Roman and Tommy, It is perfectly natural to focus on the 70 Series as well as luxury or high performance cars. (GR Yaris? Hell YES!!!🤯🤯) Having said that, the main difference between the Japanese market and US/Canada is that the Japanese appear to value practicality above everything else. They have so many more vans, minivans and wagons that get the job done with a minimum of fuss. They don't seem to be fixated on adding an extra thousand pounds of sheet metal or an extra 200 hp 'just in case'. The forbidden fruit I would like to see here is the kind of car that is already closely aligned with our safety and emission standards. The perfect candidate in that respect is the Corolla wagon that is made alongside the Corolla hatch and Hybrid sedan which are already sold here. Continuing the focus on practicality, I also find it odd that Toyota is ignoring the whole 'white delivery van' business across North America when they have so many ProAce vans in production. Before anyone squawks -Chicken tax, the solution is to build them here. In general, I like to see more consumer choice. As long as the vehicles meet our safety, environmental and political standards, I say - bring them over.
I love the Jeep Wrangler, a small suv but I’m so annoyed by the poor reliability. I always wondered why Toyota and Suzuki don’t bring their comparable vehicles here. I would buy them in a heartbeat!
We in Australia really are fortunate we get "almost" everything from Toyota. GR Yaris, GR Corollas, 70 series LC... Wish we got more of their awesome sedans officially though. Can import but it's not the same.
I agree with you Tommy. The truth is small sporty cars seem fun and many like the idea of but the reality is something with 4 doors and more utility always wins over in the US. To your point only the enthusiast or those with good financial resources would buy them just because. What the US buyers really want are more affordable small/medium/large suvs.
Back in the 90s, I thought MR2s were way better than the Celica. Friend of mine had four of them. But, I’m older now, and if Toyota offered a worthy successor to the Celica All-Trac, I’d be all over that. A Celica All-Trac with a G20E, AWD, manual, top mount intercooler, and retro 90s styling would be fantastic.
Ok number 1 I love the new podcast setup and concept, keep it up!! #2 I don't normally agree with Roman but no one in America is going to spend over 25k on something "small" Americans view size and money as a status, safety, and comfortability aspect. If I'm spending 50k which I recently have, it's going to be big comfy and safe... Remember we have 80+ mph speed limits here, they don't have that in Japan and much of Europe Either way keep up the podcasts been really enjoying the disagreements and conversations, its fun!!
I can understand you see the LC70 series from the enthusiast POV. If one day you visit countries such mine, Costa Rica, you’ll get a different perspective. While is it also used by off road enthusiasts, most importantly, you’ll see is the vehicle of choice by the Police, by the Red Cross and by farmers moving their products from their farms at the mountains to the cities. Whenever we get storms, floods, earthquakes, etc, you’ll see emergency & rescue crews accessing far away communities in 70 series. While they are so much fun for weekend adventures, for us the 70 series means prosperity. And by the way, in the countryside, you can also see BJ40s being used on a daily basis as work trucks.
Tommy - you're wrong on the MR2 about those of us who were alive and driving back then. The RX-7 kicked the MR2s butt. So did a Nissan Maxima (which was a sleeper car back then). Your Dad is right on this one. The Celica could also be modded better. The MR2 was cooler than the Fiero though. Also, we're not Eighty.
I agree with Tommy: Americans will always choose bigger cars… the turning point is when the big cars no longer fit in garages, that is the upper limit. However, Roman is accurate with smaller cars with younger generations… teens and 20’s will still buy fun small cars, but will eventually buy bigger cars when family and houses come along.
Gen X is older - but more drawn to smaller cars I believe because that's what we grew up with. We remember sanely sized cars before SUV's took over and trucks became oversized.
When it comes to us Australians, we're kind of similar to Americans in terms of car buying tastes. Australians are buying more crossovers, SUVs, and utes (including US pickup trucks) now. But some of us young Aussies want to buy more affordable small cars. I aim to get a used 2018-2023 Suzuki Swift Sport, a little go-kart warm-to-hot hatch that is still quite practical.
I would love a 70 series Troopy. It may give a more rugged and reliable alternative for the van life crowd. Option two would be to use the chassis but place a different body on it. Sort of a new version of the FJ Cruiser.
If you want to get on a plane to Australia you can drive my Jimny. I’m sure I can get fellow NBS4x4 club members to show you round some of our local tracks here in Brisbane.
Honestly the GR Corolla is more like the "toned down" GR Yaris. Sure, it has 20hp less than the GR Corolla (current 2024-5 GR Yaris actually has around 280hp with the Japanese spec having 300hp), but it's more compact & at around 1300kg/2866lbs it's around 150kg/300lbs lighter than the Corolla. Even now Toyota kept using the Yaris as their weapon of choice for Rallying & racing rather than the Corolla.
If they would make a Chevrolet version of the CTS-V Wagon and/or Sedan, V8, manual. Maybe even use the 5.3 to save some money and get a little better MPG and make it more affordable I think it would sell. The CTS-V is just way too expensive for the majority of people. The SS was discontinued before most people even knew about it because they didn’t market it at all.
If you can afford more than one car the Yaris could work. But if you can only have one car it's too small. I'm in Australia and I'm looking at mid size Suv's to cater for larger loads, more space. I think people are moving away from small cars. Licence and registration is very expensive here too. I can't afford two cars.
