It’s almost impossible for die-hard JDM fans like ourselves to live without the reliability of rides from the rising sun and the thrill of driving Japanese quality with cheap speed and no compromise when it comes to handling. Well, fear not! After hours of research I have settled on the 10 best cars that work with families that you can buy in the states or import in true JDM fashion.
These are cars that even the toughest spouse, parents, or overly concerned roommates can’t say no to… and yet they all wield depths of secret treasure troves of JDM culture and ability. I’m talking 2JZ engines, Subaru AWD, and unprecedented turbos. Riding in one would be enough to have any domestic Christian family make like The Vapors and turn Japanese.
WRX STI or Lancer Evo X
An obvious choice, but let me point something out. I’ve ridden an entire summer with three men all weighing over 200 lbs in the back of a WRX STi. It’s no Cadillac but I would do a two-hour road trip in it just fine. Don’t like the stiff ride? The non-STi WRX is smoother, and the Impreza even more so, with more clearance, though at that point I’d go with an older 2009 Outback 2.5XT in a manual. Don’t have the budget for a new WRX? Older WRX’s tend to be bought by older car dads who don’t slam and mod the crap out of them like STi owners do, and with 2014 or older you also get the hatchback for bikes and toys. A friend of mine put air suspension on his so he could pull into driveways, let his wife drive it, and still lower it on the weekend to race with the boys.
The last Lancer Evo X is cheaper than a WRX of the same years, but the consensus is that it’s less reliable. Besides that it’s similar in all aspects your kids could care for except one: the back seats have between 3-8 inches of less legroom than a WRX. Other than that, the performance differences are something a YouTuber can explain well in 14 minutes. Enter my good pals at Donut media: https://youtu.be/IqT-TFUB5ag
Nissan Stagea R34
That R34 GT-R front is an actual body part you can buy with bumper, spliter, fenders, and hood made to fit for $2,200 (https://www.nengun.com/masa-motorsport/m-34r-type-i-stagea-face-change-kit). Normally I hate falsely branding your car but… this one deserves it! This particular wagon is called a Nissan Stagea, and the best trims were the 260RS, 260Rs Autech, and the RS4. These are the R33-based trims that earn the facelift. They had 4WD and could do 0-60 in a respectable 7 seconds.
Originally it was built and based on the R33 platform. It has the same 2.6 liter Inline 6 as the R33 that makes 276 horsepower. Somehow this thing can go up to 155 mph, and good news!… this is the first year ever that you can import it to the United States! The aforementioned RS4 and 260RS trims had a 5-speed manual option. There are newer models but they look and handle more like an Altima… don’t even look them up. In these first-generations the inside is beautiful with nice leather and lots of space. It’s hard to imagine something that wouldn’t fit in that long rear end. It’s really a skier’s dream!
Acura MDX, RDX and Lexus RX and UX
I threw these all together because, hey, if you need an SUV you need an SUV. Driving one of these might not feel very JDM for you but sometimes you might want the convenience, newness, and luxury. While not very cheap or fast, there are some older models for decent prices, or if you’re willing to wait, Acura has hinted at a V8 coming soon to their lineup. Since they all get around 240 to 300 horsepower, you know they’ll get up and go for some little thrills in the canyon. 0-60 times range from 8 seconds to sub-6 seconds. I personally drove a V6 RAV4 for a while and while the body roll was a real turn-off, the V6 pumped out 269 horses and it could take down new Civic Si’s at stop lights, so I had my fun. If you’re open to lifting and off-roading, consider how freaking SICK these look with some off-road lights, gear, and knobby tires:
Acura RLX Sport Hybrid
This is one of the nicest Japanese cars you can get new. It’s got four doors and the most horsepower on this list, 377 hp. It’s got a 3.5 liter V6 and it’s a hybrid so it goes 0-60 in 5 seconds and gets 38 combined mpg. It’s got all wheel drive for the snow and a fully decked-out interior putting it at $61,000 new. The only issue is it’s not nimble in the corners with a regular ride height and 4,380 lbs once you count the batteries. You may not agree, but I do love the light leather option, and the back seats are comparable to the big old wagons on this list, without the awkward hatchback booty.
