If you could could buy a brand-new Mazda crossover for $10,000 would you? That’s probably why you can’t. The $10k (in Japan) Mazda Flair isn’t too good to be true. It’s too good to be allowed. It would give Americans the kind of relief from high prices Trump promised but never delivered. It would create an incentive for other car companies to at least offer affordable options. But it’s not an option that will be available to Americans – Trump’s already forgotten promise about “tiny cars” notwithstanding.
The Flair is not an untenable, impractical vehicle that people wouldn’t want to buy. It’s just small and basic. The distinction is important. Unlike an old VW Beetle – which barely had heat – the Flair comes standard with AC. It also comes standard with four doors and an automatic transmission, power steering and power windows. It has a powerful enough three cylinder engine augmented by a mild hybrid system that gives it enough pep to be viable in traffic and on the highway. Top speed is about 90 MPH; if you want to go faster, there’s an optional turbocharged engine that bumps the top speed up to about 112 MPH. A vehicle that is capable of going that fast can easily go as fast as 65-75 – which is what the speed limit is on most American highways.
This little Mazda is also very fuel-efficient. It averages about 50 MPG, very close to the mileage touted by the most fuel-efficient vehicle Americans are allowed to buy – the Toyota Prius. Just for less than half the asking price of a Prius. There’s also an XS variant that has AWD and rugged, Jeep-like styling affectations. It’s not a Jeep, of course. But then, the least expensive new Jeep you can buy is the $29,550 Compass – which is about $20k more expensive to buy than the Flair. 
Imagine what a used Flair would cost. If such vehicles were available, there would be a plethora of viable, very affordable used cars available. It would be like it used to be – when almost anyone could afford a car – but no longer is.
So why aren’t Americans allowed to buy the Flair? It’s more accurate to say why isn’t Mazda allowed to sell the Flair to Americans? This is also a distinction that’s important. Trump misled Americans about “tiny cars” such as the Flair (there are many others) when he said he would allow them to be made in America. When people heard that, they thought they heard Trump say that these “tiny cars” (Kei cars, in Japan) would soon be available to buy in America. This is an example of the Art of the Con. Let people hear what they want to believe. Then hope they forget all about it after awhile. The $5,000 DOGE refund checks are another example of this technique of Trump’s. 
But while Trump did command that “tiny cars” could be made here – which was another con since there was no law barring them from being made here – he did nothing to make it legal to sell them here. In order for that to be possible – legally – “tiny cars” would have to be granted exemptions from the plethora of federal saaaaaaaaaafety requirements that every new passenger vehicle must comply with in order to be legal to sell here. It is often taken as a kind of tautology that any car that does not meet these requirements is “unsafe.” Not so. It is merely not compliant. Another important distinction. Not-compliant means – as a for-instance – that a car does not have multiple air bags. Well, no cars had air bags until circa the mid-late 1990s (when the federal Supplemental Restraint requirement went into effect).
Were all the pre-air-bag cars “unsafe”? How about all the cars made before the federal government required back-up cameras and “drowsy/distracted” driver tech? It’s true they didn’t offer as much in the way of occupant protection as a federally compliant, air-bag-equipped car) but this assumes the vehicle will crash. Most don’t. Most people do associate “unsafe” with a vehicle that is apt to crash because it is prone to crash. This is not the case with the Flair and the other “tiny cars” Americans aren’t allowed to buy. They have stable handling, good brakes. There is always the risk of an accident happening with any car – even the most compliant. But it does not mean a non-compliant car is more likely to be in an accident.
Americans have, in brief, been propagandized into buying this false tautology that a car that isn’t compliant is “unsafe.” It is how they keep Americans quiescent about the things they are not allowed to buy – and the things they are effectively forced to buy. It’s as vicious as it is tragic. Despicable, too – as regards the president. He could have issued exemptions from the federal rigmarole that has pushed the cost of the least expensive new car Americans are allowed to buy into the low $20k range (twice as much as the Flair costs). Then Americans would be allowed to buy inexpensive little vehicles like the Flair – because they’d be legal to sell and legal to use, too.
So how come Trump did not do that?
Probably for the same reason he never had those $5,000 DOGE rebate checks sent out. Or the “COVID” criminals indicted. Or the Epstein Files released un-redacted. It’s all talk – and it lasts until you forget whatever it was he said.
. . .
If you like what you’ve found here please consider supporting EPautos.
