The Subaru Sambar Is a Cute, Surprisingly Practical Tiny Van
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- Опубликовано: 28 дек 2024
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Subaru Sambar review! The Subaru Sambar is a tiny van -- and it's both cute and practical. Today I'm reviewing the Sambar, and I'm going to show you all the quirks and features of this little Subaru van. I'm also going to get behind the wheel of the Subaru Sambar and show you what it's like to drive -- and I'll review the Sambar's driving experience.
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Thank you Doug for still doing these quirky/older cars despite the lower revenue! There’s a ton of us who love these!
i agree but it is kinda sad that we have to congratulate people for doing what they actually like because it doesnt make as much money. i guess it is admirable in a society so focused on making money.
I’m sure the owner of that website he was advertising for paid him handsomely as well
I'm sure these types of videos generate as much or more money than newer boring cars, it's what got him here after all
I feel he wouldnt have done it if not for Cars and Bids though, but we should be glad its going strong
@@JALC-x Exactly, I pretty much only watch his "old and/or quirky" reviews - Another brand new modern luxury SUV is really not that interesting for me, especially since I don't live in the US.
For those who wondered why it doesn’t have rear seat seatbelts, those rear seats wasn’t intended to be used on a daily basis for starters. Japan applied lower taxes for commercial vehicles, and thus Japanese car manufacturers used this loophole and fitted a removable rear seats so it can be classified as a commercial vehicle that benefited lower tax but still have practicality of a passenger vehicles. Unfortunately, they (the government) noticed this and decided to raise the tax to avoid Japanese car manufacturers using this disadvantage. Also, Dias is a part of the model name; it was given to the van body style while the pickup body style doesn’t. Super Deluxe is what they called for the trim.
Thanks for the explanation! Microvans are the definition of quirkiness and childish joy we miss while driving our bland SUVs
The rear seat belts were mandatory by the 90s. The previous owner must have taken it away for some reason.
Moving to Japan from Australia, where you can potentially lose your licence if passengers don’t wear their seatbelts, it pissed me off when people would get in my car and not put their seat belts on. They seem to be more lax o it here, at least they used to.
Also concerned about the lack of head restraints on the back seats
The answer we didnt know we needed 😂😂😂
I lived in Japan for almost 10 years. I've owned 2 Kei-cars. In the first one, I had to turn off the A/C and radio to drive up hills. The other, had "turbo". I have no idea what that meant but, it could go up hills with the A/C on as long as the hill wasn't too big.
it's twee when turning off the radio helps.
@@patricklemire9278 same here i also drive a kei truck and the A/C consumes more fuel when turned on
The Alto Works and Turbo RS are pretty brisk though. Which Turbo model did you own?
@@not_autistic_336 This is true in all cars my friend, the difference is that more powerful cars already have poor gas mileage in comparison so people don't feel it that much, but AC will consume more fuel in any vehicle , and steal some power from the engine.
"Engineering, divert power from life support and communications and route it to the main thrusters!"
7:58 A supercharger adding only 9hp doesn't sound like a big jump, but in context, that's a 20% increase in power!
Mopowa baby 😊
Donut media fan
It's probably noticable too especially at the low end. Something that small and light benefits a lot from what may seem like a tiny power boost.
Yup, and the SC version can actually do highway driving up to 80mph. Many will do mods such as an aftermarket exhaust and oil cooler since going that speed for extended periods will get it hot.
@@edwardgreenjr167 it'll still handle like a death machine though, those tiny tires and short wheelbase and big flat surfaces, especially on a windy day....but yeah it would have the power for sure with the SC and xtra capacity oil sump....not to mention....the driver IS the crumple zone, LoL
The Subaru kei truck/vans in japan are known as “農道のポルシェ” or the farmers Porsche because it’s rear engined and it’s a lot faster then the other kei truck/vans.
HA! But these don't use the boxer engines that the bigger Subarus do.
@@rturner4205 yeah but it has 4 cylinders unlike all of it's competitors which had 3 which adds an amazing 5 more hp or something so it obviously adds to the Porscheness.
You see a lot of these cars in the Japanese countryside.
@@sir6037 that’s so cool I would always call my black fc the poor mans Porsche
My brother has a 3cy Suzuki every it’s pretty quick feels like my 86 on the downhill! Super responsive !
@@rturner4205 But it is flat.
This was our first car when my Japanese wife and I got married. A present from my father-in-law. Memories of getting married and bringing our first child home from the hospital. We easily had seatbelts installed in the backseats. It was a good car. My children loved the open sunroof in the back.
Happy memories. What are you driving now?
@@atakan888 I have a Suzuki Swift. Over 12 years old now. It has held up very well. Great blue color, sporty, good pick up. I might consider buying another one but have also been thinking of another van. Camper vans have become very popular here since the virus.
@@ehime4u2 really good and fun car. I hope you get what you want.
What a wonderful and practical wedding present!
living the dream. I studied and worked in Japan, but never once managed to get a gf, and didn't bother with a car. I may have to make another go at it.
That you do content on the quirkier, older cars is a testament to your loyalty to all of your fans, Doug. Thank you!
I'll watch these over a redundant video of another McLaren trim with 14 more hp and power seats removed
@@MisterCoolGuy1 same, i dont care about the super cars especially all the boring stuff about the infotainment systems.
