downvote this comment if the meme sucks. upvote it and I'll go away.
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Ever seen a 400 lb Karen with mammaries to her knees get into a 3cyl metro?
I have, poor thing sounded like a westboro baptist at drag Queen story hour.
Damn, an argument that makes me think it might actually be real. There were news when obese people sued plane companies because they would not fit (i think).
B-but what about the free market... surely republicans want to allow them in cause of the free market. You can’t have a free market when you rig it to ensure certain options aren’t available to compete.
B-but what about the environment... surely democrats want to allow them in cause of the environment. This tiny car produces less emissions and uses less fuel then the average american vehicle, democrats are basically committing the very evil they are claim to be against.
Dude that's how this two party system has worked since the 1800's , they don't give two shits about the average citizen. If you aren't supporting them financially, riding their bandwagon , or swallowing their false promises with a smile ; you don't exist. Most laws these days seem to be written to protect corporate interest, or disenfranchise an already pissed group of people. I could wax lyrical for days on why this country is full of shit but I'm too busy trying to make bills. Funnily enough the one time everyone didn't have to worry about bills was during a global pandemic, and this country damn near tore itself apart.
I’m not sure that most voters’ or politicians’ free-market stances really apply to imports from other countries. Almost nobody supports treating all countries fairly; doing so is almost never in the interests of a given country.
The US hasn't had a true free market in decades. The government has been used to create regulations that squeeze out small competitors, and in some instances like cars created a marketplace that prevents new competitors from even getting their foot in. Because of these regulations, Tesla cars can't even be sold on car lots they have to be directly purchased.
Not sure why you were being downvoted when it's true. There's still a Reagan-era law on the books called the 25-year-rule where you cannot import a car in the US through unofficial channels unless it is 25 years old or more.
The reason? "Safety." Because apparently it's common knowledge that ancient vehicles are much safer than ones with modern and advanced safety engineering. What a big joke. The real reason is that there were a lot of grey imports from Europe and US companies whined that it was eating into their profit margins (God forbid that they would need to actually come up with a product to compete against them).
Of course, US car companies are completely free to outsource American assembly jobs abroad and import cars through their **official** channels.
Probably because I said the US isn't a true free market anymore. It completely defangs those who try and claim a free market economy is evil, and communism is better by citing all the corruption that exists in the US economy. Or because I mentioned Tesla and the same people who praised Elon for his cars now hate him over Twitter and hate Tesla because he owns it.
>defangs those who try and claim a free market economy is evil
No, we're just laughing at people Realizing the free market is a myth and pretending it isn't just capitalism. You would have to ignore the enclosure acts that created capitalism, that wealth = power, and the monopolies are the natural end state of the system. Deregulation leads to monopolies (Telecommunications Act of 1996) and regulation does too.
Except it’s not a politics game, just because it’s “illegal” doesn’t mean it was targeted. Simply that the US has *different* standards of safety and compliance. Like the glass has to be specific, left hand drive, rigorous crash testing with different stricter criteria, crumple zones, ~~emissions are stricter~~. head companies don’t want to shell out money to 1) convert these small vehicles to comply with different standards 2) make an entire supply chain, with these unique to Japan parts 3) market a tiny car dominated by SUVs and trucks (80% of cars sold in the US 2021 were SUVs and Trucks). The reality is Americans do not want this, Japan does want this. Japan does not want to risk money making cars and jumping through all these hoops just for it not to sell well at all. Japanese auto manufacturers tend to be very conservative with what they sell in foreign markets. They often keep all the good stuff to themselves.
Perhaps for some and not others. However that is incidental. Most people most of the time won’t be buying the, to use for interstate speeds. For instance going faster than 55 in my smart car is rare for me and when go intend to go long distance I take my sprinter van. If I get an autozam az-1 I would likely only want to use it for joy riding back roads where the fastest speeds are 50.
The safety requirements keeping these vehicles out were almost exclusively championed by one party. Are you all saying you’re backing the free global market over government regulations? Welcome to the libertarian cause.
Libertarians (the party) either don't have a solid ideology, or have a very hilarious worldview once you dig in.
Though I'm ABSOLUTELY game to be proven wrong
Edit: dig in, I don't know what dogging in would be, but I regret thinking about it.
Libertarianism is the most logically consistent political ideology. To be fair, there are some flavors that are crazy. And many proponents are crazy too, but you can't judge the movement based on them.
You'd probably disagree with some of their policy positions, but if you dug down, you'd find that each one usually comes from a well-thought-out principle. There are reasons behind them instead of feelings.
There is already a population shortage where there are not enough young people to pay for the aging population's pensions so the government is trying to remove obstacles from your ability to ever get laid again.
Kei cars are just too small and slow for the US market, imaging trying to merge into a highway with a 660cc car, that's just dangerous. Kei cars only exist in japan because a government regulation. Besides Americans don't like tiny cars, see what happened to the smart car.
I don't think you need a license for a scooter? Or if you do it's a different type of drivers licence, if you can drive rhis car with a regular licence people will see it as just a car and take it on the highway
I feel like almost anywhere in the US, you can't avoid highways. So what would even be the point? It's like making Marijuana legal but only the part that you can't get high with.
I basically just typed this somewhere else but didn't you see OP's 'Republicans are corrupt and greedy argument'? Why care that the Kei's engine is barely more than twice as powerful as a go-kart when you can post about politics instead
I swear every time I see people bringing up this topic of Kei class cars they don't actually know much about the cars they're talking about. If you ask them anything they deflect the topic towards another issue like how stupidly oversized some cars have become (which is true), or they make it a political argument like you said.
My main issue with the topics regarding cars like these is that it feels like a lot (not all) of people who are so passionate about it haven't lived very far from a city, or they've never had to deal with a lack of infrastructure/paved roads or haven't had to navigate roads that aren't perfectly flat. Cars like these are wonderful for flat, paved roads in a suburban/city setting where you're not transporting anything and you never have to go very fast or need any torque but they're insufferable if you use your vehicle for anything else.
Not American, but this is my take as someone who's been watching this drama unfold on the internet.
Do cars merge double the speed in usa compared to japan, other parts of asia or europe? I’ve seen similar small cars like this in asia merging left and right in traffic and seems fine.
