover for a while and the kei vans are simply something else. The closest thing we have is maybe the cube or Nissan nv200 but they are literally $25k with 100k miles.
There are left hand drive version of these Kei trucks in Taiwan. They are extremely popular for small businesses and street vendors. They are affectionately called "發財車", which literally means "get rich car", or fortune car. As there are many business use for it, and one of that is food truck and vending business.
The Algonquin commons in Illinois uses a kei truck with their people who do the salting and keep up with the plants and such. I spoke with the guy and he was happy that I knew about them.
There's something both hilarious and awesome about a pickup truck that you can park in a compact space with room to spare.
You missed a few things like how depending on the state you can register a kei truck newer than 25 but it’s treated like one of those Polaris things and is just as expensive. Along with the fact some states are banning them sadly. There was also a time where Mitsubishi and Daihatsu sold LHD USDM versions of their kei trucks but they were off-road use only just like a side by side. It’s crazy to see these getting more and more common
Yeah in my state, a local university has some kei trucks and vans (I believe they're Suzukis) from the early 2000s. They get used for all sorts of things, and I always smile when I see them out and about. They're road legal but I don't know if they're allowed on highways.
In California the law states that you can only drive a kei truck on natural islands in countries with over 2,000,000 in population. Which means that you can only drive them on Catalina Island.
If those states are baqq could be sure it's a big thread back in detroit or behind it they don't want the competition
In my state they are only legal on roads with a speed limit of 35MPH or less.
Why would they ban them?
Pog to see more people in America has grown to appreciate that cars can be small aswell
They are license produced in Europe by the Italian Company Piaggio which makes them useful for the Narrow Streets in Europe. These Japanese Kei Cars will be categorized as city cars using the European Union car sizes. However lose to Peel P50 made in the United Kingdom because you can take that to your workplace as seen in top gear. Also Canada has a similar 10-15year rule which will also make a 2008-2013 model of Kei Trucks allowed there
It was kinda surreal seeing a Japanese-style pickup passing by me on my way back home from grocery shopping,but honestly,I’d love seeing more people adopting the more low-profile kei-class of cars and pickups
Back in the late 80s I had a Suzuki flat bed truck for my horse shoeing round... it was brilliant! Fuel economy was amazing, it was fast enough on the highway, and so compact I could almost drive it into the stable with the horse. Being a "cab over" design, the tray was nearly as big as a regular small truck, so there was plenty of room for my gear, forge, anvil, steel stock etc. It cost $8000 brand new on the road....
When I sold it, it had done 150,000 trouble free miles and was running like a watch. In all that time the only costs were tyres (cheap because they are little) oil, filter, coolant....oh...and a set of contact points.....
it was also my first car too back in 2008:
a 1986 Suzuki Carry 4x4:
-with only a 0.5L 6-valve 40 HP @ 86 Nm
-a 4spd manual
-with only 69 MPH max. speed
-and a old fashioned 4x4 hub locking system
........which did service for our family's basic needs too
until we sold it and upgrade to a bit newer one in 2010,
a 2000 model Suzuki Carry 4x4, which is better equipped than our previous one:
-0.6L 12-valve 3cyl. 50 HP @ 96 Nm
-5-spd manual
-automatic 4x4 locking system
-limited slip differential
-and a 77 MPH max. speed
and it was still with us until today
Biggest reason in my head- a new Maverick, for example, is SUPPOSED to start at like 20k. Haven’t seen one for less than 32k since they came out. Full size trucks are 47k & up, for bare bones work truck models. Prices are actually insane.
Blame the chicken tax law. Keeps competition out. The downside is that the Kei trucks (and others) will fold like a dixie cup in a crash.
@@theodoreolson8529 just European competition. But man do I wish Mercedes trucks were here in the states. Japanese trucks are objectively better than the US competition but Americans want American
@@dawsongranger4940 I'm old enough to remember when pickup trucks were a cheap alternative when shopping for a car.
