fun fact: the citroen ami is lighter than the current deadlift world record, meaning there are people out there who could probably lift the car by themselves
The Citroen Ami is a "voiture sans permis", which is a basically a heavy quadricycle. In France, small cars which are classified as Voiture Sans Permis (vehicle without license) can be driven without a driving license. Certain quadricycles can be driven on a "road safety certificate" category of drivers license, which is available to people 14 years or older. They're popular out in the sticks, as it lets kids get around without relying on their parents, or just as a dirt cheap vehicle.
in austria this is kind of car is primarily used by alcoholics to drive from bar to bar. they're called buschenschank ferrari. (buschenschank ist some sort of restaurant/bistro where you can drink cider)
I hope he covers the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series, Nissan Micra, Mercedes A Class hatch and B Class, Kia Forte hatch, Nissan Patrol, Volkswagen Polo and more.
I feel like the Alpine A110, the Honda E and the Honda Fit/Jazz should be on the list. I think the Alpine is great looking and a fantastic sports car. I really miss the Fit because we no longer have genuinely good subcompact car. As for the E, we strait up need more EV offering.
@@captainawesome7092 I get it I love my ICE cars too but the average Joe is looking more and more into buying an EV especially when we are most than likely gonna hit 3$/L by the end of the year in my area.
@@mathieuchabot1090 It's about 4USD per gallon here in Texas, and the national average is about $5/gallon, however, EVs are still slower to charge and harder to road trip than ICE vehicles. Even so, I would be willing to drive one, so long as they could figure out how to charge an EV from 0-100% in under 5 minutes, put up as many if not more charging stations as gas stations, increase range to about 1000 miles per charge, make self driving completely viable on its own for long trips when everyone is tired, make all the charging stations sustainable, add physical buttons and dials for climate control and radio, make small batteries that can be taken from a charge station to an EV, and bring down the cost of a new EV with all these capabilities and features. There are a lot of requirements, but if all were met, I would drive an EV, strictly on road trips and annoying traffic filled commutes/errands. Anything else, gas all the way.
Yes, it's a shame that the small affordable hatchbacks have left the US market. Cheap to buy, good on gas, reliable and held much more than a sedan. I have a 15 Fit with a manual that I bought new and due to the fact there is no direct replacement for it I plan to drive it into the ground.
Interestingly, Suzuki Jimny (or Samurai, as was called in the States) was quite popular back in the 80s. It was deliberately forced to halt the sales by the Consumer Reports with fabricated tests conducted to show the chassis being unstable.
More than that,CR made those tests on behalf of Jeep cause they feared they were getting undercut by a smaller,better-made and cheaper competitor than their old Jeep Wrangler.
@@InfiniteForces Where'd you hear that? I thought it was one of their staffers who screwed up and tipped his over. I wouldn't be surprised, I just want to know the full story.
@@artistwithouttalent I'm subbed to a small channel called My Old Car. It's really undersubbed,but the guy does some awesome car history videos. In his episode about Suzuki in the US,he mentions this specifically,because there is no other plausible explanation as to why they switched their tried-and-tested car test formula(at the time 15 years old) just so a specific car(actually,there was a 2nd,the Isuzu Trooper) can fail their tests to paint a bad image about them.
16:00 This car makes a lot of sense because a lot of wealthy people in China (and many parts of Asia in general) really like the idea of a luxury MPV over a luxury sedan because it has more headroom and legroom, automatic sliding doors, and ease of entry/exit. The Toyota Alphard, for example, is incredibly popular in China, Hong Kong, Japan, etc. and easily cost $100K+. Toyota even started making the Lexus version of the Alphard called the Lexus LM. It's sort of a status symbol to be chauffeur around in one of those MPV (or "minivan" as we call them in the US). But here in the US, we associate minivan with soccer mom and "uncool" dad driving their 10 kids to school. So chauffeurs typically drive those huge Chevy Suburban or Cadillac Escalade.
Funny story... before I married my wife (we have been married now for 15 years), I said, if you ever get a Minivan, it's over... she agreed and never even looked at one. I didn't think she was a min-van girl and she isn't....
tl;dr Doug's R-class review, but BR-Z. My brother wanted to get a new car, since he does constantly carry people around I half-jokingly told him to get a used Fort Transit Connect, but they just outright refused to consider it. They went Honda BR-V. While sitting in it, I just reflected a bit and came to a conclusion: for practical purposes, it's a small minivan! 2nd row feels roomy like a minivan, it has a 3rd row, the way you see through all windows feels minivan-ey, it's the same. But they refused based on no sliding doors.
Luxury MPVs are quite popular in Asian countries. When I visited Japan, there were a lot of luxury MPVs like Alphard, Elgrand, Vellfire and etc. There's even tuning cultures of vans too. (Not making them more capable for offroad like EU or US but more like anime style tuned) Here in Korea, Kia Carnival Limo is quite popular among dads, celebrities and politicians since it has higher roof and limo seats with TVs and fridge inside. Plus, it looks more humble than riding in a luxury sedan.
As a Californian, I confirm this. On the flip side, the Japanese company Flex that modifies Land Cruisers in Japan will open its first shop outside of Japan in San Diego, suck on that 😏
One thing that Doug got wrong tho is that the passenger version of the VW T6 is called „California“ because that’s actually called the Multivan. The California is the camping-oriented version of the T6 while the Multivan is directed at big (and wealthy lol) families.
Yup And actually Grand California is camper version of VW Crafter. So to sum up, there is smaller van called Transporte/ Caravelle/ Multivan (depend of no. of seats and trip levels) and their camper version - California and there is bigger van called VW Crafter and it's camper version called VW Grand California
Hi Doug I am the owner of a brand new X-Terra. I can definitely tell you, while it is a decent car at a very good price point, it is altogether not something you are missing out on. It feels like they just quickly put a large trunk in the back of a cheap pickup. A few points: Driving position is too high, you might bump your head against the ceiling, especially in the back seat.. and once you drive above 90km/h it "floats" all over the road. The built in reverse camera (platinum edition) in both inside mirror and screen is of horrible quality, you can hardly see anything at night. The adaptive cruise control is the worst I have ever tried, if you drive up hill it will not properly adjust the throttle and the engine will continuously jump from high to low RPM, making the car jump back and forth. Very uncomfortable. The (only) engine offered here in the UAE is an extremely noisy 4-cylinder engine, and the cabin has very little sound-proofing. That said, the platinum edition sells around USD 35,000 excl. tax in UAE, giving you a lot of value for your money, as long as you don't need to cover long distances on highway. I think there is a reason Nissan has not been selling it in US..
I’ve long subscribed to the Car & Driver ethos that a station wagon / estate is ALWAYS preferable to an SUV for those who want functionality; most of the fun of driving a great car with the practicality of an SUV. I’d kill for the M3 wagon here… sigh. Great video concept, Doug! 😀
I hate that hatchbacks and station wagons are the most practical types of car and yet most of north america, including Mexico don't get nearly enough cars and we're just slowly getting to everyone getting suvs
#1. Alpine A110, Gordon Murray’s daily driver. He’s said it’s the most balanced modern sports car out there and even used it to benchmark development of his new T.50 Hypercar. The only downside of course is it’s lack of manual transmission. #2. Honda e. Honda’s only EV on sale currently. Doesn’t make sense in US due to the great expanses of land here but it could do really well as a small urban/city car, as it was designed for, in cities like LA, SF, NYC, etc.
I love the alpine. I’m probably the only few americans who knows that car. I love how it looks. It’s really beautiful. I would buy that car over the Miata in a heartbeat because Miata is a little bit overrated imo
1) In Europe we really miss a lot of cars from the US, most recent examples - GR Corolla (yes we have GR Yaris but it is a clear track-tool and not really convenient as a daily practical car), Sequoia (no alternatives at all) and new Nissan Z - and these are Japanese cars only, I am not talking about tons of great US cars (Bronco as the brightest example). 2) I guess you find German wagons attractive because they are very rare in the US - in Europe the majority of C-class and 3 series cars are sold as wagons, so sedans look like a more "stylish" version for those one who prefers style over practically - nowadays out of 10 cars on a parking lot only 1 will be sedan, and 4-5 will be wagons - so not so much excitement on ultra-powerful wagons as c63 or m3 from European point of view, just even more wagons on the roads. 3) I think Renault Megane RS is more interesting than Focus/Fiesta ST - just look at track days in Europe, there are tons of Megane RS cars and there are different Megane RS cups, these cars are really popular among people who know how to drive FWD cars - more popular than Golf R and other hot hatches.
1) you can buy Land Cruiser Prado in europe and you can legally import the new Land Cruiser 300 if one wishes. There’s a few LC300 for sale here in Holland.
@@electrikoptik Being able to legally import a certain car really isn't an argument. You can legally import almost anything, but the paperwork and the financials make it no longer worth it. Importing a car and getting it legally registered can easily add another €10-20k to its purchase price, at this point you'd be better off just buying something else entirely.
@@wowdogeful This depends where you live. Americans can not legally import the new 300-series LC. There are dealers selling the 300-series here which saves you from doing all the paper work.
Here in Canada at least, the Arteon sedan is a fairly rare vehicle. I don't know how much of a market it would have. I see more RS6 Avants than Arteons. I think VAG would probably do better with the RS4 Avant. The Arteon shooting brake is gorgeous, but I think it would be a tough sell, at least in Canada anyway.