I wish I could talk to you in person. You guys have such different views. I happy to hear you are successful but it does surprise me. Are small cars successful in North America? I suggest yes. Yes if it's a "Good" car. I would like to remind you that I remember the Chevy Cavalier, Honda civic were best selling vehicles. Key, price for it's size and what it offers. Example, I bought a 2015 Hyundai Accent hatchback manual no air conditioning for $9,999 (Canadian dollar) as opposed to either Fiat, Mini, Smart Car that were more expensive. I had it for 3 years. I was very happy with it. The only reason why I gave it up was because I wanted air conditioning and was tired of the manual. So I upgraded to the 2018 Hyundai Kona ($25,000). Which I was happy with it even though I had transmission issues at 99,000km but it was covered under warranty. Then again some grinding noise at 189,000km. I was willing to repaire until they told me it would cost $10,000. Told her not worth it and she was so excited to ask me if it was time to buy a new vehicle. I told her I will never buy Hyundai again because I felt they priced the repair high enough to get me to buy a new vehicle. Otherwise that size was perfect with sufficient ground clearance that I was requiring for the winter snow driving. Thus, can small vehicles sell well? Absolutely, if built good, provides what people need and reliable. As for that retro toyota basic FJ, it might be welcomed if priced cheap. $40,000 (USD) vs a Ford Bronco? I would pick the Bronco for the price or cheaper. Here is what you guys are missing in your arguments. Yes I understand you asked, for viewer comments (like a pole) but you should post poles. I can see you guys doing it wrong or in a way that there will be complaints (you can't compare a hatchback to a crossover because of ground clearance or height. Some don't like to step high (seniors). Example, Who would prefer Toyota yaris vs Honda Fit
Small cars don’t sell her… but not only because of our view on luxury but because we don’t really have space limitations. Not saying it’s right but it’s part of it. The other big thing is CAFE standards really have killed the small car. If you’re spending money on development, it’d only make sense to invest into cross overs and SUVs since they have higher profit margins and easier gas mileage standards.
Glasses. There were times in your videos where I was getting motion sickness when panning the inside of vehicles. Your eye glasses were not stabilized.
20:00 Ford of Europe do only try to cut development cost. Ford was a big player back in the day, always top 5, last year in Sweden they where the 13th biggest brand.... BMW and Audi was small brands 40 years ago, now they sell more than x3 the number of cars than Ford does, each. Fords competitors out sell them between x2 (Peugeot) and x5 (Toyota).
Here in our garage (in Australia) we own a 2024 79 series V8 TD landcruiser & a Suzuki Jimny. From what I understand the 70 series won't pass your safety & emissions laws & The Jimny just the safety laws. I think you have to wait 25 years. Canada 15 years.
I agree and disagree with sedans and small cars in America. If Japan re launched something like Nissan’s R32 at $40-50,000 I would buy one day one. Or if Mitsubishi brought back the EVO VII I would also buy one day one. The problem isn’t the cars being “cars”. The problem is the design. People want cars that they look at and love, and when they drive them they also love them.🤷♂️ These companies just make ugly compact cars that no one likes but if the R32 or Evo VII was launched today with modern technology I bet they would never hit the dealers lot before being sold. Super small cars like the Minis and crap don’t sell well because they have a horrible history of being unreliable. The LBX wouldn’t sell at $60,000 period. It would need to be priced under $40,000 to move units. The Car I would buy is also the Jimney or however you spell it. It’s a unique vehicle and it would literally be a poor man’s G Wagon and i would bet they would be all over the road if they made it to America. I would even buy 2 of them and put 1 in storage, just so when my son is old enough to drive it would be his first vehicle 👌
I disagree, bad small cars suck... Opel sucked in Germany too, any Opel... They are just bad cars, period. I had Opel Ascona (mid size sedan) in Germany and it was the worst car I have ever owned.
Small cars won’t sell in NA. At least not in large volume and at decent profit margins. As a reality check - go look at a 1970s Honda civic. It’s shockingly small. North Americans have long since moved on to larger vehicles.
Has Tommy driven an X1? Or does he just not like it in theory? Why don't you share specifically what you don't like about it? Hope you understand I hold you guys to a slightly higher standard given you're journalists. You almost always live up to that standard!
Tommy is dead wrong on this, and is missing some fundamentals. The USA Escort was for decades a very cheap version of the one available in the ROW. Similarly, the history of the Focus in the USA was associated with being a little crappy car - until the latest generation of the ST and RS. The cheap versions of those cars were burned into the minds of US consumers. The ST and RS Focus didn't exist long enough to develop a following, and they had the huge hurdle of anti-domestic attitudes among Americans. The WRX meanwhile lives on because Subaru never gave up on it. Classic Ford - gives up early - jumps in and out of a segment - bailing every time sales don't meet some unrealistic expectation, or they let the car age and become uncompetitive (see Taurus) - then conclude Americans don't want sedans - meanwhile Honda and Toyota keep cranking out Accords and Camrys.
The trend in Japan of buying a new car and "face swapping it with an old car design could be what John Hennessey called the Retro-Mod trend. Modern vehicles have become bland and boring compared to older vehicles. Chrome was common on older vehicles with two tone paint jobs. Then car manufacturers started painting bumpers body color or blacking out bumpers and body panels. I don't like the blacked out bumpers & body panels trend. I want the styling of older vehicles with chrome parts, analog gauges, and toggle switches on a modern vehicle because a new vehicle is easy to get replacement parts for at a reasonable price.
Love the content. The Glasses Video is really jerky and poor quality. The new studio's amount of contrast and being in a corner is a little distracting.
You say Americans don't buy small cars but most vehicles on offer are aimed at big families. Single people and couples have very little to choose from. They keep choosing civics. On the other hand the big three are sitting on over a years worth of inventory for pickups and Jeeps. ... Maybe people would like economy cars if the economy is in trouble...like ?
all most s.u.v.'s are more of a 3 row luxury family school bus @$80k, id like a basic mini /mid size 4x4 under $40k pu 6" box smaller king cab /super cab .......add a camper shell topper for us " older' who do not want to climb stairs to a roof top tent ,we have no need a crew cab with a 5' box or 4.5' box
It's not ONLY USA that doesn't get the cool japanese Models we don't have the Corolla GR and we don't get some Toyota Models that USA have so i mean, why we don't have the japanese HiAce Van ? Why we don't have other japanese Cars and african countries have like the Mitsubishi SUVs 4x4, do you think the Delíca comes out of Japan maybe not, GR Yaris is a small car and americana would buy it, so that's why they GR Corolla is sold in USA. FIAT 500 or Smart sells in USA ? C'mon guys you wouldn't buy them those are facts, why Nissan didn't sold the Skyline Models outside Japan ? There are so much Models that Japan have that Europe and USA don't get, i would love to see the Crown Sedan here but no it doesn't exist where are the VIP Vans ? Now the Celica was a world wide seller with more racing like WRC Championship and it was a better sports car all around now the MR2 had also the fun driving factor still is tho that's why people still wants them.
