Indicators on the right for a RHD car actually make a lot of sense especially if it's a manual. You can keep your right hand on the wheel to steer whilst flicking the indicators with your fingers on your right hand whilst changing gears with the left hand. Once you get used to it it feels like a much smoother process
@@LittleCar I feel like in an ideal world the indicator stalk would have always been on the opposite side to the gear lever but unfortunately we live in the real world lol
The UK has standardised on indicators left since the 90s, which threw me when I drove in Australia and they still have the mix. Japanese and local cars having indicators right, and the rest being seemingly random. My own '87 MR2 has indicators right, but thankfully it's the only stalk, so it's easy to remember!
@Moltenriches1 Oh! Interesting. I've driven a few Hyundais and Kias and they were all indicators left, I'm sure (except for in Australia). I know the Japanese makes all switched in the 90s.
And the fact that Japan drives on the left with RHD, like in the UK. Having the indicator stalk on the right means that, in cars with a manual transmission, the indicator is on the opposite side of the steering wheel to the gear lever and so is operated by the hand that remains on the steering wheel.
@@rolandsuch oh my god!!! And don’t forget that Nerf makes a blue football that’s incredible hard to throw if it’s been soaked- I mean ABSOLUTELY SOAKED in water!!!! Wait- wtf does this have to do with your comment??? Well, wtf does your comment have to do with my comment that you’re replying to?!?!?!
@@rolandsuch not upset. Just really odd. I had assumed you were commenting on another comment, it was just sooo jarring. We’re “fine”, now. How are you? *Blaster fires* Boring conversation anyway…….
@@tedarmavan But Kei cars have engines only up to 660cc. That is capable of carrying 4 people anyway. And the number plate should be yellow. This one is white.
Engine performance shouldn’t be a problem with 660 ccm. A modern 3-cylinder 1000 ccm can easily have 130-140 hp, so a 660 should be able to have around 90-100 hp, which should be more than adequate in a small lightweight car.
Hope you had great time in Japan, Toyota Roomy is an OEM car from Daihatsu, there’s a Daihatsu variant called Thor. There are 2 engine choices, 1.0L na 3-cylinders, or turbocharged version. The one you’re in is the cheapest trim level mainly for rental car fleets. Mid to upper trim level has LED headlight, 16 in alloy, ACC, USB and USB-C, climate control system, 9 in infotainment system.
I wish we had more cars like this in Sweden. It’s so practical to have something boxy. It’s a different type of car but still reminds me of the old Volvo 740 estate wagons that used to be so popular here. Function before form.
Hello there, fan from Japan here. I am surprised that you are here! The car Roomy is a sort of sub-compact car which is bigger than a kei(軽)-car that has yellow number plates, but smaller than those massive vans you featured(such as a HiAce). It is actually an OEM from Daihatsu, a prominent kei-car manufacturer, hence the similarities with a kei-car. You might feel it is slightly underpowered on highways, due to its small engine and weight, but around town it should carry itself fine. Unfortunately, the linkage with your phone does seem to require a designated app. I would personally recommend using google map, as that is usually updated more frequently than in-car navigation systems. The reason you would see kei-cars without the yellow number plates such as the white Suzuki in the parking lot is because there were commemorative special white plates issued at around the Olympics and Paralympics. Anyways, I hope this helps, and you find your stay in Japan satisfying! Would you be visiting Tokyo by any chance? P.S. Some extra info on the car from Toyota's global page: global.toyota/en/detail/14142579
:) Thanks Daniel. Yes, it was a little gutless on hills, but I'm used to that - I drove a 1.0L Nissan Micra from Scotland to France. We saw Tokyo last week - a great trip! On our way home now unfortunately (I'm typing this at the airport).
I recently worked with someone who had purchased a new Nissan (I can't remember the model). This car came with auto-dimming headlights, but there was no option of switching the system to manual only. The owner complained to me that the system was unable to detect all oncoming vehicles which meant that lots of drivers became abusive, beeping their horns and flashing their lights onto high beam. And, frustratingly, there was no way to override the system, so the owner was left looking like a complete jerk. It was enough of a problem that the owner was considering selling the vehicle. Like a lot of modern technology, it's all very helpful. Until it's not. Especially when there are no override options.
You wonder why more Japanese car models aren't sold in the UK - that Roomy looks a very practical vehicle (I guess not a very exciting one) and I can never understand why none of the Japanese makers haven't tried to sell a few Kei cars here - I would have thought that they would attract a decent number of buyers.
I used to see Nissan Cubes, and further back Daihatsu Move + Suzuki R Wagon in the 90's... Then some European riffs on the Kai theme, Agila etc . Is import price very high now I wonder, or do folks want a crossover?
The indicators are on the right because that is the correct location for right hand drive cars. Not like my UK built Honda Civic that has the indicator stalk on the wrong side. The Japanese built Hondas have it on the correct side thank goodness.