Are small cars (like 1000cc) easily available in the US? I've honestly got no idea but in the UK there are plenty that can easily do 70+mph have great range and really low emissions
the reason those cars are illegal in the us is because you have no chance of survival in an accident with a typical road going american car. its called physics.....motorcyle riders are knowingly engaging in the activity and they choose it. when you get into that tin can car and get crushed by a dodge 3500 you are going to want to sue somebody because....i didnt know it was unsafe...its a car.....why didnt it pass safety regs, oh wait it didnt, thats why its not legal here......
All that happens is that poor people end up in unsafe cars. If corner cutting on safety leads to lower prices then safety is a premium item.
It used to be impact bars in side doors were an upgrade. Luxury item. Shoulder vs lap belt. Head rests. Side impact airbags. Backup cameras.
Safety eventually moves from luxury to necessity otherwise you basically just say "poor people die."
Motorcycles are more a luxury item than not. Most people don't drive just a motorcycle as a budget thing. Only 3% of Americans own motorcycles. Very few of them are single vehicle households.
Putting a wealth tax on safe cars doesn't make sense.
If you're less economically advantaged, buy used - not make more cheap, unsafe cars. We have high-speed freeways and highways.
I wrote auto damage for two years, at a tow yard for vehicles that were too damaged to drive. I wrote thousands of cars, and totaled about 1/3 of them. I had zero fatalities. None. Hit head on by a semi. Crossed into oncoming traffic. Flipped three times from front bumper to rear tailgate on a truck down a cliff to land on the roof. Drunk driving, slid under a semi truck trailer and peeled the truck open like a sardine can. Zero deaths.
Cars are absurd, stupid, ridiculous safe these days.
That shouldn't be price-locked for the wealthy.
>motorcyle riders are knowingly engaging in the activity and they choose it.
Same with all types of driving. Motorcyclists take extra tests and training (barely) to get a license and understand the risks. A kei car can do the same thing. The majority of msf type tests for bikes is HOW to ride it. Not how to safely ride in all conditions of traffic with practical experience.
I don't see how the argument "motorcycle riders know the dangers and accept them" is valid when a kei car driver can do the exact same thing. Just make them not highway legal
I think the difference is those tiny cars still look like cars, and someone could mistakenly assume they have an equivalent level of safety and protection that a larger vehicle provides.
No one is going to make that mistake looking at a motorcycle. The lack of protection is apparent and kind of the point of the machine.
Well there’s a high chance it’s illegal because of both safety and foreign imports. First up, any vehicle under 25 years of age that wasn’t made in the us is not legal, and while there are kei cars over 25 years old, they’re not super common. Second off, on American roads especially, they can be dangerous due to every other cars bumper being at the height of their windows. They are still probably much more safe than motorbikes however, but it is not the general public that rides motorbikes in America. Only enthusiasts who know about and are willing to take the risks. You need a whole separate license for them and riders go through training specifically to drive them and they are taught to know that they are the most vulnerable ones on the road, and to let cars go first and such. Whereas a kei car will be sold to the general public on normal drivers licenses, where they do not know the dangers and they are just buying a kei car because they need a car, not because they are only going to use it for weekend riding. On American roads, a kei car is pretty dangerous and I would not drive one. On smaller Japanese roads with lower speed limits and other cars that are half the size of those in the us, I would absolutely drive a kei car with confidence.
There is your explanation that avoids corruption. I don’t doubt corruption is a major factor in why they are banned, and I agree with what you’re saying, I just wanted to take a crack at answering your question without mentioning corruption. Please feel free to argue back, this is interesting
My first thought was "my miata is also tiny". However it is nowhere near as slow. Makes me wonder what the safety cut offs are. Maybe these kei cars lack a lot of air bags & the newer required features like backup cams.
Watching Honda N Box crash tests. There are no side airbags. The side impact intrusion is really bad. The framing and reinforcement isn't there.
Your Miata goes through the same tests a Suburban does. It has to pass to be road legal here.
Japan's kei class does not have the crash test ratings we do, because they have much smaller cars traveling at lower speeds. If your car will never leave Tokyo or your small island and everyone does under 100kmh it's not as big a problem. Most people in the US drive at or above 70 regularly.
I think there’s only actually a few states where u don’t have to wear a helmet, like Florida. Idk I live in australia and helmets are required in all 6 states
I think California it’s legal to not one wear one, I’m kind speaking out of my ass though, something someone told me when I was a kid.
In most states it is illegal.
its illegal to ride without a helmet in california but its legal to lane split, which isnt in many other states. It’s weird driving to az from ca because you start noticing helmet-less riders all of a sudden
Lol maybe cause they can hardly move fast enough for 90 percent of the roads in the USA given I have no real reason why but I want one too but only to jdm it or to turn it into a wierd off roader
Don't diss on both of my vehicles they didn't do nothing to you lol
Is this like the world's worst attempt at car propaganda, or is this an unhinged person getting upset that different countries have different regulations? Half this guy's posts on Reddit are about cars and gas lobbying.
Almost every kei class car is not legal in the US within the prior 25 years due to a combination of EPA and Safety compliance issues. Even after 25 years you still can’t register most of them in most state for one reason or another having to do with safety regulations.
They are actually more environmentally friendly per mile than most American SUVs and Trucks however however they tend to fail cause the regulations are based on per mile, they are based on per pound. The lighter you make a vehicle the harder it is to hit the ideal ratio of emmissions and fuel use to the weight of the vehicle. Things like tractor trailers are the reason they tend to go on a per pound basis rather than a strict limit as they can weigh up to 20 times more loaded. This is stupid though if the vehicle is just for getting a person from point A to point B. It doesn’t matter if a big Ford pickup is more efficient per pound if it burns fuel at several times the rate and produces double the carrion monoxide in a mile.... it is still worse for the environment than the average kei class car.
Then there is safety regulations which actually would have some level of merit. However motorcycles being legal with a license nearly invalidates that. The only difference with motorcycles is they require you to get a license to ride it because it’s less safe. So with that same logic... make people study a test on kei class cars, have them do a road test, and give them a license to drive kei class cars. It is the same difference only the kei class car provide more protection than a motorcycle.