It is not Japanese keeping the BEST cars for themselves. Actually these best cars are sold in the rest of the world: Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Europe, South America (including Mexico).....U.S. (now including Canada) is the only country that bans these vehicles to save the big 3. If we can't compete, we ban you! That's why the vehicles sold in North America are getting from worse to the worst year after year. Everyone is talking about Toyota/Honda quality that is going down in recent years. Actually Toyota/Honda had no choice but to lower their quality standard to survive in this market. Otherwise, they will be in big trouble if they don't align with the big 3..
This vehicle would NOT SELL if it’s more than the current Land Cruiser here in North America. A very small group of enthusiasts would buy it at those prices & word would get out soon that its bare bones completely without any luxuries unlike the Ineos Grenadier. The Land Cruiser here in Canada is over $80K!!! It’s sold to the fans that were dumb enough to pay that and now the lots are building inventory. AKA it’s not selling. I knew Roman is wanting all the bells & whistles, I knew it was coming. To compare this brand new depreciating FJ70 against the TRUE restomods that are selling ar auction is ludicrous!! I know! I have built dozens over the decades and own 59 classics right now, Restomod to originals, over $3.5 million in value. I have invested a lot of time, blood, sweat & tears into them. They are my favourites of what I have owned/built & I am missing some that I sold. A couple of Mopars are very solid 6 digit cars as the demand is nuts!! Especially for the 69 Charger!! 😂. Anyhow it’s important to separate true restomods in values vs factory restomods. The factory units are mass produced and the built restomods tend to become a 1 of type of vehicle once complete. Tommy, your minimal knowledge of certain classics is showing through. Careful. What Roman is saying about the sports car in hot hatches. You won’t ever find a 4 door car of any kind in my collection. There are 240Zs & 280Zs, even an ‘87 Supra Turbo. NO 4 doors. That’s a family car to many buyers still. 2 doors are sporty 4 doors are dad’s midlife crisis!! 😂😂😂. There’s a point where they exist because they are selling because they are inexpensive. The high performance small cars like the Civic, not so sporty 4 door, when built to the current performance standards his well over $50K CAD!! The WRX, again $50K. The sales are not great but since the manufacturers limit production numbers it creates hype. The more basic cars that are affordable sell like crazy as a result! It’s a marketing tool & not a true “passion” of the president of the company. Just a new, highly successful twist to the days when homologation cars had to be built for racing qualifying. It’s new,,,,,sorta,,,,!! 😂😂
Manufacturers don’t realize that brand loyalists and enthusiast, one simplicity, while many of the vehicles they are selling that are loaded with ridiculous electronic gimmicks, those are being sold to people who are not loyal to the brands. They are simply the insecure narcissist among us who are trying to compensate for their insecurities. Manufacturers are also trying to bolster their bank accounts to pay for DEI and employee benefits, which is the biggest problem GM faced years ago. Answer? Build basic vehicles with gasoline six cylinder and eight cylinder engine engines, as well as diesel, without electronic gimmicks, maybe heated seats? These vehicles will sell like hot cakes because people will be able to work on them themselves once again. They should also be made affordable so that volume selling can outpace the elitists and their $100K pickup mentalities…
I don't agree with Roman about the Fiesta ST it is a known fact that they were above average reliability. The problem with the heads were addressed by Ford and recall to fix this was mde very early so if someone they not take part in the recall and blow up their engines it isnt Ford's fault. The Fiesta dominated rallies and rally cross until VW and then Hyundai and now Toyota copied its design and if someone says different they are blind. Face it Roman Ford leads others copy or follow : )
The answer to the caption question Yes they do. I had a Honda Integra Type -R way back in the 1990s when I was still in the UK and every time it needed a service they would fly Japanese engineers out to the Swindon plant and only they would service the Integras the British engineers were not allowed to be there for this and it was one of the reasons I decided I will not be supporting any company that treats me as a second class citizen if it is too goo to be sold here why bother buying what they send? Buy American (Brand)
The title of this video is just stupid. The goal of these companies is to make money by selling cars. There are certainly a number of reasons why some cars not sold here, but their selfishly keeping them for themselves is not one of them
This vehicle would NOT SELL if it’s more than the current Land Cruiser here in North America. A very small group of enthusiasts would buy it at those prices & word would get out soon that its bare bones completely without any luxuries unlike the Ineos Grenadier. The Land Cruiser here in Canada is over $80K!!! It’s sold to the fans that were dumb enough to pay that and now the lots are building inventory. AKA it’s not selling. I knew Roman is wanting all the bells & whistles, I knew it was coming. To compare this brand new depreciating FJ70 against the TRUE restomods that are selling ar auction is ludicrous!! I know! I have built dozens over the decades and own 59 classics right now, Restomod to originals, over $3.5 million in value. I have invested a lot of time, blood, sweat & tears into them. They are my favourites of what I have owned/built & I am missing some that I sold. A couple of Mopars are very solid 6 digit cars as the demand is nuts!! Especially for the 69 Charger!! 😂. Anyhow it’s important to separate true restomods in values vs factory restomods. The factory units are mass produced and the built restomods tend to become a 1 of type of vehicle once complete. Tommy, your minimal knowledge of certain classics is showing through. Careful. What Roman is saying about the sports car in hot hatches. You won’t ever find a 4 door car of any kind in my collection. There are 240Zs & 280Zs, even an ‘87 Supra Turbo. NO 4 doors. That’s a family car to many buyers still. 