Thanks for this video - I love Japan, it's my favourite holiday destination, and I got to go back last month for the first time after Covid. As I don't have any family or hosts there, I only do public transport with the occasional taxi as a last resort. So while I look at the plethora of Kei and strange cars, I never get to drive or have a look in one. I did find it interesting that I managed to not see a single Honda e (my car), as I had assumed that the pathetic sales outside of Japan would have been somewhat balanced by the home market. I guess it's a combination of price, a less developed EV market and Kei cars doing the job for most who want a cute small car. I have to ask, did you see a Suzuki Hustler? It's a Kei car that looks like a Humvee - if I ever win the lottery I'll ship one over and convert it to electric, possibly the only car out there that looks even more absurd than my one!
I could be wrong but I think this is the first video you’ve left your desk for. I’m currently in Philippines and there’s a pretty interesting range of cars here. That ginormous minivan is used for long distances here - it’s calling a Van Van - and yesterday I did a return trip to another island. This involved some mountain sections with a lot of S-bends, some almost hairpin and the driver just flung it around like a GTI. It was astonishing how it clung to the road, occasionally bouncing a little sideways for a ramp or pothole. My only reassurance was the thought that this is what he does everyday. Enjoy Japan and say hello to my son if you happen to meet him it Tokyo.
@@LittleCar probably but I’m still a fan of the CD and must have missed. It’s good to see you out and about. My son sent a couple of pics of a pretty rare car he spotted a couple of days ago - a Toyota Origin - just over 1000 made. In my opinion really nice - if you only see it from the back. If you don’t know it - maybe a quirky story there.
Hmm. A Japanese Exclusive Toyota that I never seen or heard of before. Not even in video games that I've played. And I've seen lots of JDM exclusive cars like the FunCargo, bB, (Scion xB) Celsior, (Lexus LS400 to LS430) ist, (Scion xA to xD) and Windom. (ES250 to 300) Oh, I forgot to mention Altezza, (Lexus IS200) Vitz, (Toyota Echo to Yaris) and the Toyota Crown. (Now available in the US)
Even though most people are right handed, I think it's good that japanese engineers realize this and put the most important features on the right side of the dashboard. Just don't understand right hand drive though, maybe there's more left handed people out there. Great video showing how ingenious japanese engineers are Thanks for the video
As a Hong Konger I'd say there's a couple of quirks worth mentioning: 1. The ETC slot just beneath the driving aids panel, not seen in any other markets but standard for all Japanese cars, didn't it played a speech everytime you start the engine? 2. Japanese Satnav can be easily setup by typing the landline number of the hotel/shop/attraction. Not as convenient as smart phone apps these days but tremendously handy in the Naughties.
All right hand drive cars either have or used to have the indicators on the right. All Australian built, Japanese and older UK cars had them on the right. It is the correct place for them in a right hand drive car. The UK changed them to the left because of Europe. American cars have them on the left too because they are left hand drive.
I believe that indicators on the right is much more convenient for a righty person. I've owned JDM Toyota and I was feeling super comfortable about it (as a righty person)
I drive a 2005 Ford Fiesta three door in Australia and I’ve also owned a 2005 opel/ Vauxhall/ Holden astra 5 door, both cars are manual and have the indicators on the left, they are both very easy to drive and I’ve owned them one after the other, my parents own a Subaru Xv and a Holden commodore ute, their indicators are on the right, every time I drive my parents cars I turn on the wipers when I want to turn left or right because I’m not used to them being on the opposite side. I much prefer the indicators being on the left because it means I can always just hold the wheel with my right hand and use my left hand for everything else. I think for me having the indicators on the left is something I have become comfortable with.
My previous car was Nissan Almera 1.5 DCI Renault engine, also used in the Megane, I think (not commercially popular but I loved that car), a lot of the dashboard layout was strange, the speedometer and the odometer were with switched places compared to most cars, the wiper controls were reversed also, it created some bad habits of mine I cant root out to this day with my current car. The big brother of that car Nissan Primera dashboard was moved to the right of the driver in the middle of the console for some reason. Japanese designers do strange design choices sometimes.
Really neat! Have you driven RHD before? I just started looking at a few import shops here in Seattle (beautiful GC8, etc.....) and the RHD could be worth it but sadly my left eye peripheral vision would drop too much :(
That's called a "Pacific RHD steering column". All Japanese, Indonesian, Malayan and Australian cars to my knowledge have the indicator on the right and wiper on the left. The Japanese did not care for long in export RHD models. My English aunt drove a 1980es Nissan Sunny that had a Pacific column as well. She was used to it, so it drove her mad if she had to drive my uncle's Vauxhall Cavalier and vice versa.
Lack of auto lights is very much a japanese thing. It’s always a Toyota driver that’s trundling along at night with no clue that their lights aren’t on.
You can use some apps to translate an address into map code and input the map code into the satnav for an easier navigation experience. Map code for popular spots is also available in some tourist guides as well.
If they could bring this car to the us with a manual transmission and a price point below 20,000 usd for MSRP. Would also be cool if hybrid or electric.