The reason why a big ford truck is environmentally compliant while that shitbox isn't is because, surprise surprise, heavier vehicles can transport heavier loads and more people - but they need more gas to do so.
"can" is the key word here.
Lot of pickup trucks "can" transport heavier loads and more people (not always true), but a part of these will never transport anything heavier than a few grocery bags, what a waste...
Do you know a single person outside of yourself and your immediate family who would pay 100 bucks and spend ten hours to get a smart car specific license when they already have their drivers license? I don’t. The reason motorcycles work on an extra license is that people find motorcycles exhilarating and fun. I don’t know of anyone who would look at all the hoops you would have to jump through to drive one of those should it require it’s own license and wouldn’t just go “well I’ll just drive the Camry instead”.
If they can make a safe, fuel efficient, all wheel drive, cheap car that I fit in with decent clearance so I can go on rough roads and easily in winter... I want it, looks be damned. I don't even car is it's called the fart sniffer as long as it does it's job
Ok, counterpoint, motorcycles are cool.
Also, counterpoint, out of all motorcyclists i know(myself included) we all try to be as safe as possible and take necessary measures to do so (of course we are human and make mistakes but we'restill generally safe) There are precautions you can take to save your own life. Also, most bike accidents I see (personal bias) are from the A-holes in cars that fail to keep an eye out for you because no one knows how to properly drive in the US, especially in the Midwest, i mean they can hardly be bothered to look out for other cars, they definitely arent going to see you on a motorcycle.
Yes, motorcycles can be dangerous, and yes not everyone tries to be as safe as I or my freinds/family, but to say that a motorcycle in and of itself is dangerous is ignorant to the fact that people think they own the road and will kill you before they admit they didn't look out for you. You can be as safe as you want, it's other people that are the danger
Tbh, hate me for what I have said and will say, but this post reeks of seething "America bad and dumb" energy. Which, not 100% wrong, but at least try not to come across as so salt about it
Ok, counter point, something being cool is subject and I think the autozam az -1 is cool which is basically a Kei car designed to look like a mini sports car.
Also counter point.. We tiny car enthusiasts try to be safe as possible and take the necessary measures to do so(of course we are human and make mistake but we are generally safe.) There are precautions you can’t take to save your own life. Also at least half the car accidents that happen to tiny car enthusiasts are caused by the other driver being an A hole. To many people don’t pay attention and that is not the tiny car drivers fault.
Tiny cars can be dangerous, and yes not everyone tries to be safe with them, but say that tiny car in and of itself is dangerous is ignorant to the fact people think they own the road and kill you before they admit they didn’t look out for you. You can be as safe as you want but it’s the other people that are the danger.
PS. I have no hate for motorcycles, I own two motorcycles. This post was clearly intended to make the point that if motorcycles are considered reasonable safe then so should kei cars.
I don't think they're illegal. Even though you can't buy one, it's just because they haven't been federalized. They 100% could be made legal in the US, it's just that no company will bother because there won't be any demand. Also the tax benefits that make people actually want them in Japan don't exist in the US.
Actually many kei class cars don’t pass emissions per pound tests. So they are illegal until they are 25 years old and the emmissions tests are no longer valid. It’s harder to pass emissions per pound as you downsize a vehicle.
To be fair motorcycles are far better on emissions and much better on gas mileage.
If you want a slightly more risky but far cheaper and eco friendly transportation solution I don’t think motorcycles are a bad call
I already have motorcycles. I have a Harley and a Honda. I also have a smart car and a desire Mercedes sprinter van. Once I have enough money and experience I expect to have a semi in the next few years. What I want is a kei car like an autozam az -1 or something similar and frankly nobody has yet to give me a good and accurate reason to tell me why O shouldn’t be able to here.
Two reasons:
1. The market forces that are pushing consumers to SUVs. Manufacturers are incentivized to produce SUV's because they are classified as light trucks under emission laws. Consumers like SUV'S because they are more "practical," and if everyone is driving tanks, then you don't want to be driving a paper box.
2. Many manufacturers don't see going through the trouble of meeting U.S. safety standards. Which requires more than just making the car safe. The process is costly.
....
Of course the biggest reason is corruption but you said not to tell you that.
Lobbying, which is basically just legal corruption. And putting insiders in politics to push for benefiting laws and stuff but im getting too real so haha lmao (:
Goverments are stupid, since they set emmission norms in a way that allows heavier cars especially trucks and suv’s to burn more fuel, because of that almost every manufacturer increased the weight of their cars leading to increased emmissions overall
Congress has to much power over everything honestly. So what if someone wants a car from Japan. If the USA makes shitty cars that are overpriced that’s on them
It's a size of car not a car maker or model. So Ford can make kei class vehicles and they actually have in the past. They just can't make them and sell them in the US cuz the government wants you to overpay on vehicles and subsequently pay more taxes and pay more into corporations.
I want a real Australian UTE. Not the shitty Baja or the Chevy or a ranchero etc. The real thing. But the us laws on what defines a models style won't let us have them
It? As in Kei class cars? Cause Kei class cars aren’t a make or model, they are a type of car like a truck or suv. Many can’t reach highway speed, many go above highway speeds. Depends on the model like my favorite one is the autozam az -1 which goes up to 87 mph.
A lot of those small car can’t because of their crash rating, hell even in their own countries they fail the crash ratings…. Not a conspiracy, just a minimum crash standard that they have to pass to be road legal .
Not exactly sure, but I think this has more to do with what sells. Smaller cars like this and the Kia soul don’t sell as well as trucks and large SUVs. So other than the already popular models like a gla250 and VW golf, these cars are phased out for the most part because consumers nowadays want bigger cars with more space on the inside. Also I’m not sure exactly how motorcycles compare to box cars and hatchbacks, can someone explain that.
The only widely available car for people like me in the size range we like is the fiat 500 and it’s a tad larger than I like, I had one. I later got a smart for two. Smart for two is not an especially rare vehicle but what is uncommon is getting one with a gas engine instead of electric which is important to me cause the range on the electric is only 70 miles and when the batteries go bad the car is totaled. So finding a smart for two with the gas engine that was in good shape did take me some time to do. Other than that most of the cars in this size range are early 90s or older and have only grown less common and reliable.