Subaru Forester 2.5XT
The 2.5XT is the closest we ever got to the Forester STI in United States (we can import the STI in 2026 if you’re patient). There is an insane following of this exact car due to the combination of WRX-style and spacious cargo room. Who doesn’t love a car that doubles as a large bed or small truck? It’s considered one of the best sleepers by many, and it’s got that Subie Symmetrical AWD for handling, so you know you can cram it full of horsepower and still crank it on the turns. I’ve driven one with stock clearance alongside Jeeps and through more than 18 inches of fresh snow uphill on dirt. It goes 0-60 in 5.9 seconds, beating all of the above SUV’s. Slammed ones look a little… strange… but with a nice widebody kit they can really look aggressive and clean. Lifted ones on the other hand… those look really nice!
Toyota Chaser
It being 2021, the 1996 version is hitting the US markets. This 6th generation has decent back seats, four doors, and more importantly… a 1JZ engine! The 2.5 liter powers a full-time four wheel drive system in the Avante Four G package but they only came in a four speed automatic. If you can wait until 2023 you can import the manual option with a nicer interior. There were options with a 2JZ under the hood, and people have already gone insane with these, pitting them against Skylines.
2020 Honda Civic Type-R
Okay guys… if you’re lucky you can tell your wife “it’s just a Civic,” then go and sign the papers before she sees the car or price tag. But if you’re being an honest man, this thing speaks for itself. It’s a four door hatchback with great inside space and comfort, even if it does look like an overdesigned rocket ship (I actually really like it). The inside bears little resemblance with a regular Civic and sadly, the back seat only fits two (technically) so it almost didn’t make this list, but I went for it when I saw the back seats fold down for almost enough size to sleep in! Good luck finding that in any other record-setting track car.
The fact is, this is the fastest front wheel drive car around the Nürburgring with a fun 305 horsepower that doesn’t impede daily use. A new Civic Si would be cheaper, yes, but they’re actually harder to find and sadly far less fun than the Type-R when I’ve driven them back-to-back. If you’re willing to get a used Type-R you can get away with paying $32,000 at the time of posting this. My advice is to get the championship white color (pictured first). It’s limited strictly to the Type-R and has historically been Honda’s rarest and most valuable color and I can see why!
Mazda Miata or Honda S2000
Who doesn’t have room or cash for an old Miata? The car is so dang simple and small that it’s not hard to convince a loved one to get it for a weekend trip car, a runaround vehicle, or for the first kids first car. “It would be great for child-parent dates!” I would argue. Most people can find it in them to desire after a convertible, coupe, sports car, or some other aspect of these little zoomies.
A Honda S2000 is the same principle with one added benefit: they are actually going up in value significantly and are expected to double in the next decade or so. That being said, they do cost more but it’s nothing a little test drive wouldn’t overcome if your spouse drags their heels. The low center of gravity and mid-engine layout really make it a thrill, and it being a Honda means you wont spend hours in the garage fixing it. It can sit on the gravel on the side of your house and stay under a cover until your grocery getter has transmission problems or little Sally gets her learners permit.
Lexus IS300 SportsCross
It might look like an old Carola desperate for more cargo space, and the 0-60 might technically be 8 seconds, but wait! It’s on this list for a reason. This gets the best sleeper award on the list. The thing may look like an uncooked Subaru Outback and yet… it had a 2JZ Supra engine option! It can make 220 horsepower and is rear wheel drive, great for scrambling eggs on the way from the grocery store. A second glance points out the large tires that really improve the look. Sadly they only came in automatic, but that wouldn’t stop me. The potential is there, and it’s a really great sleeper. You may have seen people making 1000+ horsepower on stock 2JZ engines, so what’s to stop you here? There are videos of kids making these wagons push over 450 horsepower! Something about the OEM gauge cluster, billeted pedals, and ball shifter make it look fun to drive despite the unassuming exterior, but all the better to make a legendary sporty sleeper out of.