I believe the original car behind this design was the Toyota bB, we in the states got it as the Scion xB, it got a generation 2 before becoming the Roomy/Tank, we didn’t get that however, we got the Corolla Rumion as the gen 2 Scion xB(Toyota Rukus in AU). We should have gotten these in the states instead of the stupid Corolla Rumion
It's the UK is that is peculiar in having left-hand indicator stalks with RHD. In all other RHD countries, Japamee carmakers leave the stalk om the right.
It looks like a "rent a short bus", and I bet it drives like whoever would buy it doesn't drive unless they absolutely have too, because they hate to drive.... Literally. As in they literally get pissed off. Or the perfectly boring rental special education bus, but in some kind of undercover kid commuter color scheme. I'm sure the insurance is cheap on it without ever having to set eyes on the contract, or the receipt. 😅
I just came back from a week-long trip in Japan, and I rented the same car. I found it to be a brilliant mode of transportation, The size is perfect, not as small as a Kei car but small enough to fit anywhere I wanted to park it. My version of it was the fully loaded version. It had cruise control and automatic sliding doors on both sides, as well as flip down trays behind the front seats. Brand new this car retails for about 2 million Yen, and I am considering importing one to South Korea, where i live.
I really wish you could get your hands on the Toyota Hydrogen car to review. I think it's called the Mira? Although I have 0 interest in anything other than a gas powered car it seems the hydrogen car far out performs an ev for a practical alternative.
The reason that there is no USB port is that the car you got as after market head unit. Many Japanese rental companies buy there car with 'audioless option' so they can put their own system inside. I think post-facelifted Daihatsu Thor/Toyota Roomy/Subaru Justy got display audio thus has that feature. To be fair, Toyota Roomy isn't really Toyota. Toyota asked Daihatsu to develop the car to compete with Suzuki Solio. However, as a person who drove both cars, I can say that Suzuki is the car to go. More powerful, comfy, generally a better car.
Love this! Thank you so much for sharing it! Other than all the cool stuff Japan has, that sliding rear door situation is a winner. We had a Honda minivan and when we replaced it, we realized how inconvenient regular opening doors are in parking spaces! Awesome little car, thanks for taking us on the journey. Oh, nice to see you out and about, and nice to meet Mrs. Big Car! :)
The HiAce has a ton of configurations, the one in the video is a passenger van rather than a delivery one. There's even a truck version, including a double cab.
At least you can stack them neatly in a Japanese car park. When I think back to Datsuns and Toyotas of the 1970s, which were basically miniaturised Detroit designs, Jap cars (or particularly Toyotas) have got weird and ugly. There’s barely been a good looking Toyota since about 1998.
Very Nice!... Humble, Spacious, an Aisin transmission, made in Japan. One couldn't ask for more. As a conservative American, I would happily and proudly drive one here, if they were available.
How about a Little Car feature on some of the weird Japanese car names? Daihatsu Charade Social Poze and Mitsubishi MUM 500 Shall We Join Us? for starters.
I am in the UK, my first 2 corolla had the indicators on the right. This was many years ago. It is a throwback to Japan looking at British cars post WW2, building them under licence
No mention of cup holders, reversing cameras and phone holders ... I always imagined these 'modern' features on every car in Japan. Mechanical heating and vent controls!
These Japanese city cars are designed so front seat occupants can exit either side of the vehicles in case you have to park hard against a wall, due to the lack of parking space.
Car lighting is one of my bug bears. I don‘t like auto lights on/off. They work on ambient light levels and so do not turn on when you have fog during the day when visibility is low but ambient light is quite high. I generally drive with dipped beam on all the time. I also find DRL‘s a silly idea as many people rely on the lights being on but do not realise that DRL‘s are only at the front, and on most cars , the rear lights are not illuminated. Next, rear fog lights; they dazzle when used when the road surface is wet, in fact in Germany you are not allowed to use them in rain and snow. When it is foggy people tend to hang on to your rear lights and get blinkered, not paying attention to other visual signals. Pile ups in fog occur because drivers are used to focusing on the rear fog lights, but quite often when there is an accident ahead the power to the lights has been interrupted or the lights themselves have been damaged. Then there is the problem that many people switch them on and forget to turn them off, others don‘t turn them on at all. My solution,DRL‘s are replaced by the dipped beam and rear lights being switched on with the ignition only leaving the driver with the choice of activating the msin beam, although this is now becoming automated with adaptive front lighting. At the rear only „normal“ lighting, delete rear fog warning lamps.
@@LittleCar lol, I maybe a bit obsessed with this subject. I have just driven back from visiting a friend on the Autobahn in the pouring rain and again noticed that, although the vast majority of cars were driving with dipped headlamps and „standard“ rear lights, a couple of cars had the rear fog lights switched on, a couple of older cars had absolutely no illumination, and a few cars had just DRL’s illuminated (ambient light conditions!).
@@LittleCar A xB drives just fine, although that is certainly subjective. Toyota reliability, no frills and simply functional in a beautiful way I feel that has been lost in translation here in the USA in 2023.
All of these smaller cars are extremely unsafe and Japanese people die all the time in accidents that wouldn't even scratch you in something the size of a Crown or E-Class