The Arteon SB is an overpriced RS6. They do sell it here in Europe, but I've never seen a single one (even sedans are pretty rare, because they are over Audi price)
Here in Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia there's tons of unique cars the xterra is still being sold here and the Toyota FJ Cruiser is still being and the demand is still high and Hilux and there's tons of Chinese cars here hongqi changan geely Baic GAC Chery Haval Great wall Saic tons and tons of Chinese cars even Chinese only car are here like the ford Taurus and many others i think that doug should someday come here and review cars here there's lots of cars
I can think of number of cars that are currently offered over here in the GCC but not the States: •Chrysler 300 SRT (2015+) Despite being discontinued in North America, the SRT model are still being made snd exported to other markets with some updates. • Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra as a Single Cab Truck If you live in the GCC (and Mexico i think), you could get the RST, Trail Boss, AT4 or Elevation models as a Single Cab. Reason is simple, Single Cab models are still hugely popular in the region. • Ford Mondeo/Taurus 2023 The new Chinese-made Mondeo is now being sold in the GCC as the all-new Taurus...for some reason. • Nissan Patrol VTC 4800 Y61 Originally meant to compete with the J100 Land Cruiser, Nissan kept it in production despite introducing the Y62 Patrol in 2010. It's pretty popular among off-roaders and tuners. • Toyota Land Cruiser J70 The true successor to the legendary 40 series LC. Offered in multiple configurations, the 70 series is a pure utilitarian truck with barely any creature comfort. Also no, I ain't talking about the elephant in the room. • Midsize Trucks in general Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi L200 and Isuzu D-Max. •Renault Megane RS In fact, french brands as a whole. • Countless Chinese Brands that are now storming the market due to huge marketing and "cheaper prices". MG, Changan, Hongqi, GAC, Haval, Geely, you name it. Unfortunately we miss out on a lot of cool cars but oh well
@@انا_ابراهيم_البناوي The thing is, most popular enthusiasts cars that are currently sold here are already being sold in the States. I can't think of many interesting performance cars that aren't Mustangs, Corvettes Challengers, Golf GTis or M series example.
@@Bahraini_Carguy wow looks like you're jealousy American who knows about cars sold out USA and dreaming on Actually you don't deserve these cars especially real Japanese Toyota and I am happy that is not available in usa Also you missed Mitsubishi Pajero, Mitsubishi Montero (Pajero sport), Isuzu MUX, Toyota Prado, Toyota Fortuner (much better than 4runner), lexus LX diesel and Nissan patrol y62 which is better than armada and qx80 in off-road Patrol y62 has diff lock which is not available in armada and qx80
@Mohammed S you realize that you're talking to someone from Bahrain? I ain't American, i'm just providing few examples of cars that aren't sold over there. Solid list though but few notes btw: • The LC Prado and 4Runner are pretty much twins. Similar chassis, similar powertrain and similar market segment. There are some differences here and there but overall, they are pretty closely related. The Fortuner, on the other hand, is slotted *below* the Prado & 4Runner as a cheaper 5/7 seater offroader based on the iconic Hilux. • The full sized Pajero have been discontinued recently so i didn't include it in the list. • It irked me how the US only received the J100 & J200 Land Cruisers with like one luxurious trim model. You couldn't get them in stripped down base or mid grade models. No manual, only one engine, no dual tanks, no barn doors, no cool box (for j100),...etc. I legit feel like Toyota could have easily sold more Land Cruiser in the states if they offered more options and especially non luxury offerings.
I think that Ford Everest would make a great addition to this list. A mid sized, 7 seat, body on frame 4runner competitor. Also the special edition Rangers we didn't get like the Wildtrak.
Wow I live in Australia. We have the Everest and the Ranger special editions.. I'm soooo surprised to hear that the US market didn't get these. Id assumed they'd just converted the US model's to right hand drive and sold them here.. wow
Regarding the Volkswagen van. I just on my way home from a camping trip to Newfoundland, and the number of people camping in all sorts of vans in different configurations is staggering. The fact the Volkswagen California isn't available in North America really is a shame. I think it would do incredibly well here.
I went camping in a California a few years ago. It. Is. Perfect. You’ve got Tables, seats, everything you need for camping all over the van. There’s also a Tent with an actual mattress on top, the rear seats can also be folded down to have a two-person bed. There’s also a Bike rack on the back. They really thought of everything with this van. It also comes in different non-camping types, like a normal van or transporter. And about the bigger california: it literally has a shower inside.
@@drippgxd Especially funny and ironic of how Chevrolet did a similar thing with their Chevy Orlando van, which ended up not being sold in the US despite the fact that they used a Florida city name
Blame Ralph Nader for that one. He pressured consumer auto advocate groups to give terrible ratings to certain cars. Some he was right about, i.e. the Ford Pinto, other he was dead wrong like the Samurai
The only ones in US who've appreciated the Samurai for what it really was were us in Puerto Rico, who didn't speed on expressways with them. Those are strictly to both CRUISE in the city and DIRTY them over mud and rocks at slow speed. That's what they were made for... We would take the NA-105hp "new Samurai" in the same way.
I'd love to see a video about quirky or "under the radar" cars that can be imported, doesn't have to be JDM. Some ideas off the top of my head: Dodge Ramcharger, Ford falcon, Mitsubishi Magna Ralliart (soon), maybe some British MG saloon idk
Just got back from Europe, so many wagons everywhere. Also, all of their small cars are diesel; they need more of them here, especially with the current gas prices. We rented a GLC Diesel Hybrid that got great fuel economy.
I don't know what the current market is like, but I remember seeing Buicks offered in China that had incredible styling. I always wondered why an American car company offered cool stuff but only gave us the old stuffy fuddy duddy boring as all get out crap and wondered why sales were poor?
I can’t speak for every company, but over the recent years, China has become Buick’s largest market (as for GM as a whole), and I think it’s in large part towards catering towards local luxurious automotive trends there and they were among the first foreign car brands to secure a strategic partnership with a local Chinese car manufacturer as China was opening up its economy towards the world in the late 80s and early 90s. Not to mention even beforehand, the Chinese elite often bought and drove imported Buicks. In those cases with China, it holds a much higher level of esteem that Buick itself has lost in the U.S. Not to mention Buick’s customer base is on average much younger in China compared to the U.S.; the latter whom largely don’t necessarily care about getting the most luxury and largest number of features in a car. And I think because of that Buick has largely abandoned pushing the same ultra luxury boundaries in the US compared to over in China.
It’s because the Chinese consider Buick a luxurious status symbol and Americans consider them to be cars that only an old person would drive. Same as Oldsmobile. They even had a marketing campaign that said “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile” to try to fight their new reputation but it didn’t work. They used to be cool but now people here just consider them cars for old people. Buick has come out with more hip models for America but they didn’t sell. Here no one under 55-60 will buy them just because they say Buick on them so they stopped trying. Same reason Ford stopped selling cars here except for the Mustang. They sell in Europe but no one here was buying them.
For a rich country like the US, an entry-premium brand like Buick might not make sense, but in emergent countries those brands are more appreciated. As many have mentioned Buick has a reputation in China due to multiple politics using them in the past In Mexico, Mercury cars like grand marquis, ghia or cougar were highly appreciated, unfortunately Ford always renamed them simply as Ford
I was working with one of the largest car part manufacturers somewhere, where people develop clutch systems. Our engineering team was totally passionate about the fiesta st. When you know its a 3 cylinder turbo motor, you really wanna know why they had celebrated this car so much. I guess it´s not terribly expensive but so much fun to drive.
Hi Doug, nice video but the VW California is always the camper version with a pop-up roof. The normal vans are called Caravelle en Multivan … the latest model just got a completely new version !
Honda S660. Was really excited that they announced it, then disappointed that they don't sell them in the U.S. Same with the Toyota Alphards, great luxury vans, you see them everywhere in Hong Kong/ East Asia.
Fun fact about the terra, it has been sold here in the Philippines since 2018 and it sold well due to its ride quality and cold ac it has a pick-up version called the Nissan Navara which is as cool as the terra it also has coil spring suspension which is not common in our pick up trucks here. The Navara is the only truck here in the Philippines that has coil suspension but it's not true we have the ranger raptor with coil suspension but it's not considered a "normal" pickup because it solely focuses on offroading but that's just me.
Certain parts of Asia has rather interesting cars too. Like from Honda there’s the Brio which is a cheap tiny hatchback and the City Hatchback which is a Fit replacement. And from Toyota there’s a Hilux minivan called the Innova
I've always been a fan of the Honda Jade as well, especially the Jade RS. Seems like it would sell pretty well in America considering Honda doesn't really make any wagons anymore.
You’re missing Diesel 6-Cylinder Engines from German car makers, like Audi 50 TDI, BMW 30d and 40d and Mercedes 400d. These are not only great in fuel efficiency, but also are very nice to drive.
They still think diesel is only for tractors. And i don't blame them, given that the smallest American diesel engine is a 5.9 Cummins wich doesn't stand a chance against a 3L german made diesel in terms of power and fuel efficiency
Interesting Fact: The Suzuki Jimny was actually killed off in Europe due to emissions. However they still sell it in Europe only this time as a cargo-type vehicle.
@@mortensenvick5711 I have one with a manual too it is not considered a daily car trust me more like a toy for off-roading or just cruising around at least here in the Middle East but in Japan ig it is the norm since they have kei cars and it was never intended for highway use lol at high speed the rpm is around 3-4.5k for the manual which has 5 speeds and the automatic has 4 speed so it is probably worse
@@AE-qq1yf definetely true. When I was in Europe I drove a 2003 daitshu terios, a 17 years old suv very solid and reliable. I was surprised how small and cramped it was and not likely comfortable to drive at highway speed. Then, I discovered that in Japan there was a model that was even smaller! (terios kid).
Since the Mid size pick up craze is really taking off, I would love to see the Volkswagen Amarok come here. I saw one once on the road. It was painted in Forrest Department colors and had special plates on it. It was pretty freaking cool looking.
@@danmccarthy4700 It's not as good as the competitors like F150, Silverado or Ram. It competes more with the Isuzu Dmax, Mitsubishi Triton and Ford Ranger.
i was looking into this couple months back and apparently you can't import in the wagon version of the C-Class to the States from Canada, the Sedan yes but not the Wagon, Mercedes Benz will not sign off on the Paperwork to bring the car into the States.
