What I want to focus on here is this: Would Americans even buy kei cars?
I Want Small Cars. But Does Anyone Else?
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| A JDM Mitsubishi Kei van. Photo via Wikipedia |
I, for one, would love to see small kei cars in the States. The U.S. has been devoid of small cars (sans the latest MINI Cooper, the now-defunct Mitsubishi Mirage, and the Nissan Versa—if you still call that small), now for some time. Small cars are nearly dead.
But here's the thing: Do Americans even want small cars? Did anyone think to ask?
We've been writing about small cars at Subcompact Culture for nearly 18 years, so I'd say we know trends. For years, we tracked subcompact car sales. We watched a steady decline in sales and nameplates from about 2010 on. As the economy recovered from the downturn in 2008, people gradually decided they didn't need a small, fuel-efficient, inexpensive vehicle anymore. They went back to buying big trucks and SUVs instead, and those are more profitable for automakers. Also, bigger cars got more efficient (and more expensive). So while, historically, we see a rise in the popularity of small cars in times of economic slowdown or when fuel prices surge, it usually only lasts a few years.
Here's another thing: The U.S. is a big-ass country. We have speed limits of 80 MPH through the Intermountain West, and even 85 MPH in Texas. Even when I had my U.S.-market 2007 Toyota Yaris, which could easily achieve 80 MPH, it was screaming its head off with engine RPM at around 4,000. Some would argue subcompact cars are more city vehicles than highway cruisers, and I don't argue that. But we don't live in Europe or Asia. This is 'Merica, and most people don't buy a car for the city. Everyone wants a vehicle that's a jack of all trades. I mean, what if you want to tow a boat for God's sake?
Would Kei Cars be Too Specialized For the U.S.?
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| JDM Subaru Sambar kei truck at Subifest |
Most Americans seem to want vehicles that can do it all. Or perhaps I should say could do it all. I mean, how many people buy pickup trucks and never tow with them or even put stuff in the bed? How many Jeep or Bronco owners buy these off-road-capable rigs but never put them in 4WD? Or how many buy seven-passenger vehicles, but only ever carry two people? But it's not about needs, it's about wants. And it's not even about wants, it's about the American ideal that you can do anything you want.
I mean, you might tow a boat, so you'd better be ready! What if you have to cross the mountains during a blizzard? I mean, you probably won't leave the house, but what if you had to? And yeah, it's just you and your partner at home, but what if you all wanted to go out wine tasting and needed space for seven? Before you brandish me as un-American, we have freedom of choice here, and people can buy what they want. A blessing at times, a curse at times, but it's the way it is.
Small cars, and kei cars in particular, are good at being small, efficient, and, at least in Japan, more affordable. They're not going to tow much. Yes, some have AWD. But none can fit more than four people (technically). Plus, with fuel economy standards going down, the price of fuel going down, the only benefit to buying a small or kei car would be affordability and frugality. We know most Americans don't really care that much about fuel economy, and it seems many would prefer buying a big used car over a tiny new car. More on that in a moment.
The bottom line? I don't think Americans would want small cars anyway. There. I said it.
It Would Be a Mountain of Policy and Regulation Change
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| Suzuki brought kei cars to the U.S. for exhibition purposes in the 2011. |
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We could have third-party crash testing through IIHS or Consumer Reports, so people could choose their cars as they'd like base on safety or lack thereof. Or perhaps this latest crop of small cars would simply be treated like a motorcycle, which doesn't have to meet crash safety standards. If you get a kei car, like a motorbike, you know the inherent safety risks. And, like a Polaris Slingshot, you don't need a motorcycle license. Problem solved.
Well, problem solved, assuming the state you live in lets you register it. Because, if you remember, registration is a state thing, not a federal thing, and a state could, in theory, not allow a vehicle to be registered. (Such is currently the case with 25-year-old kei vehicles in states such as Oregon.)
And what about emissions and fuel economy standards? I'm going to guess the small cars would meet both. But, despite Trump's rollback of fuel economy, we still (at the time being) have CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards. Basically, CAFE standards in the U.S. use a footprint model that bases a vehicle's specific fuel economy target on its size. This footprint is determined by multiplying a car's wheelbase by its average track width. A vehicle with a larger footprint has a lower required fuel economy. Smaller vehicles? You guessed it—they need a higher fuel economy. In essence, this means smaller cars must get better fuel economy. And that's a challenge.
Also, larger cars are getting better fuel economy these days. Both the non-hybrid Honda Civic and the Hyundai Elantra are EPA-rated at 42 MPG on the highway. Why would you get a tiny car that gets less fuel economy? There are pretty much only two reasons: price and personal preference for small cars. Oh, and then there's the used car thing.
Used Cars Have Entered the Chat
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| 2007 Ford F-150. Photo via Wikpedia |
We keep hearing about the "affordability crisis." Everything is too expensive. The average MSRP of a vehicle in the U.S. crested $50,000 USD in 2025. The Trump administration (or at least Trump himself) thinks small vehicles, such as kei cars, could be more affordable. But, what are we talking here? What does the administration consider "affordable"? Currently, the 2025 Nissan Versa is the least expensive new car with a starting price of $18,385. Indeed, I found Versas for sale under $18,000 online. So let's assume a new kei cars would be less than that. So what are we talking? $12,000? $10,000? $8,450?
Revisiting this idea that most Americans don't want small cars in the first place (F-350 vs. Suzuki Carry: which wins in a crash? I don't have a fifth wheel, but if I did, I couldn't tow it with a Suzuki. And don't Suzukis just roll over all the time?) So instead of buying a new $12,000 kei truck, you could buy a used 2007 2WD F-150 for $10,289. Yeah, it's got 104,000 miles on it, but it's a "real truck," and you can tow something with it. And it's got a bed big enough for whatever big thing I might want to put in it. And, you know, it's safer.
"I don't want one of them teeny tiny deathtrap trucks!"
I'll Believe It When I See It, And I Don't Think We'll See It
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| Honda S660 roadster |
President Trump's small car sales pitch is one I'd like to see come to reality, simply because I'd love to see more small, efficient, and affordable new vehicles.
People in hell want ice water, too.
I think that it's probably a very low priority (assuming it's really a priority at all) for the administration, and would create a truckload (not a kei truck load) of regulation change and policy panic. You'd likely get the IIHS (Insurance Institute of Highway Safety), the AAMVA (American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators), and even the UTV lobby to come out swinging if this were to happen. But the current administration also doesn't seem to have a problem tearing down bureaucracy, like it or not.
But Trump's take on small cars, which consisted of about 160 words, has almost no specifics. Whether it was an off-the-cuff thing or truly something that'd been discussed with his team, we don't know. He said what he said, and we'll just have to wait and see if it comes to fruition.
I'm a huge supporter of small cars. But, I'll believe this when I see it.
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