@@dawsongranger4940 No we don't. Most of us prefer "authentic", Japanese cars from Japan, German cars from Germany, American cars from the U.S (not Canada) but price easily overcomes that preference.
@@antilogism Huh? Americans want american trucks, they don't look where the trucks were manufactured. Otherwise japanese trucks would be the most purchased since they're built in america. Most american trucks are built in mexico lol. And prices for american trucks are about the same as japanese. You're in the minority if you care about "authentic" trucks, whatever that means
I just got followed by one of these today. I was in a tandem axle dump truck and the Honda Acty behind me with a tarped load in the bed and collector plates was taking up only about 1/3 of the lane. Although I like them, I would be much more excited to see is what is known as a "mini dump" and are very popular throughout southeast Asia. They're a proper low-forward cabover, such as Fuso Canter, but narrow and small, basically a mid-size or compact car with a 10' bed. A truck that size with a hood would only have a 5' bed. The Kei truck has a 6ish foot bed, as opposed to 3ish for a UTV the same size. Hoods are bad.
Up here in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan these have become popular as well. We only have to wait 15 years.
Because Nissan Silvia's are no longer $4,000, and this is the only way someone can get into the JDM scene now 😅
These are perfect for people who need/want a utility truck that is nimble in an urban environment, but tough enough to traverse back roads without having to take out a small mortgage to pay for it.
With 3-d printing, you could craft appliance badging whose fastening would match a particular vehicle’s factory knockouts. I would love to see Maytags, Kenmores, and Whirlpools on the road.
Lol that's a great idea
I owned a kei car when I lived in Japan, a 1991 Daihatsu Mira J. It was a pretty good little vehicle.
They're popular because they are handy little runabout. I saw these for the first time when I was in Japan at the Naval Base. The place was full of these being used by the Japanese contract workers there.
In the UK, we had things like the Bedford rascal / Suzuki carry and the Honda Acty
Still a bunch on the road that were supplied as Camper vans. Ideal for going down narrow lanes and just plain fun
I use to own one of these little pick ups in South Africa.👍 They’re awesome. Never a parking problem 😂
First time I saw one was at some farm out in Ocala that’s had it for years. Made it easier to get feed out of the horse paddocks that were far away from the barn.
Literally every 5 years, some auto company comes out with a sub compact or small 4x4 or rarely a small-ish truck. And every time there's an initial niche of people who love it, it grows generation by generation to the point where 10 years in it's the size of regular sedans or giant SUVs, it gets drowned out in the market because it's one of dozens, and it gets canceled. Give it 10 years until the maverick is the size of an F150 and gets canceled.
The Maverick is already too big.
yeah, 200 inches long is not small
Watch the Santa Cruz double in size by 2033
It all has to do with CAFE standards. The automakers keep increasing the size but keep the same or smaller engine so they don't have to pay penalties.
@@GeneralChangOfDanang I'm glad you brought that up. Manufacturers pay $14 per 0.1 mpg a vehicle falls short of mpg standards. Big vehicles have looser standards, but importantly, a big vehicle has a smaller maximum potential penalty. If a Ford Raptor falls 20% short of standards (like 5 mpg) it will have a smaller penalty than a Fiesta that falls 20% short (like 10 mpg). The margins are so high on the big truck that the small penalty is trivial, but for small car the bigger penalty really hurts.
we had a version of these kei trucks/vans in the us they just weren't popular or well known outside of the real rural areas. LHD versions made by Daihatsu called Hijet. they were classified as a light commercial vehicle outside of Japan and were road legal in the us.
Car dealers don't want to sell small cheap vehicles. The "free market" argument often doesn't represent what customers want, rather what manufacturers and salesmen choose to put on offer. The chicken tax and more recently the CAFE fuel economy standards keep small cheap vehicles out of the hands of wanting customers. Such laws are how cheap competitors are kept out of the US.
Oh you missed a whole section of these Kei vehicles. The Kei campers.
