Anon Questions Kei Cars

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chillanous@reddit

Kei trucks aren’t really daily drivers for people who live in places where highway driving is a necessity. You aren’t using one to commute, they’re for around town (or around the property, if you have land). They are amazing chore trucks. Go buy a couch off marketplace, pick up a few boards for a project, etc. you can get that functionality without having to commit to a $50k full size truck. Lots of people want that.

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HandZop@reddit

vhy do you buy cars that are practical, ve don't do zat in germany

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Dangerous-Shoe-2485@reddit

whats wrong with the kei truck? it seems very efficient and cost effective

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Din_Plug@reddit

They're great if you need an inexpensive side by side. Not so great if you need to go on a highway.

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AyAyAyBamba_462@reddit

a US highway that is. For Asia they are fine because the speed limits are way lower and people tend to be more respectful of them for a number of factors.

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undreamedgore@reddit

Looks uncomfortable.

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likeaboz2002@reddit

They’re only practical for the very specific use case they were designed for, which is basically low-cost localized urban transport of goods/materials for business. The closest the average American gets to this use case is a couple of Home Depot trips a year. For use as a daily driver, they really don’t have much going for them. They can’t haul passengers, they’re cramped, they’re slow, they have almost no safety features, are at minimum 25 years old, and parts can be hard to come by. For most people, it’s a novelty. A fun little barebones truck to run errands on the weekend with. Almost anyone trying to daily drive one of these would be better served buying a 25+ year old Civic. And for the record, I like Kei trucks and would love to have one. I just don’t think they’re the magic solution to all car market issues like some people think.

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TheReverseShock@reddit

Nothing, Anon is probably a car dealer or something. A Kei truck is perfect for someone single who needs to haul stuff regularly or a small business owner. That or anon can't find one for sale and this is one big psyop to drive down interest in them so there's more stock available.

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Karpsten@reddit

German here. Don't buy the VW. Buy a Skoda instead. They are a subsidiary and produce basically the exact same cars, but they are sold for cheaper.

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PovazskaBystrica@reddit

What? I should buy Škoda Citygo and not VW Up? Or should I buy Seat Mi? Or Seat Ateca instead of Škoda Kodiaq? WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE THATEVERY BLOODY CAR IS THE SAME EXCEPT FOR THE STEERING WHEEL, DASHBOARD AND THE PRICE!?!

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GreenKangaroo3@reddit

Actual german here. That's an Audi. Horch, der Meister spricht.

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Karpsten@reddit

Who is Audi's daddy?

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MindGoblin@reddit

Personally I'd advise against buying either of them.

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memefarius@reddit

Seat kinda do that too

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Karpsten@reddit

Yeah, they are also part of the VW Group. Same goes for Cupra, who are a subsidiary / brand of SEAT. So they basically sell rebadged versions of already rebadged cars.

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0mica0@reddit

Damn, german dude recommending a czech car. Germany really went downhill.

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Prestigious-Fig1172@reddit

Deutschland under alles!

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GuyOfNugget@reddit

Deutschland ist das schlimmste Land.

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Karpsten@reddit

They are also owned by VW and mostly produce cars based on their designs nowadays. But yeah, our automobile industry is kinda fucked. The government protected them from having to innovate (which didn't prevent them from laying off a bunch of employees anyways), and now they are way behind on producing worthwhile EVs.

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bigFatHelga@reddit

Same goes for Audi and Seat. The A1 and Ibiza are exactly the same car with different badges.

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Arstanishe@reddit

wanted to argue because i like my golf, but it is true, skodas are kinda bagde engineered VW

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MrBingly@reddit

Maybe because someone looking for a pickup truck is looking for cheap and practical, and someone that is looking for a status symbol doesn't want some average car that's overpriced because it's foreign.

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lord_foob@reddit

Kei truck is cheaper then any thing else new on the us market even with import and tariffs

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airfryerfuntime@reddit

Why are you comparing a 25 year old Kei truck to a new truck? For what they are, and as old as the are, Kei trucks are insanely overpriced.

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gr1mm5d0tt1@reddit

Get the brand new truck then. Enjoy the depreciation

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airfryerfuntime@reddit

I've literally owned a Honda Acty. And, again, why is this being compared to anything new? You can find an old pickup for less thst will be far more capable.

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KacerRex@reddit

Yarp, you can still find a Ranger for a reasonable price. Parts availability is massive, and they are pretty reliable.

