6 Small Cars That Look Super Fun To Drive
Compact cars sometimes get a bit of a bad rap. Most of the time, little cars are built with the intention of getting good fuel economy and being run-of-the-mill A to B cars. However, the old adage "slow cars are fun to drive fast" exists for a reason. When you get a chance to use every bit of a car's power virtually every day, there are a lot of cases in which it makes for unlimited smiles per gallon.
Unfortunately, some of the most enticing small cars were developed solely for the Japanese market to qualify as Kei cars. They're ultra-compact cars subject to both physical size and engine restrictions. As one might expect, though, automakers took those confines and made the most out of them. Fortunately, many of them are now old enough to be imported to the U.S., Canada, and other countries throughout the world. Additionally, there are a few small cars that actually were available globally to begin with and aren't necessarily Kei cars, just compact. Let's take a look at six awesome small cars that we wish we could spend some time behind the wheel of.
Honda e
The Honda e is a goofy-looking little electric car that was developed with the concept of being an "urban car." It's something small and affordable that makes city driving (and especially parking) a breeze. Unfortunately, while the Honda e was available in some countries outside of Japan, it didn't come to the U.S. for a variety of reasons — one of which is one of the coolest features of the car. Instead of side mirrors, it has cameras and screens on each side of the dash that show you what's to your left and right. The rearview mirror is also a camera.
One of the coolest features is undoubtedly the digital screen that runs virtually the entire length of the dashboard. Best of all, it's got some of the quirkiest and non-threatening styling of any modern car.
Top Gear didn't give the Honda e a phenomenal review because of its limited range and price tag. They did, however, note that it has "tidy" handling characteristics, showing that Honda did pump a little fun into this cute little car. Unfortunately, it seems the downsides won, because Honda discontinued production of the e in January 2024.
Daihatsu/Toyota Copen GR Sport
The Daihatsu Copen is a modern Kei car that is currently available brand new in Japan. For those unfamiliar, Toyota owns Daihatsu and the folks behind the GR Corolla, GR86, and GR Supra, Gazoo Racing, put together a hyper-fun variant of this awesome little roadster.
Keep in mind that the Kei car engine size restriction is still in play, here. The Copen GR Sport uses a 660cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine that makes a fearsome 64 horsepower. However, Gazoo Racing's touches include specially tuned suspension, chassis bracing, a limited-slip differential, Recaro bucket seats, and a Momo steering wheel. All of this adds up to an extremely efficient and compact car that can demolish corners as if it's on rails.
Best of all, it's available with a five-speed manual transmission. It's also got a CVT with a "7-speed" paddle shifter assembly, but, the goofy fake shift points in CVTs is a little bizarre. At current exchange rates, a Copen GR Sport costs around $16,600. Unfortunately, as you may have guessed, it's only available in Japan. We cry every time.
[Featured image by Tokumeigakarinoaoshima via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 4.0]
Honda Z600
The Honda Z600 is a car that actually was sold in the United States and throughout the world in the 1970s. According to Automobile Catalog, the Z600's adorable little 600cc engine scraped together around 36 hp and 32 lb-ft of torque. It was available solely with a four-speed manual transmission and apparently will do a quarter-mile before it hits 60 miles per hour. Still, it had an alleged top speed of 75 mph, so it was well capable of keeping up on U.S. roadways. Although to be honest, we're not sure we'd want to go that fast in one.
It is an extremely small car at only around 10 feet tip to tail with a wheelbase of just over six feet. Its primary function was dependability and efficiency. At nearly 40 mpg and the fact that it's a simple Honda engine, it's safe to assume it hit both those nails on the head. Obviously, it's not the fastest thing out there and it is incredibly cramped inside. That, however, is the whole reason it seems like a blast to drive.
[Featured image by Ocean Yamaha via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]
Suzuki Cappuccino
If the topic of conversation is fun-to-drive kei cars, the Suzuki Cappuccino is all but guaranteed to come up rather quickly. Understandably, of course. Its fun name and irresistible design stand out as reasons enough to love it. It does, however, go deeper than that.
The Cappuccino, much like the above Copen GR Sport, has a turbocharged three-cylinder powerplant and is a little more performance-focused than most kei cars. Its 63 hp output combined with its double-wishbone suspension assembly and an unbelievably light curb weight of just 1,600 pounds make the Suzuki Cappuccino the most accurate embodiment of the phrase "go-kart for the road" that there ever was.
If you're considered "big and tall," though, don't get too excited. The overall height of the Cappuccino is under four feet and even a shoehorn isn't going to get you seated comfortably enough to drive it. At 6' 3" and 240 pounds, I gave it my all trying to get into one once. While I did get in the car, the steering wheel touched my thighs and my head touched the hard top. C'est la vie.
[Featured image by Rutger van der Maar via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]
Autozam AZ-1
The Autozam AZ-1 is an exceptionally goofy kei car that has unbelievably cool points. That is, even when Liberty Walk isn't turning them into baby Ferrari F40s.
Autozam was a division of Mazda and it produced the AZ-1 from 1992 to 1995. It stands out as perhaps the most iconic form of a Kei car getting pushed outside the limits of a standard-issue baby car that gets you from A to B. It's got phenomenal styling and, most exciting, gullwing doors. The most outstanding part about the AZ-1 that sets it apart from other Kei cars, though, is the fact that it's mid-engine. According to Fastestlaps, its turbo 657cc engine put out 63 hp and 63 lb-ft of torque. Its mid-engine layout and five-speed manual transmission make it an outstanding little car that, like the others on this list, makes for an exceptionally fun time in the corners.
Unfortunately, like the Cappuccino, the Autozam AZ-1's interior is incredibly cramped. As one might imagine, the gullwing doors have a pretty drastic effect on headroom, too. Once again, the tall people, ironically, get the short end of the stick.
[Featured image by Autozam AZ-1 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]
Honda S660
Our final stop on this journey lands us back where we started: modern Honda. The S660 is a modern kei car that many folks consider a spiritual successor to the S2000. It does, after all, share the same name scheme. However, that nomenclature has been around since the very beginning of Honda. The Honda S500 was the very first Honda sports car produced.
The S660 is a beautiful little roadster with design cues reminiscent of the modern NSX. According to Car and Driver, Honda developed this mid-engine chassis specifically for the S660. It's rear-wheel-drive and has a manual transmission. Like other kei cars, it's limited to 63 horsepower courtesy of a 660cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine. Rumors of an export version with 125 horsepower were floating around, but the S660 was discontinued in 2022. Our dreams of a U.S.-delivered variant went down with that ship, unfortunately.
The earliest variants of the S660 came in 2015. So, we'll be waiting until the year 2040 for them to meet the 25-year import requirements for the United States. Until then, we'll have to enjoy it from afar.