2 doors are sporty 4 doors are dad’s midlife crisis!! 😂😂😂. There’s a point where they exist because they are selling because they are inexpensive. The high performance small cars like the Civic, not so sporty 4 door, when built to the current performance standards his well over $50K CAD!! The WRX, again $50K. The sales are not great but since the manufacturers limit production numbers it creates hype. The more basic cars that are affordable sell like crazy as a result! It’s a marketing tool & not a true “passion” of the president of the company. Just a new, highly successful twist to the days when homologation cars had to be built for racing qualifying. It’s new,,,,,sorta,,,,!! 😂😂 The Mark 4 Supra were STUPID expensive!! The Vette was cheaper and outperformed it!! The Z cars & Supras were the car you bought if you couldn’t afford a Vette,,,,, then all of a sudden that cars that were considered cheaper $$$ wise than the Vette were suddenly as much as $10 K MORE than a Vette!! 😮😮😮. They sat because they overstepped their bounds and market. The MR2 Turbo was THEE car, but 2 seaters were hard to sell!! I have one that’s unmolested right now. It’s black and like a scaled down Ferrari of the time. Toyota’s goal after missing the market with the first gen MR2. Tommy,,, you are right, they go like stink for the time, but when it comes to cornering they were better than most of the performance cars of the time! Absolutely!! The Nissan 300Z was an absolute mistake. They drove really well & were good cars, but the styling,,,,, it killed them!! That and getting to the point of overpricing them. There was the Dodge Stealth & Mitsubishi 3000 both turbos that looked quite amazing at the time that took a lot of market & cut the pieces of the pie too small. The last Celica in Canada (we didn’t get the strange convertible later released) wasn’t a very great car. Awesome interior, but boring to drive. Ironically, the Nissan 240S was a better car to drive and very competitive. I lived these vehicles like Roman. I’m older than Roman at 63 years old, but remember them quite well. These were very transitional years, especially the late 80s & early 90s. I am building that collection right now. I have a Grand National, just got a 86 Monte Carlo SS (after 87 I didn’t like them), Cutlass 442, Cutlass Hurst, I’m dealing on a Monte Carlo SS Aero coupe. I also have an 87 IROC Z, an 86 WS6 Trans Am, 82 Vette, but these so much more from the era to get. Ford & Mopar are next. I do have an IROC Daytona, 1991, a 1981 Dodge Rampage with a 1986 Daytona TurboZ drive train in it. It’s a little hairy to drive!! 😂😂. Then there’s all the other classics u eluded to!! Those cost significantly more than this collection mentioned. This is also separate of the original collection I spoke of, that was only up to 1972. They have their separate man caves even!! Good luck with the fun disagreements though!! I can have a get together from the clubs I’m in and it all boils down to friendly (usually) disagreements about what is better. With my collection & 30 - 50 other hot rods, muscle cars, trucks there, we can always test them out on my burnout pad or the 100 ft dash track I have!! 😂😂. Hint,,,, 426 Hemis are pretty much worth it!! 😂😂😂 if if only they would last a little longer,,,,, . 😊
The new podcast setup and showing on screen what you’re talking about is great!!!
Roman and Tommy, It is perfectly natural to focus on the 70 Series as well as luxury or high performance cars. (GR Yaris? Hell YES!!!🤯🤯) Having said that, the main difference between the Japanese market and US/Canada is that the Japanese appear to value practicality above everything else. They have so many more vans, minivans and wagons that get the job done with a minimum of fuss. They don't seem to be fixated on adding an extra thousand pounds of sheet metal or an extra 200 hp 'just in case'. The forbidden fruit I would like to see here is the kind of car that is already closely aligned with our safety and emission standards. The perfect candidate in that respect is the Corolla wagon that is made alongside the Corolla hatch and Hybrid sedan which are already sold here. Continuing the focus on practicality, I also find it odd that Toyota is ignoring the whole 'white delivery van' business across North America when they have so many ProAce vans in production. Before anyone squawks -Chicken tax, the solution is to build them here. In general, I like to see more consumer choice. As long as the vehicles meet our safety, environmental and political standards, I say - bring them over.
Roman if they brought the Suzuki Jimney here, I would buy one in a minute for sure!
Very enjoyable podcast! I've been to Japan many times, so I loved this recap of your automotive adventure there. Great job, guys!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow, I haven't watched in a little while, and Tommy looks like he aged several years in one year. In grandma's voice, My how you've grown.
I love the Jeep Wrangler, a small suv but I’m so annoyed by the poor reliability. I always wondered why Toyota and Suzuki don’t bring their comparable vehicles here. I would buy them in a heartbeat!
We in Australia really are fortunate we get "almost" everything from Toyota. GR Yaris, GR Corollas, 70 series LC...
Wish we got more of their awesome sedans officially though. Can import but it's not the same.
I agree with you Tommy. The truth is small sporty cars seem fun and many like the idea of but the reality is something with 4 doors and more utility always wins over in the US. To your point only the enthusiast or those with good financial resources would buy them just because. What the US buyers really want are more affordable small/medium/large suvs.
Back in the 90s, I thought MR2s were way better than the Celica. Friend of mine had four of them. But, I’m older now, and if Toyota offered a worthy successor to the Celica All-Trac, I’d be all over that. A Celica All-Trac with a G20E, AWD, manual, top mount intercooler, and retro 90s styling would be fantastic.
Ok number 1 I love the new podcast setup and concept, keep it up!!
