Quote:
Originally Posted by ShibaInu
indeed, it's cute! 
hmm,...this brings me to another question...are cars generally small in Japan as compared with, lets say, the US? Is this due to save space or what?  |
MUCH smaller
The largest cars are the American cars. However there are some exceptions. For instance, Toyota recently started selling Lexus in Japan. They renamed their Wyndom division to Lexus and started selling the full Lexus lineup. However, my Father In Law says they aren't selling that well.
Kei Cars are the big sellers in Japan. The tax break and the fact you don't have to prove you have a parking space are big winners for this class of car. Also, Kei cars can be pretty fun. The Honda Beat and Suzuki Cappuccino were fun cars when they were on the market. They were roadsters that made the Mazda Miata look huge.
Take note that many of the roads in Japan are quite narrow. There are also many corners that you cannot see around. Most of those corners will have a mirror so you can see any oncoming traffic.
If you look at the car next to mine, you'll notice it has mirrors up front on the fenders. Several Japanese cars have these so pedestrians won't get hit by them. They also help see around blind corners. Many Japanese cars have mirrors that fold up with the touch of a button so you can fold them quickly when parking or going down a narrow road.
I now have a 2006 Mustang. The mirrors don't fold and it is as wide a 1 and a half Kei cars
I would have a lot of trouble driving it in Japan. Fortunately I don't have the problem in Texas