We depend on you to keep the wheels turning!
Our donate button is here.
If you prefer not to use PayPal, our mailing address is:
EPautos
721 Hummingbird Lane SE
Copper Hill, VA 24079
PS: Get an EPautos magnet or sticker or coaster in return for a $25 or more one-time donation or a $10 or more monthly recurring donation. (Please be sure to tell us you want a magnet or sticker or coaster – and also, provide an address, so we know where to mail the thing!)
If you’d like a Baaaaa hat or other EPautos gear, see here!
Suzuki, Nissan and Kia all sell small cars in Mexico. Although not as small as the Flair or similar cars sold in Japan, at least they are left-hand-drive. If one purchases a car in Japan, he can import it into Mexico if it has less than 1000Km, purchases it from a dealer and is the same model year as the year in which it is being imported. Actually, a new car from any country with a free trade agreement with Mexico can be legally imported.
If you really want one of these cars, be resourceful, use a little thought and keep a low profile.
The Flair looks a lot like the first gen Kia Soul which sold really well in the before times thanks to a clever marketing campaign and affordable price.
Remember the hamsters?
I don’t recall the Soul being faulted for safety issues, but, like many other entry level vehicles, it gained weight, lost power, and became a lot less fun to drive.
Plus the hamsters disappeared from the commercials.
It seems ironic that the U.S. government is terrified of giving cheap Chinese EVs a foothold in the U.S. market, supposedly in large part on fears of alleged surveillance and security capabilities, but excludes vehicles like the Mazda Flair (and others such as the Toyota Hilux) that do not present such concerns. What voting block is behind the insistence on excessive safety and other unwanted electronic gizmos — aging female editors at Consumer Reports? At some point I would think the even UAW would get behind the push for simpler, cheaper, and more sensible vehicles — if for no other reason that new and late-model used vehicles are increasingly unaffordable and unreliable.
slowest accelerating vehicle currently sold in the US:
The 2026 Nissan Kicks SR AWD (cont. variable) $30,560
0–60 mph time 11 seconds
Mazda Flair Crossover 0–60 mph time for the 48 hp:
Real‑world average 0–60 mph time ~13–14 seconds
Few Americans would want to buy a car that takes 13 to 14 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. In the modern United States automotive market, this level of performance is considered exceptionally slow and unsafe by mainstream consumer standards
Mazda: Vehicles imported to the United States from its main manufacturing plants face stiff tariff rates—amounting to roughly 15% on Japanese imports and up to 23% on Mexican-made models due to low localized content rules.
50 to 60% of mazda vehicles sold in the US are manufactured in japan
With the 15% tariff they’ll only send their highest profit margin vehicles to the US
Flair is only made in japan, and only sold in japan, and it will stay that way until Mazda decides selling it here would be more profitable than what they are now selling here made in japan
the assumption that americans would love a $10,000 crossover is meaningless if no company can sell one here at a profit.
Bullshit, Richard –
This 0-60 stuff is abstract; in real life, most people do not floor it away from a red light. They ease forward. They drive as if the vehicle needed 13-14 seconds to get to 60. Or more. This zero to 60 stuff is basically a dick measuring contest. It says little if anything about whether a vehicle is adequately powerful to keep pace with traffic. I say this as a guy who has V8 Trans Am in the garage.
You write: “Few Americans would want to buy a car that takes 13 to 14 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph.” Yeah. Except for the millions of Prius hybrids sold that took exactly that long to get to 60. It is only recently that the redesigned Prius changed that (it takes about 6.5 seconds to get to 60).
You spent 27 years at Ford and do not know – do not understand – these things?
You spent ? years as a car tester and do not know – do not understand – these things? You use a slow selling, slow accelerating toyota prius that went out of production in fourth quarter 2003 as an example of customer preferences in 2026, almost 23 years later?
(XW10) In 2003, Toyota Prius in the United States.
8,200 per quarter average sold
second-generation Toyota Prius 2004
faster acceleration than the slow first generation
13,498 per quarter average sold
sales up 65%
The 2004 Prius XW20 generation, which introduced a 110-hp hybrid system combining a 1.5L I-4 gasoline engine with an electric motor. This setup allowed the hatchback to achieve a 0-60 mph time of around 9.8 seconds, making it a sub-10-second hybrid and a significant improvement over the previous XW10 generation, which averaged over 12 seconds to 60 mph.