When I lived in Europe I loved all the unusual cars there. And, yes, they still drive cars in Europe. We need cheaper EVs like the Renault Zoe, which is very popular. I loved the styling of the French brands: Renault, Peugeot, and Citroen, as well as the Skoda cars from the Czech Republic.
That Tank 300 is AWESOME. I believe it would do really well here. The Jimny would also do really well here. Ppl are dying for those types of rugged affordable off road SUV's.
@@automation7295 Maybe they did. July 13th of 2020, the Bronco was unveiled. TANK 300 (made by company named WEY, before it became standalone name in 2021) happened to be unveiled at the same month and year but unspecified date, but did sale on December 17th in the same year (Bronco production rolled out in 2021) They (WEY) probably squeeze out finding design cues of new Bronco concept back in 2019 (spying inside Ford company (?)). But who knows... Never know what to expect from Chinese automakers, that's for sure.
Here is my list of cars that I wish they could sell in the states and that would sell good actually: - Audi RSQ3 -Peugeot 508 PSE -Cupra Leon -Alpina A110
I still can't understand Toyota's decision to keep the Land Cruiser out of the US. With its excellent off-road capabilities and superb reliability, it'd be a hit in America.
You should look at cars from Indian Automakers like Mahindra and Tata, i think you will like some a lot, like Mahindra Thar, ScorpioN, XUV700, Scorpio Pikup range, Tata Harrier, Safari, Nexon, Nexon EV, Force Gurkha.
I’ve heard that Alpine is expanding their global presence after they become a full on brand in Europe, and the US may potentially be one of those markets. I don’t know when it will happen though.
The craziest thing about the Citroen Ami is that it is what we call in France a “voiture sans permis /car without licence”, basically you can drive these cars without a driving licence and as young as 14 years old. These cars were predominantly used in rural areas for people without a driving licence (most of the time for financial reasons or because they lost their licence) but Citroen seized the opportunity and built this car for not rural areas this time but large cities. This is what Renault did with the twizy
@@BrandonJXN2 please, no. we've done with french crap vehicles from 90s or so. Travelling around south europe i can't avoid to notice how bad the rusted paints is on hood and roof and how crappy the interior is falling apart, pretty every french vehicle is the same
Typical Volkswagen to make a car named after a state in the U.S. (California) and only sell it in Europe. I actually saw one the other day on the highway called the VW Transporter with a Mexican license plate.
THE ORIGINAL PANDA! MY VERY FIRST CAR! A friend of my dad's gave it to him for free when I was 18 for me to drive, sadly my mom needed a car herself and it went to her, but I still have a ton of fond memories about that metal square box: my first roadtrip when I was 22, the first time I went to school with it and I gave a lift home to my crush.. later on I gave it to a friend of mine for free and he wrecked while drunk driving (luckily he wen away with it without hurting himself)
Absolutely agree on the Suzuki Jimny! In fact, you probably could have just said, "The entire global Suzuki lineup"... they left the US market, yet Mitsubishi remained, and that is part of the reason I believe we're in the worst timeline.
@@AngelVargas1989 Yeah, GM's mismanagement was devastating. Forcing Suzuki to sell rebadged Daewoos was the final nail in the USDM coffin. The Daewoos were... well, they were not terrible, borderline OK, but not "up to snuff" to wear the Suzuki badge. And then the sold the SX4 here, which was fine (my mom had one, so It holds a place in my heart), but tried marketing it as a competitor to the Mini. Not with THAT atrocious fuel mileage... whereas, they have the Swift, which really WAS a true competitor to the Mini, and did NOT sell it in America.
@@DiRF Here in Mexico, Suzuki is becoming a huge succes, ¿why?, i think cause' Suzuki (with Subaru and maybe Mitsubishi) is one of the last truly-Japanese company, with the original japanese concept and vision for a car. Suzuki cars are compact or sub-compact, the largest car who offer here, is the Suzuki Ertiga XL7, an it is a MPV for 7 passengers, but still shorther than a Camry. Suzuki's aren't luxury by nothing, they cars have hard plastic dashboards and analogs cluster instruments, but they made cars who are relaible, functional, why some stylish and GREAT engines: funny, cheap to run and repair. Before the Swift, Swift Sport and Vitara with Boosterjet engines, Suzuki in Mexico used to have a tinny precense, but now, they are everywhere, i think GM wanted to convert American Suzuki as the new Toyota/Honda, offering large sedans and crossovers, things what Suzuki never done (before and afther) great mistake!
@@drippgxd Yes. Though it's the same company, distribution was always a split-affair between bikes and cars. GM pretty much controlled the vehicle-side of things in America, and let it wither on the vine.
To be honest, a lot of people in Europe would love to get their hands on US cars. But the problem is that they generally only come to Europe as expensive exotics - with a Mustang costing in real terms twice as much in Europe as it does in the states. Increasingly the problem is the disparity in fuel pricing - fuel here in the UK is around 1.90 a litre and that's around $8.60 a US gallon. So a US-Market car that does 18MPG isn't going to be big here. And the reverse is true - fuel is so cheap stateside that the advantage of a car that does 40mpg over one that does 20mpg is much less than in Europe. It's a different of a few tens of dollars a month, as opposed to a few hundred euro. See?
Just to add to the coolness of the Citroen Ami - leasing on it (in the UK) starts at only £20 (US$25) per month with 2k downpayment, the fact you can have fully functional transportation for the price of 2 phones and contracts blows my mind haha. Obviously it would notr work in the US, where you would need the entire charge just to get to the nearest Walmart (sounds facetious, and kind of is, but there are actually only 18 US states where mean distance to nearest Walmart is half of the Ami's range), but in most of Europe its more than enough for either people in cities to get to work and back, or (and this is the case im hearing about more) people who live rurally to get to local towns and villages etc. We also have (or had, i dont really even care to know) the Levorg in the UK - overall its supposedly a pretty shocking car only offered with a terrible CVT trans. Basically never see them. I imagine they are sold with a manual elsewhere, but like the new M3 we didn't get it. The Jimny we have, also (annoyingly) never see them - I think for years the Jimny has just seemed a little overpriced to people - especially the last generation, which had none of the cool factor of the new one, yet was bizarrely expensive for what it offered. It was basically only bought by farmers. The new one on the hand doesn't really seem to be being bought by anyone, even though they are undeniably cool. I think part of that is its not clearly offered in the lowest specs that would go for the price people always attach to them - realistically new you were looking at upwards of US$30k to get one, and about the same to get one used (there has been absolutely no depreciation on them, which was also true of the last gen one as well.) They are also complex to get now, since they don't pass emissions so aren't available privately. The commercial variant is still available, although neither advertised or offered online, but the complexity of getting one certainly won't help popularity.
I see Jimnys quite often in Munich, there was even one living in our street two houses over. As fun as they look, my impression was that their fuel consumption was regarded as unconveniently high for such a small car.
Ami is cheap, but it isn't SGMW Mini EV cheap. The Mini EV is bigger, faster, safer, longer range than the Ami, and can theoretically seat up to 4 people, and could be bought in China for $5000 dollars. There is a good reason Wuling sells like 30,000 of those tiny electric city cars EVERY MONTH.
I suspect the AMI will be as successful as the Sinclair C5 or Twizzy. The Dacia Spring (a cheap but real electric car) will probably do far better if we ever get them.
@@MrDuncl when I first head about it I kind of thought the same thing - but they have completely sold out of their first run of cars in the UK for example
2:28 - I believe the reason why BMW cancelled the Touring version of the 3 Series for North America for the latest one was because it wasn’t selling well in North America in its final years of sale here.
I think the 3 Series Touring was even discontinued here before the end of the F30 generation, because I don’t think I’ve seen one later than a 2017 model and I know for a fact my dealer wasn’t carrying them in 2018 or 19
Speaking of Chinese cars, I just so happen to have an appeal for Great Wall Tank models. From the Tank 300 all the way up to the Tank 800, there are just some fascinating and intriguing vehicles being made in China right now and it'd be cool to see some of them on US soil.
It reminded me of the Lada Niva. Somehow I can't see new ones of those reaching the U.S.A. although you could probably find a 25 year old one in the Alps.
@@f1amesko Chasis copy aside, if you pay attention to some of the Chinese PHEV/EV seden/SUV, you will be surprised. You can get a way more fancy version of a RAV4 Prime, with longer electric range, similar fuel consumption on HEV mode, tons more features, nicer interior, and get this, at less than 30K USD, Great Wall Latte for an example.
I would be curious to learn about the cars that the USA gets that none of the world gets, or very limited parts of the world gets. I am sure it has to work the other way also right?
If you like fast wagons, have a look at Skoda. I bought a new Skoda Octavia Wagon in December last year and absolutely love it. Skoda returned to Australia in 2006/7 and have become very popular, the performance version is RS and these cars are basically VWs in different clothing
16:03 luxury minivan is a common thing here in asia. Its roomy, a lot of space, cool, has an aura of rich people. And in fact, those kind of vehicles is like a status symbol of wealth across asia. Take a look at Toyota Alphard and Lexus LM350 (which basically the same car but even more luxurious)
Exactly, and many of these are expensive as hell too. In my country, a Toyota Vellfire (big 7-seater luxury van) is more expensive than a Porsche 718 Boxster.
@@un725 When compared with other competitors, it's the least. I mean its drive feeling is great, even still lacking some options like adaptive cruise control and auto brake hold, but it's the cheapest one compared with top trim level competitors, but advertising and marketing are kinda weird.
Here's how I figure board room conversations go when car companies discuss bringing cool things to the US: Temp getting coffee: I was thinking that we could literally print money if we just sold it in the USA. You do want to print money, right? The Board: No. Not really. You forgot the creamer you *technical difficulties - please stand by*
Chrysler made a sub compact truck called ram 700, 1000, 1200 which look good but are not sold here. But they are sold in Mexico and in other countries.
The RAM 1200 was basically a lazily rebadged Mitsubishi L200 meant for the Arabian market. Aimed at the competitive midsize truck market, sales were hugely lackluster and eventually it was discontinued just 2-3 years later.
