The United States has import laws that prohibit the importation of vehicles older than 25 years. This protectionist move has ensured the success of the homegrown automakers. But there is also a community of car enthusiasts in the United States who have developed a taste for the unattainable, so they hit the internet and discovered what they called the Japanese domestic market. “JDM‘ is a mystical place where the real-life manifestations of these unattainable digital illusions were welcomed.
Fortunately for these enthusiasts, vehicles like this that were previously unavailable are now available. Once these vehicles are his 25th year, they can be imported into the United States. The JDM market is largely defined by quirky little mini cars or oversized turbo 4WD. This list includes both and some.These vehicles have recently reached 25 years of age or will soon
Ten Subaru Travic: $4,000
The Subaru Traviq is not really a Subaru. Boxer engine is not installed. It’s a Vauxhall/Opel Zafira and may be recognized as a European car, not a JDM. However, in order to sell this vehicle in Japan, it was rebranded as Subaru, so it competed with Yanase Co., Ltd., which had already imported Opel products to Japan, one of which was the Zafira. .
Previous versions of Traviq came with a 2.2-liter inline four before being downgraded to a 1.8-liter engine in 2003, so if you need an extra horse under the hood, the previous unit is the It is suitable.
9 Nissan Cedric Y34: $3500
A vehicle the size of a Nissan Cedric is considered “large” in most vehicle markets, but in the US it would probably fit right in if it was sold in the first place. In fact, compared to the likes of the Ford Taurus SHO, Dodge Charger, and Chevrolet Caprice, it looks small despite its sporty, imposing looks that belong to the much larger four-door.
A distinguishing feature of the Y34 generation, apart from the fact that production started in 1999, is that this is the last model of the now-defunct breed. This is the last Cedric model before the model was discontinued. $3500 isn’t too much money to pay for what will soon become a collector’s item.
8 Subaru Legacy BE/BH: $3400
This is one of the aforementioned oversized turbo 4WD. Equipped with Subaru’s ubiquitous EJ block, the BE/BH platform just got a little extra. Another turbo. Over his two generations, Subaru has equipped its sedan and long-roof combo legacy models with twin his turbo engines, famous for the infamous “Death Valley.”
This BE (sedan) and BH (wagon) edition of the Subaru Legacy was the last model to feature this twin-turbo engine before Subaru found the single-turbo setup easier to handle. In many cases, the original twin-turbo engine was replaced or “converted” to a single-turbo. And the latter is a lot to avoid. Buyers beware. The price of Subaru Legacy is soaring, so please buy it now.
7 R40/R50 Toyota Liteace Noah: $2875
I have a family, so I need a minivan. You can get his 1996 Dodge Caravan, but it looks too much like his Toyota Previa. And diehards don’t want to buy a Toyota Previa because they’re obsessed with the fact that it’s a supercharged, mid-engine, rear-drive Toyota from the ’90s. And these enthusiasts are currently priced unrealistically because they buy not to go to Laguna Seca, but to joke about a supercharged mid-engine RWD…
Or you can get this van here. It’s not supercharged, but it looks cool because it’s Toyota with Noah specifications. However, it clearly looks like little else. Get creative and buy the Toyota Liteace Noah.
6 Daihatsu Storia/Toyota Duet: $2300
It’s not a kei car, but it’s small and cute. You don’t have to pay a lot, as the saying goes, “You get what you pay for”. But when you show up at Kermit in a tiny hatchback with raindrop-shaped headlights, the little thing you get will definitely generate a lot of conversation and everyone will be like, ‘What the heck is that…? ’ I ask.
If you really want to shave the bottom of your barrel, you can search for something that fits the 1-2-3-4-5 formula. One car, 2 wheel drive, 3 cylinders, 4 speed automatic, 5 doors.
Five Subaru Sambar Days: $2270
There are two versions of this vehicle that you can actually buy. The first is the Subaru Sambar, a pint-sized carryall that’s far cheaper than what Polaris or John Deere sells, and has some creature comforts to boot. It’s the Subaru Diaz wagon, a passenger-friendly take.
Few people want to carry a shotgun in a Sambar on a road trip, but this Diaz wagon will turn heads wherever you go.
Four Pajero iO: $2100
This is another compact and capable off-roader, but it runs smoother and more powerful than previous installations. It has Mitsubishi’s GDI direct injection tech that is sporadically unstable, but when it works it really works. These are commonplace accolades you won’t find anywhere else, but the Pajero iO has a few details that few other cars can claim. It was designed and manufactured by Pininfarina… that Pininfarina.
To clarify, the JDM version was not actually made by Pininfarina, just the Italian one.
3 Mazda AZ Off Road/Suzuki Jimny: $1,800
The Suzuki Jimny has established itself as a capable little goat and rose to fame by defeating the Porsche Cayenne Turbo in a widely viewed off-road showdown. The Mazda AZ Offroad was Jimny the badge engineer. The plus side is that it’s a rare unit, making it highly collectible.
In addition to the enviable situation of getting out on the other side of the car at every stop, your new car can be the subject of numerous parlor games. The only clue is that it’s a Mazda with a low-speed transmission and differential lock.Watch them stare at each other in puzzlement before showing you this car
2 Daihatsu Terios Kid: $1700
Most off-roaders these days tend to favor large, heavily accessorized rigs with gnarly wheels, but these rigs have limited access due to their size and weight.The Daihatsu Terios aka the Toyota Rush is a compact 4WD vehicle that pierces corners where the RAM TRX can’t. Just ask Jeremy Clarkson.
And unlike the TRX, if you go too far off-road, you can always get a replacement without panicking at the bank.
As the name suggests, the Terios Kid is an even smaller version of the already poor off-roader. You won’t get anything towed with this mini rig, but you’ll have plenty of smile-inspiring fun.Grab this before anyone else does
1 2nd generation Suzuki Wagon R: $1,640
Finally, something that can be tracked, but there are pitfalls. Use this on very short and twisty tracks, or on autocross. Don’t try to bring it to Laguna Seca and set a lap time. In fact, the best way to experience it is toss this little kei car on a go-kart track.
Compact enough to make turns interesting and powerful enough to blast down straights.For just over $1,000, we actually found a $1,630 Wagon R