#2 I don't normally agree with Roman but no one in America is going to spend over 25k on something "small" Americans view size and money as a status, safety, and comfortability aspect. If I'm spending 50k which I recently have, it's going to be big comfy and safe... Remember we have 80+ mph speed limits here, they don't have that in Japan and much of Europe
Either way keep up the podcasts been really enjoying the disagreements and conversations, its fun!!
I can understand you see the LC70 series from the enthusiast POV. If one day you visit countries such mine, Costa Rica, you’ll get a different perspective. While is it also used by off road enthusiasts, most importantly, you’ll see is the vehicle of choice by the Police, by the Red Cross and by farmers moving their products from their farms at the mountains to the cities. Whenever we get storms, floods, earthquakes, etc, you’ll see emergency & rescue crews accessing far away communities in 70 series. While they are so much fun for weekend adventures, for us the 70 series means prosperity. And by the way, in the countryside, you can also see BJ40s being used on a daily basis as work trucks.
The family is Toyoda, the car is Toyota and the city is also Toyota because it was named after the car and not the founding family of the brand.
Tommy - you're wrong on the MR2 about those of us who were alive and driving back then. The RX-7 kicked the MR2s butt. So did a Nissan Maxima (which was a sleeper car back then). Your Dad is right on this one. The Celica could also be modded better. The MR2 was cooler than the Fiero though. Also, we're not Eighty.
My thumbs up is for Roman, like that he keeps his countenance while Tommy behaves arrogantly
I'd recommend a truck themed set. Say, using truck bench seats for chairs and truck wheels for tables. Maybe working a truck bed into the mix.
22:08
Yaris would sell great.
Tom forgets they all have tiny red cars
I agree with Tommy: Americans will always choose bigger cars… the turning point is when the big cars no longer fit in garages, that is the upper limit. However, Roman is accurate with smaller cars with younger generations… teens and 20’s will still buy fun small cars, but will eventually buy bigger cars when family and houses come along.
Gen X is older - but more drawn to smaller cars I believe because that's what we grew up with. We remember sanely sized cars before SUV's took over and trucks became oversized.
I preferred the Harbor Freight work bench! Still, congrats on the new studio.
When it comes to us Australians, we're kind of similar to Americans in terms of car buying tastes. Australians are buying more crossovers, SUVs, and utes (including US pickup trucks) now. But some of us young Aussies want to buy more affordable small cars. I aim to get a used 2018-2023 Suzuki Swift Sport, a little go-kart warm-to-hot hatch that is still quite practical.
Lexus LM is based on Toyota Alphard. Not classified as minivan but as a full size van.
I just bought an Impreza, I love it, and I’m a slightly larger American 220lbs 5”11. The “Americans don’t like small cars” is antiquated.
As someone who sells Toyotas, GR Corollas don’t last long at the dealership. I think ppl would buy GR Yaris but probably not a ton of them.
I would love a 70 series Troopy. It may give a more rugged and reliable alternative for the van life crowd. Option two would be to use the chassis but place a different body on it. Sort of a new version of the FJ Cruiser.
Tokyo Auto Salon had what looked like two new Century sedans slammed on bags. I can't find any information about that new looking sedan.
If you want to get on a plane to Australia you can drive my Jimny. I’m sure I can get fellow NBS4x4 club members to show you round some of our local tracks here in Brisbane.
that hotel looks awesome
That was a typical Friday night at Daikoku P.A.
Do the podcast on the Ranch with a lodge type feeling, the red wall is a bit much.
The red solo cups and the hair drew my attention in this video.
same with Australia ... diesel land cruisers 300, diesel hi lux, ,70 series troopys , isuzu d max , VW amaorock ,
Honestly the GR Corolla is more like the "toned down" GR Yaris.
Sure, it has 20hp less than the GR Corolla (current 2024-5 GR Yaris actually has around 280hp with the Japanese spec having 300hp), but it's more compact & at around 1300kg/2866lbs it's around 150kg/300lbs lighter than the Corolla.
Even now Toyota kept using the Yaris as their weapon of choice for Rallying & racing rather than the Corolla.
The cars that the BIG 3 built are piece's of junk. A lot of other manufacturers still sell 4 door cars and there is still a desire for them.
I absolutely want a first gen Frontier or Toyota truck, Japan bring back a true mini truck!!
If they would make a Chevrolet version of the CTS-V Wagon and/or Sedan, V8, manual. Maybe even use the 5.3 to save some money and get a little better MPG and make it more affordable I think it would sell. The CTS-V is just way too expensive for the majority of people. The SS was discontinued before most people even knew about it because they didn’t market it at all.
So did anyone at Toyota say whether the Stout is coming to NA?
Nobody wants an Icon version, we want that version for 30-40k…that’s why you have so much lot rot now.
Tommy I would buy that 70 series and drive it for the rest of my life.
me a Troopy V8 diesel.... no need to buy anything again... the car camper ,- overland adventure rig I could build
If you could get the V8 diesel it would last a lifetime... there are many in Aus over 1,000,000 km's with just annual servicing.
@ so true but not sold in the U.S. (
I can see the GR Yaris in the US if it's true that dealers want the (regular) Yaris back in their dealerships.
If you can afford more than one car the Yaris could work. But if you can only have one car it's too small. I'm in Australia and I'm looking at mid size Suv's to cater for larger loads, more space. I think people are moving away from small cars. Licence and registration is very expensive here too. I can't afford two cars.
The Nissan 300z..280z...those were cool..
If Toyota just brought the 70 series with softex and full coil spring suspension, nothing else, it would sell very well here.
I wish I could talk to you in person. You guys have such different views. I happy to hear you are successful but it does surprise me.