In the real world, a 2026 Mazda Flair has an estimated 0-to-60 mph time of 14 to 16 seconds for the standard model. This is not what americans want to buy in 2026
Richard,
“This is not what americans want to buy in 2026”
Your arrogance – and presumption – are astounding. Who the Hell are you to decide such things? You have no idea, in the first place – because we’re not allowed to know.
Judging by the response I’ve had to this and other articles, there are lots of people who’d like to be able to buy a $10,000 new car. Why not let the market decide whether there is a market for $10,000 new cars?
Your weird fixation on how quickly a car can potentially accelerate to 60 is just that. A weird fixation – on a potential that is mostly not made use of. It’s very interesting – coming from you, a confessed slow driver – this fixation on 0-60 times. I doubt you rocket away from red lights, maximizing your car’s capability to accelerate.
I have no doubt the Fiat and cars like are quick enough to comfortably keep pace with traffic. I can say that because I have driven cars like it. And cars that were a lot less quick. I used to drive a ’74 Beetle in DC area traffic – this was in the early ’90s – and while other drivers could of course rocket past me, most didn’t.
When I drive my old truck I have no trouble keeping up with traffic even though my truck is a slow old truck. I still drive faster than most of the people around me in vehicles that are capable of easily out-accelerating my old truck. Most don’t – because most drivers aren’t fast drivers.
You are an old, retired guy probably collecting a nice pension, plus SS and 401k dividends, etc., and probably pretty well-off. So – for you – a small, cheap car doesn’t appeal. Of course. You can afford more – and there’s nothing wrong with that. But there are millions of people who cannot afford $30,000 cars or even $20,000 cars. For you to blithely dismiss them is disgusting.
“there are lots of people who’d like to be able to buy a $10,000 new car” EP
so what?
More people would like to be able to buy a $9,000 new car
Even more at $8,000 or $7,000
Philippines: Typical starter home price range: $35K–$85K for standard apartments or condos in cities like Cebu and Davao
americans would love to buy starter homes for $35K to $85K
Vietnam – $0.20–$0.50 USD per cup of coffee
americans would love to buy coffee for $0.20–$0.50
This is all wishful thinking — a fantasy
Our government protects the car industry with tariffs on cars made with cheaper foreign labor. Our government also makes cars more expensive with a lot of mandatory features, whether you like them or not.
If you don’t like the government rules and regulations, blame Trump and his fellow republicans. They’re in charge of everything. They did eliminate cafe fines, but that could change in a few years.
The 2022 inflation reduction act designated CO2 as pollution.
Trump is not enforcing this law, but he has never asked Republicans to rescind the law. If the next president is a Democrat, we are likely to see CO2 as pollution enforced along with cafe fines.
auto companies take up to four years to design and develop a new model … so even if republicans ended all safety, emissions and cafe standards this year, the auto companies couldn’t react to them (Democrats in January 2029 could control the government and reverse everything the Republicans did in 2026)
.
So?
Maybe Ford should hire a few lobbyists? Before they are put out of business, like the German manufacturers?
Here, for starters, get this passed:
https://i.postimg.cc/F9bNCRv5/a-MXOUxp.png
Anyway, I’d buy a Kei–type car tomorrow if I could. Daihatsu has a little pickup and a little cargo van that I like, Suzuki and them too. If I could buy something like them in America, I would.
I’d rather keep my twenty year old pickup than buy anything being sold new, today. I don’t want any of it.
*Suzuki _has_ them too.
I just had a 2026 Kicks AWD as a rental a few weeks ago.
The acceleration was fine for the driving environment, but the ASS was annoying.
*Really* annoying.
“Few Americans would want to buy a car that takes 13 to 14 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph.”
I prefer a small light car, like a Geo Metro, which accelerates slowly, has a really small engine (1.0 liter) because that means the car is going to get the best fuel economy. I could care less how long it takes to accelerate, and in fact I prefer to drive steady state below the speed limit. Here is the reason why:
In this chart, the slower you drive in top gear, the higher the mpg:
In fact, you can tell how good any car is by how small the radiator is and how good it coasts. A small radiator means it burns less fuel, if it coasts good then the car is really good buy.
Most Amerikans are spoiled, privileged stupid children who are impressed by power – powerful cars, powerful careers, powerful nation. They all go together to create hell on earth. Often soldiers buy huge ugly military style vehicles like the Hummer because of their low IQ and even smaller penis. Amerika is an insane nation run by insane politicians and is heading for the trash bin of history.