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airfryerfuntime@reddit

You can find a *nice* Ranger for $8k. I've owned a couple of those, as well. You can find a cherry low mile late 90s XLT V6 4x4 for less. It won't be a mountain goat like a mini truck, but it'll at least be able to go on the highway and tow something.

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gr1mm5d0tt1@reddit

Rangers in Australia are the least reliable Ute you can get. Cheaply made with an inflated price tag and engines that give up around five years old

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airfryerfuntime@reddit

I wasn't talking about Australian Ford Rangers. You guys never got the good ones.

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KacerRex@reddit

If you're just looking for a mule you can probably find them sub $2k still. A truck doesn't need to be pretty to be functional.

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Din_Plug@reddit

Especially since they are used. For the same price you can buy any normal mom wagon and a utility trailer and have like 400% more practically.

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ers379@reddit

Having to use a trailer just to have a bed automatically makes it less practical. The reason these trucks are popular is that people who actually need a work truck have no other options. No one makes cheap trucks anymore.

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IudexJudy@reddit

No one who seriously works uses these, they use older silverados or f150s lol

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leastemployableman@reddit

Drinking and driving in a 90s Silverado must've been peak

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earthhominid@reddit

Absolutely depends where you work. I used one for years on a rural property where the small size allowed us to get into and out of areas we wanted to access regularly. I've met a couple people who is them in denser cities because they are cheap and easy to deal with. They aren't suitable for hauling large and heavy cargo or for a job where you need to be traveling long distances. They're a tool that does some things well. They're a good deal if that's what you need

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IudexJudy@reddit

Cheap is insane, I can’t even find rotors for either of my fairly popular imports I can’t imagine how difficult it is to find parts for an Acty

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Din_Plug@reddit

A mom wagon, unlike a kei truck: Can do highway speeds Has safety systems like air bags Can seat double or triple the kei truck. Has parts that are easily and quickly found in the US and will spend less time down in the shop waiting for parts. Uses normal tires that are in stock at regular tire shops. Can tow Generally have roof bars Has interior space for shopping, storing tools, and equipment Can drop the trailer when not in use. Better on and offroad driving Much better interior I don't think most kei trucks have AC, (unlike mom wagons) Automatic transmission.

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ers379@reddit

I think you either don't understand how much of a pain in the ass it is to have to use a trailer, or you don't understand how a work truck is used and why having a bed is necessary.

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Din_Plug@reddit

I've been in enough pickups to know that having good creature comforts goes a long way in you actually not loathing having to use the truck to do work. I would 100% rather deal with all the trailer silliness to have an automatic, AC, good stereo, nice seats, and be able to happily go 55mph without the engine screaming at 5K and getting thrown around on the highway whenever a vehicle larger than a Uhaul blows by.

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airfryerfuntime@reddit

You can buy a 4wd Ranger for that much, and it'll be far more capable.

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Din_Plug@reddit

I did the math a while back. Most kei trucks have a bed sticker stating their maximum payload, 350kg or 771 pounds US. The smallest utility trailer at Tractor Supply is a 5x8 utility trailer (same size as the kei truck bed) that weighs 500 pounds. So, any car with a tiny towing capacity of 1,500 pounds or higher is automatically a better truck than a kei truck.

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Hatedpriest@reddit

What other truck is getting 40+ mpg? Gonna have to get a geo metro from 1997 to match that. 660 cc engine. 55 mph top speed, going downhill, with a tailwind. Maybe a bit higher with overdrive. Not really a freeway vehicle. Good for in town stuff. Have you dealt with a trailer? I know it's not difficult to drive with them, backing up is rougher, but it's still harder than just using a vehicle. Some of us can parallel park em, others have one trick: the jackknife. So, I mean... It's not as bad as you'd think. And people throw shit like Hayabusa engines in these things... I wanna see someone throw a dark matter engine (I think that's Koenigsegg) into one of those and slap a battery pack between the frame rails...

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Din_Plug@reddit

What other truck gets 40mpg while barely being able to do regular highway speeds and can't reach the speadlimits in like 40% of US states? (I think the Honda Pioneer 700) There's a reason kei trucks are a Japan exclusive thing. They sell the same trucks in different markets around SEA with normal 1 - 2 liter diesels with enough power to competently scoot around.