Are small cars successful in North America? I suggest yes. Yes if it's a "Good" car. I would like to remind you that I remember the Chevy Cavalier, Honda civic were best selling vehicles. Key, price for it's size and what it offers. Example, I bought a 2015 Hyundai Accent hatchback manual no air conditioning for $9,999 (Canadian dollar) as opposed to either Fiat, Mini, Smart Car that were more expensive. I had it for 3 years. I was very happy with it. The only reason why I gave it up was because I wanted air conditioning and was tired of the manual. So I upgraded to the 2018 Hyundai Kona ($25,000). Which I was happy with it even though I had transmission issues at 99,000km but it was covered under warranty. Then again some grinding noise at 189,000km. I was willing to repaire until they told me it would cost $10,000. Told her not worth it and she was so excited to ask me if it was time to buy a new vehicle. I told her I will never buy Hyundai again because I felt they priced the repair high enough to get me to buy a new vehicle. Otherwise that size was perfect with sufficient ground clearance that I was requiring for the winter snow driving.
Thus, can small vehicles sell well? Absolutely, if built good, provides what people need and reliable.
As for that retro toyota basic FJ, it might be welcomed if priced cheap. $40,000 (USD) vs a Ford Bronco? I would pick the Bronco for the price or cheaper.
Here is what you guys are missing in your arguments. Yes I understand you asked, for viewer comments (like a pole) but you should post poles. I can see you guys doing it wrong or in a way that there will be complaints (you can't compare a hatchback to a crossover because of ground clearance or height. Some don't like to step high (seniors).
Example,
Who would prefer
Toyota yaris vs Honda Fit
can i buy Toyota Passo from japan and change the hand driving from right to left ???
Remember the Opel that resembled the Corvette, sort of?
I like GR Yaris much better than GR Corolla, I would buy GR Yaris on no time.
Small cars don’t sell her… but not only because of our view on luxury but because we don’t really have space limitations. Not saying it’s right but it’s part of it. The other big thing is CAFE standards really have killed the small car. If you’re spending money on development, it’d only make sense to invest into cross overs and SUVs since they have higher profit margins and easier gas mileage standards.
Glasses. There were times in your videos where I was getting motion sickness when panning the inside of vehicles. Your eye glasses were not stabilized.
Check out Duncan Imports & Classics they carry large assortment of JDM vehicles they have 1995 Suzuki X-90 looks like samurai family of vehicles
20:00 Ford of Europe do only try to cut development cost. Ford was a big player back in the day, always top 5, last year in Sweden they where the 13th biggest brand.... BMW and Audi was small brands 40 years ago, now they sell more than x3 the number of cars than Ford does, each. Fords competitors out sell them between x2 (Peugeot) and x5 (Toyota).
Where's the info to help North Americans have new Toyota Landcruiser 70's series, and Suzuki Jimny available for public roads here?
Here in our garage (in Australia) we own a 2024 79 series V8 TD landcruiser & a Suzuki Jimny. From what I understand the 70 series won't pass your safety & emissions laws & The Jimny just the safety laws. I think you have to wait 25 years. Canada 15 years.
Imagine a jimny mini pickup😮
Thats guaranteed to get imported privately
I agree and disagree with sedans and small cars in America.
If Japan re launched something like Nissan’s R32 at $40-50,000 I would buy one day one. Or if Mitsubishi brought back the EVO VII I would also buy one day one.
The problem isn’t the cars being “cars”. The problem is the design. People want cars that they look at and love, and when they drive them they also love them.🤷♂️
These companies just make ugly compact cars that no one likes but if the R32 or Evo VII was launched today with modern technology I bet they would never hit the dealers lot before being sold.
Super small cars like the Minis and crap don’t sell well because they have a horrible history of being unreliable. The LBX wouldn’t sell at $60,000 period. It would need to be priced under $40,000 to move units.
The Car I would buy is also the Jimney or however you spell it. It’s a unique vehicle and it would literally be a poor man’s G Wagon and i would bet they would be all over the road if they made it to America. I would even buy 2 of them and put 1 in storage, just so when my son is old enough to drive it would be his first vehicle 👌
Tiny cars suck, I learned to drive in an Ooel GT in the 70's. 😎
I disagree, bad small cars suck... Opel sucked in Germany too, any Opel... They are just bad cars, period. I had Opel Ascona (mid size sedan) in Germany and it was the worst car I have ever owned.
Small cars won’t sell in NA. At least not in large volume and at decent profit margins.
As a reality check - go look at a 1970s Honda civic. It’s shockingly small. North Americans have long since moved on to larger vehicles.
Has Tommy driven an X1? Or does he just not like it in theory? Why don't you share specifically what you don't like about it? Hope you understand I hold you guys to a slightly higher standard given you're journalists. You almost always live up to that standard!
I think your wrong.... i think people would buy those Century's!!! They are better then RR and 1/3 the price!!
Tommy is dead wrong on this, and is missing some fundamentals. The USA Escort was for decades a very cheap version of the one available in the ROW. Similarly, the history of the Focus in the USA was associated with being a little crappy car - until the latest generation of the ST and RS. The cheap versions of those cars were burned into the minds of US consumers. The ST and RS Focus didn't exist long enough to develop a following, and they had the huge hurdle of anti-domestic attitudes among Americans. The WRX meanwhile lives on because Subaru never gave up on it. Classic Ford - gives up early - jumps in and out of a segment - bailing every time sales don't meet some unrealistic expectation, or they let the car age and become uncompetitive (see Taurus) - then conclude Americans don't want sedans - meanwhile Honda and Toyota keep cranking out Accords and Camrys.
The new capri looks like a rebadged mach-e
The trend in Japan of buying a new car and "face swapping it with an old car design could be what John Hennessey called the Retro-Mod trend. Modern vehicles have become bland and boring compared to older vehicles. Chrome was common on older vehicles with two tone paint jobs. Then car manufacturers started painting bumpers body color or blacking out bumpers and body panels. I don't like the blacked out bumpers & body panels trend. I want the styling of older vehicles with chrome parts, analog gauges, and toggle switches on a modern vehicle because a new vehicle is easy to get replacement parts for at a reasonable price.