Kei campers, both in van form and truck based, follow all the same rules, 11' long, 660cc engine, etc. BUT in most cases they will still fit in the average.... garage. Think about that a second. A camper, that you can park in a garage.
Now these campers often don't have all the luxuries that an American camper has... but in many cases that can make them better. No water tanks means no winterizing. They have heaters, and small diesel heaters can be added. No propane tanks, cooking done off small single burner "camp stoves", but this means no worrying about propane tanks, you just get/use little butane tanks just for cooking.
you have a warm, safe place to sleep. you can cook little meals, its perfect for going out for a night or weekend.
Don't forget that a lot of them are AWD and naturally have a short wheelbase. You can take these things offroading to some extend, more than the modern SUV atleast.
@@TheIIIJulianIII Lets define this as "farmland offroad" they are good on dirt trails, mud and old roads... area's where a normal car would bog down.
@@jenniferstewarts4851 especially on certain us roads. So many potholes
The kei just incudes a lot of well thought out products designed to meet specific use cases. Those uses cases have not changed, so the kei still meets a need that we do not have a domestic replacement for. I want a kei for the utility, parking, and accessibility.
I imported a 91 acty van 2 yrs ago. Done a ton of maintenance. Do yourself a favor & get everything done in Japan before its shipped over. A lot of fun to drive around. 5 speed 3 cylinder 660. .66liter
Me and Jenny had a Daihatsu 660 cc 4 stroke kei tora for years, we loved it. The "poverty model" was offered with the 380 cc 2 stroke, which may have been a more interesting option.
As someone who grew up with these it's interesting how Americans look at them and foreign things through rose colored glasses. In Japan with Japanese courtesy yes they are fine but in the US the culture on the roads drivers are changing rapidly, people are very aggressive and impatient. I would only use these on a farm or in a very small rural town. They are also very slow.
Yeah the most road use I ever see these get here is either very rural farm roads or in denser areas for property maintenance (IE, a college campus). While one imported under 25 year law would technically be legal for the interstate, it would be overall a bad idea, and most states that allow them to begin with ban their use on the highway anyway
I think you're right about this. People shouldn't mistake a kei truck to be a daily driver, or commute car if you get on the highway. Speed limits in Japan are MUCH lower than they are in America. Driving a kei car on a 70 to 85 mph highway would be terrifying. (Also, kei cars can get some speed in a flat but if there are hills, forget it). If you want something to have on the farm but also drive into town to get something at the hardware store, a kei truck is perfect (which is what most F150 drivers are using their trucks for anyway.)
A little known note id like to make is at one point an American company named Cushman legally sold kei vans that were produced in China as a license built Suzuki. The names were very uninspired (it was literally the Cushman White Van) and I believe they were effectively sold in the meter maid market. Its rather obscure but it goes to show this isnt even anything new!
Here in the Philippines we convert these Kei cars from right to left since they were introduced in the 90s. They haul almost everything including people and they are ubiquitous.
I worked at a golf course in the early 90s, and we had two Daihatsu Hijet trucks. Fantastic vehicles!
Love my Subaru Sambar, it is the size as a side by side UTV, but better equipped and I can license it to drive on the public roads. I drive it to work at Subaru of Indiana car plant, today I hauled some mulch home, and then cut up and hauled a tree felled in spring storms .
I picked up a Honda Acty truck and it's hilarious. Not a daily so I don't mind waiting for parts and some dealers locally keep the basics stocked
My school had these all over the place, used em for absolutely everything. Cute little utility truck, i actually kinda want one
Hey, I have a good video essay topic: Wheel Skirts/fender skirts. They were quite popular in the 50s but then they suddenly got a revival in the 90s with some GM vehicles.
Better than EVs
We have 2 of these and we use them on construction sites to move material and equipment. They are incredibly well designed and useful. More suited to the job than the crap we can buy here in the states. Looking at you Rangers/ sidebysides, whatever and your tiny boxes and miniscule wieght capacities.
We throw half a ton in the back of the kei truck and it has no issue at all with it. Along with a 4 wheel drive and even low gears as well.