Intelligent people, ruled by reason, not by ego, like small cars for many reasons. All new cars depreciate rapidly, the lower the MSRP – the lower the capital loss. Outside of luxury vehicles, small cars cost far less to buy, own, and operate. When was the last time you bought a set of 4 tires less than $100?
Goolag Ai – “what does the average car depreciate in the first year, and 3 and 5 years”
Year 1 (20% loss): The vehicle retains roughly 80% of its value. A massive 10% chunk of this drop happens in the very first month.
Year 3 (40% loss): The vehicle retains roughly 60% of its value. The rate slows down to about 10% to 15% annually after the initial year.
Year 5 (60% loss): The vehicle retains roughly 40% of its original purchase price.
Electric vehicles (EVs) tend to experience faster depreciation due to rapidly changing battery tech and shifting incentives
————–
Since I like to drive alot, and travel outside my 40 mile circle, the small car has the great advantage of increasing my range. I live 2 hours from the coastal redwoods. Going there to hike costs only $20 in a Geo Metro. This means my circle is much larger than most people, who simply can’t afford the gas to go a long range on a weekend jaunt.
Screw big powerful cars, don’t want them, don’t need them.
chart:
https://metrompg.com/posts/photos/mpg-vs-speed-chart-z.gif
The Geo Metro was originally sold under the Geo nameplate from 1989 to 1997, then continued as a Chevrolet model until 2001. The final Metro ever built—a red sedan—rolled off the CAMI Automotive assembly line on April 27, 2001
Total Metro production in 2000: 30,522 units
The slow accelerating, slow selling vehicle from 25 years ago does not represent what many american consumers want to buy today
i have no problem with very small vehicles except being in one makes me nervous when I’m surrounded by huge, heavy pickup trucks and large SUV’s
Richard,
The last generation Prius – which took about 13 seconds to get to 60 – sold very well and it sold all the way through the 2022 model year, barely four years ago.
The fourth-generation Toyota Prius (2016–2022) actually cleared the 0–60 mph sprint in about 9.5 to 10.5 seconds
So now we’re quibbling over 2-3 seconds – the time it takes to read this sentence. This also assumes (again) that we’re drag racing, to see who can get to 60 soonest. As if that had any significant bearing on real-world adequate performance.
Oy vey.
Mazda Flair is a dork-mobile and anybody who drives one here will wear a mask so nobody knows who they are
Richard,
It’s “dorky” to want to drove a very inexpensive, basic little car that gets fantastic mileage? Says the affluent old man with a sneer. I think you have no idea how hard pressed millions of Americans are. When I was young and po’ I drove a number of “dorky” cars as did my friends. We were po’ – but we needed (wanted) our own cars, so we got what we could. Imagine being able to buy a brand-new car, decently equipped and with a warranty, too – for $10k. As opposed to some worn out old POS.
Why do you support denying alternatives/choices?
No one is suggesting that you drive a “dorky” inexpensive little car; only that people have the option.
Mazda Flair Crossover 0–60 mph time for the 48 hp:
Real‑world average 0–60 mph time ~13–14 seconds
According to old Car and Driver’s 1998 comparison of midsized cars, the slowest was a long-gone Ford Contour at 11.9 seconds to 60 with an automatic and a 4 cylinder engine. The Mazda 626 was nearly as pokey at 11.6 seconds. The Camry rung in at 11 seconds.
The Accord was the speedster with the deceased Dodge Stratus at 9.4 seconds. Yet in the 1990s, this was acceptable? I had some 90s Hondas and while they weren’t speedsters, I could safely merge into traffic and I lived in both NYC and Chicago.
If you’re driving in city traffic, this is perfectly adequate. A better measure of its utility would be its 0-30 time. The chances of you hitting 60 mph in NYC or Chicago or LA traffic at rush hour is nil.
As Eric said, people have much better performing cars with stickier rubber and poke around with their vehicles through stoplights and stop signs like they have bias ply bicycle tires and hamster wheel motors.
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a71076094/1998-mid-size-sedan-archive-comparison-test/
I would buy one in a heartbeat to drive to work.
I don’t need airbags or backup cameras, nor do I want to pay for it.
Which is why I drive a 25 year old truck.