Love the content. The Glasses Video is really jerky and poor quality. The new studio's amount of contrast and being in a corner is a little distracting.
Working on it!
Find the corner facing the camera very distracting. The background is so busy it's hard to watch you guys.
The US auto industry would be decimated if Japan released their even better offerings here. Tariffs would be the only response.
The title should say, "is US regulations restricting Is from getting the best cars?"
You say Americans don't buy small cars but most vehicles on offer are aimed at big families. Single people and couples have very little to choose from. They keep choosing civics. On the other hand the big three are sitting on over a years worth of inventory for pickups and Jeeps. ... Maybe people would like economy cars if the economy is in trouble...like ?
all most s.u.v.'s are more of a 3 row luxury family school bus @$80k, id like a basic mini /mid size 4x4 under $40k pu 6" box smaller king cab /super cab .......add a camper shell topper for us " older' who do not want to climb stairs to a roof top tent ,we have no need a crew cab with a 5' box or 4.5' box
That Lexus front end is horrible,unless its a camera angle thing
It's not ONLY USA that doesn't get the cool japanese Models we don't have the Corolla GR and we don't get some Toyota Models that USA have so i mean, why we don't have the japanese HiAce Van ? Why we don't have other japanese Cars and african countries have like the Mitsubishi SUVs 4x4, do you think the Delíca comes out of Japan maybe not, GR Yaris is a small car and americana would buy it, so that's why they GR Corolla is sold in USA. FIAT 500 or Smart sells in USA ? C'mon guys you wouldn't buy them those are facts, why Nissan didn't sold the Skyline Models outside Japan ? There are so much Models that Japan have that Europe and USA don't get, i would love to see the Crown Sedan here but no it doesn't exist where are the VIP Vans ? Now the Celica was a world wide seller with more racing like WRC Championship and it was a better sports car all around now the MR2 had also the fun driving factor still is tho that's why people still wants them.
Jaris and celica.
There's a private Toyota museum in Bayamon puerto rico you should visit some time.
Disagree with the price hike thought. People would rather buy a Raptor on 37s. This comes from a Cruiser person.
I agree with Tommy…the GR Yaris or Corolla is super cool but would not sell well in the US.
I believe that Tommy has a unrealistic view of the American auto market
Just let in DIESEL LANDCRUISER....
yes I never have to buy another car agin
Cars coming to America are both better and worse at same time
OMG is Roman dyeing his hair🤭 How vain and sad!😂
Roman says that’s because your mother likes it that way.
@TFLtalk 🎣 what a pathetic answer! Vanity, thy name is Roman 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂 @@TFLtalk
@sweethands4328 Only women of a cetlrtain age dye their hair, be a man, and grow old with dignity.
Roman you are 100% wrong! Mr2 are awesome sports cars! My brother had one and he tuned it to very fast! It handled like a go cart too!
It’s not my opinion but I do agree that MR2s are pretty cool.
Duh!!
I disagree only a few would want that here
Jimmy are quite small in size. Wont feel safe driving on dangerous american roads.
Tommy you are correct and Roman is wrong..
It is not Japanese keeping the BEST cars for themselves. Actually these best cars are sold in the rest of the world: Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Europe, South America (including Mexico).....U.S. (now including Canada) is the only country that bans these vehicles to save the big 3. If we can't compete, we ban you! That's why the vehicles sold in North America are getting from worse to the worst year after year. Everyone is talking about Toyota/Honda quality that is going down in recent years. Actually Toyota/Honda had no choice but to lower their quality standard to survive in this market. Otherwise, they will be in big trouble if they don't align with the big 3..
The Yaris won’t sell here. Even the Mustang might be dead by 2030 at the rate of sales decline they have.
This vehicle would NOT SELL if it’s more than the current Land Cruiser here in North America. A very small group of enthusiasts would buy it at those prices & word would get out soon that its bare bones completely without any luxuries unlike the Ineos Grenadier. The Land Cruiser here in Canada is over $80K!!! It’s sold to the fans that were dumb enough to pay that and now the lots are building inventory. AKA it’s not selling.
I knew Roman is wanting all the bells & whistles, I knew it was coming. To compare this brand new depreciating FJ70 against the TRUE restomods that are selling ar auction is ludicrous!! I know! I have built dozens over the decades and own 59 classics right now, Restomod to originals, over $3.5 million in value. I have invested a lot of time, blood, sweat & tears into them. They are my favourites of what I have owned/built & I am missing some that I sold. A couple of Mopars are very solid 6 digit cars as the demand is nuts!! Especially for the 69 Charger!! 😂. Anyhow it’s important to separate true restomods in values vs factory restomods. The factory units are mass produced and the built restomods tend to become a 1 of type of vehicle once complete.
Tommy, your minimal knowledge of certain classics is showing through. Careful. What Roman is saying about the sports car in hot hatches. You won’t ever find a 4 door car of any kind in my collection. There are 240Zs & 280Zs, even an ‘87 Supra Turbo. NO 4 doors. That’s a family car to many buyers still.
2 doors are sporty 4 doors are dad’s midlife crisis!! 😂😂😂. There’s a point where they exist because they are selling because they are inexpensive. The high performance small cars like the Civic, not so sporty 4 door, when built to the current performance standards his well over $50K CAD!! The WRX, again $50K. The sales are not great but since the manufacturers limit production numbers it creates hype. The more basic cars that are affordable sell like crazy as a result! It’s a marketing tool & not a true “passion” of the president of the company. Just a new, highly successful twist to the days when homologation cars had to be built for racing qualifying. It’s new,,,,,sorta,,,,!! 😂😂
Manufacturers don’t realize that brand loyalists and enthusiast, one simplicity, while many of the vehicles they are selling that are loaded with ridiculous electronic gimmicks, those are being sold to people who are not loyal to the brands. They are simply the insecure narcissist among us who are trying to compensate for their insecurities. Manufacturers are also trying to bolster their bank accounts to pay for DEI and employee benefits, which is the biggest problem GM faced years ago. Answer? Build basic vehicles with gasoline six cylinder and eight cylinder engine engines, as well as diesel, without electronic gimmicks, maybe heated seats? These vehicles will sell like hot cakes because people will be able to work on them themselves once again. They should also be made affordable so that volume selling can outpace the elitists and their $100K pickup mentalities…
70series aren't that great.
