I’m a Mechanic: 5 Japanese Cars I Would Never Buy and Why They Aren’t Worth It

©Mitsubishi
©Mitsubishi

We’ve all heard it: “Japanese cars are bulletproof!” Well, hold onto your wrenches, folks. Not every car from the Land of the Rising Sun deserves that golden reputation (or your money).

Be Aware: 6 Crossovers To Avoid Purchasing This Year

Learn More: 4 Low-Risk Ways To Build Your Savings in 2025

GOBankingRates talked to an auto expert about which Japanese rides might leave you wishing you’d bought American.

Scion IQ

Remember when smart cars were all the rage? This one might just fill you with rage instead.

“The ride is miserably uncomfortable,” auto expert Chris Pyle from JustAnswer said.

If you love road noise, good news. He said “a lot of road noise enters the cab.” And that back seat? Pyle called it a “useless, tiny rear seat.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Also, be careful driving this car because “it is not easy to merge due to the difficulty of seeing things beside you,” he added. Yikes.

Find Out: These 10 Used Cars Will Last Longer Than an Average New Vehicle

Honda CRZ EX

Honda tried to make a sporty hybrid, and well… let’s just say some marriages aren’t meant to be.

“A two-seater that is nothing like a sports car,” Pyle explained. Want the bad news? “It is not fast, not quiet, and it handles poorly.”

Oh, and here’s a not-so-fun surprise: Pyle said “it is programmed to shut off the AC when stopped too long.” Perfect for those summer traffic jams!

Mitsubishi Mirage

Ever heard the phrase “you couldn’t pay me to drive that car”? This might be exhibit A.

“They were trying to corner the cheap car market. They did that but the car was too cheap,” Pyle said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Planning a quick trip to the grocery store? Better make it quick, because, according to Pyle, it’s “very uncomfortable if you are on a trip beyond 30 minutes.”

Why? “The suspension is like riding in a car with no suspension, very stiff,” the auto expert noted.

Mazda RX8

This one’s like that friend who only wants to party — fun in theory, exhausting in reality.

“It was designed to be driven hard and fast,” Pyle warned.

Drive it like a normal person? “The engine often fails as early as 60,000 [miles],” he said.

Drive it like you’re in Fast and Furious? “It loves to drink gas fast,” Pyle concluded.

Either way, your wallet loses.

Toyota FJ Cruiser

Just because it wears a Toyota badge doesn’t mean it inherited the family genes.

“People think it is like other Toyota’s. It is not,” Pyle cautioned.

Got friends? They’ll need to be circus contortionists since “the access to the back seats is too tight,” according to the expert. Need to change lanes? Good luck: “The styling of the doors makes it hard to see beside you,” he added.

ADVERTISEMENT

And when something breaks? “Parts are difficult to find,” Pyle said.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I’m a Mechanic: 5 Japanese Cars I Would Never Buy and Why They Aren’t Worth It