‘An optional turbocharged engine bumps the top speed up to about 112 MPH.’ — eric
112 MPH in a tiny minivan — YEEHAW! If you had turned me loose in one of these as a 16-year-old high school driver, my life expectancy would have been about 3 weeks.
‘Imagine what a used Flair would cost.’
This is a prickly subject on Planet Japan because of the dreaded shaken [sha = vehicle, as in ricksha; ken = look, roughly as in ‘beyond one’s ken’]. Goolag AI explains:
Japan’s mandatory shaken (車検) auto inspection system is still strictly in effect. Under the Road Transport Vehicle Act, all automobiles and motorcycles undergo these comprehensive periodic roadworthiness tests.
How the Shaken System Works Today
Inspection Cycles: New passenger vehicles must undergo their first shaken at three years. After that, owners must pass the inspection every two years.
What is Checked: Inspectors rigorously examine the vehicle for safety, emissions compliance, illegal modifications, and roadworthiness.
Costs & Requirements: The renewal combines inspection costs, weight tax, and mandatory liability insurance. Because it typically costs between ¥100,000 and ¥150,000 (roughly $690 to $1,000 USD), some owners choose to trade in their vehicles before their first or second shaken.
____________
Typically, those 3 to 5-year-old vehicles are exported elsewhere in Asia, anywhere from Thailand to Afghanistan. But not to the US-frickin-A, which has its own oppressive, arbitrary legal regimes. Freedumb, bitchez! Ain’t wavin’ no flag here … naw. 🙁
Looks to me like Russians are WAY more free to buy a simple car…Look at the Lada Niva Legend.No driver aid bullshit, 5 speed manual 4×4,a locking center diff, port fi engine only 1 stupid hair bag…. For about 12k in usd funny money. Almost the same as the 1977 model.
Trump Derangement Syndrome is strong with this author. Eric needs a therapist.
Oy vey, Mot –
Is it “deranged” to point out facts? Or is it deranged to be unable to acknowledge them?
Where are the “tiny cars” Trump said were coming? Oh, that’s right. He never actually said that, did he. He said they’d be allowed to be made here. But he implied they’d be available to buy here. A deliberate shuck and jive to get a moment’s applause. A con, in other words. How about those $5k DOGE checks? How about no wars and lower gas prices and cost of living? Never mind. Cue up the Lee Greenwood song!
I’d really like an answer – though I do not expect one. You’re almost certainly a drive-by type who hurls some poo and then disappears.
Duck Ai: “Personal attacks on comments are called ad hominem attacks, which involve criticizing the character or motives of the person making an argument instead of addressing the argument itself.”
“Trump derangement syndrome (TDS) is a pejorative term used by some of Donald Trump’s supporters to dismiss criticism of him as irrational or disconnected from his actual policies. The phrase originated from conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer during the George W. Bush administration and has been applied to other presidents as well.”
—————–
Humans are emotional irrational animals with big brains and have the ability to be viscious and evil. Libertarian thinking is a valiant attempt to think things calmly and rationally, developing arguments for policy changes on reason and logic.
Just so you know, Libertarians rarely ever achieve 1% of the vote. That should tell you something about the people who live around you and why living far far away from most people is a damn good idea,
Hi Jack,
I did not know that “TDS” originated with Krauthammer. That odious Zionist shill is insufferable.
The ‘Krauthammer’ entity expired eight years ago. Truth in advertising would have required ‘Krauthammer’ to rebadge himself as ‘Goyhammer.’
‘His father demanded that he learn Talmud; in addition to his school’s required Talmud studies, Krauthammer took extra Talmud classes three days a week. This was not enough for his father who hired a rabbi to provide private instruction on the Talmud three nights a week.’ — Wikipedia
Yeah, it showed. And the WaPo syndicated K’s odious, fake-conservative, zionist goyslop. 🙁
“ Most Amerikans are spoiled, privileged stupid children who are impressed by power – powerful cars, powerful careers, powerful nation. They all go together to create hell on earth. Often soldiers buy huge ugly military style vehicles like the Hummer because of their low IQ and even smaller penis. ”. Yukon Wackjob
Way to make your point with endless ad hominem attacks. You sir are an alien worshiping dope and a hypocrite to boot.
And stop clogging up the road with your retarded hypermiling. LOL.
Right on cue the entire Jew ATM lights up to tell Americans what to think so Jews and their corrupt puppets can keep ripping us off (and committing genocide in Palestine):
“Donald Trump: Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with TDS? The symptoms can be relentless. Fortunately, I’m Dr. Trump, and I have a treatment plan. Let’s hear what some of my patients have to say.