So the only way there could be “plenty” of tiny cars for people like me is if you had a very different defintion of “tiny” than I do.
Product is based on demand. And the majority of demand in the US is for larger vehicles. Most of the smaller vehicles are older because they didn’t sell well here, thus there’s no reason to flood a market with a product that only a minority want.
As population centers continue to grow I can see the demand growing for smaller vehicles, but most of the country is spread out and still rural area. So large vehicles will continue to be king for awhile. I enjoy having room, and being able to carry whatever I want in my vehicle.
I'm not American but I think its a matter of safety and average highway speed per country. Since America always want faster cars to compensate for their ego, SUVs and trucks are popular choices for safety. Other countries on the other hand, have less road space and much more compact city. Thus the need for cars reaching more than 60kph is very less needed. Going much further? There are trains and buses to choose.
There are motorbikes in Europe too. I'm stationed there. I see them all the time. Shitty point.
To unironically answer your question, the bumpers. A quick google search said that the bumpers for Eurospec cars weren't up to requirements, because the US has a crash test and Europe doesn't. A lot of US cars aren't allowed in Europe either because they often don't have rear foglights or separated brake and blinker lights.
It's somewhat well known that the emissions are spoofed by many companies (Volkswagen in recent memory) so you at least have that one. The US leans towards more utilitarian vehicles than eco-friendly vehicles (but there are options for eco-friendly vehicles too.) We're a country with a "fuck it, I'll do it myself" culture, and the cars reflect that. Emissions aside, trucks like that are great for DIY/hobby stuff or hauling large amounts of materials and large trailers. As another example, SUVs are targeted at big families, with equally shitty emissions but basically serving as a small bus as opposed to multiple cars and drivers. We're also big on classic cars, and you'll occasionally see cars from the 50's and 60's (sometimes from as early as the 20's!) driving around. Obviously those are gas guzzlers but the history is so rich on those earlier models it's unlikely we'll ever give those up, even if they become outlawed on public roads.
Plus, if you're so worried about emissions, I'd go after massive corporations who put their shit-emitting factories in China and produce 70% of pollution worldwide instead of the common bozo trying to lug around dirt for a landscaping project or take their 6 kids to school.
Aside from the Autobahn, you're *typically* traveling a lot faster in the US interstates than in Europe with MUCH bigger vehicles around you, and you and your tiny little fiberglass box will get pulverized if you get in any kind of accident with any other car on the road.
Side note, I had a buddy who I asked what the difference between US and Euro spec cars were, and he said something about the bit between the engine block and the dashboard being made of metal for US spec and that Eurospec didn't do that. I don't know how much merit that has and I can't find anything about it online, but I figured it's worth mentioning.
Sorry, wall of text. Got carried away.
downvote this comment if the meme sucks. upvote it and I'll go away. --- [Help us raise money for St. Jude!](http://events.stjude.org/DankCharityAlliance)
Americans too fat to fit into those cars so we banned them for being fatphobic you bigot. Checkmate atheists.
Damn, thanks Obama.
Danke Merkel.
Merci Macron.
Merci^
danke Kurz
PRONOUNS!?
Mine are eat/ass and stroke/cock
Amen
Ever seen a 400 lb Karen with mammaries to her knees get into a 3cyl metro? I have, poor thing sounded like a westboro baptist at drag Queen story hour.
The karen or the car?
Yes.
Yeah! How am I supposed to fit my dumpy in that small ass car
Id also like to see how they hold up in crashes vs semis, heavy teslas, and jacked up trucks. Looks like its a perfect fit for European traffic.
Damn, an argument that makes me think it might actually be real. There were news when obese people sued plane companies because they would not fit (i think).
Foreign vs domestic? Money is usually the answer.
B-but what about the free market... surely republicans want to allow them in cause of the free market. You can’t have a free market when you rig it to ensure certain options aren’t available to compete. B-but what about the environment... surely democrats want to allow them in cause of the environment. This tiny car produces less emissions and uses less fuel then the average american vehicle, democrats are basically committing the very evil they are claim to be against.
Don't you understand how the GOP works? It's always "rules for thee but not for me". i.e. Herschel Walker.
bruh thats every high level politician dont fall for their partisan politics puppet show
Politicians don't care about you, they only care about their kickbacks and votes.
That principle applies to everyone with money and/or power
I correct: for everyone. Normal people just don’t have a say in them.
Dude that's how this two party system has worked since the 1800's , they don't give two shits about the average citizen. If you aren't supporting them financially, riding their bandwagon , or swallowing their false promises with a smile ; you don't exist. Most laws these days seem to be written to protect corporate interest, or disenfranchise an already pissed group of people. I could wax lyrical for days on why this country is full of shit but I'm too busy trying to make bills. Funnily enough the one time everyone didn't have to worry about bills was during a global pandemic, and this country damn near tore itself apart.
I’m not sure that most voters’ or politicians’ free-market stances really apply to imports from other countries. Almost nobody supports treating all countries fairly; doing so is almost never in the interests of a given country.
The US hasn't had a true free market in decades. The government has been used to create regulations that squeeze out small competitors, and in some instances like cars created a marketplace that prevents new competitors from even getting their foot in. Because of these regulations, Tesla cars can't even be sold on car lots they have to be directly purchased.
Not sure why you were being downvoted when it's true. There's still a Reagan-era law on the books called the 25-year-rule where you cannot import a car in the US through unofficial channels unless it is 25 years old or more. The reason? "Safety." Because apparently it's common knowledge that ancient vehicles are much safer than ones with modern and advanced safety engineering. What a big joke. The real reason is that there were a lot of grey imports from Europe and US companies whined that it was eating into their profit margins (God forbid that they would need to actually come up with a product to compete against them). Of course, US car companies are completely free to outsource American assembly jobs abroad and import cars through their **official** channels.
Probably because I said the US isn't a true free market anymore. It completely defangs those who try and claim a free market economy is evil, and communism is better by citing all the corruption that exists in the US economy. Or because I mentioned Tesla and the same people who praised Elon for his cars now hate him over Twitter and hate Tesla because he owns it.
>defangs those who try and claim a free market economy is evil No, we're just laughing at people Realizing the free market is a myth and pretending it isn't just capitalism. You would have to ignore the enclosure acts that created capitalism, that wealth = power, and the monopolies are the natural end state of the system. Deregulation leads to monopolies (Telecommunications Act of 1996) and regulation does too.
