There are so many great cars not sold here in the U.S. market. For one reason or another, automakers don’t think that Americans will buy small cars, or cars with manual transmissions, or sports cars, or coupes, or wagons. Damn, all the wagons! Some of those reasons are regulatory, but some are just based on vibes.
We asked which cars aren’t sold here that you wish were. And your answers did not disappoint.
This little guy is the car version of a puppy and I wouldn’t mind buying one for my daily things.
But the car that NEEDS to be offered here? If I’m picking one, it would have to be something that didn’t add much to our overall emissions landscape, something right-sized, something simple and reliable, something modern enough to pass crash tests and be acceptable to buy new, yet old-fashioned enough to invoke some nostalgia......It should also be off-road capable, but compact......It should also be cheap. Cheap enough to force the other manufacturers to react to it’s presence, and offer thier own competition to it, instead of chasing the high margins on 60 and 70k vehicles.
The car I’m speaking of, of course, is the SUZUKI JIMNYYYYYYYYYY
Every time I was in Paris I wanted a C4 Cactus
It is important to note that BigTool wants the Cactus with the big bubbles on the side, but that went out with the facelift in 2018, and the Cactus was discontinued for Europe in 2020. It’s still built in Brazil and available in South America, however. We’re talking about new cars here, so 2024 C4 Cactus, Brazilian. It counts.
If you’ve looked at the residuals on current generation Siennas lately, there’s apparently massive desire for hybrid minivans. I’m assuming there’d be at least a bit of latent desire for the Honda Stepwgn, especially as it’s closer to CR-V sized, and is at least a little better looking than the Sienna (although I’m getting Ford Flex vibes, and basically the only people who loved those were the admirable few who bought them).
Honda S660, because you guys really need an affordable mid-engine sportcar with only 70 hp to smoke 86 and drag race against mustang camaro
the GTE was a missed opportunity for VWAG.
As a wagon fan, the Levorg (in STi trim)
I would not want a white one but I really want a troop carrier model.
The non RS Avants. It could be an easy “option” on the Allroad models, just different suspension bits and no cladding.
Mazda6 Wagon. Though it looks like the only places where you can get the turbo engine is in RHD countries. So while technically they may not sell LHD wagons with the turbo, I am going with that. Alas, I don’t think there are any countries where you can get the turbo with a manual.
My vote goes to the 4th Gen Honda Fit hybrid.
Given how Toyota still can’t keep their hybrids in stock and given that the current Civic is the almost the size of an Accord, Honda doesn’t have a true small car on sale in North America anymore.
Had Honda brought the 4th gen Fit hybrid to North America and assuming they didn’t overprice it, it would have sold very well... particularly when the price of fuel spiked back up.
How about the China only Ford Mondeo/Fusion?
I’m going to want an ID2, in the GTI version. Give me 265 electric horses or more, be a thousand pounds lighter than an ID4, and allow me 200+ miles range. VW says they are targeting a lower cost, something like $26k (it’ll go up), but if the recent Golfs are any indication the interior will be plenty nice. Leave it with 2 doors and a hatch, please. I’m not trying to take a soccer team to practice, I’m not trying to drive on gravel trails, I’m not trying to cross both the Appalachians and the Rockies on a single vacation trip. I just want to go to work and back with a little snap, and then be able to park when I get where I’m going.
Toyota GR Yaris.
Like the GR Corolla except much more fun as a coupe. I’ve only seen 2: one wearing Mexico plates in New Hampshire by a visiting rally team, and one at a Toyota dealer in Lichtenstein on a Euro road trip last year.
Nissan Micra. and other cars in it’s segment. Inexpensive efficient cars that is not a penalty box. It may be smaller than the versa but well equipped and still cheaper. Plus the latest gen has an actual modern turbo 3 cylinder engine!
Suggested by bassracerx
Hate to break it to you, but the Micra is dead!
Pick a wagon, any wagon:
VW Passat Alltrack
VW Golf R wagon
Genesis GV70 Shooting Brake
When my current car (VW Alltrack) goes, I won’t have many (any?) options to go to that scratch my wagon itch and will ultimately have to submit to a crossover. Crown Signia, here I come.
Passat and Golf R wagon are both dead, so let’s go with the Korean option.
