Five beloved Japanese cars are confronted with extinction

Americans like to think we have the most diverse car market on earth. And we have had that – so far. In which other nation could you shop for both an Alfa Romeo and a Mitsubishi?

That was then. The combined inflation and rates can crush smaller car manufacturers, in particular Subaru, Mazda and Mitsubishi. Even Toyota, Lexus and Nissan are not immune.

Why? Because 15 percent rates on Japanese cars are easily the difference between profitability and a good hit on the bottom line. And a few models of each maker just have too many Japanese parts – and sell in such small volumes – to justify the continuous sale in the US

Here is a list of our five favorite – and probably endangered – Japanese cars that are still for sale at the moment. But they may not be by that time next year.

Mazda CX-5

Our own William Clavey says everything you might want to know about why the CX-5 is such a glorious little crossover. Read the whole love letter, but here is the money quote:

Unfortunately the CX-5 is assembled in Japan and uses 90 percent Japanese parts. Sam Fiorani, from Research Group Auto Forecast Solutions, points out that although a new CX-5 is on the road: “There are no plans to produce it in the US, and there is no factory available to find production in its own country.” More than a quarter of the American Mazdas that were sold last year were CX-5S, which brings Mazda into a serious bond. Toyota and Mazda share the production in an Alabama assemblage factory to make the CX-50 and Corolla Cross. Fiorani says that Mazda could increase the output of the CX-50, which, in combination with the Mexican-assembled CX-30, can help compensate for the sale of the CX-5.

Base Trimmotor

Skyactiv-g 2.5L ice cream

Base -trim transmission

SkyActiv-Drive 6 speeds automatically

Basic trim drive

Four -wheel drive

Basic Trim PK

187 hp @6000 rpm

Base -Trim couple

186 Lb.-ft. @ 4000 tpm

Base Trim Fuel Economy (City/Highway/Combined)

23/29/25 MPG

Basic battery type

Lead acid battery

To make

Mazda

Model

CX-5

Another endangered Mazda: the Mazda33

Credit: William Clavey | Top speed

The Mazda3 is loved by almost everyone at Topspeed who has driven the sporty hatchback. The car looks beautiful and is great. Moreover, you can get yours with a manual shift, increasing rarity. Or in the words of our own Brian Anderson:

As Anderson notices, the Mazda3 does not get a big price jump for 2026, Fiorani increases the warning flag for continuous American sales. Mazda makes some of these cars in Japan, and some in Mexico, where the last 65 percent see Mexican parts. Mazda probably cannot afford to lose the 40,000 annual Mazda3 turnover in the US, so Fiorani sees the car manufacturer finding out how to use more American parts in the Mexican vehicle.

Toyota GR86/Subaru Fast

Credit: Topspeed | Michael Frank

We gave the BRZ TS our coveted sports car of the year label at the start of the year. William Clavey’s Money Quote on the Sub-$ 40,000 2+2 sports car says almost everything you need to know:

I even ventured that you want the Slushbox GR86 instead. And I think Toyota’s decision to donate in the three -cylinder of the GR Corolla instead of the boxer Vier would be a great upgrade. By the way, one of our readers has written this in response to the idea of ​​Going Auto-Box:

Noted, sir!

In the meantime, there is no soul in the Topspeed -Pantheon who would claim that Toyota/Subaru has not absolutely crushed the treatment of the BRZ/GR86. It is light, agile and smile-a-nanosecond playful. But Fiorani says that both models sell in low volumes for their respective brands. Toyota is on average around 11,000 GR86 sales per year, But the BRZ turnover of Subaru had risen by 20 percent in the past year With a lean 3,345 cars. The BRZ/GR86 is made jointly in Japan, with 85 percent Japanese content, which further endangers the survival of the cars.

Another endangered Subaru: the WRX … and possibly the Impreza

Credit: Subaru

Fiorani said that the limited American capacity of Subaru will emphasize its model mix. The Impreza, which is reasonably affordable, could be added because Subaru sells six crosstrikes assembled by Indiana for every Impreza. And to make more capacity for the cross trek, the production of the Impreza had to shift back to Japan. In the meantime, the WRX is also built on the Impreza platform and is also made of 80 percent Japanese content. Subaru sold 18,587 WRXs last year, which is 6x vs. BRZ. It is therefore quite clear that Subaru could kill the BRZ to save the WRX.

Toyota Prius vs. Toyota Corolla Hybrid

Credit: Nicole Wakelin/Topspeed

The Prius is 100 percent Japanese assembled. We love the new Prius and think that it is an excellent upgrade about the earlier ugly duckling, but the Toyota Corolla Hybrid Outelt de Prius with 56 percent. Fiorani notes that Toyota has the flexibility to make more Corolla hybrids in the US – and to kill the Prius. Remember that Toyota sold 32,000 Prius cars last year; and 205,000 Camrys; and 208,356 Hybrid RAV4s, everything made in the US Toyota can afford to kill the Prius in the US, and buyers will probably not even notice it, because almost everything that Toyota sells comes when a hybrid comes.

Nissan Z

Credit: Michael Frank

Nissan sold 3,164 ZS last year and hardly brought the sale of the Toyota Supra. But the Z is assembled in Japan with almost completely Japanese parts. Listen, I love the z and have praised the car as an excellent value. For $ 42,970, the basic car still fits that assignment. But as my colleague, William Clavey, has noticed, the Nissan Z Nismo now scraps $ 65,750. Clavey notes the pain and what you could buy instead:

That is why Fiorani thinks that Nissan could kill the Z on the American market. It would harm Nissan at a time when the brand already suffers, and they have just taught the slowly sold Ariya. But Nissan’s bleeding red. They have to make difficult choices, and this is perhaps one of them, sad as we would be to see the Z going.

Saved for the time being?

Credit: Topspeed | Garret Donahue

The beloved Mazda MX-5 Miata and GR Corolla from Toyota can both be threatened. Mazda’s flagship is still the Miata, despite a low turnover (and 85 percent Japanese content). It is therefore unlikely that Mazda can be the risk of killing his iconic convertible. Fiorani says that the GR Corolla can be produced in the US, because Toyota is already making the basic corolla here. And Toyota will make more GR Corollas in the UK, and due to lower rates (10 percent on a maximum of 100,000 cars), that production could supplement what they are currently selling in the US.

It is likely that Toyota wants to keep the GR86 or the GR Corolla, so I bet they don’t kill it either, but a lot also depends on the American economy.

Take top speeds

Credit: Isaac Atienza

Fiorani points out that companies keep consistent policy. The recent Raid on a Hyundai factory in Georgia Increases the ghost of foreign car manufacturers who withdraw on investments in the US, which exactly is the opposite of what rates were intended to force. Constant policy shifts and ice attacks are precisely the opposite. This is not about the merit of that specific case; It is about a policy choice that was intended here to curry the investment. Now Korean manufacturers (and other car manufacturers) have the choice to continue to continue many billions of dollars in dedication that can also lead to thousands of American jobs or leaving our coasts.

Then there is the second part of it: consumers. With fewer cars on us a lot and fewer model options, prices will rise. Fiorani calls it a “loss loss” situation.

If there is a silver lining, it is that consumer demand has a funny way to change the policy. If we want something, and we make it known, capitalism has a way to find out the policy movement. And if we want GR Corollas or Mazda3s, and we think our current policy is stupid, politicians eventually get the message. Possibly.