It's not just the fans but HIMself. He always loved quirky cars and likes reviewing them.
@@gaveintothedarkness I'd rather watch a review of an old Saab than the latest most limited super special edition $3M Lamboclarenarri.
Are those round drums/boxes in the back speakers ?
Doug, as someone who lived in Japan for 3 years from 1991-1994, I can promise you that a van like this was 99% used by workers going to and from a job site. So, 4 guys/gals going to a construction site, building, whatever, to do cleaning, construction work. NOBODY in Japan used a van like this as a family car. I still have catalogs of all the Japanese cars for sale from the 1990s, that I bought at Japanese book stores (honya). I have always been a huge car fan since 1976, when I was 6 years old, and collected Car Stuff wherever I lived. I worked for a Japanese construction when I lived there, so I can tell you this from personal experience. Kei cars, which had a special license plate that had these yellow license plates and had a maximum engine of 550cc, but has now changed to 660cc. All you got was a tax reduction, when you paid your yearly, or bi-yearly car taxes, which I think was 30-40% off. This website explains it in more detail: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_car
maybe today, but just watch old animes and
movies from the 90s and you will find this vehicle as familiy van often
@@johnnykatharsis1985 ah yes, anime, the most accurate reflection of Japanese construction culture
The suzuki carry and daihatau hijet was very popular family cars where I live, my dad owned a red hijet zebra
We got the 1.0 versions though, not the 660cc since there is no such thing as kei regulations in southeast asia.
@@jobet981 yes! ;)
Interestingly, you lived in Japan for the entire production run of the MAZDA NAVAJO (which was an identical twin to the first-generation Ford Explorer Sport) which was the first Mazda SUV ever sold, but sadly the Navajo has become a VERY rare vehicle in America today. Most of them were scrapped years ago, but I sure hope there are enough of them still in existence so that Doug can make a Navajo video someday! The Navajo was really NOT a "Japanese" SUV because it not only was designed by Ford, but actually was built alongside the Explorer Sport at a Ford factory in Kentucky! Even though the Navajo had such a short life (and a disappointingly small number of them were sold) the original Ford Escape from 2001 was actually designed by Mazda, but surprisingly Mazda never sold their own version of that vehicle in America! The Escape turned out to be a huge success for Ford, but sadly the Ford FREESTYLE crossover SUV (launched in 2005) was a failure, even though it actually was designed by VOLVO in Sweden! Volvo was owned by Ford at the time (and Mazda was partially owned by Ford during this time period) but Volvo cars continued to be mostly designed by the original Swedish engineers at Volvo. I'm surprised the Escape was such a huge success and the Freestyle was a failure, not the other way around! While sadly I never had a chance to drive a Freestyle, my assumption is that the Freestyle had a smoother ride than the Escape, and I know the Freestyle definitely had a more luxurious interior than the Escape. Perhaps the Freestyle only was a failure because people who otherwise would buy it actually bought a Volvo XC90 (the first-ever Volvo SUV, which was launched during the Ford ownership of Volvo) instead! While the XC90 was much more expensive, it had much better styling than the Freestyle, and while there are so few Volvo dealerships in America (in contrast to the HUGE number of Ford dealerships) the Volvo service experience traditionally was a step up from the mediocre service at Ford and other less-luxurious car company dealerships!
What I love about this guy, is that he puts all his enthusiasm into reviewing a vehicle like this, in exactly the same way as he does when reviewing a 500k dollar rolls Royce or a 3m dollar Bugatti!
Many people that have the privilege of reviewing and driving so many luxury vehicles would look down their nose at something like this but Doug just doesn't! This makes watching a review of these cheap quirky vehicles just as entertaining as watching a review of the brand new Range Rover sport. I know, because I just watched them both!
Love this guy!
To me, these reviews are far more interesting. While it's cool to see what an almost infinite amount of money can get you in a car, it's far more interesting to see companies that innovated on/for a budget.
A rolls royce is boring. This is much more interesting for a car lover!
Supercar vids are boring and uninteresting. The old car vids are better.
This is the content we want Doug to produce!
I completely agree. I was regular car reviews :-)
In Finland, there was a company called Elcat who converted these into electric. They were used mainly as mail delivery vans by the Finnish Postal service Posti.
The Finns remind me of Kiwis, before we went fully neo-liberal. I wish you and Findland all the best.
How long ago was that?
@@fosty. when these were new, they converted new Subaru vans into the Elcat Cityvan electric delivery van.
Fascinating
Are there any left of these or did they rust out quickly?
Adding to the "this is only a city van" I was actually going to comment that the 4WD and the "EL" gear are not so much to get out of difficult terrain, but more likely to utilize the most out of the tiny engine so you could get up steeper roads that are common in some towns/cities in Japan, since many of them are quite close to mountains, and even extend into them. You'd need this extra oomf in order to drive up them with a van full of people or heavier cargo, and the 4WD could help when there's water or snow in said hilly roads.
there ya go... its mainly for slippery terrain.
@@tommurphy4307 mountains! :)
There is no central differential so using 4wd on pavement is not advised :)
@@stalincat2457 very true. they are pretty bad with the crab walking. the 4wd is mainly for bad weather, but can do very light offroading. if you have a passenger and get stuck, they are light enough where 2 people can actually lift them out of a rut.
