Jalopnik    •   15 min read

These Are The Cars You Wish Were Sold In Your Country

WHAT'S THE STORY?

A gray Honda E driving on a motorway

Last week we asked you what car you wish was sold in your country, and you all reached a consensus on several models that you wish were sold in the United States. All the big hitters that were in my head were touched on, and the consensus appears to be that the Jalopnik audience wishes there were more small and affordable cars. Imagine that.

Currently in the U.S., we (barely) have the Fiat 500e which is 143 inches long, the Mini Cooper two-door at 152.6 inches, and the Mazda MX-5 Miata at 154.1 inches, then

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things jump up in length more drastically from there. We are severely lacking small cars, and the three smallest cars as listed above aren't even the cheapest cars on the market. The U.S. car market is in a weird place right now, and one that's more expensive than ever, but I'm encouraged to see many of you standing up for small and cheap cars. Anyhow, these are the cars that you wish were sold in your country, but aren't. If you missed out on sharing your answer, go ahead and leave it in the comments here.

Read more: These Supercars Lose Value So Quickly, They're Almost A Steal

Suzuki Jimny

a bright yellow Suzuki Jimny driving on a mountain

Suzuki Jimny. I get a little jealous when I see the occasional one here with Baja California plates.

Submitted by: Robzilla1793

Unsurprisingly, there were lots of you who wish the Suzuki Jimny was sold in the United States, and I don't understand why. Why do you all want a small, affordable, good-looking, rugged off-roader that's basically a baby G-wagen for a fraction of the cost?

I kid — if the Jimny were sold here I'd own one, and I'm almost certain that a shockingly high number of you would too. Ahem, Suzuki!

Holden Utes

A silver Holden Maloo in a studio

Holden utes. Also the Honda E. I think it would be perfect for my daughter. I would so like to buy her one.

Submitted by: Ten Of Diamonds (Ten Of Diamonds)

All the Aussie utes are ridiculously cool and I would love to see them ripping around roads in the States. Your daughter might like the ute, too!

Renault 5 E-Tech

a green Renault 5 E-Tech parked in front of a building

Renault 5 E-Tech. We need more small EVs and this one is the king that sits alone at the top

Submitted by: SimplyGregster

The Renault 5 E-Tech got tons of love in the comments, and it's another one that doesn't make sense. Why would you want a small, affordable, funky EV that looks ridiculously cool? What are you, smart or something?

Mazda 6 Estate

A blue Mazda 6 wagon parked on a car lot

Mazda6 wagon.

Alas, I don't think you can get it anywhere with the Turbo engine and manual.

Submitted by: Crucial Taunt

Whenever I see the first-generation Mazda 6 wagons I always do a double-take, they're so cool.

Honda E

A gray Honda E driving on a motorway

Honda e and Alpine A110. That would make a reasonably priced, fun 2-car garage.

Submitted by: Joel Sinclair

The Honda E got a lot of shoutouts, too, and I'd love to drive one. It's a small rear-wheel-drive electric Honda with understated style, so it probably wouldn't sell well, but it's so cool to imagine. 

Isuzu D-Max

a blue D-Max Arctic parked on dirt

The workhorse of Thailand, the Isuzu D-Max. It's of reasonable size and looks decent compared to today's pickups. I mean, just look at the girth and grilles of the F-150 and Silverado. Besides, we should bring Isuzu back.

Submitted by: Giantsgiants

I always find it strange when car companies make pickups that don't come to the U.S., the land that buys millions of trucks each year. But I do understand we have strict emissions standards and crash safety standards that make things difficult. 

Alpine A110

A blue A110 parked on a race track

Hands down the Alpine A110. Small sports car that focuses on light weight instead of massive power? Yes please.

Submitted by: Poorsche

Alpine A110 got lots of love, and rightfully so. When I saw The Smoking Tire's recent episode about it I was so envious that they got to drive one.

BYD EVs

A pink BYD Seal

Any BYD EVs. Granted, I haven't seen one in person and have only seen pics/vids/reviews, but having an affordable, decent EV available would be really nice.

Submitted by: Evil Monkey 2

I get that car companies are scared of Chinese EVs, but consumers are itching for them. Affordable EVs that aren't $10k more than their ICE equivalent would be a game changer, and you know the U.S. doesn't like change.

Volkswagen Golf R Estate

a white Golf R estate and a blue one parked by eachother on a race track

VW Golf R Estate. That's about the only thing that will get me out of my MK7 R and MK7 GSW.

Submitted by: Zachary

I'd be so stoked to see Golf R Estates on U.S. roads.

Functional High-Speed Rail

A photo of the bullet train in Japan

I don't want any new or different cars here until we import the thing we actually need- functional high speed rail and public transit.

Until we have that, no one is going to buy a kei car that can't make the 3 state drive to grandma's house, no one is going to buy a topolino that can't really be driven in the rain, no one is going to buy anything other than what they already buy, which is vehicles that can do everything because we have to have vehicles that can do everything.

Submitted by: Buckfiddious

I cannot agree with you more, Buckfiddious. Unfortunately, the government and the money-hungry folks who are afraid of doing anything that doesn't immediately add billions more to their personal bank accounts don't feel the same way. Let's hope The Greater Good gets prioritized sooner rather than later. 

Volkswagen Up! GTI

a white Up GTI driving in a city

The Volkswagen Polo GTI or even the Up GTI. The Golf GTI that we have in the states has grown in performance, size, and price but VW's smaller GTI variants are more akin to the original GTI philosophy, which is more what I'd prefer in a car.

Submitted by: Patrick Simpson

I couldn't agree with you more! The endless pursuit of constant "improvement" has turned the GTI into something very different than the original. I chose to focus on the Up! GTI because it's my favorite, but I'd be elated to see a Polo GTI stateside too. 

Hyundai Starex Diesel

A dark blue Staria parked on grass in front of trees

Hyundai Starex 2.5L Diesel. Lived in the Philippines for a while. Fuel there is expensive and these vans are great for travel, plenty of room and great mileage.

Submitted by: David DeHoag

The Staria minivan that replaced the Starex is so much cooler that I'm showing a photo of it instead. I'd take it regardless of its powertrain, but diesel would definitely be the most rad. 

Toyota Hilux Diesel

A gray Hilux driving through a puddle

I would like a 4 door Hilux diesel 4WD with a stick.

Submitted by: Bruno

I feel like the Hilux would put an end to the rest of the U.S. truck market and all of its recall-plagued, six-figure giants.

Volkswagen California

An orange California with its roof popped up

Any of the VW California models. Sadly, they don't sell them in California.

Submitted by: Joseph E

As a Volkswagen fan who lives in California, I think I saw Volkswagen doing photoshoots with the California in California despite not selling it here. I wish it were here too!

Honda Fit

A white Jazz driving on a rural road

Bring back the Honda Fit, AKA the Honda Jazz that is still sold elsewhere.

Submitted by: Bradley B.

The Fit has become such a cult car now. I get that Honda wants to prioritize models that make more profit, but the new Fit looks great, and I'd guess it would still sell well.

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