Toyota 4Runner V8 (or TRD Pro)
If you can’t get a good race car, why not go lifted? The V8s had 270 horsepower but more importantly, they are bulletproof off-road. They hold their value best out of any consumer vehicle ever except the Tacoma. The 4Runner TRD Pro has far better shocks, a lift, and awesome looking tires, but the cost is $50,000 compared to a 2005 costing $13,000 normally. Both look great and timeless with some fun overland gear. If you’ve ever driven a TRD Pro you know they are just as easy and intuitive on-road as they are off-road, and in my opinion they earn their $50k price tag.
Don’t Go To Bed Angry
I’m not here to offer marriage advice, though mine seems to be going alright. I would just point out that if your husband, wife, or strangely controlling kids don’t want JDM then there are ways to convince them (ethically). One way is to get a domestic or non-Japanese car. Keep a very, very long paper in the garage and write every issue you all have with it. I’ll start you off now. Chevys have cheap and loud plastic. German cars require you to complete a puzzle box to roll down the windows. Dodge has a recall ever 52 miles you drive. Tell them to draw a line on it, and once the complaint list passes it, you get your pick of JDM cars. I give it a month.
On a more serious note, I had to talk my wife down from the usual… I’m talking Land Rovers, VW Bugs, and Hyundai’s of every kind. “But they’re so cheap new! And some are pretty fast!” Haha! Well, now she, too, scoffs when her old high school friends proudly post their new 3.5-door Velosters. What changed her mind? Mostly herself. After one car show where she got to sit in a new Acura NSX and rev it up she has never wanted another car! (Except when I told her the S2000 is basically a poor mans NSX). The real fun came when she, on her own accord (pun intended) started watching Initial D with me. I had to stop her from watching ahead, and now she looks up cars just for fun. I’m so dang proud!
Honorable Mentions
2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX also came in a wagon, the only wagon Evo one ever. It had an impressive 286 horsepower and was an AWD manual, Mitsubishi’s answer to the Forester STi. This won’t be available in the US until 2031, but when it is… oh man!
2001 Forester STI 2.5XT. This is a six-speed manual 265 horsepower Forester has the same performance upgrades as the WRX STI but, of course, in the Forester’s skyscraper of a body. Sadly it won’t legal in the US until 2026. Still, with a 0-60 of 5.2 seconds in a 20-year-old station wagon, it’s easy to see why it’s so coveted.
GR Yaris. A 268-horsepower turbo 3 cylinder AWD hatchback that looks like a squished ball of goo but still does great on the track. If it weren’t so new and pricey then it could’ve been listed alongside the Miata and S2000 as a keep-to-the-side car, but this just doesn’t have the cool, low-riding, weekending, convertible style of the other two.
CR-X and Civic SiR. These, also are compact and fun cars that could squeeze in extra driveway space and are beautiful JDM jewels requiring importing. They, too, would be great “keep-to-the-side” cars except that their age and rareness makes them… frankly a little overpriced for what you’re getting. Nevertheless, a hardcore JDM-head would have a blast restoring one of these in the lawn mower shed. Just don’t get confused with the lawn mower.
Honda Ruckus. If you can’t get anything else, surely you could hide both the payment and existence of a Honda Ruckus with ease. The new ones start at $2,700, and the oldest ones still sell for $1,500 if they work, which is great value retention considering they only go up to 35mph. They have 49cc so most states don’t require a motorcycle license for them, and they’re perfect for tinkering because they’re so dang popular! People commonly put a GY6 Chinese motor in it that come in kits for as little as $1,200. The genious of this is you can still “say” that it’s “a Ruckus” so it “had” “49cc.” Then you have three times the displacement and most kits stretch the scooter out longer (I think it looks cool) so they can push it closer to 50 or 60 mph. That means it’s one of the only highway-speed two wheelers you can drive without a motorcycles license. I wouldn’t even feel bad about letting my kids ride it to see there friends. I’d tell them to race them in their pink toy Vespa’s.
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