Makes sense. Dude talking seems like he doesn’t understand Japan isn’t the USA
I am obsessed with this channel, Doug's cadence is so weirdly engaging. He sounds like he's hosting a children's show like blues clues or something, it's endlessly charming and you can tell how passionate he is about the subject matter. I keep accidentally stumbling on these videos but I'm always super happy when I do.
He sounds like the Chrono Miner from Red Alert 2 lol
OK, you like the guy, we get it. Dully noted, jock sniffer. Any more praises or you done?
@@danatronics9039 He sounds and acts like a guy trying to explain what he is doing at a child's birthday party that he wasn't invited to.
Doug is taking the piss, and good at it
@@seebybermo9167 There are other things he's good at taking.
Funfact: this generation also had a retro version, the Sambar Classic, with round headlights.
There's a popular aftermarket kit that makes it look like a miniature VW T2 bus
Yeah and u can buy them for like 4k
Yep, young chap near me has the VW look a like kit, always makes me laugh.
Yep. There is one of those conversions running around where I work. Always get a kick out of it.
There's like 4 of them up on ebay right now. One of them has that VW conversion. And the cheapest one is like $9000. Still want a kei van though. This or an Acty
I have to search that in the internet to see how it look. I I can say it's worth the effort. So cute.
Thanks Doug for bringing in these old school quirk machines every once in a while. The internet is full of ferrari's, lamborghini's etc., but THIS!!!
Every once in a while is a stretch. Most of his recent videos was older cars
AN ‘EXPLOSIVE’ jihaad mobile...
@@drippgxd It's good that he listened to his fans. He was concerned about the views of these old, quirky car reviews compared to the newer cars. But people didn't bother. They wanted more quirky cars.
the amount of space and the cleverness of the packaging of this car really impressed me. Look at that engine. It doesn't take any space. It is amazing. The engineers who designed this car should be proud of themselves.
My grandfather is a small size farmer in Japan and he used to own this. He used this car to haul his vegetables.
My uncle loves adventures and he used to own this too. He converted this car to camper van and traveled everywhere in Japan.
Are you Japanese? What does the sticker "OBA" on the tailgate door means? Odaiba inspection?
@@manaaalsuwaidi3643 Yes but idk which sticker you are talking about. That circle shape sticker on the left bottom side of rear window is a "parking space certificate sticker". In Japan we have to register the location where you park or store your car regularly.
Sugoi desu ne
@@ZERONEINNOVATIONS it's visible when Doug drives it
This video has such a nice vibe, the scenery the car the chill Doug… it’s like a calming early morning trip
Love it
I dunno if it's my computer or what, but the framerate is really jarring to me. It's unwatchable. The early morning color palette is nice though.
Calming? The guy talked non-stop for 18 minutes.
This van gives me the same vibes as the Toyota Previa. Very quirky small minivan that was cute, cozy, and utilitarian. I owned one for years and I was always impressed by how comfortable the back seats were on long drives.
Also, it blows my mind that this is smaller than a Mini. What a cool car.
I'm surprisingly impressed. Really maximizes the space. I was shocked when he said it was 3 feet shorter than a mini cooper.
Really make us realize how bloated modern cars are.
The rear seats also flip and fold forward down for a 6’ flat cargo area. Doug didn’t know that. And the rear windows roll all the way down after you engage the child safety switch. But yeah smash a whole lot into a tiny package.
i drive one and i was shocked as well (though i have always said that the usage of space in that is terribly inefficient) and when i considered what i can(t) fit in the back of it even with the rear seats down i really got to thinking if i should get something a little more practical. not a kei van though...there is a limit xD
really depends on the model year of the mini though
I'm ded 💀💀💀
This is maybe the most well packaged and functional vehicle I have ever seen. As a DJ and musician in Mexico City, this would be perfect. I would love one of these.
I got two turntables and a microvan.
As an older retired man, I watch a LOT of Mr. Doug's videos. Actually I watch them all and multiple times each. I really wish that RUclips allowed me to give another thumbs up after watching something again after a year had past. I have a passion for yesteryear's odd autos. I have an extra special desire for those autos that are new to me even after seventy plus years owning and lusting after these strange pieces of engineering. I wish you all the very best!
even for this small vehicle, the interior space is HUGE. even better than modern cars actually
That's what u get without federal regulations and safety
And that’s the reason why I’m not a fan of most crossovers (except for real SUVs which are off roaders). There’s just too many of them now and not enough hatchbacks and even minivans!! The roominess is the reason
I am gonna mounted my tv on the ceiling to maximize the space.
If Doug himself can fit in it. That's amazing
easy to have lots of space when it's just a thin metal box with almost nothing in it lol
8:20 Never seen a blinker fluid filling cap being such conveniently placed.
Defroster fluid reservoirs for the rear wiper are common, on japanese vehicles. My Daihatsu has one, in exactly the same place. I always forget to fill it. Because of that, I've never known if the pump even functioned, since I bought the car
I had it exactly there on Kia Pride (or Ford Festive in US) station wagon.
Just don't put the left blinker fluid where the right blinker fluid should go and you'll be ready to blink!
Most didn't seem to get the reference.
@@magnushmann DAMN, I actually misread it as "wiper fluid cap". Now I feel stupid.