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Hatedpriest@reddit

Oh, and I've seen em Hayabusa swapped, too. *That* looks fun... But if you're just in town, or running short distances at 35-45 anyway, what's it matter? Like, if I got one, the nearest speed limit over 55 mph is like 40 minutes away. That isn't even the freeway, that's just 65 mph back roads. The 75 mph freeway is another 20 minutes from there. I don't think I would ever bring that thing that far from home, I have another vehicle for that, anyway. But I'd still be able to tool about, haul whatever I need, and get home with one of these, without obstructing traffic. Not everyone is highway locked. :)

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Din_Plug@reddit

I think if you could figure out a way jam a Ford 300 in one you would have a super sweet ride.

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KacerRex@reddit

Ford 300 is the best solution to pre

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Din_Plug@reddit

Like most of life's problems, it can be solved by the Ford 300.

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lord_foob@reddit

I was talking about a brand new kei truck from 2025 they run 8-14 for mid to low range and 14-17 for high range

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Din_Plug@reddit

However new kei trucks are not street legal in any US state due to import restrictions. For the price of a new kei truck you can buy a small Honda SxS that's better for farm use.

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lord_foob@reddit

Its 8 k to 14 k for a brand new kei truck im not talkin 25 years ago im talking last year models. I dont need a massive truck I barely need a car what I need is to beable to afford a basic bitch repairable car I dont need a tech forward 60k base model

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KacerRex@reddit

My solution to this is Ford Fuckin Ranger. Damn things are still everywhere where I live. Got mine for $1k

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TheLandMammal@reddit

Also the only reason theyre becoming so available now isn't because Japan doesnt want them. Theyre literally too old to comply with Japanese safety standards, so they arent leagally road-worthy over there. Turns out in the US these things are now at the right age (25years or so) to qualify to be imported with exemption from our federal safety standards. Makes sense why we're seeing such a huge influx. (Also theyre rad as hell)

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DoILookUnsureToYou@reddit

Nah, Kei trucks are still popular in Japan and a great part of Southeast Asia. Its just the old ones that are being sold in the US because of the 25 year thing while the ones in use in Japan are all much newer than those.

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IudexJudy@reddit

It’s not hard to get a car to comply with JCI, I did it in my ‘84 Silvia when I lived there. there are still plenty of Kei Trucks in Japan, they’re just cheap enough to where people over there can eventually upgrade into newer models so bebopping around in a 98 Acty is less appealing

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moragdong@reddit

Must be weird seeing them in US but they are popular in here, Turkey.

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Capnmarvel76@reddit

Correct. It’s the US emissions standards that the JDM cars struggle with more, but otherwise right on.

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shadowknuxem@reddit

Not to mention they are obviously work trucks and not compensation trucks. Some people just want four wheels and a bed for their truck.

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amodsr@reddit

I want the tiny truck because I am small and it looks easy to park. Also if you are just going around town, it is a good vehicle.

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_who-the-fuck-knows_@reddit

Playing devils advocate here because I actually like Kei trucks and despise what we call yank tanks in Australia but everything these days is easy to park considering reverse cameras are standard in pretty much all vehicles these days

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TheCapitalKing@reddit

A truck with a full size bed that is small enough to park easily is awesome actually

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YoungDiscord@reddit

*regular-sized* The truck is not small, its the U,S cars that are needlessly large.

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IudexJudy@reddit

Yeah maybe, but you can also get a Nissan Frontier or hardbody for around the same price as these Kei trucks lol people are getting them because they’re unique and cool

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Din_Plug@reddit

Not surprising, I'd expect a 25 year old vehicle to cost significantly less than a new one.

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JIMHASPASSED@reddit

This is genuinely brain-dead, isn't American overrun with massive pickups with less bed space then your average kei truck? I'm falling for the rage bait as a UK based Hijet owner fr

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rick_astley66@reddit

German cars are practical. Maybe not as much (in terms of repair cost) if you buy Audi or Mercedes. But VW, Opel,... They're still comparatively good brands for their money (mostly), even if they're slightly more expensive than some european competitors. Only thing german manufacturers are really lagging behind with is electric model prices (especially compared to asian brands), but they're working on it.

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PhantomCruze@reddit

>They're still comparatively good brands for their money Not if you live in the states

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rick_astley66@reddit

I know, all you can afford over there is fucking cruise ships on wheels for some reason.