Fantastic video Zack!
I think a lot of people looking at kei trucks are looking for the reason I am: they’re cute and not useless.
Awesome essay
I remember seeing one back in 2020 before the lockdowns. Never seen a truck so small, but obviously looks so convenient
Superb video! Thanks!
I've watched many of your truck review videos. You'll be happy to know that I designed a custom cup holder for my Hijet mini truck and it's 3D printing now. It'll hold my 32 ounce HydroFlask thermos bottle, so it'll pass your big bottle challenge. :-D
Are you looking to sell them? I have a '96 HiJet and need a cup holder. Leaning my travel cup on the dash against the A pillar works "most" of the time, until it doesn't!
@@davekaylor458 - You get the Brother Of My 1996 Hijet Discount. If you can somehow get me your address, I'll mail you a Hijet cup holder. Not sure if you can send me a private message on CZcams. I have the same user name at the Mini Truck Talk forum. You could send me a private message there. The cup holder is large and it mounts to the left of the gear shifter on the manual transmission model using the single 10mm bolt that's probably the same on an automatic? It's a large cup holder with thick springy fingers that hold large containers such as my big HydroFlask thermos. Smaller containers such as pop cans are a loose fit that slide around slightly but won't tip over. It's actually been working very well. I uploaded the design to Thingiverse if you'd like to see it, or if you know someone with a 3D printer who could print one for you.
Why not just put the file up on thingaverse?
Etsy is a great place to sell the physical item, and if you wanna sell the raw file, gumroad is an excellent place for that. I'd be interested in this too, as I'm looking to buy a HiJet personally as a daily driver.
The ABC cars are cool and all but I really want one of the vans... specifically the Subaru Sambar with the sweet dual sliding sunroofs. :)
same. With the supercharged engine preferably.
@@rokko_hates_japan Oh, definitely.
We have had a Suzuki carry for about 15-18 years now. It is a great little truck! Way more affordable than a utv but can’t get into those deep wooded areas without modifying it. Got it grandfathered in for road use and gets 45 miles a gallon. Only issue in the road is it maxes out around 50 miles an hour but it is great for the back roads.
Awesomely informative.
It truly boggles me that these aren't hitting the mainstream market in the US with Left hand drive and coming new, especially with the growing want for a cheap small truck.
Because they're as safe to drive as the VW Bus was. And smaller too.
@damian blanez and yet every year, people still buy and want a new VW. Folks also buy motorcycles, too. Cheap =/= safety and understanding there's a market for people without families who don't care how safe a vehicle is will be pretty profitable for whoever figures it out.
@@lordofrims right, as if the trucks sold in the US have good safety record...
@@666Tomato666 generally safe as long as you don't get hit by anything heavier than you
@@cpufreak101 protip: US trucks don't have to meet any safety standards to be allowed for sale
The Philippines has LOTS and I mean LOTS of Kei trucks and Kei vans. Suzuki is mainly the popular one for these vehicles
LHD converted
Great video. Thanks
We did get similar vehicles back then, mostly as lsvs. These LSVs were based on versions of these trucks made in other asian countries such as mostly china, taiwan and sometimes korea that were licensed to local manufactures. I’ve
Nice and informative. But if you live in we know what's best for you better than you do California it's way more difficult to register one for street use, until they suck about $10,000 over what you paid for the vehicle. Unless it's older than about 1975. That's around the time California was given special permission to set up their own stricter emissions standards.
You think California would love these or that Chinese electric one
Also note that in Japan, you must pass extremely strict safety inspections every year. These tests are stupidly expensive and also will fail you for inane things like tiny rust on brake pads. If your car doesn’t look literally showroom ready you won’t pass. It’s why when you import them they are in bizarrely excellent condition. A used car in Japan listed as “please take this junk car it is a stain on my ancestors and I am ashamed to even sell it in this condition” would probably be something like they changed the brake pads 3 years ago and that’s literally the only problem
This is incidentally why many people buy new cars constantly. Because new cars avoid these inspections for the first few years
It's basically to keep Japan's new car buying economy going while for other parts of the world, they have the option to buy very well maintained used cars from Japan. You can also buy used relatively well maintained European cars from Japan as well, like old Mercs and BMWs. Even better is the fact that those European cars are Left hand drive, not Right hand drive that you'd expect. This is again makes it easier to sell to other countries.