The first small van I remember being sold in the US was the Subaru. I was a teenager when the Subaru dealership opened in my small Texas town (approx. 1971), and that exceptionally compact van looked like JUST what I wanted back then.
You know you are from US when your barbecue grill has the same size as a van.
You know you are from UK when your car fits in a cupboard.
@@someonesomebody5287 you know your from Canada when ever car you see has more rest on the under carafe than the surface area of this van.
@@someonesomebody5287 This is a Japanese Car though.
I know I'm from Japan when I feel Sambar isn't that small after all.
I mean how else are you gonna roast an entire cow
2:20 You actually had versions with a third row and a bench second sow to seat up to seven (on paper, at least), and they had *swiveling* front seats, so you could fold the middle row down and use it as a table to have a picnic or play cards with the third row.
Oh lord, imagine how slow it would be with 7 people! 3 would've had to jump out and push in every hill.
@@basstrammel1322 i literally did this with a "Fiat Uno" once, me and a couple friends had to get out of the car for it to continue lol
@@juniorthomazini Haha, I remember the Uno very well! The gear ratios and hp was absurd.
There is a red one in my street with three rows, it looks insanely fun
@@basstrammel1322 Both my parents had an Uno as well - and one of their friends the Turbo no less!
At one point it did the Turbo thing and darted off the road, and that was the end of that.
Back in 1989 i was in the USAF in Europe for 6 years, i was security, we typically drove humvees, and 1008's...but once in awhile we would get our hands on one of these....it was absolutely the funnest thing to drive, and people would definitely look when we unloaded with rifles and grenades, full battle gear in one of these it was fantastic 👍 ... also other than deuces it was the only manual transmission we ever got to drive 😅
They were officially imported to Europe and I had it's predecessor. Mine actually had 3 rows of seats with belts and was incredibly versatile: You could turn the front seats around and convert those in the middle to table or use all of them as a large bed. A fun to drive tiny van
we actually had both. Subaro Libero called in Germany, the first version without the glass roof and the second with the large one. Took them up and down the alps.
@@sebastiant5695 dafür müsst ihr länger gebraucht haben als Hannibal wahrscheinlich 😅
I wonder if they increased the power over there to compensate for the larger hills and looser restrictions
Great video! But don't be mistaken: Even in Japan cars like these aren't just for the big cities, the entire countryside basically runs on kei-trucks. Cheap, practical, and the paths between the fields often aren't even wide enough for regular cars. As for the van versions, it's always cool to see how many have custom made interiors to use every bit of space in a useful way. It always makes me chuckle when I look inside the average van over here, most are just hauling air....
Cheap, practice and death traps
@@andrewthomas695 well, simply don't crash! Works all the time!
They are great in the snow. I drove one in New Hampshire/Vermont and the U.P. of Michigan. With winter tires it went anywhere
This is the best shot Doug review in a long time. The overcast sky makes a great softbox and the woods makes a great backdrop.
And it’s got a cool quirky car!
This was exported in Italy as well! You can still see many of them on the smaller Italian islands as taxis because they're so pratical in tight roads
That’s actually a really neat option! In Australia we have an Island called Hamilton island where they exclusively use golf buggies for this!
Italy actually builds a similar car. It is called the Piaggio Porter and its older versions were based on the Daihatsu Hijet.
@@Stratixss Yeah but you'll see more Sambar than Porters on islands like Capri, as the Porter doesn't have the dual sunroof that is seen like a plus for touristic taxis
I love this car! I can imagine this being ideal in the narrow streets of Japanese cities, especially as a delivery van. Japanese car makers are masters at designing vehicles appropriate to the needs of their customers.
Japan has many single-family homes even in big densely populated cities, so to fit everyone in, the plot of land that each house fits on is going to be smaller, & so is the house's carport. So your car probably has to be smaller too in order to fit. Its true though this cabover design used by the Sambar might be more dangerous though; I once saw a Toyota HiAce (which uses a similar layout) that rear-ended a truck in Malaysia & the front row cabin was crushed into half its original length, killing the driver
Had one of those in Germany it was branded as a Subaru Libero. It was brilliant. The interior in the back was completely different with 5 seats in the back and all of them had seat belts. So we could take 7 people over the Autobahn at up to 130 km/h(80 mph).
The 4wheel drive was great in the Snow.
How did this thing even reach 130km/h? Must take minutes lol
Yeah I don't believe a 45hp minivan reached 130kph....
@@wingedstring go check the daihatsu HiJet with a 1.3L EFI. That thing pulls easly till 120km/h and up
Ist eins der einzigen Autos dieser Art, die hier erlaubt sind
The Libero didn’t have to follow Kei car restrictions, so it was a bit larger and had an engine up to 1.2L (almost double!) Kei cars are also limited to 4 passengers, so they couldn’t seat 7 without losing the tax breaks that justify the whole project
This car is surprisingly pretty common in the south of Italy as small town taxis but they have 3 rows of bench seats (including the driver and passenger seats) so you could squeeze 8 people and the driver if everyone is small. Also the third row takes up all of the the trunk space so they can fold down
Never seen one here in sicily
Dove, di preciso? Io so di Suzuki Porter allestiti come taxi nelle Isole Eolie, ma Subaru non ricordo di averne visti
I saw a ton of these in Sorrento and Florence. Lots of “Porter” branded ones with gas and electric versions. They look identical to the 90s kei vans.