Glad to see you include the vw California on your list. I wish we could get it, there's nothing like it here and tons of people are building out their minivans to camp out of. Could be really popular with active couples and small families as a combo weekender/daily driver. Imagine tailgating in this at your kid's soccer game! Sadly I don't think they will ever bring it here, it's expensive and I think the cost would drive away too much of the potential market. But I wish they would!
@@Twitch_RoG rv companies sometimes use it as a platform, but the resulting class B's are bigger than any minivan. No company sells a combination minivan/camper like the California. You just can't find a vehicle with that versatility here.
Also, in Europe because of the emissions restrictions, they only sold as a industrial vehicle in some countries (with no seats at the back). And it is difficult to buy a new one, because they are taking a lot of reserves and the production is very limited.
i feel like the nissan patrol super safari would do nicredibly well in america too with its extremely reliable powerttrain, extreme tuning capacity and old fashion interior.
Does the US get Seat? I don't know if Cupra will come ti the US if Seat is not im the market 🤔 But you guys miss a lot with Seat, Skoda and Cupra missing. They sell like hotcakes here in Europe because they have (mostly) great value
@@welfiblablabla I thought Seat was starting to attempt to market in the US but from what I've read it wouldn't include Cupra. All I know is that if they sold the Formentor here I would buy one instantly.
@@welfiblablabla - VW would have to make a lot of equipment changes to accommodate either Skoda or Seat into the USDM and Canadian markets. Both brands depend on their VW or Audi versions. Seat does sell in Mexico, I'm not sure about Skoda....
I'm honestly surprised the Terra or just the much offroad-focused midsized SUV are not sold in the west. They sell like pancakes from where I'm at (I mean you see Monteros,Fortuners,Everests,Terras and MU-Xs everwhere here)
@@lego4virgo - the Explorer RWD-based crossover does occupy the NA niche the Everest would occupy. There is a new Everest planned on the new Ranger chassis (figure a "BOF 3-row Escape").
@@syxepop No, it's still the Explorer, and not the same size as the Edge. The Everest is closes to Edge--as long as they make it just two-row, I think it would work out fine.
I feel the same about the Jimny here in the UK. They brought the current boxy model to the market here for less than 18 months, the waiting lists were insane and they’re now flipped on used markets at silly prices. They “sort of sell” one here now which is a van (apparently) but I’ve never known of a dealer with any.
As you know Doug in San Diego in places like PB and probably other dense, touristy residential cities a lot of locals use golf carts to get around. I could see the Citroen Ami fitting in there as an upgrade/conversation piece
You did not mention a Chinese brand called Lynk & Co. , they have a crossover called "01" based on Volvo XC40 platform that is currently sold in Europe but not in the Us and I think it worth be mentioned here. it is a plug-in hybrid 270 Bhp and available only full option it costs 45k USD or you can rent it directly from the company all-in 600 USD a month. it worth be mentioned also for the sake of the business model of this company.
fun fact: the citroen ami is lighter than the current deadlift world record, meaning there are people out there who could probably lift the car by themselves
“It’s not heavy it’s just awkward.” but for the world’s strongest man.
no one care about those crappy french vehicles, expecially here in Canada (and us)
@@mortensenvick5711 i did not ask
@@mortensenvick5711 speak for urself
@@mortensenvick5711 I would love to have French cars here (I live in Canada)
The Citroen Ami is a "voiture sans permis", which is a basically a heavy quadricycle. In France, small cars which are classified as Voiture Sans Permis (vehicle without license) can be driven without a driving license. Certain quadricycles can be driven on a "road safety certificate" category of drivers license, which is available to people 14 years or older. They're popular out in the sticks, as it lets kids get around without relying on their parents, or just as a dirt cheap vehicle.
Just get a golf kart lol
Doug mentions it would be good for San Francisco. I can't imagine it climbing that city's hills.
@@screp36 golf carts don't have windows
What the Renault Twizy should be but isn't, in that it's actually enclosed while the Renault is open to the elements.
in austria this is kind of car is primarily used by alcoholics to drive from bar to bar. they're called buschenschank ferrari. (buschenschank ist some sort of restaurant/bistro where you can drink cider)
I've always wanted a video where to talk about all the cars sold outside the USA, hope we get a part 2 or something
you can easily make a 2 hour video on ALL the cars not sold here
Literally every French car.
@@this_dude5307 what
I hope he covers the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series, Nissan Micra, Mercedes A Class hatch and B Class, Kia Forte hatch, Nissan Patrol, Volkswagen Polo and more.
I feel like the Alpine A110, the Honda E and the Honda Fit/Jazz should be on the list. I think the Alpine is great looking and a fantastic sports car. I really miss the Fit because we no longer have genuinely good subcompact car. As for the E, we strait up need more EV offering.
I can agree with everything you said,
EXCEPT FOR THE HONDA E, NO MORE EVS, WE HAVE TOO MANY ALREADY, NO MORE!!!!!
@@captainawesome7092 I get it I love my ICE cars too but the average Joe is looking more and more into buying an EV especially when we are most than likely gonna hit 3$/L by the end of the year in my area.
@@mathieuchabot1090 It's about 4USD per gallon here in Texas, and the national average is about $5/gallon, however, EVs are still slower to charge and harder to road trip than ICE vehicles. Even so, I would be willing to drive one, so long as they could figure out how to charge an EV from 0-100% in under 5 minutes, put up as many if not more charging stations as gas stations, increase range to about 1000 miles per charge, make self driving completely viable on its own for long trips when everyone is tired, make all the charging stations sustainable, add physical buttons and dials for climate control and radio, make small batteries that can be taken from a charge station to an EV, and bring down the cost of a new EV with all these capabilities and features. There are a lot of requirements, but if all were met, I would drive an EV, strictly on road trips and annoying traffic filled commutes/errands. Anything else, gas all the way.
Yep, came down here to post the A110. Still wish they offered it with a stick though.
Yes, it's a shame that the small affordable hatchbacks have left the US market. Cheap to buy, good on gas, reliable and held much more than a sedan. I have a 15 Fit with a manual that I bought new and due to the fact there is no direct replacement for it I plan to drive it into the ground.
Interestingly, Suzuki Jimny (or Samurai, as was called in the States) was quite popular back in the 80s. It was deliberately forced to halt the sales by the Consumer Reports with fabricated tests conducted to show the chassis being unstable.
More than that,CR made those tests on behalf of Jeep cause they feared they were getting undercut by a smaller,better-made and cheaper competitor than their old Jeep Wrangler.
@@InfiniteForces these a-holes
@@InfiniteForces Where'd you hear that? I thought it was one of their staffers who screwed up and tipped his over. I wouldn't be surprised, I just want to know the full story.
@@artistwithouttalent I'm subbed to a small channel called My Old Car. It's really undersubbed,but the guy does some awesome car history videos. In his episode about Suzuki in the US,he mentions this specifically,because there is no other plausible explanation as to why they switched their tried-and-tested car test formula(at the time 15 years old) just so a specific car(actually,there was a 2nd,the Isuzu Trooper) can fail their tests to paint a bad image about them.
what did they expct of a sub 4meters ladderframe
Happy Father’s day Doug!
Doug isn't a parent.....
@@Enixgeek I believe he recently had a child
@@Enixgeek Yes he is. He welcomed a son I think 3 months ago.
Nice way to get some free likes 👍🏽
@@NicotineRosberg or he's trying to spread positivity but if you wanna think of it that way then sure
16:00 This car makes a lot of sense because a lot of wealthy people in China (and many parts of Asia in general) really like the idea of a luxury MPV over a luxury sedan because it has more headroom and legroom, automatic sliding doors, and ease of entry/exit. The Toyota Alphard, for example, is incredibly popular in China, Hong Kong, Japan, etc. and easily cost $100K+. Toyota even started making the Lexus version of the Alphard called the Lexus LM. It's sort of a status symbol to be chauffeur around in one of those MPV (or "minivan" as we call them in the US).
But here in the US, we associate minivan with soccer mom and "uncool" dad driving their 10 kids to school. So chauffeurs typically drive those huge Chevy Suburban or Cadillac Escalade.
Funny story... before I married my wife (we have been married now for 15 years), I said, if you ever get a Minivan, it's over... she agreed and never even looked at one. I didn't think she was a min-van girl and she isn't....
tl;dr Doug's R-class review, but BR-Z.
My brother wanted to get a new car, since he does constantly carry people around I half-jokingly told him to get a used Fort Transit Connect, but they just outright refused to consider it.
They went Honda BR-V. While sitting in it, I just reflected a bit and came to a conclusion: for practical purposes, it's a small minivan! 2nd row feels roomy like a minivan, it has a 3rd row, the way you see through all windows feels minivan-ey, it's the same. But they refused based on no sliding doors.
Right, the Alphard and Lexus LM are so common here in Cambodia, even the Prime Minister is commonly seen in a white one.
Luxury MPVs are quite popular in Asian countries. When I visited Japan, there were a lot of luxury MPVs like Alphard, Elgrand, Vellfire and etc. There's even tuning cultures of vans too. (Not making them more capable for offroad like EU or US but more like anime style tuned)
Here in Korea, Kia Carnival Limo is quite popular among dads, celebrities and politicians since it has higher roof and limo seats with TVs and fridge inside. Plus, it looks more humble than riding in a luxury sedan.
True, but even in China they are starting to switch over to 3 row crossovers instead of MPVs. Look at Nio ES8, Li ONE, Hongqi E-HS9 for instance.
Volkswagen: "Lets model a van after an icon that is extremely popular in California, call it the California, and then NOT GIVE IT TO THEM!"
As a Californian, I confirm this. On the flip side, the Japanese company Flex that modifies Land Cruisers in Japan will open its first shop outside of Japan in San Diego, suck on that 😏
However, it has to be corrected. "California" is a camper version of Multivan (aka Caravella in some markets)
Wow. That does seem ridiculous. They’re getting quite popular here in the uk. Can only imagine how well they would sell in the North American market.