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PhantomCruze@reddit

Depends on the locale It's pushed because the big three (Chrysler, ford and GM) bribed- I mean lobbied the US Govt to push laws and standards that let them sell higher and bigger bullshit trucks and crossovers instead of anything practical to the point where actually practical cars like the honda fit (or even back when the civic was small) is a safety hazard Don't shit on the American people for where things are right now, shit on the 90 year old kiddie diddlers on the Whitehouse and the filthy corpo rats that have their hand in the govt's Pocket

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rick_astley66@reddit

Oh, I didn't meancto shit on you guys. I know why that is the case, but I also know this creates a mentality where people intentionally buy the biggest strongest car to "win" in an accident. It's just stupid and creates trash like the Cyberbin or a Ford Raptor which doesn't even hide that it kills everything in front of it anymore.

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pregnantdads@reddit

maybe i got unlucky, but i owned a vw jetta for almost a decade, and I fuckin hated that car. it drove fine and had decent amenities and whatever, but like clockwork, every single year without fail, the clutch and or transmission would shit the bed and end up costing me like $2-4k in repairs. so fucking stupid, the car probably sat in my driveway while i saved for repairs more than it got driven

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Seffuski@reddit

Maybe it's your driving that's causing that issue?

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pregnantdads@reddit

possibly, but unlikely. i’m not an aggressive driver, and i don’t try to push my vehicles to their limits.

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Seffuski@reddit

Never pushing your engine can cause issues too, but since you said it's a transmission problem, I guess that ain't it

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rick_astley66@reddit

Depends. Some people drive normally but can't shift properly. That will also do a transmission in in no time

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Seffuski@reddit

Yeah, but I'm assuming it's an automatic car

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rick_astley66@reddit

Depends on the year/specific model maybe, or you're bad at shifting if it's a manual. I know some Jettas that have been going strong with minimal problems for over 40 years. Also know newer Jetta owners who all don't have such issues.

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AustinLA88@reddit

Fuck my Jetta is sitting while I save for repairs because I need to find a tech with some bum ass $15k tool to reprogram my ecu even though I could replace it myself.

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pregnantdads@reddit

the best decision i made in 2025 was getting the balls to call a clunker hauler. they paid me $1k for my shitty beat ass jetta. beats the hell out of spending another $5k to get it running. (it had a head gasket problem, along with a multitude of other issues.) moral of the story: if you don’t need your car, get rid of that trash. save for something more reliable… *cough* japanese *cough*

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AustinLA88@reddit

I don’t know if I’m strong enough yet lol. It’s a great car… when it’s running.

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Grav37@reddit

That's cause Jettas are/were made in Mexico, not Germany.

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pregnantdads@reddit

does it even matter anymore? i remember hearing years ago that basically after 2005 the world stopped using premium fresh steel and switched to recycled steel, which had oxidation forged into the metal, causing it to rust from within. idk how true but i’m not inspired to purchase a new car. my daily driver is a motorcycle from 2001 lol

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Cloudwolfxii@reddit

That is... So stupid...

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pregnantdads@reddit

why though? i’m not a metallurgist, nor are you, so how would we know? it’s just something someone told me like 15 years ago that i took at face value as a teenager. let me rephrase for you: is the quality of steel lower than what is was 20 years ago? does recycled steel rust faster if using oxidized metal to forge? thanks

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Cloudwolfxii@reddit

Those are completely different questions. I also don't have the answer to them. They are also not brainrot levels of misinformation.

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pregnantdads@reddit

right. so you weren’t helpful from the beginning. someone with knowledge could answer, and here you are trying to big dog yourself. dickhead

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Cloudwolfxii@reddit

Oh, you got big mad. Good luck on your quest to avoid using Google at all costs.

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pregnantdads@reddit

uh no. you’re dumb

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sidnynasty@reddit

Huh? One of the things I (and most others) complain about as Americans is the death of the station wagon in favor of the suv.

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NakeleKantoo@reddit

what a bad take

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duplicatedouble@reddit

its probably a genuine car dealership psyop

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amodsr@reddit

Not everything is a Psyop. This probably is though. I know a guy who never talked about cars and then he joined a dealership and that was one of the only things he talks about.

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Letters_to_Dionysus@reddit

advertising is psyop.

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iLOLZU@reddit

OOP isn't American We know this because an actual American buys an SUV over a wagon, causing the death of the American station wagon. In this essay I will...

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2ndRandom8675309@reddit

Kei trucks are only a thing because you can't get a Kia Bongo truck in the US. A Bongo III in 4 door, diesel, and 4WD for less than $20k would have dominated the small truck market for the last 30 years.

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PlantKey@reddit

Kei truck is perfect for little camping/fishing trips and is fantastic for mobile business, like a food truck or taking produce to a market. And they are dirt cheap.