You nailed the best US use of this, delivery. I have friends here in Seattle using newer models as cargo delivery for Prime and some third party delivery companies. Mile for miles they tell me the small engine and lightweight design not to mention cheaper price means it is more cost effective than electrics since they can haul twice the cargo at any given time
I just love the engineering that went into cars like this. Such clever solutions to given constraints. So awesome.
Yeah I drive Suzuki's and I'm wondering if this is a better kei van than the EVERY.
It must have electronic throttlebody and hydraulic clutch.
The only things I dont like about it, other than that its marvelous!
The 4WD selection switch is soo cool, I thought it was a NOS relay switch for a second lmao
all that and still a deathtrap- i cant wait for 2050
@tom murphy Aha! The fatality rate (fatalities per 100,000 people) in the USA is almost 5 times that of Japan.
It's tiny, I get it. But a barbecue grill of this size could fit a entire cow 🤣
Got plenty of room for your mother then!
Maybe Doug's dad's grill
I was only shocked for a second until I reminded myself that's just how I imagined America.
Everything is bigger in Texas
I've seen barbecue grills that big outside of grocery stores and maybe some ball parks during the summer, making brats.... commercial sized bbq grills are pretty big.
These things are so cool!!! Also I love that we’re getting really stoked over an outdated vehicle that was/is so commonplace in Japan 😂
“You can open the hood in the back and there’s the oil cap and dipstick!”
“Uh yeah, that’s where we service the engine…”
Modern safety standards: “Where’s the crumple zone?”
Doug: “I am the crumple zone.”
i want this!!
So car enthusiasts rather drive cars with no safety, yet are scared of crashing them?
I guess car enthusiasts don't mind getting killed?
RIP
Since this is a 90's car, other cars at that time probably didn't have crumple zones either... so RIP legs in a minor accident, and RIP in a major one.
@@MrNgMichael most did, in the west certainly.
Now saying that, if our roads were as safe as Japan's and our drivers as well trained and behaved, I'd be a bit more lenient on safety standards too.
Your feet are just behind the bumper. YOU are the crumple zone.
Those were kinda popular in the swiss alps, In Verbier there are still a few of those. They are so compact, but a snow blower fits perfectly in the back, and with 4wd and tiny tires, they are incredible in the snow!
And europa spec (called E12) were equiped with a 1200cc engine, offering 54 buff horses
You NEED to review the Suzuki Bolan or Suzuki Ravi. You WILL be surprised.
If you do get your hands on any of these two, be careful while driving. It rolls over pretty easily. It also shakes and rolls over if you go upto 100Kmh (60Mph).
For those who search for the Suzuki Bolan/Ravi online...........It was sold upto 2021 where I live with very little changes since I think like 1980.
Honestly, with a tech upgrade and electric motors to give it a bit more juice I would love one. This is the kinda "car" you can get away with on festival grounds that usually don't allow full sized vans/trucks or campers due to space constraints. Remove the back seats put in a nice comfy bed and you have the perfect little festival hopper!
thats what i was thinking
There are some electric ones, search for "Elcat Cityvan"
or put in a hayabusa engine and drag race everybody on the way to the festival
Friend had a Diahatsu Hi-Jet 'van' - very similar. It was a blast around the university district, easy to park, perfect for keg transport and cheap to feed for gas.
There’s a few in Saskatoon, one’s on Rays wheels. Super popular in Canada but damn expensive! Could buy two decent condition Ford Rangers for the same price generally.
I had this car… but even cooler! It had two seating rows in the back, which you could both fold flat as a hard floored cargo space, or the other way around as an actual full sized bed with the front seats.
The real party trick however was that the front seats could swivel 180 degrees, and with the front seat row folded flat, that created a small sitting room! It was the best, must fun, most adorable, most practical ride I ever had. It was instant happiness on wheels.
I drove such a van here in Germany. Its called "Libero" here and it was one of the best driving experiences I have ever had. (I was scared to flip it over, but it was ok)
I have a feeling that if a fly hit the window it’s gonna break because it’s so big lol
Unlike most cars if you throw a rock at the window it won’t break because it’s small
There is a Libero in the town where I live in Germany...
...and we had seatbelts in the back too...
@@TIBORANGE Yes. It was a newer one (97er i guess) and overall a little bit better equipted.
I owned a Suzuki SJ410 and could describe it the same way. So much fun.
I know 9 HP here or 10 in the Smart roadster tickles Doug, but those are 20% and 17% power bumps. Still not a lot but I bet they're noticeable, especially with such low weights.
Those blinker fluid fill ports are really convenient. No more searching for where the blinker fluid goes!
The amount of practicality this small van provides is just crazy!
A favorite of electricians and catering businesses where I'm from. Remember these zooming around revved out in the 90s :) Low price, insane mpg, and basically free insurance.
That's Japan for ya. Practical things and inventions, that are just as big as they have to be. Japan engineers have a special mindset (aside from overworking and such things that is).
And so is the amount of "safety" ;)
@@patrolmostwanted The safety in reality is actually very high, those vehicles are used in cities with very small roads where visibility is key, and crashes if at all would occur at very slow speed, the japanese farmers used those to haul from the farm to local areas, which this beast was just the thing for it.
its hard to believe this is smaller than a mini cooper, that interior looks roomy.