Yep. I live in Japan and my father-in-law just gave us a twenty-year-old Toyota Funcargo in near mint condition. He had already taken it to the wreckers thinking nobody would want it but my wife and I begged him to get it back. It'll cost a bit in annual shaken (MoT/ road-worthiness certification) etc, but it suits us fine.
@@robertcarnochan8888 honestly you’ll probably be giving that thing to your grandkids at some point 🤣
the inspection for my Honda Acty is every 2 years and cost about 400$ and the tax is about 60$ a year not that bad , My S class on the other hand is about $2000 for the inspection and $1100 in Tax a year here in Japan,And you are right they are extremely strict here .
Correct. However you can run your car through the inspection process yourself and save money. Japanese dealers and Autobacs will do a free pre inspection for free. Then you drive your car to the test site and pay the actual fees. I do this every two years. Incidentally, I had my car idling issue diagnosed for free last week. Bought a new ignition coil and plug and replaced them myself. Thanks to JP CZcams mechanics for sharing how to videos!!
Came across the Kei when researching Japan for a story. Informative stuff😊
Very informative, thanks
Kei trucks and cars are illegal in Iowa.
But they have side by sides and golf carts aplenty... I've seen plenty of children driving down county highways.
It pisses me off.
I don't understand why, Kei Cars are illegal in some countries and states, they are very very safe.
But around these Aircraft Carrier size Pickup Trucks.. I am from Europe, we already have a SUV Problem and now I see Ford Rangers all over the place and more and more Dodge Rams it is a plague.
I'd like to see a video essay on car radio antennas.
When I was stationed in Okinawa Japan in from 1995-2000, those small trucks were popular among the local farmers and tradesmen. They were all over the place.
The minivan is my first personal car and it's very affordable here in the Philippines. Very utilitarian and even fuel efficient as I only use it to commute from work and doing errands (I'm a homebody).
I really hope they become popular enough for companies to start producing them in the US.
Maverick and Santa Cruz are probably the closest you'll get
Won't happen. They don't meet our safety standards. Plus average American wants the biggest, most gas sucking vehicle they can get. Pity, cause I want one. Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris were dropped this year in US cause they were considered too small by Americans and didn't sell well.
American car companies have ZERO interest in building anything small now.
They got everyone to buy bigger SUV's and Trucks and they are making record profits.
Kei trucks are bit like a stretched Smart Fortwo at 1/3 the price, safety issue should be a solvable problem. I do agree on questionable commercial viability though
nahhh .Here in the States we go by what the government feeds us and they will convince you that big is safer. My neighbor who is by himself drives a Ford 350 van to commute to work, then complains all the time about how horrible it does on gas
something like this would probably be usefull where I work. We have small pallet loads that need to be taken over to painter whose a couple blocks away or random pick ups from nearby vendors. We've shied away from getting a truck because the last time we did it was a bad experience and its amazing no one ever died in that thing (breaks were so bad). With the way prices are now its even less reason for us to buy a truck, but something like this might actually be okay.
Thank you for teaching me something new.
Only saw one of these ever, just a couple weeks ago. I'm seriously intrigued.
They're cool looking like a snack size of something big lol
Deam, it's almost as if you can make usefull truck without making it so big you basicly anihilate everything you hit on the road from pedestrian to normal sized car and it's more practical too ! But you know, that would required good design and client base that dosn't need dick extension.
(Also less abusable tax law)
Fun fact, the US Government came up with a miles per gallon to size chart years ago. Cars that don't fit get slapped with extra fees. Based on the chart it's actually cheaper for US auto makers to build larger trucks because they are required to get more reasonable MPG than something the size of a Kei car which would need something like 45 mpg to pass the guidelines.