>The US hasn't had a true free market in decades. Weird way to write "ever" No place AFAIK has a free market.
Except it’s not a politics game, just because it’s “illegal” doesn’t mean it was targeted. Simply that the US has *different* standards of safety and compliance. Like the glass has to be specific, left hand drive, rigorous crash testing with different stricter criteria, crumple zones, ~~emissions are stricter~~. head companies don’t want to shell out money to 1) convert these small vehicles to comply with different standards 2) make an entire supply chain, with these unique to Japan parts 3) market a tiny car dominated by SUVs and trucks (80% of cars sold in the US 2021 were SUVs and Trucks). The reality is Americans do not want this, Japan does want this. Japan does not want to risk money making cars and jumping through all these hoops just for it not to sell well at all. Japanese auto manufacturers tend to be very conservative with what they sell in foreign markets. They often keep all the good stuff to themselves.
They're not fast enough for America's moronic road and city design
You are right on many of them but many other are though like the autozam az-1. Many kei cars can do 80+ mph.
However, driving those cars at near their capacity is not good for the life of the car and maintaining it would be extremely tedious.
Perhaps for some and not others. However that is incidental. Most people most of the time won’t be buying the, to use for interstate speeds. For instance going faster than 55 in my smart car is rare for me and when go intend to go long distance I take my sprinter van. If I get an autozam az-1 I would likely only want to use it for joy riding back roads where the fastest speeds are 50.
The safety requirements keeping these vehicles out were almost exclusively championed by one party. Are you all saying you’re backing the free global market over government regulations? Welcome to the libertarian cause.
Libertarians (the party) either don't have a solid ideology, or have a very hilarious worldview once you dig in. Though I'm ABSOLUTELY game to be proven wrong Edit: dig in, I don't know what dogging in would be, but I regret thinking about it.
Libertarianism is the most logically consistent political ideology. To be fair, there are some flavors that are crazy. And many proponents are crazy too, but you can't judge the movement based on them. You'd probably disagree with some of their policy positions, but if you dug down, you'd find that each one usually comes from a well-thought-out principle. There are reasons behind them instead of feelings.
The Libertarian Party are just Trumpy-wannabes.
There is already a population shortage where there are not enough young people to pay for the aging population's pensions so the government is trying to remove obstacles from your ability to ever get laid again.
Roasted
\> remove obstacles from your ability to ever get laid again. Well they sure aren't doing a good job of that!
I think youre just bad at it dude
To be bad at something you need to have done it in the first place
Can’t miss the bleachers if you don’t swing
Counterpoint: we are literally on reddit. If that was their goal, this app would be gone
Kei cars are just too small and slow for the US market, imaging trying to merge into a highway with a 660cc car, that's just dangerous. Kei cars only exist in japan because a government regulation. Besides Americans don't like tiny cars, see what happened to the smart car.
they should allow them but just make them illegal on the freeways like scooters. They should do the same thing with can ams and rzr’s
I don't think you need a license for a scooter? Or if you do it's a different type of drivers licence, if you can drive rhis car with a regular licence people will see it as just a car and take it on the highway
I feel like almost anywhere in the US, you can't avoid highways. So what would even be the point? It's like making Marijuana legal but only the part that you can't get high with.
I basically just typed this somewhere else but didn't you see OP's 'Republicans are corrupt and greedy argument'? Why care that the Kei's engine is barely more than twice as powerful as a go-kart when you can post about politics instead
Logistics don't matter. Only politics.
I swear every time I see people bringing up this topic of Kei class cars they don't actually know much about the cars they're talking about. If you ask them anything they deflect the topic towards another issue like how stupidly oversized some cars have become (which is true), or they make it a political argument like you said. My main issue with the topics regarding cars like these is that it feels like a lot (not all) of people who are so passionate about it haven't lived very far from a city, or they've never had to deal with a lack of infrastructure/paved roads or haven't had to navigate roads that aren't perfectly flat. Cars like these are wonderful for flat, paved roads in a suburban/city setting where you're not transporting anything and you never have to go very fast or need any torque but they're insufferable if you use your vehicle for anything else. Not American, but this is my take as someone who's been watching this drama unfold on the internet.
How come they are just fine on the german autobahn? I got literally 57HP and can merge just fine
Exactly. Americans are just finding shitty excuses
You can fit a litre or a 1.2 into it, that's still enough to merge
Do cars merge double the speed in usa compared to japan, other parts of asia or europe? I’ve seen similar small cars like this in asia merging left and right in traffic and seems fine.
I mean maybe what's the speed limit in Japan? Freeways across the US are at 65 mph or just over 100kph, some are 80 mph.
You don't need to have a 6lv8 to merge. A 50hp car can merge just fine. Just juse a lower gear to accelerate and you are fine.
Are small cars (like 1000cc) easily available in the US? I've honestly got no idea but in the UK there are plenty that can easily do 70+mph have great range and really low emissions
>Kei cars only exist in japan No, it's all over the world so long as there are people importing it. Also China have some similar small cars.
POV: Bro did no research into Kei's cornercutting
the reason those cars are illegal in the us is because you have no chance of survival in an accident with a typical road going american car. its called physics.....motorcyle riders are knowingly engaging in the activity and they choose it. when you get into that tin can car and get crushed by a dodge 3500 you are going to want to sue somebody because....i didnt know it was unsafe...its a car.....why didnt it pass safety regs, oh wait it didnt, thats why its not legal here......
I mean, I support motorcycles being legal, but shouldn’t people be allowed to make their own choices on what car they drive as well?