It's the front ends. With the Subaru van ur essentially sitting on top of the motor. And as you see the Cooper You're sitting behind the motor. So that space where the Cooper hood is makes up for the interior space.
there is no hood:engine space
well lets be honest, the mini cooper is a FAR CRY from the original, infact the modern mini cooper is not mini at all
@@Decenium true that
my family lived in one of these in new york for 8 months. i still remember my parents pulling out the seats each night to sleep on while i laid horizontally along the trunk, and peering out into the city through the curtains each morning
Doug is the kind of guy who goes to Comic-Con International dressed as himself.
Or Quentin Tarantino.
His hair, CRINGE.
That's way better, he himself is the hero.
No, he'd go dressed as a Bearded Collie ... like HIS bearded collie ("Noodles") to be precise.
oof madonn
The best episodes, the vehicles with the most quirks and weird cars lol
Unfortunately these don’t “sell” too well
Fender benders seem fun with this trunk.
Nice! My first car was one of these, although, mine had a 1.2L engine(the european models came with either a 1.0 or 1.2L, 3 cylinder engine), and it came with 2 rear benches, for 7 seats. But no AC. It would run at 120kph pretty well actually, it did take a minute or two to get there. Being stuck in traffic, on a hot summer day, however was not fun, the engine would easily overheat.
I absolutely love this car. the 6 homologated seats version named E12 in some countries, was called Subaru Vanille in France, thanks to a contest : "give it a name and it's yours". I only saw 3 or 4 of them since the 90's.
We had some of these midget microvans in Europe. During the 80's, we had the Honda Acty, in van version or 6 seats minibus. In the 90's we had the minibus Suzuki Carry/Every with 4 seats, or its twin, the van GME / Bedford Rascal, The minibus Subaru E10/Libero/Domingo and also the van Piaggio Porter, Italian twin of the Daihatsu Hijet/Atrai. And finally, around 2000, the van Suzuki Carry was back, but no more cab forward design for him.
Honda Acty : www.classic-days.fr/images/photos/voitures/photos/20170206182356.png
Suzuki Carry/Every cdn.wheel-size.com/automobile/body/suzuki-every-1990-1991-1625037879.5143342.jpg
GME/Bedford Rascal forum-auto.caradisiac.com/gallery/image/7624458-dscn5004/
Subaru E10/Libero autode-static.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Libero-E12-Spezial-Modelljahr-1992.jpg
Piaggio porter fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piaggio_Porter#/media/Fichier:Piaggio_Porter_Cargo.jpg
Daihatsu Hijet Atrai images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5753766545bf218cabdda89e/1499387327501-Z4ZLXBS37CNG1N98O3KZ/Atrai-5.jpg?format=1000w
Suzuki Carry 2000 scalethumb.leparking.fr/unsafe/331x248/smart/cloud.leparking.fr/2021/09/16/06/33/suzuki-carry-suzuki-carry-van-2005-1298-cc-blanc_8273804764.jpg
@@sumeragi69 yeah, the suzuki carry had a 4 cylinder mid engine. Sounded a lot better than the subaru, but with the van fully loaded, the subaru was a whole lot stronger. I have never driven the hijet, but i thought that one was a little bit bigger than the subaru and the carry.
If it overheats it likely needs a new radiator or a serious flush and clean or a broken turmostat or possibly need one that opens at a lower temp
@@tw157059 The front mid engine seems better for handling, I can imagine. But the Subaru has 4 independent wheels suspension, instead of the solid rear axle of the Suzuki and the Daihatsu. Maybe it is an interesting advantage.
@@sumeragi69 Yeah, it must be independent rear suspension, there is no room for a solid rear axle! That's exactly where the engine lives
I love the environment and the lighting in this video, I would love to see this environment and lighting in more videos. It makes the video very inviting and chill
I've been daily driving the Suzuki Carry kei van for the last 15 years. They actually exported them to Australia from new with an upgraded engine - a huge 970cc with a 5 speed gearbox! It makes the highways a little more possible. I try not to hurt it as a general rule, sticking to 90km/h (about 55mph) or so, but I did make it to 130 (80) on a long stretch of slightly downhill freeway heading out to the country.
I added a false floor and a mattress when I got it. It's pretty crazy to be several feet shorter than most hatchbacks and still have a double bed in the back.
This is truly "larger inside than outside". All the extra storage places were once common, but gone with the introduction of airbags. Other safety features will mean thicker sidewalls and that either reduces interior width or increases overall width. Since I knew of this I found the concept extremely appealing, especially for anyone living in a city, considering it even has four wheel drive and as it seems decent ground clearance so it could go on steep bumpy forest roads as well, on a snowy winter day perhaps. Two people going on a wilderness trip, reclining their seats into bed position to spend the night somewhere far away, what more could you ask for?
What Subaru offers on the European market nowadays all seems to fall into the SUV/crossover category and (without taking measurements) might actually offer less inside space while being a lot heavier, larger and more expensive.
We had similar Sambar with CVT gearbox at our parts shop 15 years ago, and its cargo capacity is fabulous! But when the wind blew to the side, you could feel the van is about to roll. Also, we had hot hatchback Subaru Vivio RX-R with supercharged 660cc 64 HP engine with manual transmission and 4WD - that was a rocket!