It's something new that there is federal guide line of MPG/size(GVW?).I wonder who is it for when dealers are overstocked with overpriced ga guzzling full size suv all blinged, never see a day in mud kind.
The rumor is that many state will stop registering these mini imports. Something fishy going on.
@hoonhwang4778 this has been around for a few decades, that's why trucks have been getting steadily larger.
Thank you so much! The video was well made and narrated. I've curious about these KEI Trucks. I wouldn't mind having one, as long as parts are readily available. I don't mind the small size. After all, I am driving a Smart Car.
I'm seeing a lot in Australia now too, we already have right hand drive so many of the newer models are OK to drive. I think the death of the Ute and the dislike of big American pickups (at least among those who don't have fragle egos) have made them a more atractive option. We're also closer to Asia making shipping thier cars not as expensive. Every time I go past the dockyards in my city I keep an eye out for any Kei cars or trucks getting brought in bulk.
It's worth noting that there has been a few Kei cars or cars based off a Kei car sold here already. The Suzuki Jimny sells like crazy here, it's the non-Kei model but thats only really due to the size of the bumpers and flairs. There is a market for smaller cars that gets sadly ignore to sell more SUVs and "light trucks" not everyone really wants or needs.
K trucks just makes sense they may not be fast or quirky but they are affordable all these used K trucks selling for less than three grand proves my point normal automobiles are selling for over MSRP and as long as the leftists run this country who knows what’s gonna happen plus K trucks are simple because they’re made in Japan. They’ll run forever.
I daily drive a 1996 Suzuki Every Join High-roof 4x4 and it does an amazing job and has been extremally reliable. This tiny van has hauled more than my brothers 2 trucks have every in a few months. I highly recommend buying one if you need a small off road capable vehicle.
Both Kei trucks AND side by sides are driving all around SLC, UT roads. I want a little Japanese truck but already possess two VW rabbit trucks that work quite well so...
Yeah I wondered why it's getting some traction in US. Kei trucks are something Japanese thought they would NEVER EVER take off on US side.
Kei truck is like a honda super cub kind of thing. Not pretty but practical and cheap. Maybe some extra positive for not having exploding batteries?
If you have a house country side, a farm or a job at mountain, I'm sure Kei will be a fantastic choice as your 2nd/3rd vehicle.
They are becoming popular in the US because CAFE fuel economy rules have made small footprint cars expensive. Small footprint cars can get ok fuel economy without any high tech features, but in the US small cars are required to get exceptional fuel economy, while most vehicles are built with a maximal footprint or are categorized as light trucks and have very loose requirements.
I think the market for small cheap trucks is growing, especially in rural places. I'm clamoring to get a Ford Maverick; it's one of the smallest trucks available, but it's still about the size of my 1999 F-150. The Ranger and tiny Nissan trucks died out, F-150s and K1500s became the sizes of what F-350s and K3500s were. I hate this stupid trend. And of course the Maverick is still about $25,000, and new F-150s cost more than a small house in a suburb.
Sadly on your last comment, they're more like 1/4 the price lmao
The college in my town uses Kei vans for parking enforcement and general work stuff.
Unfortunately some states are now banning Kei trucks, even if they are over 25 years old and legally imported into the U.S., because a lobbying group considers them to be unsafe and unsuitable for American traffic, and is recommending states to declare "mini trucks" to be off-road vehicles. Beginning a few years ago, owners of Kei trucks in these states started getting notices that their registration was revoked and they can no longer legally drive it on public roads. See Jalopnik's article "More States Are Banning Legally Imported Cars And Nobody Will Say Why".
Americans finally discover that bigger is not always better
And they now banned in NY. I can't register them at the dmv. Honestly screw the land of the free.
@@sparkypvp2167 tip dont live in ny its going to colaps in on itself and its incresingly stupid burocratic shit