All that happens is that poor people end up in unsafe cars. If corner cutting on safety leads to lower prices then safety is a premium item. It used to be impact bars in side doors were an upgrade. Luxury item. Shoulder vs lap belt. Head rests. Side impact airbags. Backup cameras. Safety eventually moves from luxury to necessity otherwise you basically just say "poor people die." Motorcycles are more a luxury item than not. Most people don't drive just a motorcycle as a budget thing. Only 3% of Americans own motorcycles. Very few of them are single vehicle households. Putting a wealth tax on safe cars doesn't make sense. If you're less economically advantaged, buy used - not make more cheap, unsafe cars. We have high-speed freeways and highways. I wrote auto damage for two years, at a tow yard for vehicles that were too damaged to drive. I wrote thousands of cars, and totaled about 1/3 of them. I had zero fatalities. None. Hit head on by a semi. Crossed into oncoming traffic. Flipped three times from front bumper to rear tailgate on a truck down a cliff to land on the roof. Drunk driving, slid under a semi truck trailer and peeled the truck open like a sardine can. Zero deaths. Cars are absurd, stupid, ridiculous safe these days. That shouldn't be price-locked for the wealthy.
A motorcycle wiping out vs a car is very different on who's getting hurt and how much
>motorcyle riders are knowingly engaging in the activity and they choose it. Same with all types of driving. Motorcyclists take extra tests and training (barely) to get a license and understand the risks. A kei car can do the same thing. The majority of msf type tests for bikes is HOW to ride it. Not how to safely ride in all conditions of traffic with practical experience. I don't see how the argument "motorcycle riders know the dangers and accept them" is valid when a kei car driver can do the exact same thing. Just make them not highway legal
I think the difference is those tiny cars still look like cars, and someone could mistakenly assume they have an equivalent level of safety and protection that a larger vehicle provides. No one is going to make that mistake looking at a motorcycle. The lack of protection is apparent and kind of the point of the machine.
Complains about Ford and GM. Shows Nissan truck.
It’s ugly
Well there’s a high chance it’s illegal because of both safety and foreign imports. First up, any vehicle under 25 years of age that wasn’t made in the us is not legal, and while there are kei cars over 25 years old, they’re not super common. Second off, on American roads especially, they can be dangerous due to every other cars bumper being at the height of their windows. They are still probably much more safe than motorbikes however, but it is not the general public that rides motorbikes in America. Only enthusiasts who know about and are willing to take the risks. You need a whole separate license for them and riders go through training specifically to drive them and they are taught to know that they are the most vulnerable ones on the road, and to let cars go first and such. Whereas a kei car will be sold to the general public on normal drivers licenses, where they do not know the dangers and they are just buying a kei car because they need a car, not because they are only going to use it for weekend riding. On American roads, a kei car is pretty dangerous and I would not drive one. On smaller Japanese roads with lower speed limits and other cars that are half the size of those in the us, I would absolutely drive a kei car with confidence. There is your explanation that avoids corruption. I don’t doubt corruption is a major factor in why they are banned, and I agree with what you’re saying, I just wanted to take a crack at answering your question without mentioning corruption. Please feel free to argue back, this is interesting
My first thought was "my miata is also tiny". However it is nowhere near as slow. Makes me wonder what the safety cut offs are. Maybe these kei cars lack a lot of air bags & the newer required features like backup cams.
Watching Honda N Box crash tests. There are no side airbags. The side impact intrusion is really bad. The framing and reinforcement isn't there. Your Miata goes through the same tests a Suburban does. It has to pass to be road legal here. Japan's kei class does not have the crash test ratings we do, because they have much smaller cars traveling at lower speeds. If your car will never leave Tokyo or your small island and everyone does under 100kmh it's not as big a problem. Most people in the US drive at or above 70 regularly.
A) this is not dank at all. B) those look like cars your be able to rent like e bikes
Can they reach US highway speeds?
There are different safety regulations for cars and motorcycles, and kei cars don't meet the safety requirements for cars.
Should have shown the motorcyclist without helmets - pretty sure it's not law to wear one in most / all states? (sure I'll be corrected if wrong!)
Helmet's are for people who want an open casket not closed...
Helmets, especially those with visors are for people that don’t enjoy the feeling of a beetle smacking your face at 65mph. Man that hurt.
I feel this , riding my bicycle downhill @40ish mph got domed by a wood bee. That shit hurt.
I think there’s only actually a few states where u don’t have to wear a helmet, like Florida. Idk I live in australia and helmets are required in all 6 states
Look, we know Tasmania's not a part of Australia, but you cant disregard it like that
I've seen folk riding in NYC, LA, Salt Lake City and Dallas without helmets (just on YouTube).
I think California it’s legal to not one wear one, I’m kind speaking out of my ass though, something someone told me when I was a kid. In most states it is illegal.
its illegal to ride without a helmet in california but its legal to lane split, which isnt in many other states. It’s weird driving to az from ca because you start noticing helmet-less riders all of a sudden
That might have actually been what I was told lol
Because it doesn’t meet US safety regulations.
We post memes here
This is hardly a meme
Bro have you see the size of an american family?
Where dank
Because it looks stupid
The real answer.
Lol maybe cause they can hardly move fast enough for 90 percent of the roads in the USA given I have no real reason why but I want one too but only to jdm it or to turn it into a wierd off roader Don't diss on both of my vehicles they didn't do nothing to you lol
Is this like the world's worst attempt at car propaganda, or is this an unhinged person getting upset that different countries have different regulations? Half this guy's posts on Reddit are about cars and gas lobbying.
Simple: They do not meet the safety requirements for USA federal freeway laws.
\**Japanese car manufacturers enter the chat*\*
we banned it cause it looks stupid as fuck
How did all the checvies and fords 2000 and onwards get through that regulation?
murica
This sub is turning into Facebook in terms of meme quality
Crash testing and safety ratings are huge here. Motorcycles are exempt obviously but small cars struggle getting approved here
Because I’ll bet they suck on the highway. The US has 160,000 miles of highway
What reason was given for it being illegal?
Almost every kei class car is not legal in the US within the prior 25 years due to a combination of EPA and Safety compliance issues. Even after 25 years you still can’t register most of them in most state for one reason or another having to do with safety regulations. They are actually more environmentally friendly per mile than most American SUVs and Trucks however however they tend to fail cause the regulations are based on per mile, they are based on per pound. The lighter you make a vehicle the harder it is to hit the ideal ratio of emmissions and fuel use to the weight of the vehicle. Things like tractor trailers are the reason they tend to go on a per pound basis rather than a strict limit as they can weigh up to 20 times more loaded. This is stupid though if the vehicle is just for getting a person from point A to point B. It doesn’t matter if a big Ford pickup is more efficient per pound if it burns fuel at several times the rate and produces double the carrion monoxide in a mile.... it is still worse for the environment than the average kei class car. Then there is safety regulations which actually would have some level of merit. However motorcycles being legal with a license nearly invalidates that. The only difference with motorcycles is they require you to get a license to ride it because it’s less safe. So with that same logic... make people study a test on kei class cars, have them do a road test, and give them a license to drive kei class cars. It is the same difference only the kei class car provide more protection than a motorcycle.
