Poll

Mini Trucks are...

Ugly and impractical... I wouldn't be caught dead in one.
2 (14.3%)
Less practical than a North American style truck. They just won't do.
1 (7.1%)
Practical enough, but we already have trucks that are efficient enough for me.
1 (7.1%)
A great idea, and I'd actually like to test drive one.
8 (57.1%)
The solution to all my problems, I'd buy one if I had the money for it.
2 (14.3%)

Total Members Voted: 14

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Author Topic: Japanese Mini Trucks  (Read 1890 times)

Offline SapphireSeo

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Japanese Mini Trucks
« on: October 03, 2011, 06:22:12 pm »
I'd like to hear everyone's opinion on Japanese mini trucks, or kei trucks and their larger displacement models. Do you think they are more or less practical or efficient?

I heard that these particular vehicles aren't road legal in the USA, but are legal in Canada. Why do you think that we see so few on the road in Canada?
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Offline bridgecity

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2011, 06:32:08 pm »
There's quite a few running the roads in my area,  mostly contractors hauling supplies.  I could see someone on a farm or ranch buying one as an alternative to an ATV side-by-side.  Cheaper, and probably more payload.  I know you can get them outfitted with ATV style tires.
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Offline rrocket

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2011, 06:34:55 pm »
Quote from: bordercity on October 03, 2011, 06:32:08 pm
There's quite a few running the roads in my area,  mostly contractors hauling supplies.  I could see someone on a farm or ranch buying one as an alternative to an ATV side-by-side.  Cheaper, and probably more payload.  I know you can get them outfitted with ATV style tires.

Yea...and the diesel power is nice...
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Offline Sir Osis of Liver

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2011, 07:23:12 pm »
One of my neighbours has one. I think it'd be a pretty fun little beast.
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Offline rrocket

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2011, 07:30:52 pm »
^^That's the one I see most often.  Though I did see a micro van that looked like a pint sized VW Bus!
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Offline Sir Osis of Liver

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2011, 07:34:37 pm »
^ I think those are very cool. There are a few around town. Whenever one of the local importers brings one in, it's gone within days.

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Offline rrocket

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2011, 07:34:59 pm »
^^Yea, that's it!!!   ;D
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Offline TopGun

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2011, 08:05:46 pm »
Would these things not fold up like a cheap suitcase if you ever got hit?

Despite that, they are neat...forbidden fruit!  I saw a Honda Beat a year or so ago...



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Offline Sival

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2011, 08:29:48 pm »
They're a pretty good idea. I think a lot of people who need the cargo area of a pickup for their work don't really need the power or size of North American pickups anyway. So it's just much more efficient, and as an engineer, I'm professionally obliged to love efficiency in all forms.

I think at least that the municipal governments of big cities like Montréal and Toronto should seriously look into these to replace pickups to save on a lot of gas.
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Offline Sir Osis of Liver

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2011, 09:11:07 pm »
There are quite a few of these around here too. Too bad they never made it to Canada.

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Offline Turbo Bob

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #10 on: October 03, 2011, 09:19:09 pm »
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Offline 1TSX

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #11 on: October 03, 2011, 09:22:02 pm »
We have similar types of vehicles at UWO, except they are full electric, made by Vantage.

http://www.vantagevehicle.com/electric/index2.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dakiraun/6132283234/ (not my album)
« Last Edit: October 03, 2011, 09:23:51 pm by 2hondas1BMW »
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Offline TopGun

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #12 on: October 03, 2011, 10:19:12 pm »
Quote from: Sival on October 03, 2011, 08:29:48 pm
....
So it's just much more efficient, and as an engineer, I'm professionally obliged to love efficiency in all forms.
....

As an engineer, the only professional obligation you have is to hold public safety in the highest regard.

The more I look at these, the more I think they are a bad idea.  This video from the IIHS shows these vehicles do NOT meet the safety standards that we require of other vehicles to be sold here...why do we let them in?

If we value fuel efficiency that much, then we should relax safety standards FOR ALL in order to reduce the weight of vehicles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQ64n-L2OI&feature=related
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Offline rrocket

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #13 on: October 03, 2011, 10:27:16 pm »
Quote from: TopGun on October 03, 2011, 10:19:12 pm


If we value fuel efficiency that much, then we should relax safety standards FOR ALL in order to reduce the weight of vehicles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQ64n-L2OI&feature=related

If we valued fuel efficiency, RX-8s wouldn't be allowed here.... ;D
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Offline johngenx

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #14 on: October 03, 2011, 10:30:10 pm »
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Offline PJungnitsch

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #15 on: October 03, 2011, 10:39:28 pm »
Quote from: TopGun on October 03, 2011, 10:19:12 pm
The more I look at these, the more I think they are a bad idea.  This video from the IIHS shows these vehicles do NOT meet the safety standards that we require of other vehicles to be sold here...why do we let them in?

If they were new you'd have a point, but they're all used stuff form the early 90's. Nothing made then would pass todays standards either, even the bigger vehicles are surprisingly bad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBDyeWofcLY
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Offline SapphireSeo

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #16 on: October 05, 2011, 06:42:31 pm »
Quote from: Sir Osis of Liver on October 03, 2011, 07:23:12 pm
One of my neighbours has one. I think it'd be a pretty fun little beast.

That's so cool. You live around interesting people.

Quote from: TopGun on October 03, 2011, 10:19:12 pm
Quote from: Sival on October 03, 2011, 08:29:48 pm
....
So it's just much more efficient, and as an engineer, I'm professionally obliged to love efficiency in all forms.
....

As an engineer, the only professional obligation you have is to hold public safety in the highest regard.

The more I look at these, the more I think they are a bad idea.  This video from the IIHS shows these vehicles do NOT meet the safety standards that we require of other vehicles to be sold here...why do we let them in?

If we value fuel efficiency that much, then we should relax safety standards FOR ALL in order to reduce the weight of vehicles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQ64n-L2OI&feature=related

This isn't surprising now that I think about their shape, I'm surprised how safety is hardly on my mind when I look at a car. But now that I see the consequences I'm far less enthusiastic about this type of vehicle. I truly do hope that these trucks become safer because they seemed like such a good idea.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2011, 06:44:23 pm by SapphireSeo »
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Offline G0dspd

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #17 on: October 05, 2011, 11:55:40 pm »
I was roaming the used vehicles section of various dealerships and I found this at Ottawa Honda.
http://www.ottawahonda.com/en/used/honda/

1992 Honda ACTY Flat bed - $7800
- 66 316 km, automatic

1994 Honda ACTY SDX 2dr - $6888
- 126 664 km, manual, AWD

Pretty pricey for an almost 20 y/o mini-truck.  Should be fun to drive around town.  There's a turbo version with 64hp ...wooh!
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Offline 1TSX

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #18 on: October 06, 2011, 12:04:19 am »
Quote from: G0dspd on October 05, 2011, 11:55:40 pm
I was roaming the used vehicles section of various dealerships and I found this at Ottawa Honda.
http://www.ottawahonda.com/en/used/honda/

1992 Honda ACTY Flat bed - $7800
- 66 316 km, automatic

1994 Honda ACTY SDX 2dr - $6888
- 126 664 km, manual, AWD

Pretty pricey for an almost 20 y/o mini-truck.  Should be fun to drive around town.  There's a turbo version with 64hp ...wooh!

Those would be fun to drive around the student housing areas here...bottle collection ;D
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Offline initial_D

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Re: Japanese Mini Trucks
« Reply #19 on: October 06, 2011, 02:19:24 pm »
Honda sells their mid-size truck, the Element here. Made that, used to.

Think the Mini truck is rather neat, but rather pricey.
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