One thing that Doug got wrong tho is that the passenger version of the VW T6 is called „California“ because that’s actually called the Multivan. The California is the camping-oriented version of the T6 while the Multivan is directed at big (and wealthy lol) families.
Yup
And actually Grand California is camper version of VW Crafter.
So to sum up, there is smaller van called Transporte/ Caravelle/ Multivan (depend of no. of seats and trip levels) and their camper version - California and there is bigger van called VW Crafter and it's camper version called VW Grand California
Hi Doug
I am the owner of a brand new X-Terra. I can definitely tell you, while it is a decent car at a very good price point, it is altogether not something you are missing out on. It feels like they just quickly put a large trunk in the back of a cheap pickup. A few points: Driving position is too high, you might bump your head against the ceiling, especially in the back seat.. and once you drive above 90km/h it "floats" all over the road. The built in reverse camera (platinum edition) in both inside mirror and screen is of horrible quality, you can hardly see anything at night. The adaptive cruise control is the worst I have ever tried, if you drive up hill it will not properly adjust the throttle and the engine will continuously jump from high to low RPM, making the car jump back and forth. Very uncomfortable. The (only) engine offered here in the UAE is an extremely noisy 4-cylinder engine, and the cabin has very little sound-proofing.
That said, the platinum edition sells around USD 35,000 excl. tax in UAE, giving you a lot of value for your money, as long as you don't need to cover long distances on highway.
I think there is a reason Nissan has not been selling it in US..
I’ve long subscribed to the Car & Driver ethos that a station wagon / estate is ALWAYS preferable to an SUV for those who want functionality; most of the fun of driving a great car with the practicality of an SUV.
I’d kill for the M3 wagon here… sigh.
Great video concept, Doug! 😀
I hate that hatchbacks and station wagons are the most practical types of car and yet most of north america, including Mexico don't get nearly enough cars and we're just slowly getting to everyone getting suvs
#1. Alpine A110, Gordon Murray’s daily driver. He’s said it’s the most balanced modern sports car out there and even used it to benchmark development of his new T.50 Hypercar. The only downside of course is it’s lack of manual transmission.
#2. Honda e. Honda’s only EV on sale currently. Doesn’t make sense in US due to the great expanses of land here but it could do really well as a small urban/city car, as it was designed for, in cities like LA, SF, NYC, etc.
I love the alpine. I’m probably the only few americans who knows that car. I love how it looks. It’s really beautiful. I would buy that car over the Miata in a heartbeat because Miata is a little bit overrated imo
@@drippgxd Not really comparable, the Alpine is more of a Cayman competitor
@@rudydousset2271 the Miata competes with the boxster right? The alpine is mostly the same car like the Miata so yeah
@@drippgxd Alpine is almost twice the price of a miata though :D
1) In Europe we really miss a lot of cars from the US, most recent examples - GR Corolla (yes we have GR Yaris but it is a clear track-tool and not really convenient as a daily practical car), Sequoia (no alternatives at all) and new Nissan Z - and these are Japanese cars only, I am not talking about tons of great US cars (Bronco as the brightest example).
2) I guess you find German wagons attractive because they are very rare in the US - in Europe the majority of C-class and 3 series cars are sold as wagons, so sedans look like a more "stylish" version for those one who prefers style over practically - nowadays out of 10 cars on a parking lot only 1 will be sedan, and 4-5 will be wagons - so not so much excitement on ultra-powerful wagons as c63 or m3 from European point of view, just even more wagons on the roads.
3) I think Renault Megane RS is more interesting than Focus/Fiesta ST - just look at track days in Europe, there are tons of Megane RS cars and there are different Megane RS cups, these cars are really popular among people who know how to drive FWD cars - more popular than Golf R and other hot hatches.
Erm no, 4-5 would be shopping trolly suv/cross-overs. Basically heavier, uglier versions of normal cars.
1) you can buy Land Cruiser Prado in europe and you can legally import the new Land Cruiser 300 if one wishes. There’s a few LC300 for sale here in Holland.
Also you can't really buy the Yaris. Toyota canceled ordering and few dealers who have some units left in stock bumped it way higher than msrp.
@@electrikoptik Being able to legally import a certain car really isn't an argument. You can legally import almost anything, but the paperwork and the financials make it no longer worth it. Importing a car and getting it legally registered can easily add another €10-20k to its purchase price, at this point you'd be better off just buying something else entirely.
@@wowdogeful This depends where you live. Americans can not legally import the new 300-series LC. There are dealers selling the 300-series here which saves you from doing all the paper work.
Since this list was so station wagon heavy, I'm surprised you didn't mention the VW Arteon shooting break.
Hell i bet he doesnt know about it's existence. It looks clean asf
Brake not break.
Amazing that so many people _still_ get that wrong. Sigh
Here in Canada at least, the Arteon sedan is a fairly rare vehicle. I don't know how much of a market it would have. I see more RS6 Avants than Arteons. I think VAG would probably do better with the RS4 Avant. The Arteon shooting brake is gorgeous, but I think it would be a tough sell, at least in Canada anyway.
The Arteon SB is an overpriced RS6. They do sell it here in Europe, but I've never seen a single one (even sedans are pretty rare, because they are over Audi price)
@@Inferiis no shit they cost more than the audi equivalent. Wow what a silly move🤷🏽♂️
Here in Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia there's tons of unique cars the xterra is still being sold here and the Toyota FJ Cruiser is still being and the demand is still high and Hilux and there's tons of Chinese cars here hongqi changan geely Baic GAC Chery Haval Great wall Saic tons and tons of Chinese cars even Chinese only car are here like the ford Taurus and many others i think that doug should someday come here and review cars here there's lots of cars
I can think of number of cars that are currently offered over here in the GCC but not the States:
•Chrysler 300 SRT (2015+)
Despite being discontinued in North America, the SRT model are still being made snd exported to other markets with some updates.
• Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra as a Single Cab Truck
If you live in the GCC (and Mexico i think), you could get the RST, Trail Boss, AT4 or Elevation models as a Single Cab. Reason is simple, Single Cab models are still hugely popular in the region.
• Ford Mondeo/Taurus 2023
The new Chinese-made Mondeo is now being sold in the GCC as the all-new Taurus...for some reason.
• Nissan Patrol VTC 4800 Y61
Originally meant to compete with the J100 Land Cruiser, Nissan kept it in production despite introducing the Y62 Patrol in 2010. It's pretty popular among off-roaders and tuners.
• Toyota Land Cruiser J70
The true successor to the legendary 40 series LC. Offered in multiple configurations, the 70 series is a pure utilitarian truck with barely any creature comfort. Also no, I ain't talking about the elephant in the room.
• Midsize Trucks in general
Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi L200 and Isuzu D-Max.
•Renault Megane RS
In fact, french brands as a whole.
• Countless Chinese Brands that are now storming the market due to huge marketing and "cheaper prices". MG, Changan, Hongqi, GAC, Haval, Geely, you name it.
Unfortunately we miss out on a lot of cool cars but oh well
@@Bahraini_Carguy Yep Sounds about right the Megane RS i don't know about there are few hot hatches here and also sports cars
@@انا_ابراهيم_البناوي The thing is, most popular enthusiasts cars that are currently sold here are already being sold in the States. I can't think of many interesting performance cars that aren't Mustangs, Corvettes Challengers, Golf GTis or M series example.
@@Bahraini_Carguy
wow looks like you're jealousy American who knows about cars sold out USA and dreaming on
Actually you don't deserve these cars especially real Japanese Toyota and I am happy that is not available in usa
Also you missed Mitsubishi Pajero, Mitsubishi Montero (Pajero sport), Isuzu MUX, Toyota Prado, Toyota Fortuner (much better than 4runner), lexus LX diesel and Nissan patrol y62 which is better than armada and qx80 in off-road
Patrol y62 has diff lock which is not available in armada and qx80
@Mohammed S you realize that you're talking to someone from Bahrain? I ain't American, i'm just providing few examples of cars that aren't sold over there.
Solid list though but few notes btw:
• The LC Prado and 4Runner are pretty much twins. Similar chassis, similar powertrain and similar market segment. There are some differences here and there but overall, they are pretty closely related. The Fortuner, on the other hand, is slotted *below* the Prado & 4Runner as a cheaper 5/7 seater offroader based on the iconic Hilux.
• The full sized Pajero have been discontinued recently so i didn't include it in the list.
• It irked me how the US only received the J100 & J200 Land Cruisers with like one luxurious trim model. You couldn't get them in stripped down base or mid grade models. No manual, only one engine, no dual tanks, no barn doors, no cool box (for j100),...etc.
I legit feel like Toyota could have easily sold more Land Cruiser in the states if they offered more options and especially non luxury offerings.
I think that Ford Everest would make a great addition to this list. A mid sized, 7 seat, body on frame 4runner competitor. Also the special edition Rangers we didn't get like the Wildtrak.
Wow I live in Australia. We have the Everest and the Ranger special editions.. I'm soooo surprised to hear that the US market didn't get these. Id assumed they'd just converted the US model's to right hand drive and sold them here.. wow
Regarding the Volkswagen van. I just on my way home from a camping trip to Newfoundland, and the number of people camping in all sorts of vans in different configurations is staggering. The fact the Volkswagen California isn't available in North America really is a shame. I think it would do incredibly well here.
I went camping in a California a few years ago.
It. Is. Perfect.
You’ve got Tables, seats, everything you need for camping all over the van. There’s also a Tent with an actual mattress on top, the rear seats can also be folded down to have a two-person bed. There’s also a Bike rack on the back. They really thought of everything with this van. It also comes in different non-camping types, like a normal van or transporter.
And about the bigger california: it literally has a shower inside.
What’s really ironic is that VW named a van after a US state and doesn’t sell in North America…
@@drippgxd Why do people think all vehicles named after US states must be sold in North America?