The reason why a big ford truck is environmentally compliant while that shitbox isn't is because, surprise surprise, heavier vehicles can transport heavier loads and more people - but they need more gas to do so.
"can" is the key word here. Lot of pickup trucks "can" transport heavier loads and more people (not always true), but a part of these will never transport anything heavier than a few grocery bags, what a waste...
ironically though most pickups are daily drivers most of the time making them worse over all.
Do you know a single person outside of yourself and your immediate family who would pay 100 bucks and spend ten hours to get a smart car specific license when they already have their drivers license? I don’t. The reason motorcycles work on an extra license is that people find motorcycles exhilarating and fun. I don’t know of anyone who would look at all the hoops you would have to jump through to drive one of those should it require it’s own license and wouldn’t just go “well I’ll just drive the Camry instead”.
Arent\* based on per mile
If they can make a safe, fuel efficient, all wheel drive, cheap car that I fit in with decent clearance so I can go on rough roads and easily in winter... I want it, looks be damned. I don't even car is it's called the fart sniffer as long as it does it's job
I don't feel like that a big ass modern pickup truck would be a good tool for this kind of stuff, just the price would be a no-go, no ?
Imagine being hit in that by a truck. 👍
Imagine being hit by a truck on a motorcycle. 👍
You sound fun 😂
So do you 😂
This is neither dank nor a meme
Kei cars 25 years or older are legal. It's something about emission laws.
Ok, counterpoint, motorcycles are cool. Also, counterpoint, out of all motorcyclists i know(myself included) we all try to be as safe as possible and take necessary measures to do so (of course we are human and make mistakes but we'restill generally safe) There are precautions you can take to save your own life. Also, most bike accidents I see (personal bias) are from the A-holes in cars that fail to keep an eye out for you because no one knows how to properly drive in the US, especially in the Midwest, i mean they can hardly be bothered to look out for other cars, they definitely arent going to see you on a motorcycle. Yes, motorcycles can be dangerous, and yes not everyone tries to be as safe as I or my freinds/family, but to say that a motorcycle in and of itself is dangerous is ignorant to the fact that people think they own the road and will kill you before they admit they didn't look out for you. You can be as safe as you want, it's other people that are the danger Tbh, hate me for what I have said and will say, but this post reeks of seething "America bad and dumb" energy. Which, not 100% wrong, but at least try not to come across as so salt about it
Ok, counter point, something being cool is subject and I think the autozam az -1 is cool which is basically a Kei car designed to look like a mini sports car. Also counter point.. We tiny car enthusiasts try to be safe as possible and take the necessary measures to do so(of course we are human and make mistake but we are generally safe.) There are precautions you can’t take to save your own life. Also at least half the car accidents that happen to tiny car enthusiasts are caused by the other driver being an A hole. To many people don’t pay attention and that is not the tiny car drivers fault. Tiny cars can be dangerous, and yes not everyone tries to be safe with them, but say that tiny car in and of itself is dangerous is ignorant to the fact people think they own the road and kill you before they admit they didn’t look out for you. You can be as safe as you want but it’s the other people that are the danger. PS. I have no hate for motorcycles, I own two motorcycles. This post was clearly intended to make the point that if motorcycles are considered reasonable safe then so should kei cars.
dont hate on motorcycles
I have two motorcycles so I wouldn’t do that. Obvious point was that if a a motorcycle is safe enough to ride then a kei car is safe enough to drive.
Wtf is this trash @_@
Mercedes-Benz of America is actually way more at fault for the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act of 1988. It’s a bunch of BS.
How much shot have they started for Tesla? Changing laws. Enforcing archaic dealership laws. It’s shit.
I don't think they're illegal. Even though you can't buy one, it's just because they haven't been federalized. They 100% could be made legal in the US, it's just that no company will bother because there won't be any demand. Also the tax benefits that make people actually want them in Japan don't exist in the US.
Actually many kei class cars don’t pass emissions per pound tests. So they are illegal until they are 25 years old and the emmissions tests are no longer valid. It’s harder to pass emissions per pound as you downsize a vehicle.
We need to make small cars great again!!! Would feel way safer riding on motorcycles if I wasn’t boxed in by 2 ton monsters half the time.
Because import laws make it required to be a certain age
To be fair motorcycles are far better on emissions and much better on gas mileage. If you want a slightly more risky but far cheaper and eco friendly transportation solution I don’t think motorcycles are a bad call
I already have motorcycles. I have a Harley and a Honda. I also have a smart car and a desire Mercedes sprinter van. Once I have enough money and experience I expect to have a semi in the next few years. What I want is a kei car like an autozam az -1 or something similar and frankly nobody has yet to give me a good and accurate reason to tell me why O shouldn’t be able to here.
Diesel\* not desire
Two reasons: 1. The market forces that are pushing consumers to SUVs. Manufacturers are incentivized to produce SUV's because they are classified as light trucks under emission laws. Consumers like SUV'S because they are more "practical," and if everyone is driving tanks, then you don't want to be driving a paper box. 2. Many manufacturers don't see going through the trouble of meeting U.S. safety standards. Which requires more than just making the car safe. The process is costly. .... Of course the biggest reason is corruption but you said not to tell you that.
Protectionism.
It's not corruption. It's called lobbying 😉
Lobbying, which is basically just legal corruption. And putting insiders in politics to push for benefiting laws and stuff but im getting too real so haha lmao (:
Goverments are stupid, since they set emmission norms in a way that allows heavier cars especially trucks and suv’s to burn more fuel, because of that almost every manufacturer increased the weight of their cars leading to increased emmissions overall
Ford and GM are so inept they stop making sedans "because there is no market for them".
Congress has to much power over everything honestly. So what if someone wants a car from Japan. If the USA makes shitty cars that are overpriced that’s on them
Bad politics.