I don't agree with Roman about the Fiesta ST it is a known fact that they were above average reliability. The problem with the heads were addressed by Ford and recall to fix this was mde very early so if someone they not take part in the recall and blow up their engines it isnt Ford's fault. The Fiesta dominated rallies and rally cross until VW and then Hyundai and now Toyota copied its design and if someone says different they are blind. Face it Roman Ford leads others copy or follow : )
The answer to the caption question Yes they do. I had a Honda Integra Type -R way back in the 1990s when I was still in the UK and every time it needed a service they would fly Japanese engineers out to the Swindon plant and only they would service the Integras the British engineers were not allowed to be there for this and it was one of the reasons I decided I will not be supporting any company that treats me as a second class citizen if it is too goo to be sold here why bother buying what they send? Buy American (Brand)
The title of this video is just stupid. The goal of these companies is to make money by selling cars. There are certainly a number of reasons why some cars not sold here, but their selfishly keeping them for themselves is not one of them
This vehicle would NOT SELL if it’s more than the current Land Cruiser here in North America. A very small group of enthusiasts would buy it at those prices & word would get out soon that its bare bones completely without any luxuries unlike the Ineos Grenadier. The Land Cruiser here in Canada is over $80K!!! It’s sold to the fans that were dumb enough to pay that and now the lots are building inventory. AKA it’s not selling.
I knew Roman is wanting all the bells & whistles, I knew it was coming. To compare this brand new depreciating FJ70 against the TRUE restomods that are selling ar auction is ludicrous!! I know! I have built dozens over the decades and own 59 classics right now, Restomod to originals, over $3.5 million in value. I have invested a lot of time, blood, sweat & tears into them. They are my favourites of what I have owned/built & I am missing some that I sold. A couple of Mopars are very solid 6 digit cars as the demand is nuts!! Especially for the 69 Charger!! 😂. Anyhow it’s important to separate true restomods in values vs factory restomods. The factory units are mass produced and the built restomods tend to become a 1 of type of vehicle once complete.
Tommy, your minimal knowledge of certain classics is showing through. Careful. What Roman is saying about the sports car in hot hatches. You won’t ever find a 4 door car of any kind in my collection. There are 240Zs & 280Zs, even an ‘87 Supra Turbo. NO 4 doors. That’s a family car to many buyers still.
2 doors are sporty 4 doors are dad’s midlife crisis!! 😂😂😂. There’s a point where they exist because they are selling because they are inexpensive. The high performance small cars like the Civic, not so sporty 4 door, when built to the current performance standards his well over $50K CAD!! The WRX, again $50K. The sales are not great but since the manufacturers limit production numbers it creates hype. The more basic cars that are affordable sell like crazy as a result! It’s a marketing tool & not a true “passion” of the president of the company. Just a new, highly successful twist to the days when homologation cars had to be built for racing qualifying. It’s new,,,,,sorta,,,,!! 😂😂
The Mark 4 Supra were STUPID expensive!! The Vette was cheaper and outperformed it!! The Z cars & Supras were the car you bought if you couldn’t afford a Vette,,,,, then all of a sudden that cars that were considered cheaper $$$ wise than the Vette were suddenly as much as $10 K MORE than a Vette!! 😮😮😮. They sat because they overstepped their bounds and market.
The MR2 Turbo was THEE car, but 2 seaters were hard to sell!! I have one that’s unmolested right now. It’s black and like a scaled down Ferrari of the time. Toyota’s goal after missing the market with the first gen MR2. Tommy,,, you are right, they go like stink for the time, but when it comes to cornering they were better than most of the performance cars of the time! Absolutely!! The Nissan 300Z was an absolute mistake. They drove really well & were good cars, but the styling,,,,, it killed them!! That and getting to the point of overpricing them. There was the Dodge Stealth & Mitsubishi 3000 both turbos that looked quite amazing at the time that took a lot of market & cut the pieces of the pie too small.
The last Celica in Canada (we didn’t get the strange convertible later released) wasn’t a very great car. Awesome interior, but boring to drive. Ironically, the Nissan 240S was a better car to drive and very competitive. I lived these vehicles like Roman. I’m older than Roman at 63 years old, but remember them quite well. These were very transitional years, especially the late 80s & early 90s. I am building that collection right now. I have a Grand National, just got a 86 Monte Carlo SS (after 87 I didn’t like them), Cutlass 442, Cutlass Hurst, I’m dealing on a Monte Carlo SS Aero coupe. I also have an 87 IROC Z, an 86 WS6 Trans Am, 82 Vette, but these so much more from the era to get. Ford & Mopar are next. I do have an IROC Daytona, 1991, a 1981 Dodge Rampage with a 1986 Daytona TurboZ drive train in it. It’s a little hairy to drive!! 😂😂. Then there’s all the other classics u eluded to!! Those cost significantly more than this collection mentioned. This is also separate of the original collection I spoke of, that was only up to 1972. They have their separate man caves even!!
Good luck with the fun disagreements though!! I can have a get together from the clubs I’m in and it all boils down to friendly (usually) disagreements about what is better. With my collection & 30 - 50 other hot rods, muscle cars, trucks there, we can always test them out on my burnout pad or the 100 ft dash track I have!! 😂😂. Hint,,,, 426 Hemis are pretty much worth it!! 😂😂😂 if if only they would last a little longer,,,,, . 😊