Skip the Mistakes Other Buyers Made
Buying advice, maintenance tips, law updates, and real ownership stories from people who actually drive these trucks. Read first, buy smart.
Hijet Deck Van: The Kei Truck With a Back Seat
Most kei trucks seat two. The Daihatsu Hijet Deck Van seats four and still has a bed, as long as you do not ask much of the bed. Chassis codes, import eligibility by year, three 1990s recalls, and who should actually buy one.
Kei Truck MPG: Brochure vs Real World Numbers
Kei trucks are sold as 40 to 50 mpg machines. The official ratings for the trucks you can import say 34 to 39, independent research says real driving lands lower, and gas just hit $4.47. Here is the math against a 38 mpg Maverick Hybrid.
How Fast Can a Kei Truck Go? Top Speed by Model
Most kei trucks top out between 60 and 75 mph and cruise happily at 50 to 55. Here is the real top speed of every popular model, why the number on the spec sheet lies, and where you can legally drive one at speed.
Kei Truck Auction Prices Fall 2026: What 1,948 Real Japanese Sales Reveal
The median kei truck hammered for ¥124,000 at Japanese auction this summer. That's about $810. Fresh data from 1,948 recorded sales shows what every model actually sells for, why the Sambar is two markets in one, and how the weak yen is quietly cutting your price.
The Kei Truck Tool Kit: Every Tool You Actually Need to Wrench on a Japanese Mini Truck
Your American toolbox will strip screws and round bolts on a Japanese kei truck. Here is the exact kei truck tool kit to build instead: JIS screwdrivers, the right metric sockets, the spark plug socket trap, and about $400 of gear that covers 95 percent of jobs.
We Checked All 50 State Kei Laws Again: Four Changes and One Correction
We checked kei truck legality in all 50 states against official sources in September 2026. Alaska has a paperwork catch, Kentucky quietly cut ownership costs, Tennessee added a 2027 registration requirement, and an October follow up moved Maine to illegal.
Suzuki e Sky: Japan's Counterpunch to BYD Squeezes 193 Miles From a 26 kWh Battery
Suzuki announced the e Sky on August 24: its first electric passenger kei car, pulling 193 miles from a 26 kWh battery. BYD's Racco needs 38 percent more battery to go 6 miles farther. The kei EV war is officially on, and Suzuki is fighting with efficiency instead of cells.
Daihatsu Copen Production Ends This Week: Japan Just Lost Its Last Kei Sports Car
Daihatsu ends Copen production at the end of August 2026 after 24 years and roughly 110,000 cars. The last kei sports car in production is gone. Here is why it died, what happens at the August 31 farewell, and why the original L880K suddenly matters to American importers.
BYD Racco: China Just Cracked Japan's Kei Car Fortress
BYD launched the Racco kei EV in Japan on July 28 at $13,100 and pulled 1,002 orders in two weeks. It is the first foreign kei car that has ever actually sold. Here is why the most protected vehicle segment on earth just got breached, and what it means for kei truck fans.
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