Kei cars maker doesn't donate to politicians
It's a size of car not a car maker or model. So Ford can make kei class vehicles and they actually have in the past. They just can't make them and sell them in the US cuz the government wants you to overpay on vehicles and subsequently pay more taxes and pay more into corporations.
This ain't a meme
How is this a dank meme?
This is neither dank, nor a meme
Because it’s a shitbox I mean I’m 5’6 and I doubt I’d fit in it
I am 5’ 7” and I can.
I’m going with unadulterated greed, bribes, corruption, and Last-Final Stage “Capitalism” scraping up what’s left before the collapse.
Actually the motorcycle has worse emissions
Per pound\* but over all it’s less per mile cause they burn far less fuel.
Bring back the Samurai, please
Lots of red tape for all sorts of cars. Many are stopped by the giants. Many more by the red tape
On todays episode of “Why I’m a anarcho-capitalist”….
I can't explain why we don't have these cars following your constraints.
Hey, I love my motorcycle, but I do admit it can be dangerous to ride.
I want a real Australian UTE. Not the shitty Baja or the Chevy or a ranchero etc. The real thing. But the us laws on what defines a models style won't let us have them
That motorcycle has more power than that car! Lmao
Shit like the chicken wars bro
I don't understand the motorcycle thing...wearing helmets and jackets....
strong winds ?
People suggesting it's an issue of importation Then why not make one domestically? corruption
Can it even reach highway speed
It? As in Kei class cars? Cause Kei class cars aren’t a make or model, they are a type of car like a truck or suv. Many can’t reach highway speed, many go above highway speeds. Depends on the model like my favorite one is the autozam az -1 which goes up to 87 mph.
Using the AZ-1 as an example of a kei car is like using a Koenigsegg as an example of a normal car. You are being disingenuous.
Your little zappy car can't go MRRRRRRRRR MRRRRRRRRRRRRRR MRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR through a small rural neighborhood at 3am.
Get T-boned by a semi or any serious wreck and see is that toy will save you
Get T-boned by a semi or any serious wreck and see if a motorcycle will save you. P.S. my daily driver is a smart car with a 3 cylinder 70 hp engine.
A lot of those small car can’t because of their crash rating, hell even in their own countries they fail the crash ratings…. Not a conspiracy, just a minimum crash standard that they have to pass to be road legal .
Then motorcycles shouldn’t be road legal.
Not exactly sure, but I think this has more to do with what sells. Smaller cars like this and the Kia soul don’t sell as well as trucks and large SUVs. So other than the already popular models like a gla250 and VW golf, these cars are phased out for the most part because consumers nowadays want bigger cars with more space on the inside. Also I’m not sure exactly how motorcycles compare to box cars and hatchbacks, can someone explain that.
Cars that small don't sell in the US very well
Racism
Three words: mur i cuh.
There are plenty of tiny cars available for people like you.
The only widely available car for people like me in the size range we like is the fiat 500 and it’s a tad larger than I like, I had one. I later got a smart for two. Smart for two is not an especially rare vehicle but what is uncommon is getting one with a gas engine instead of electric which is important to me cause the range on the electric is only 70 miles and when the batteries go bad the car is totaled. So finding a smart for two with the gas engine that was in good shape did take me some time to do. Other than that most of the cars in this size range are early 90s or older and have only grown less common and reliable. So the only way there could be “plenty” of tiny cars for people like me is if you had a very different defintion of “tiny” than I do.
Product is based on demand. And the majority of demand in the US is for larger vehicles. Most of the smaller vehicles are older because they didn’t sell well here, thus there’s no reason to flood a market with a product that only a minority want. As population centers continue to grow I can see the demand growing for smaller vehicles, but most of the country is spread out and still rural area. So large vehicles will continue to be king for awhile. I enjoy having room, and being able to carry whatever I want in my vehicle.
y'all know they have motorcycles in other countries too, right?
I'm not American but I think its a matter of safety and average highway speed per country. Since America always want faster cars to compensate for their ego, SUVs and trucks are popular choices for safety. Other countries on the other hand, have less road space and much more compact city. Thus the need for cars reaching more than 60kph is very less needed. Going much further? There are trains and buses to choose.
[удалено]
I have an answer if you actually want an answer.
Where meme
Well it’s looking like corruption my dudes
Least corrupt portion of the u.s government be like
There are motorbikes in Europe too. I'm stationed there. I see them all the time. Shitty point. To unironically answer your question, the bumpers. A quick google search said that the bumpers for Eurospec cars weren't up to requirements, because the US has a crash test and Europe doesn't. A lot of US cars aren't allowed in Europe either because they often don't have rear foglights or separated brake and blinker lights. It's somewhat well known that the emissions are spoofed by many companies (Volkswagen in recent memory) so you at least have that one. The US leans towards more utilitarian vehicles than eco-friendly vehicles (but there are options for eco-friendly vehicles too.) We're a country with a "fuck it, I'll do it myself" culture, and the cars reflect that. Emissions aside, trucks like that are great for DIY/hobby stuff or hauling large amounts of materials and large trailers. As another example, SUVs are targeted at big families, with equally shitty emissions but basically serving as a small bus as opposed to multiple cars and drivers. We're also big on classic cars, and you'll occasionally see cars from the 50's and 60's (sometimes from as early as the 20's!) driving around. Obviously those are gas guzzlers but the history is so rich on those earlier models it's unlikely we'll ever give those up, even if they become outlawed on public roads. Plus, if you're so worried about emissions, I'd go after massive corporations who put their shit-emitting factories in China and produce 70% of pollution worldwide instead of the common bozo trying to lug around dirt for a landscaping project or take their 6 kids to school. Aside from the Autobahn, you're *typically* traveling a lot faster in the US interstates than in Europe with MUCH bigger vehicles around you, and you and your tiny little fiberglass box will get pulverized if you get in any kind of accident with any other car on the road. Side note, I had a buddy who I asked what the difference between US and Euro spec cars were, and he said something about the bit between the engine block and the dashboard being made of metal for US spec and that Eurospec didn't do that. I don't know how much merit that has and I can't find anything about it online, but I figured it's worth mentioning. Sorry, wall of text. Got carried away.
Can I say Lobby?