@@drippgxd Especially funny and ironic of how Chevrolet did a similar thing with their Chevy Orlando van, which ended up not being sold in the US despite the fact that they used a Florida city name
The Suzuki Samurai was a genuine Picasso moment of American automotive culture. No one truly appreciated it until it was dead.
I think you are thinking of Vincent Van Gogh
@@tamiwu0346 i second that
Blame Ralph Nader for that one. He pressured consumer auto advocate groups to give terrible ratings to certain cars. Some he was right about, i.e. the Ford Pinto, other he was dead wrong like the Samurai
The only ones in US who've appreciated the Samurai for what it really was were us in Puerto Rico, who didn't speed on expressways with them. Those are strictly to both CRUISE in the city and DIRTY them over mud and rocks at slow speed. That's what they were made for... We would take the NA-105hp "new Samurai" in the same way.
I think you are thinking of Trump
I'd love to see a video about quirky or "under the radar" cars that can be imported, doesn't have to be JDM.
Some ideas off the top of my head: Dodge Ramcharger, Ford falcon, Mitsubishi Magna Ralliart (soon), maybe some British MG saloon idk
Ford Falcon FG GT Boss 335… almost importable to Canada and damn is it a hot car. So much cooler than a Mustang and from what I can tell, safer too🔥🔥
And the other body style variants of Holden Commodores like the ute and wagon
Why are Aussie cars so overlooked outside of Australia?
@@sva60_cyyz59 Ford Mustang is way too overrated...
@@MartinJones123 Mustang is way too overrated. Aussie muscle has always been very cool and far less obnoxious
Totally agree with the Focus ST. Had one, 6 speed. Great car. Fun to drive, functional
Just got back from Europe, so many wagons everywhere. Also, all of their small cars are diesel; they need more of them here, especially with the current gas prices. We rented a GLC Diesel Hybrid that got great fuel economy.
I don't know what the current market is like, but I remember seeing Buicks offered in China that had incredible styling. I always wondered why an American car company offered cool stuff but only gave us the old stuffy fuddy duddy boring as all get out crap and wondered why sales were poor?
I can’t speak for every company, but over the recent years, China has become Buick’s largest market (as for GM as a whole), and I think it’s in large part towards catering towards local luxurious automotive trends there and they were among the first foreign car brands to secure a strategic partnership with a local Chinese car manufacturer as China was opening up its economy towards the world in the late 80s and early 90s. Not to mention even beforehand, the Chinese elite often bought and drove imported Buicks. In those cases with China, it holds a much higher level of esteem that Buick itself has lost in the U.S. Not to mention Buick’s customer base is on average much younger in China compared to the U.S.; the latter whom largely don’t necessarily care about getting the most luxury and largest number of features in a car. And I think because of that Buick has largely abandoned pushing the same ultra luxury boundaries in the US compared to over in China.
I remember hearing somewhere that the last emperor of China drove a Buick, so they’ve been considered super luxury to most commoners
It’s because the Chinese consider Buick a luxurious status symbol and Americans consider them to be cars that only an old person would drive. Same as Oldsmobile. They even had a marketing campaign that said “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile” to try to fight their new reputation but it didn’t work. They used to be cool but now people here just consider them cars for old people. Buick has come out with more hip models for America but they didn’t sell. Here no one under 55-60 will buy them just because they say Buick on them so they stopped trying. Same reason Ford stopped selling cars here except for the Mustang. They sell in Europe but no one here was buying them.
For a rich country like the US, an entry-premium brand like Buick might not make sense, but in emergent countries those brands are more appreciated. As many have mentioned Buick has a reputation in China due to multiple politics using them in the past
In Mexico, Mercury cars like grand marquis, ghia or cougar were highly appreciated, unfortunately Ford always renamed them simply as Ford
The Chinese market and strength of Buick in China are what kept GM from killing off Buick in 2009.
Since I’m Mexican, in Mexico they have the 2022 Mercedes Benz Unimog. They use them a lot for work and they are good.
Neta? Porque, wey también soy mexicano y ni sabía jajajaja
@@isaac4273Si, en Mexico los tienen y lo usan de trabjar como bomberos, luz, policias, y soldados tambien.
@@FireFlame-p6n hey qué curada! me compraré uno jaja
@@isaac4273 si la compras, suve un video de la unimog nuevo.
It'll be fun to see Doug folding into the back of that tiny Fiat Panda :D
Ah yes, you must be a Doug follower since the early days of Doug Demuro era :)
I was working with one of the largest car part manufacturers somewhere, where people develop clutch systems. Our engineering team was totally passionate about the fiesta st. When you know its a 3 cylinder turbo motor, you really wanna know why they had celebrated this car so much. I guess it´s not terribly expensive but so much fun to drive.
Doug needs to start his own car company
It’s a good day when Mahim Mustakim isn’t in the comment section! :)
Come on! Why!
you missed the rs4
@@josephstalin4202 cause most are imports and one *American. Even though Doug less care about *that
Spoiler alert ⚠️
No skodas is shocking
Hi Doug, nice video but the VW California is always the camper version with a pop-up roof. The normal vans are called Caravelle en Multivan … the latest model just got a completely new version !
Exactly
Doug is the typical guy who instead of singing in the shower, imitates car sounds
Bruh I do that 😅😂😂
Well yeah...the sounds of cars going by on a rainy road...I do that too^^
Occasionally, it's not a routine or something but...I admit to it
Arn’t we all
Honda S660. Was really excited that they announced it, then disappointed that they don't sell them in the U.S. Same with the Toyota Alphards, great luxury vans, you see them everywhere in Hong Kong/ East Asia.
I doubt we'll ever see Kei cars introduced to the North American market. It's all SUVs and pickup trucks now.
Fun fact about the terra, it has been sold here in the Philippines since 2018 and it sold well due to its ride quality and cold ac it has a pick-up version called the Nissan Navara which is as cool as the terra it also has coil spring suspension which is not common in our pick up trucks here. The Navara is the only truck here in the Philippines that has coil suspension but it's not true we have the ranger raptor with coil suspension but it's not considered a "normal" pickup because it solely focuses on offroading but that's just me.
Doug is the kind of guy to wake up his grandma to remind her to take sleeping pills
💀💀💀
Doug is a type of a guy to wake his wife in the middle of night to tell her he is going to sleep
😁
Certain parts of Asia has rather interesting cars too. Like from Honda there’s the Brio which is a cheap tiny hatchback and the City Hatchback which is a Fit replacement. And from Toyota there’s a Hilux minivan called the Innova
I've always been a fan of the Honda Jade as well, especially the Jade RS. Seems like it would sell pretty well in America considering Honda doesn't really make any wagons anymore.
The Innova is also sold in Mexico so someone could drive up to San Diego for Doug to review.
City Hatchback is becoming popular here in Brazil as well.
@@LouisSubearth iirc they only sold the Avanza (which is slightly smaller than Innova)
Doug once mentioned Avanza in his blog, I remember he said the Avanza is a weird Toyota minivan or something like that
Theres also lots of cars in the US that aren't sold in Europe like new Nissan Z. Each continent has their complaints!
Main difference being that we Europeans don't have to wait 25 years to be able to import a car.
China don't miss (almost) anything bro
You’re missing Diesel 6-Cylinder Engines from German car makers, like Audi 50 TDI, BMW 30d and 40d and Mercedes 400d. These are not only great in fuel efficiency, but also are very nice to drive.
They still think diesel is only for tractors. And i don't blame them, given that the smallest American diesel engine is a 5.9 Cummins wich doesn't stand a chance against a 3L german made diesel in terms of power and fuel efficiency
Volkswagen Scirocco.
The VW GTI for people who want a sports car that looks like a sports car.
Why not, VW?! WHY???
I'm looking forward to see the review of the Fiat Panda 4X4 Country Club. Here in Italy that car is such a legend cause it can go everywhere off road.
Interesting Fact: The Suzuki Jimny was actually killed off in Europe due to emissions. However they still sell it in Europe only this time as a cargo-type vehicle.
it's too cramped and underpowered for many markets. Except probably europe, japan, india, and few south american amrkets.
@@mortensenvick5711 I have one with a manual too it is not considered a daily car trust me more like a toy for off-roading or just cruising around at least here in the Middle East but in Japan ig it is the norm since they have kei cars and it was never intended for highway use lol at high speed the rpm is around 3-4.5k for the manual which has 5 speeds and the automatic has 4 speed so it is probably worse
Yes, without the rear seats, just like a "panel delivery" of sorts...
@@AE-qq1yf definetely true. When I was in Europe I drove a 2003 daitshu terios, a 17 years old suv very solid and reliable. I was surprised how small and cramped it was and not likely comfortable to drive at highway speed. Then, I discovered that in Japan there was a model that was even smaller! (terios kid).
@@mortensenvick5711 Yea kei cars are fun for city use only and are so cheap to run
Great thumbnail as Uncle Sam. Happy Father's Day, Daddy Doug!
4:50 bad argument. VW still makes the GTI and Golf R, which are obviously based on the now discontinued Golf…
Since the Mid size pick up craze is really taking off, I would love to see the Volkswagen Amarok come here. I saw one once on the road. It was painted in Forrest Department colors and had special plates on it. It was pretty freaking cool looking.
VW is nuts not to sell it here. I know the chicken tax is a thing and all but VW has the means to build it here and it would sell like crazy.
@@danmccarthy4700 It's not as good as the competitors like F150, Silverado or Ram. It competes more with the Isuzu Dmax, Mitsubishi Triton and Ford Ranger.
Chicken tax from WW2 blocks VW from importing the Amarok!
@@michaelwiebe4282 That doesn't mean they can't build it here.
@@danmccarthy4700 If VW wants to....
5:55 Canada actually did get the C43 AMG wagon between 2018-2022, and I’m pretty sure they are legal in the US. Would you ever buy one of these Doug?
Doug: yes
i was looking into this couple months back and apparently you can't import in the wagon version of the C-Class to the States from Canada, the Sedan yes but not the Wagon, Mercedes Benz will not sign off on the Paperwork to bring the car into the States.