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the_bartolonomicron@reddit

I saw a Honda Acty here in the states yesterday leaving a parking lot and it made me happy *

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Familiar-Tomorrow-42@reddit

I want a utility vehicle for moving shit so I pick the one with a large bed and good fuel economy. This makes me a stupid idiot apparently.

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Brokendowngolem@reddit

The way ive heard it is both German and Japanese engineering are good, German needs to be properly maintained to spec otherwise things start going to shit, Japanese engineering its designed with the intent that you might fuck shit up so its happy if you maintain it and if you dont it can keep kicking until you figure out shits wrong.The reason americans like the kei is that its compact, fuel efficient, and if you need to haul small to decent sized shit it'll do it for ya for a cheaper cost than what any of the american company's can produce rn yeah its 25+ years old but costs $8000-$12,000 for a nice one vs $80,000-$120,000 for an American made truck that has roughly the same bed space, chugs more fuel and will probably be to the mechanic more over 10 years its just flat out the better economic option when you need to haul shit on a budget

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Prestigious-Fig1172@reddit

I like small cars.

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spiritofporn@reddit

German automotive is dead. VW, Audi, BMW.. are all overpriced, sub-par quality.

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UkraineMykraine@reddit

At this point that's every car manufacturer.

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Prestigious-Fig1172@reddit

Car quality goes in phases. My parents had a lot of shitty 90's and early 2000's cars. Now they have cars from 2010's that really good. I tried a few new cars and didn't really like them.

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spiritofporn@reddit

Eh, French cars used to be rusty shitboxes. They've improved tremendously. German cars have declined.

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UkraineMykraine@reddit

It is a shame for German cars, I've always loved bmws and even got an e39 for myself now, but I would never go newer than that.

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jericho-dingle@reddit

The best "German" cars are made in Spartanburg SC

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BumbisMacGee@reddit

KEI TRUCK SUPREMACY! IM SO FUCKING SICK OF THESE GIANT ASS IMPRACTICAL TRUCKS! THERE IS NO APRKING IN THE CITY BECAUSE OF THOSE THINGS! THANK FUCKING GOD!

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pizoisoned@reddit

Anon should maybe get out of his house and see what’s actually passing as a truck on the roads here in the states. It’s not those small pickups. It’s microdick F-950 raptor elevation big horn ranch fuck you trucks. The ones that are way too big for the roads, have horrible blind spots, and military grade fuck your eyes LED headlights.

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justaBB6@reddit

goomba fallacy

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Din_Plug@reddit

In the US Kei trucks are the current low level fad car. You can thank a large part of their newfound popularity to halfwit YouTubers hyping these things to the moon and back and doing bad powerscaling to justify why these things are actually better than any American truck ever. I like Kei trucks however, their fan base is incredibly insufferable and delusional.

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WEASELexe@reddit

I like both

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Quercus408@reddit

Becuase an Audi isnt a sold at a practical price and these tea cup trucks are fucking adorable.

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ThaShitPostAccount@reddit

"A sensor on your vehicle whose sole purpose is to cheat emissions standards has failed. That'll be $200 for a new one and $300 for the mechanic, bitte schön."

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0mica0@reddit

You can buy like 5 keitrucks for a price of a german wagen.

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Lol3droflxp@reddit

It's Kombi in German

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SweetTooth275@reddit

Well, kei cars aren't practical but neither is vag slop.

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EmperorsarusRex@reddit

I want a sports hatch and i want a kei truck soooo

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RevalMaxwell@reddit

This truck makes sense in Japan because they can have a lot of really small and narrow roads in urban areas. In the US this makes no sense

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PhantomCruze@reddit

Japan loves their kei trucks. They're *still* producing them because of their practicality and overall usage in Japan Anon is just mad that his nazi axis isn't hanging out together anymore

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idkhowtodoanything@reddit

Idk, i also want a kei, they just look fun

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JARDIS@reddit

OP confirmed too Amerifat to fit on the tray of a Kei truck.

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a_desperate_DM@reddit

Pug theory

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nekopara-enthusiast@reddit

i just want the shitty auto industry laws/taxes or whatever the fuck it is that makes it expensive/impossible to import foreign cars gone. i want to buy directly from the manufacturer not some dogshit dealership that puts a window tint and gps tracker on every single fucking car they sell even the POS scrap on wheels $2k ones.

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MisterSlosh@reddit

I can get a utility truck for the same cost as a month of groceries for the family instead of the cost of a mortgage on a two bedroom home. Yeah, I'll take a junker truck for the fun of it.

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