Ever found yourself comparing two closely matched products or things to decide which one to go with? Most of us have at least found themselves in such situations. This could be the case for many people who are trying to figure out if they should get a UTV or go with a Japanese mini truck. While UTVs have been very popular across the globe for their limitless advantages, the same has been for the Japanese mini trucks which are quickly becoming a favorite to many people.

In this guide, we will go though both of these vehicle types outlining the ups and downs in each and by the end of it we hopefully will help you decide on which one to go with depending on your preferences.

The Japanese Mini Trucks

Japanese mini trucks, otherwise known as the Kei trucks are medium sized vehicles that resemble the pickups and is a lesser version of a truck. They are designed in Japan by some of the industry leading car makers like Subaru, Daihatsu, Mazda and Suzuki. They have been in production for many years and have undergone different transformations.

Their performance and reliability has led these mini trucks to become popular across the globe and you can find them roaming the streets in almost every country today. You can also buy them either directly from Japan or through local dealership in many countries.

Some of the most common mini trucks that you will come by includes Suzuki Carry, Daihatsu hijet, Subaru Sambar and Honda Acty. All these mini trucks come in different types each meant to do certain tasks. They can either be Dump bed mini trucks, caravan mini trucks, skylift mini trucks, scissor lift mini truck among other custom body shapes.

The UTVs

Utility Task Vehicles are vehicles designed to be used for a number of things including both recreational and multipurpose tasks. There are lots of companies manufacturing these kind of vehicles across the globe and they come in different designs and capabilities.

Although these vehicles aren’t closed and most of them are small, they have been perfectly engineered to handle most road conditions while also maintaining top safety.

Comparing Mini Trucks And UTVs

Here is an in-depth comparison of both Japanese mini trucks and UTVs.

Both are meant to be used on harsh terrains – Adaptability and reliability under all-weather roads is something that you will have to keenly look for in a vehicle if you live in such areas with bad weathers. The good thing with both of these kind of vehicles is that they can easily maneuver and carry loads though bad roads. However, due to the nature and size of mini trucks, they will be able to carry more loads as compared to UTVs.

Fuel Efficiency – We all want to use vehicles that are fuel efficient and make us feel lees burden when it comes to fuel consumption. UTVs have shown different fuel consumption rate based on the manufacturer and sometimes based on their usability under certain roads. The good news with mini trucks is that they can seep little amount of fuel and could take you a long way. In fact, fuel consumption is one of the best things these Japanese mini trucks have been praised for.

Reliability And Performance – Who would go with a vehicle that breaks down every now and then? Of course nobody would like such a vehicle. We all have different needs when choosing a vehicle but they will always revolve around performance and how that vehicle is dependable.

If you want something that carries a lot of loads while still able to go through bad roads, then the Japanese mini truck will be your best bet.

Road Legality— UTVs are produced for use in almost every road, both on-roads and off-roads, but mini trucks may have restrictions. In the United States for example, there are some starts that have some restrictions on mini trucks. To see a list of those that have restrictions, please check out this post where we have listed them.

Vehicle Speed— Perhaps one of the few things that the UTVs seem to have overtaken the Japanese mini trucks on is the fact that they are meant to conquer when it comes to speed.  Mini trucks might vary depending on the model and the year of manufacture though. Newer models have better speeds.

While UTVs may be a bit reliable in terms of speed, the mini trucks have an upper hand when it comes to handling all-weather roads as well as other things like fuel efficiency and maintenance costs. Mini trucks tend to be more affordable as well, especially if you are considering going with a pre-owned one which you can find readily from many used Japanese car dealers. You can check out our listings page to see some of the used mini trucks that we are selling. You can also take advantage of the Japanese auction houses and you can get a mini truck of your choice for a price that you are willing to spare.

Final Word:

Both Japanese vehicles and UTVs have earned praises for a number of things. Performance, reliability and efficiency of these vehicles are top notch. However sometimes you just have to choose one of these. Hopefully, the guide has been helpful in helping you make an informed decision on a vehicle to choose among the two.

If you are in for a Japanese mini truck and would like to get yourself one of these vehicles, you can check out our listings page and find one that is perfect for your work. In our inventory, you will come across almost every kind of Japanese mini truck, minivans as well as other types of vehicles. Once you find a vehicle that suits your needs, you can always ask for more details and we will be ready to offer you with what you need to know. As if that wasn’t enough, you will love the fact that we will help you ship the vehicle to your destination port. This will save you any issues if you are still new to the shipping world.