Rosie O’Donnell: I have been suffering for over a decade, and after listening to Dr. Trump, I can see some results.
John Leguizamo: Man, I’ve been suffering for years. I really didn’t believe that was help out there. That was when I came across this video on TV.
Whoopi Goldberg: I really thought I was a lost cause. This was gonna affect me for the rest of my life. But after using the treatment plan, I can see a difference.
Donald Trump: I really wasn’t sure I could help some of these people. They were so far gone, I wasn’t really sure.
Edward Norton: I had no idea how much this was affecting my life. My work has slowed down. I’m hardly recognizable anymore. I just needed help.
Robert De Niro: I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. Constantly angry. I made everyone miserable around me.
Julia Roberts: I feel like I’ve aged 20 years in the last two years. I’ve been so concerned, I was really starting to worry about my future.
Donald Trump: The treatment is simple: turn off fake news, say your prayers, and if you ever feel anxious, just have a Diet Coke like me, and you’re gonna see a remarkable difference in your life.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@realdonaldtrump/video/7657935670391901471
Thank you, Eric Peters, for bringing me this news that I would not have except for you!
You bet, AJC!
I also get hit with the “TDS” canard. I got the same during Bush’s tenure. I was a “liberal” for questioning The Decider. As bad as actual liberals are, I consider “conservatives” worse. They talk about freedom and pretend to admire small government but only insofar as it suits them. Not in principle. They have no principles, in other words.
“Barabbas was a notorious prisoner chosen by the crowd to be released instead of Jesus during a Passover custom where Pontius Pilate could pardon one prisoner. The crowd’s choice to free Barabbas, a bandit, over Jesus, who was innocent, led to Jesus’ crucifixion.”
Don’t let them crucify you Eric.
Trump is deranged
He is also corrupt and a serial liar
The 1/3 of americans who still like him have trump worship syndrome
The internet was invented for ad hominem attacks by people hiding their identities with monikers. If you don’t believe me, just ask al gore — he invented the internet
Hi Richard,
“Trump Worship Syndrome”. – TWS. I love it! Going to use that as a reply to any of his cult members who accuse me of TDS.
Nah, Mot Yellamo. It’s not Trump derangement syndrome, it’s Trump DISAPPOINTMENT syndrome.
Back away from the Fox News for a bit, bro.
The fact that cars like the Mazda Flair are not for sale in the United States is one of the reasons why I am skeptical of the whole “climate change as existential crisis” idea.
If indeed climate change is an existential crisis, and it’s because of carbon dioxide emissions (which it’s not), the only way to deal with it is to Burn Less Fuel. Cars like the Mazda Flair do indeed Burn Less Fuel—a lot less fuel. Plus, they’re so cheap that quite a few people can pay cash for them (More on that later).
But because the Mazda Flair is not compliant with the safety fatwas of the regulatory ayatollahs (it is actually safe if not driven by a Clover), you can’t have it…So, which is more important? Saaaaaaafety or the Cliiiiiimate? Pick one, because you can’t have both.
Methinks Mazda is OK with that, because first, Mazda’s dealers don’t make most of their money actually selling cars, but on financing them. Plus, cars that cheap would cut into their used car and trade-in sales.
Other reasons why I’m skeptical about the whole climate change as existential crisis are the sprouting of AI data centers like mushrooms after a rain storm, the likes of which use tremendous amounts of energy, and the return to office mandates companies foist upon their employees…But I digress.
Well-said, Bryce –
It’s obvious to any thinking person that “climate change” is just another ruse to scare people and get them to accept what they would otherwise not tolerate. “COVID” was another such.
It’s infuriating. This little Mazda could provide enormous relief from the financial pressure bearing down on millions of people. I am especially ticked off over the denial of affordable first cars to young people. Anyone with a full-time job can afford a $10,000 car. A high school kid working part time could afford this car. But that is precisely why we’re not allowed to have access to such cars. They want us broke and in debt. Period.
Correct! Climate change is gigantic political hoax. Contrary to what the average moron thinks, including some commenters, CO2 has never forced warming on earth. I have tried, over the years to provide evidence in the form of charts to prove this. Recently, I re-discovered the YT videos by scientist Rod Martin Jr.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH5ATcpMJQo&t=1s
“CO2 has never forced warming on earth”
WRONG
more CO2 in the atmosphere always impedes earth’s ability to cool itself
99.9% of scientists agree with that
the other 0.1% are crackpots
.