I live in Japan and these vans have gotten more and more luxurious. Smart cruise control, collision avoidence, you name it! VERY popular due to lower insurance, taxes, and the cost is VERY low compared to other larger vehicles. There are also a WIDE variety of campers built using the K cars.
Please never stop reviewing weird/obscure/old cars!! Have loved and religiously watched every single video you and Cars&Bids put up for years now, BUT these old quirkfests are the best!
...and if ad revenue is too low, i'll send you an autographed picture of mine or two to make up for it ;)
Doug, in Japan the K cars are more popular in the rural areas where public transport are not easily available. In the crowded cities consumers prefer standard and large sized cars because many of the households can own only 1 car, due to the lack of parking space. (ie. without a registered parking space you will not be allowed to buy a car)
Saw the WA plates; the Sambar definitely fits in the city setting and would make parking a cakewalk. Just not the highways.
I love Doug's enthusiasm for the original and unusual.
I'd love to have a van this size if it were electric. Super useful for taking my little business on the road.
Damn, so much nostalgia on this review. My grandpa had a 1997 Asia Towner, I remember the absolute nausea inducing ride that was riding on the back with no assents, only a mattress (he used to sell hotdogs with it)
Takes me back to my younger days, when I lived in Bolivia and drove the Suzuki Carry van. It's about the same as this Subaru, maybe a little longer. I could see the road by the brake and gas pedals, where the rods went through the floor. There were a full three inches from my toes to the front edge of the bumper. It only weighs 1700 pounds, but the Suzuki had seats for SIX... what luxury.
Van-dwelling trip by a K-car is very joyful. A K-car is very small. But the small size is nice.
“It doesn’t get THAT hot in Japan for THAT long…” No… It definitely does. Most Japanese vehicles had A/C, even budget keis.
We hit nearly 30°C yesterday and it’s not summer lol
@@ruangoto Yeah it’s already Summer-like temperatures here
hot... and HUMID. Just to be clear.
Classic case of Doug just spewing out bullshit and claiming it as facts. Which is why I never liked him and will never respect him as an automotive journalist as he calls himself which is a fucking joke in on-self..
@@ruangoto it's 40 where I live💀
Love this era of all Subarus, early 90s. The first generation Legacy had this same low range gearbox option which was very useful and the early 90s Subaru engineering is unmatched. The Sambar seems to be the best of the tiny vans, popular export and this one seems very well preserved.
The rear AC vents are controlled by the front temperature settings. Many cars of that area did it that way. You loose the option to set separate temperatures, but you end up with a much smaller and lighter hvac.
It’s been a long time since I watched one of Doug’s videos, and even after all this time, I wasn’t disappointed.
No one cares clown 🤡
My uncle had a few Bedfords and one if these here in Scotland. Love them. Easy to fix too and can push them when the 4wd struggles. No joke if you have 3 big blokes in these they rarely get stuck if you have decent tyres.
14:45 - couldn't agree more about the windows. There's so many and such a good view that it looks like a movie greenscreen behind you!
6:25 This takes the word "rear engined" to a whole new level.
I'm really glad you filmed this at the place and time you did, with all the condensation fogging up the windows and the tall trees in the background. I mean it feels like 1991 Japan, really added to the experience here. This van is actually pretty damn cool, but the price you pay for all that coolness is the possibility of losing your life lmao
Japan only had trees until 1991?
@@HaloofBlood1 They don't like to talk about The Accident.
As a former owner of 2 Subaru Brats I would buy this van in a heartbeat! I love Subaru and I love ugly unusual vehicles and this is both!
This thing doesn't need a garage to store, a walk-in closet should be enough.
no it doesn’t even need to be a walk in closet
You win the internet today. lol
I'll just pull it into my living room via the sliding glass door.
The Subaru decal at 8:45 is inscribed _"Sawayaka"_ in sky blue text next to *Sambar | Super Deluxe* which translates roughly to "Refreshing". Also, Japan's climate 11:07 varies from subtropical in the southern islands (Okinawa) to temperate in the central plains like in the Northeast of the US (Tokyo/Osaka) and subarctic up north (Aomori/Akita/Hokkaido). It actually gets _very_ hot and very humid during the late summer seasons all throughout the islands, even in the northern regions (think NY/NJ/PA in late July - August) but humid all throughout... I love these reviews of unique cars -- keep it up!
Was thinking the same thing, anyone who has visited Japan in August will point out that it does in fact get screaming hot in the summer. The other thing I disagree with is the claim that Kei cars are designed for the city. Maybe true, but when I lived in the countryside of Japan every farmer or craftsman is driving a Kei truck. Still a fun video!
Wait, so even Hokkaido gets pretty hot during the summer? What temperatures are we talking here? Like, 30º plus? I would've thought that Hokkaido would be the most balanced out place when it comes to temperatures.