@@deet4895 absolutely unbelievable
When I lived in Europe I loved all the unusual cars there. And, yes, they still drive cars in Europe. We need cheaper EVs like the Renault Zoe, which is very popular. I loved the styling of the French brands: Renault, Peugeot, and Citroen, as well as the Skoda cars from the Czech Republic.
They are in general though, miserable shitboxes.
skodas are just volkswagens with a differnt body
The renault zoe is neither cheap nor does it come with batteries, you have to rent them from the dealership
@@Giannis_Papa same with Seat...
We have more than enough EVs as it is. Don't bring more. I don't care if they're "inevitable."
That Tank 300 is AWESOME. I believe it would do really well here. The Jimny would also do really well here. Ppl are dying for those types of rugged affordable off road SUV's.
Doug, I'd be interested in a video like this for cars not sold outside of the United States or cars not sold in near-peer Europe or Asia.
Despite the American fondness for big fat cars, I do wonder if they have something we are missing sometimes.
I would also add the Honda ‘e’ to this list it’s small, electric, packed with features, and I just think it would be perfect for big cities
Nissan sakura does that better
@@clarksonoceallachain8536 not with that styling
Wow I was actually really impressed by the 2 Chinese cars! The van was so beautiful! And the tank has its own unique look. 😊
I totally agree, looks like the interior of the van was designed by Gucci or Prada.
Tank 300 feels like seeing the new Bronco and Wrangler mated together, ngl looks interesting-
honestly, you swap out the front end of the Tank 300 and it'd be a decent idea of what a modern Hummer H3 would look like
@@rissole_dot_exe What if the Tank 300 was made before the new Bronco?
@@automation7295 Maybe they did. July 13th of 2020, the Bronco was unveiled. TANK 300 (made by company named WEY, before it became standalone name in 2021) happened to be unveiled at the same month and year but unspecified date, but did sale on December 17th in the same year (Bronco production rolled out in 2021)
They (WEY) probably squeeze out finding design cues of new Bronco concept back in 2019 (spying inside Ford company (?)). But who knows...
Never know what to expect from Chinese automakers, that's for sure.
Here is my list of cars that I wish they could sell in the states and that would sell good actually:
- Audi RSQ3
-Peugeot 508 PSE
-Cupra Leon
-Alpina A110
The Cupra Leon especially, that thing would sell like mad.
any peugoet model is a great addition to us market
their last cars r stunning inside and out
RS3 Sportback also
take it out that french crap vehicle, underpowered unreliable vehicles
The cupra leon is so cool looking
I still can't understand Toyota's decision to keep the Land Cruiser out of the US. With its excellent off-road capabilities and superb reliability, it'd be a hit in America.
The sound he makes at 8:28 is the most Doug noise I've ever heard.
You should look at cars from Indian Automakers like Mahindra and Tata, i think you will like some a lot, like Mahindra Thar, ScorpioN, XUV700, Scorpio Pikup range, Tata Harrier, Safari, Nexon, Nexon EV, Force Gurkha.
Can't wait for the Panda 4x4 review
I'd love the Alpine A110 in the States
I’ve heard that Alpine is expanding their global presence after they become a full on brand in Europe, and the US may potentially be one of those markets. I don’t know when it will happen though.
I've driven one and it was terrific.
The craziest thing about the Citroen Ami is that it is what we call in France a “voiture sans permis /car without licence”, basically you can drive these cars without a driving licence and as young as 14 years old. These cars were predominantly used in rural areas for people without a driving licence (most of the time for financial reasons or because they lost their licence) but Citroen seized the opportunity and built this car for not rural areas this time but large cities. This is what Renault did with the twizy
I absolutely would see cities like New York, LA, Miami, DC, and San Francisco use these cars as a sort of ride sharing service within the city center
@@BrandonJXN2 please, no. we've done with french crap vehicles from 90s or so. Travelling around south europe i can't avoid to notice how bad the rusted paints is on hood and roof and how crappy the interior is falling apart, pretty every french vehicle is the same
@@mortensenvick5711 So people can call French car crap, but don't murder people for owning them? I bet you hate people for owning French cars.
@@mortensenvick5711 The future is now, old man.
@@Solotocius ima 27 duh
Typical Volkswagen to make a car named after a state in the U.S. (California) and only sell it in Europe.
I actually saw one the other day on the highway called the VW Transporter with a Mexican license plate.
We need the volkswagen amarok here in the states to compete with the maverick, santa cruz, and colorado
The M3 tourings are going to be fun to see when they come over in 25 years.
THE ORIGINAL PANDA! MY VERY FIRST CAR! A friend of my dad's gave it to him for free when I was 18 for me to drive, sadly my mom needed a car herself and it went to her, but I still have a ton of fond memories about that metal square box: my first roadtrip when I was 22, the first time I went to school with it and I gave a lift home to my crush.. later on I gave it to a friend of mine for free and he wrecked while drunk driving (luckily he wen away with it without hurting himself)
Absolutely agree on the Suzuki Jimny! In fact, you probably could have just said, "The entire global Suzuki lineup"... they left the US market, yet Mitsubishi remained, and that is part of the reason I believe we're in the worst timeline.
¡Tanks to GM and Consumer Reports for kick out a great little company like Suzuki!
@@AngelVargas1989 Yeah, GM's mismanagement was devastating. Forcing Suzuki to sell rebadged Daewoos was the final nail in the USDM coffin. The Daewoos were... well, they were not terrible, borderline OK, but not "up to snuff" to wear the Suzuki badge.
And then the sold the SX4 here, which was fine (my mom had one, so It holds a place in my heart), but tried marketing it as a competitor to the Mini. Not with THAT atrocious fuel mileage... whereas, they have the Swift, which really WAS a true competitor to the Mini, and did NOT sell it in America.
@@DiRF Here in Mexico, Suzuki is becoming a huge succes, ¿why?, i think cause' Suzuki (with Subaru and maybe Mitsubishi) is one of the last truly-Japanese company, with the original japanese concept and vision for a car. Suzuki cars are compact or sub-compact, the largest car who offer here, is the Suzuki Ertiga XL7, an it is a MPV for 7 passengers, but still shorther than a Camry. Suzuki's aren't luxury by nothing, they cars have hard plastic dashboards and analogs cluster instruments, but they made cars who are relaible, functional, why some stylish and GREAT engines: funny, cheap to run and repair. Before the Swift, Swift Sport and Vitara with Boosterjet engines, Suzuki in Mexico used to have a tinny precense, but now, they are everywhere, i think GM wanted to convert American Suzuki as the new Toyota/Honda, offering large sedans and crossovers, things what Suzuki never done (before and afther) great mistake!
Don’t Suzuki still sell bikes in America?
@@drippgxd Yes. Though it's the same company, distribution was always a split-affair between bikes and cars. GM pretty much controlled the vehicle-side of things in America, and let it wither on the vine.
To be honest, a lot of people in Europe would love to get their hands on US cars. But the problem is that they generally only come to Europe as expensive exotics - with a Mustang costing in real terms twice as much in Europe as it does in the states. Increasingly the problem is the disparity in fuel pricing - fuel here in the UK is around 1.90 a litre and that's around $8.60 a US gallon. So a US-Market car that does 18MPG isn't going to be big here. And the reverse is true - fuel is so cheap stateside that the advantage of a car that does 40mpg over one that does 20mpg is much less than in Europe. It's a different of a few tens of dollars a month, as opposed to a few hundred euro. See?
I totally agree with you Doug we need more wagons in this country
Just to add to the coolness of the Citroen Ami - leasing on it (in the UK) starts at only £20 (US$25) per month with 2k downpayment, the fact you can have fully functional transportation for the price of 2 phones and contracts blows my mind haha. Obviously it would notr work in the US, where you would need the entire charge just to get to the nearest Walmart (sounds facetious, and kind of is, but there are actually only 18 US states where mean distance to nearest Walmart is half of the Ami's range), but in most of Europe its more than enough for either people in cities to get to work and back, or (and this is the case im hearing about more) people who live rurally to get to local towns and villages etc.
We also have (or had, i dont really even care to know) the Levorg in the UK - overall its supposedly a pretty shocking car only offered with a terrible CVT trans. Basically never see them. I imagine they are sold with a manual elsewhere, but like the new M3 we didn't get it.
The Jimny we have, also (annoyingly) never see them - I think for years the Jimny has just seemed a little overpriced to people - especially the last generation, which had none of the cool factor of the new one, yet was bizarrely expensive for what it offered. It was basically only bought by farmers. The new one on the hand doesn't really seem to be being bought by anyone, even though they are undeniably cool. I think part of that is its not clearly offered in the lowest specs that would go for the price people always attach to them - realistically new you were looking at upwards of US$30k to get one, and about the same to get one used (there has been absolutely no depreciation on them, which was also true of the last gen one as well.) They are also complex to get now, since they don't pass emissions so aren't available privately. The commercial variant is still available, although neither advertised or offered online, but the complexity of getting one certainly won't help popularity.
I see Jimnys quite often in Munich, there was even one living in our street two houses over. As fun as they look, my impression was that their fuel consumption was regarded as unconveniently high for such a small car.
Ami is cheap, but it isn't SGMW Mini EV cheap. The Mini EV is bigger, faster, safer, longer range than the Ami, and can theoretically seat up to 4 people, and could be bought in China for $5000 dollars. There is a good reason Wuling sells like 30,000 of those tiny electric city cars EVERY MONTH.
I suspect the AMI will be as successful as the Sinclair C5 or Twizzy. The Dacia Spring (a cheap but real electric car) will probably do far better if we ever get them.
@@MrDuncl when I first head about it I kind of thought the same thing - but they have completely sold out of their first run of cars in the UK for example
2:28 - I believe the reason why BMW cancelled the Touring version of the 3 Series for North America for the latest one was because it wasn’t selling well in North America in its final years of sale here.
