10 Japanese Cars That Aren't Worth The Import Fees

Japanese cars are renowned for their affordability, durability, and reliability. While the island nation accounts for just 1.6 percent of the world's population, it is home to such auto manufacturing giants as Honda, Suzuki, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Subaru, plus Nissan and Toyota with their luxury divisions Infiniti and Lexus. Their cars sell around the globe, and thanks to ingenuity, technological prowess, and access to raw materials, the Japanese auto industry continues to dominate.

One of the significant reasons that foreign consumers love Japanese cars is their value for money. With its high production rate and factories running around the clock, Japan makes far more cars than are required locally and has a thriving export market, with readily-available spare parts and service centers in every car-buying nation. Sometimes it doesn't make sense not to buy Japanese cars due to their low maintenance fees, competitive fuel economy, and the fact that they are less likely to leave you stranded on the side of a highway.

Despite this reputation for quality and reliability, Japan does not have a perfect record when it comes to car production. A utilitarian approach to car design can leave some of Japan's vehicles somewhat aesthetically challenged. They often lack when it comes to interior space, and some go against the grain and pose reliability and safety concerns further down the road. Here we look at the worst Japanese cars in recent years and why these models are not worth the additional price of shipping them to your doorstep.

There's a big question hanging over the head of the Subaru Levorg: "Why isn't the WRX version available outside of Japan?" The Japanese have been notably reluctant to export their best rally-inspired station wagon, much to the chagrin of the world's motoring press. Instead, the rest of the world gets to play with the box the toy came in, and that metaphorical empty package is the base-level Subaru Levorg.

Unlike the WRX, which will take a thrashing around a rally circuit but offer comfort and style on the road, the Levorg falls far behind with a 147-bhp two-liter engine and no manual transmission option available. It labors to 62 miles per hour in around nine seconds and tops out at 121 miles per hour, which feels rather pedestrian, given its rallying roots. This performance is reflected in its interior, as we see a functional layout, with few frills and lots of plastic on display, and an infotainment setup that feels like a throwback from generations past.

As reported by What Car, the Subaru Levorg is expensive within its class, suffers from poor fuel economy, and feels like an inferior product at this price point, especially when compared to the station wagons from its European rivals, such as Skoda and Volkswagen, which, if import fees have already been factored into your budget, would be better options.

There's nothing wrong with the GTR as it stands. As previously reported in SlashGear, it's actually a great car, so let's first take a look at the positives. This is a high-performance machine from the company that delivered the legendary Skyline, and the GT-R does not disappoint when it comes to power, with a turbocharged V6 that produces over 560 bhp and propels it to 62 miles per hour in just 2.7 seconds.

The Nissan GT-R looks and feels like the premium car that Top Gear says it is and comes with all the trimmings that you'd expect from a flagship model, including a six-speed dual-clutch transmission as standard, a full complement of onboard tech, advanced safety features, and all-wheel-drive.

So, what is the issue? When such rivals as the new Chevy Corvette exist in the domestic market or the Porsche 911 and Audi R8 on the premium German menu, there seems little reason to opt for this Nissan from across the Pacific. While there is much to love about the GT-R, with all its high specs and performance, it lacks the prestige and heritage of the aforementioned examples, and if you have $113,540 to spend on the base model or $210,740 on the high-end "Nismo" version, your money might be better spent elsewhere.

As the old Shakespearean saying goes, "what's in a name?" As far as the car industry is concerned, it's quite important. Think of the classic Italian sports cars of the 1980s, such as the Testarossa and the Countach, which put drivers in the presence of greatness. The same does not apply to certain quirky little Japanese wagons, such as the Suzuki Jimny, the Nissan Juke, the Subaru Justy, and the Toyota Roomy, all of which sound more like cleaning products than car models.

Unfortunately, this theory also rings true when talking about the sprightly-named Nissan Kicks, which tries too hard to look like a quality compact SUV. However, with its 1.5-liter engine, poor ground clearance, and lack of all-wheel-drive, nobody should be fooled, as in reality, the Kicks would struggle to overtake a Greyhound bus while going flat-out.

While the Nissan Kicks has some positives, including a decent exterior finish, a touch-screen display with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and a reasonable price tag of just over $20,000, according to The Car Connection, it has bad headlamps, unsupportive seats that do not fold flat, it comes in front-wheel-drive only, and performs poorly in safety tests. Compare it to some homegrown vehicles in this segment, such as the Chevy Trailblazer or the Jeep Renegade, and the Kicks simply comes up short.

[Featured image by Tokumeigakarinoaoshima via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]

Once again, the brand that has often been compared to Mercedes falls short of expectations with its recent luxury sports coupe offering. There's first the point of its questionable aesthetics, with the same front grille as the Lexus LS that looks like something better suited to filtering krill on a large undersea mammal.

Performance-wise, while its lines are undoubtedly sporty, the RC fails to live up to its looks. This luxury sports coupe is heavy on luxury but light on sports, and this is a shame. As Car and Driver reports, even the top-of-the-range RC350 fails to deliver on power with its all-wheel-drive, six-speed configuration. While it is undoubtedly beautifully upholstered and finished on the inside, the RC is not ideal for the heavier set in terms of rear-seat comfort. Add to this an unremarkable fuel economy, and other brands shine brighter within this segment.

When compared to its superb German rivals, the BMW 4-Series and the Audi A5, you get much less for your money with the Lexus RC. This doesn't make it a bad car by any stretch of the imagination, but on balance, you might look to Europe when considering a comprehensively-packaged sports coupe.

The Mirage is not Mitsubishi's finest. The company that delivered the hardy Shogun 4x4 and the rally-wining Lancer Evo has a wide range of vehicles in its catalog, and the Mirage is its entry into the affordable subcompact segment. It first entered the market in 1978 and stayed in production for an impressive 25 years before being discontinued and reemerging in 2012 as a replacement for its Colt hatchback.

It's not all bad news for the Mirage, as its latest model has excellent fuel economy, is roomy for a small hatchback, and is available at a very reasonable base price. However, according to national statistics, the Mirage is the most dangerous car in the United States, with a death rate of 10.2 people per billion miles driven according to Carscoops (around four times the national average). It is also dangerously slow and certainly not worth the (admittedly very small) price tag. Add to this a cheap-looking plastic interior, unresponsive handling, and a 78-horsepower engine that lacks any character whatsoever.

It would be hard to believe that Mitsubishi wouldn't have addressed the safety issues at the manufacturing level before reissuing the latest model. But reputations have to be earned, and for a car with such a long and distinguished pedigree as the brand's bestselling compact model, Mitsubishi's Mirage has some making up to do.