1:26 I love the atmosphere of this video , it looks like a cold and fogy morning
You forgot to mention (or might not know) that the front seats revolve around themselves to make a nice table-seats interface, with the "rear seats" folded. In the version with 3 seat rows, you could make a central table with front and back seats (3rd row) to make a gathering space. To be honest, we only used this interface once but it's rarely practical
Wow, that van looks fun and interesting, but the background forest is awesome, very nice surroundings.
almost emulating japan
And that’s because u can tell he’s in Washington and u can see the car that he rented at 13:17 which was a current Lincoln Navigator 😅😅
Ha! saw one of these in Hamilton ON that the owner had imported from the UK. Dude if you see this (and you might, it's a pretty small community) say hi! It had a factory camper conversion and was pretty cool....bed on the roof....sink in the back and the front seats rotated 180 degrees to face into the van where there was a kitchen table that four people could sit around. It was pretty freakin awesome.
It makes sense that this car has a rear engine. Otherwise, with two front passengers, there would be a lot of weight on the front axle.
It would also have to have a hood, and a "doghouse".
6:45 Fun fact: Current gen Sambar have engine in the front, just like every other van. The rear engine Sambar are now out of production, and vehicles kept in fine condition are sold at a premium at the used car market. Get them when you can.
Current gen is just a daihatsu hijet cargo with a Subaru badge same with the Toyota pixis being a daihatsu hijet pickup with a Toyota badge on it.
I used to drive one of these around the campus of San Francisco State University while delivering mail. When I say "around the campus," I really meant it. I would cruise around on the walkways between the buildings, all while being careful not to hit any pedestrians and resisting the urge to use the horn. I don't think I ever got it up above 15 mph. This thing was so fun to drive.
Never mind; I just realized that our vehicle was a Daihatsu. LOL! Getting old...
Ahhhh Doug does a Kei car 👍👍
I love that it's 4WD for Hokkaido too, hilarious !
This van came with seatbelts built into the seat hinge, they've just been removed, like the rear headrests.
Japan gets REALLY hot & humid in summer Doug, especially on the lower island of Okinawa where all the American bases are. A/C has been a JDM standard since the 70's, like seatbelts !
This basically looks like the vehicle I always wished someone would sell in North America. No bigger than it absolutely needs to be, extremely efficient and generous storage with enough room for car camping, huge open greenhouse, and 4 wheel drive. Of course it could use a little more power and safety, but other than that, looks incredibly well designed.
Well that safety would decimate the size, efficiency, or space and any power would end up having to offset the extra burden in making it safer before it makes it any faster (safety = weight).
They would never sell this in US because it’s very slow and unsafe. Imagine getting rear ended in one of these.
@@drippgxd you’d immediately take out the engine.
And way back in 1989 I was transported in one of those from Michael Grzimek school in Nairobi to a friends place in the outskirts of Nairobi - we were 11 kids in the back btw. 🙂 what a cooool vehicle! Thanks Doug, keep on doing this kind of unconventional videos!
In the Philippines we use a cousin of that van, a little Suzuki Every and 2e use it as a little passenger jeepney with sidewards facing bench seats which gets the total seating capacity to 9 people. 2 in the front, 3 in the middle, sometimes when the drivers get greedy they seat 4 in the middle and 2 in each of the bench seats at the back.
Deserves more than a 4 cool factor. I’ve seen these at a couple cars and coffee and they get huge crowds
Definitely!
I want one. I have a black 1999 Suburu Legacy, and it's probably one of my favorite vehicles I've ever owned.
This as an electric vehicle would be absolutely amazing!
A decent battery for it would probably double the weight. 🙄😆
From 1990 up to 2002 Finnish company Elcat actually converted a number of these into electric vehicles. They were mainly used by the postal services, as the top speed was intially only 72kph (and 80/90kph on later versions). Some 160 conversions were made.
It couldn't handle the weight of a battery without getting rid of a few passengers. Four of us got into one of these in Beijing and it bottomed out.
A fun fact that was they have a nickname “The farm road Porsche” in Japan since they have same RR layout and many farmers using sambar for their work.
But the sad thing is they no longer produces their own Kei-truck . The model they are selling was just a rebadged version of Daihatsu( a car company of Toyota group)kei-truck.
Now Kei cars are only made by three companies, Daihatsu, Suzuki and Honda. Other manufacturers sell badge engineered models of these brands.
More than 30 years ago, I bought a brand-new car for the first time in my life. That was a Sambar DIAS2 (supercharged version). I chose the model mainly because of its cargo space big enough to store and carry a bike without taking it apart. "DIAS" is a Spanish word which means days. The name "DIAS" had a connotation of being fit for daily use.
I love when Doug does these weird japanese imports he seems so much more excited in these Japanese car review videos
Kei cars have come a long way since the early 90's, with low-blow turbos focussed on torque and in gear response. They can cruise at freeway speeds with ease, have a massive amount of accessories available for them (yes, you can camp in them, see the Daihatsu Wake ad series on RUclips) and are almost Tardis like on the inside. The AWD systems are super handy in snowy areas. These days, most of them are made by Daihatsu , Suzuki and Honda, rebadged and sold by Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and other brands. Had a sit in a Toyota Tank (!) in Tokyo a few years ago, it was a jaw dropping experience.
YES. love these vids. I'm not a car guy, so I honestly don't care about fancy sports cars and modern trucks and shit. i wanna see THIS stuff. keep up the quirk, doug!
Doug, you’re a cute surprisingly practical car reviewer.
The bumper/hood also serves as a tray while you’re working on the engine!
And you can safely drive with an open hood in case your underbody radiator does not keep the engine cool.