I asked BMW Blog on IG, and they said the 3er Touring G21 isn’t certified for US crash test regulations.
I think the 3 Series Touring was even discontinued here before the end of the F30 generation, because I don’t think I’ve seen one later than a 2017 model and I know for a fact my dealer wasn’t carrying them in 2018 or 19
Speaking of Chinese cars, I just so happen to have an appeal for Great Wall Tank models. From the Tank 300 all the way up to the Tank 800, there are just some fascinating and intriguing vehicles being made in China right now and it'd be cool to see some of them on US soil.
It reminded me of the Lada Niva. Somehow I can't see new ones of those reaching the U.S.A. although you could probably find a 25 year old one in the Alps.
@@MrDuncl nothing out of the ordinary all their models are copied from somewhere
@@f1amesko Chasis copy aside, if you pay attention to some of the Chinese PHEV/EV seden/SUV, you will be surprised. You can get a way more fancy version of a RAV4 Prime, with longer electric range, similar fuel consumption on HEV mode, tons more features, nicer interior, and get this, at less than 30K USD, Great Wall Latte for an example.
I have a soft spot for the Levorg
The ami is being offered in Washington I’m not sure if it’s Washington state or Washington DC but it is part of a electric car share service
If the Jimny was available I would buy one in a heartbeat as a fun weekend/evening car, the way some people buy wranglers as their fun car.
I would be curious to learn about the cars that the USA gets that none of the world gets, or very limited parts of the world gets. I am sure it has to work the other way also right?
The UK didn’t have the 5.0 Ford Mustang officially released until relatively recent
Happy Father's day Papa Doug!
Drove a Jimny for a week when on vaction, its a pretty neat little SUV. It was perfect for tooling around the island really sips gas
If you like fast wagons, have a look at Skoda. I bought a new Skoda Octavia Wagon in December last year and absolutely love it. Skoda returned to Australia in 2006/7 and have become very popular, the performance version is RS and these cars are basically VWs in different clothing
16:03 luxury minivan is a common thing here in asia. Its roomy, a lot of space, cool, has an aura of rich people. And in fact, those kind of vehicles is like a status symbol of wealth across asia. Take a look at Toyota Alphard and Lexus LM350 (which basically the same car but even more luxurious)
Exactly, and many of these are expensive as hell too. In my country, a Toyota Vellfire (big 7-seater luxury van) is more expensive than a Porsche 718 Boxster.
Minivans are some of the most popular cars to import into the UK, you see a fair few Nissan Elgrands, Toyota Estimas and Honda Elysions around
the chinese big mpv are better these days, hongqi and byd expecially, also the VW viloran
I saw the interior of that Lexus and it has a TV in the back. I wish American Lexus interiors would be very very good just like the Asian versions
The Toyota Alphard is also getting a lot of grey-import love in Australia.
I live in Thailand where the Terra sells, and tbh it doesn't sell very well. About 100-200 (or even lower) can be sold per month.
This is ok, isn't it?
i love the hummer-style 4x4 they sell in Thailand, very cool. I can't remember the name
@@un725 When compared with other competitors, it's the least. I mean its drive feeling is great, even still lacking some options like adaptive cruise control and auto brake hold, but it's the cheapest one compared with top trim level competitors, but advertising and marketing are kinda weird.
@@mortensenvick5711 You mean TR Transformer?
@@DemonGuy48 yeah exactly! Do you know if they sell only in Thailand or they export to neighbords like Cambodia and Myanmar as well?
I really wish the Yaris GR would come to the US. The Corolla is cool but I like small small sporty cars
Honestly the GR Corolla is close enough. You can even get the Morizo edition that's a 2 seater. Silly to have a 4 door 2 seater but whatever.
We need 70 series land cruisers, y61 Nissan patrols, and Suzuki Jimnys..
For decades, the US market missed the Land Cruiser 70 Series. number one 4x4 off-roader..
and we are once again missing the 300 series lol (other than Lexus LX600)
The Suzuki Jimny would be a awesome here in the states. The mods that could be done to them are endless
You just know someone would put a 700hp Dodge engine in one. And it would be amazing.
Happy Fathers Day Doug! Your going to be the Father ever!
A car that I wish the US had is the Honda S660. I would love a mini civic SI (if tuned) personally.
Can’t believe I hadn’t heard of this yet, what an awesome little car
S660 are mid engine RWD tho, can't count as mini Civic SI.
You forgot de VW Amarok V6 TDI with 258hp and 580Nm
Here's how I figure board room conversations go when car companies discuss bringing cool things to the US:
Temp getting coffee: I was thinking that we could literally print money if we just sold it in the USA. You do want to print money, right?
The Board: No. Not really. You forgot the creamer you *technical difficulties - please stand by*
Chrysler made a sub compact truck called ram 700, 1000, 1200 which look good but are not sold here. But they are sold in Mexico and in other countries.
Bring the RAM 1200 to the US and it’ll be our new Dakota
@@razvandobos9759 didn’t Scotty Kilmer said something like that?
its just a fiat toro bro
The RAM 1200 was basically a lazily rebadged Mitsubishi L200 meant for the Arabian market. Aimed at the competitive midsize truck market, sales were hugely lackluster and eventually it was discontinued just 2-3 years later.
We have the Nissan Terra here in the Philippines and the suspension and ride comfort is a lot better than its rivals!
We have it in the gulf area but it's called xterra I know the original name is terra anyway it's a shame that is no V6
Glad to see you include the vw California on your list. I wish we could get it, there's nothing like it here and tons of people are building out their minivans to camp out of. Could be really popular with active couples and small families as a combo weekender/daily driver. Imagine tailgating in this at your kid's soccer game! Sadly I don't think they will ever bring it here, it's expensive and I think the cost would drive away too much of the potential market. But I wish they would!
Is the Ford Transit not available in a Camper version in the US?
@@Twitch_RoG rv companies sometimes use it as a platform, but the resulting class B's are bigger than any minivan. No company sells a combination minivan/camper like the California. You just can't find a vehicle with that versatility here.
Also, in Europe because of the emissions restrictions, they only sold as a industrial vehicle in some countries (with no seats at the back). And it is difficult to buy a new one, because they are taking a lot of reserves and the production is very limited.
I could watch an entire video of you talking about random Chinese cars I’ve never heard of. Fascinating!
I thought for sure the new Land Cruiser would be on here, but maybe not Bc it was so obvious that it should be sold here
Sequoia is sorta like the LC replacement in US. Just a bit bigger.
The Alpine A110 is a top pick for me. Such a missed oppertunity.
also the fact that it was automatic only
i feel like the nissan patrol super safari would do nicredibly well in america too with its extremely reliable powerttrain, extreme tuning capacity and old fashion interior.
You will be broke in two weeks, it is a gas vaccum
@@bril5232 yes but its almost worth it sometimes
@@thunder_8olt550
The only thing I like in the patrol is the manual transmission, other things could be found in American vehicles
I mean, why buy a Vohan when you can buy a Toyota Alphard
Definitely agree on the Suzuki Jimny!!!
Also, my top choice would be the Alpina BMW B3!!!
Doug is the type of guy who is excited for the new Barbie movie.
Honestly I would love to see Cupra come to the states, those SUVs are nice af 🙏
Does the US get Seat? I don't know if Cupra will come ti the US if Seat is not im the market 🤔
But you guys miss a lot with Seat, Skoda and Cupra missing. They sell like hotcakes here in Europe because they have (mostly) great value
@@welfiblablabla I thought Seat was starting to attempt to market in the US but from what I've read it wouldn't include Cupra. All I know is that if they sold the Formentor here I would buy one instantly.
@@evine.4299 oh didn't know Seat was planiNg to go to the US, too bad if they wouldn't bring Cupra...
@@welfiblablabla I don't know what brands would be involved though
@@welfiblablabla - VW would have to make a lot of equipment changes to accommodate either Skoda or Seat into the USDM and Canadian markets. Both brands depend on their VW or Audi versions.
Seat does sell in Mexico, I'm not sure about Skoda....
I'm honestly surprised the Terra or just the much offroad-focused midsized SUV are not sold in the west. They sell like pancakes from where I'm at (I mean you see Monteros,Fortuners,Everests,Terras and MU-Xs everwhere here)
The Ford Everest should be slotted where the Edge used to be--but it'd probably take too many sales from the Bronco and Explorer.
@@lego4virgo - the Explorer RWD-based crossover does occupy the NA niche the Everest would occupy. There is a new Everest planned on the new Ranger chassis (figure a "BOF 3-row Escape").
@@syxepop No, it's still the Explorer, and not the same size as the Edge. The Everest is closes to Edge--as long as they make it just two-row, I think it would work out fine.
I feel the same about the Jimny here in the UK. They brought the current boxy model to the market here for less than 18 months, the waiting lists were insane and they’re now flipped on used markets at silly prices. They “sort of sell” one here now which is a van (apparently) but I’ve never known of a dealer with any.
As you know Doug in San Diego in places like PB and probably other dense, touristy residential cities a lot of locals use golf carts to get around. I could see the Citroen Ami fitting in there as an upgrade/conversation piece
Great Wall Tank 300 😃👍
I really wish they sold the Honda E here in the states. I just fell in love with the styling of that car.
Crosstrek STI Would be wonderful from Subaru. the body looks better in my opinion than the Levorg and the new wrx look
Some bot copied your comment.
@@ultraguy8771 - that S3XBOT is copying comments left and right. Just denounce it.
You did not mention a Chinese brand called Lynk & Co. , they have a crossover called "01" based on Volvo XC40 platform that is currently sold in Europe but not in the Us and I think it worth be mentioned here. it is a plug-in hybrid 270 Bhp and available only full option it costs 45k USD or you can rent it directly from the company all-in 600 USD a month. it worth be mentioned also for the sake of the business model of this company.
I’m absolutely shocked at how beautiful the interior of the Dreamer was, absolutely on par with the Maybachs