Check the recent ice core data – shows no relationship whatsover between atmospheric CO2 and temperature going back millions of years.
Nature has been removing CO2 from the atmosphere for billions of years. about 50 or 60 years ago humans began adding too much CO2 to the atmosphere for nature to absorb.
more CO2 in the atmosphere always impedes earth’s ability to cool itself by increasing the greenhouse effect
This fact is not refuted by anything from the ice core data. … ice core data do not include any man-made CO2 emission and therefore cannot be used to explain any effects of man-made CO2 emissions
Nonsense. The source of the CO2 in the atmosphere is irrelevant. It’s either there or it isn’t. It either affects temperature or it doesn’t. The data clearly shows no relationship between atmospheric CO2, regardless of how it got there, and temperature.
You’re slipping, Richard. It’s okay, it’ll happen to all of us eventually.
“99.9% of scientists agree with that”
They also agreed that the wearing of a mask would stop a disease. Whomever chooses to listen to the “experts” after that embarrassing debacle is certifiably retarded.
You don’t agree with what scientists say about masks and therefore everything scientists say about every subject is wrong = that’s not brilliant
One problem with mask studies is that people who wear masks are more likely to social distance and work from home, both of which reduce the probability of getting a respiratory infection.
scientists can be right or wrong just like regular people
Richard,
It has become reasonable – sensible – to question “the science” in view of the way science has been politicized. Immeasurable damage was done to the reputation of scientists who told people that “masks work.”
“I’m skeptical about the whole climate change as existential crisis”
Excellent observations! Is the Mazda Flair, or other KEI cars, without airbags less safe than a motorcycle? Motorcycles have no seatbelts and no airbags AND no metal shell around the driver.
Climate alarmists are anti oil and anti data centers
That means they even oppose a high mile per gallon gasoline engine
Climate activists and local communities are increasingly opposing both the fossil fuel industry and the unrestricted expansion of AI data centers
some climate alarmists oppose nuclear energy too.
These beliefs are not based on facts data and logic.
They are based on climate propaganda, convincing 45% of the american people that global warming will be dangerous within their lifetimes. It would not surprise me if climate alarmists announced this year that global warming will kill your dog.
On another auto news website, I was attacked in the comments section when I dared suggest that the entire safety and CAFE regulatory morass be scrapped to give customers a CHOICE. Like this vehicle.
Here’s one illuminating response:
“Ah….why would you trade anything for safety? “Eh, I wouldn’t mind driving around in a less safe car, I mean if I could save some cash and better MPG and HP.”Like WTF?Just buy something old…move to a non-emission state, rip all the EPA stuff off, tune it to your hearts content and takes ya chances.”
It’s amazing how people conflate a car being non-compliant with being unsafe.
The response when I suggested that mandating every vehicle be regulated into being a porky M1A4 Abrams killed Volvo and Saab’s business model was pure denial, although it took away the primary reason to buy one.
One commentator also said a 300-pound weight gain since 1996 was a small price to pay in the case of a Honda Civic, which has gotten porkier as the engine has gotten a lot smaller and more complex. My response was those advances could’ve made the Civic even better if unburdened by the conflicting demands of safety and CAFE regulations.
How is it heresy to allow people to choose if they’d rather drive a tank or something lighter and more efficient that could easily avoid an accident by being nimble like a motorcycle?
It sucks that we’re being infantilized so we aren’t allowed to make that choice. It also sucks that the automakers support this rigmarole to prevent competition from entering the market.
Morning, Dr. Mantis!
Yup. So many Americans are totalitarian minded. “Safety” is purely superficial. No one here is suggesting people ought not to be allowed to buy a car with as many air bags and “assists” as they want to buy. The thing we object to is this business of forcing (effectively) everyone to buy them. Why not allow people who are willing to assume the modest (and hypothetical) risk of driving a car without air bags because they esteem the certainty of a lower purchase price, high mileage and simplicity free to freely assume the risk? It is their business, after all. To those who say “social costs” or something like that, I say: Ok, asshole. I’m about to go for a five mile run in 90 degree heat because it is how I stay healthy. I think you should be made to run, too – and also to maintain less than 8 percent body fat, too. If you’re a fatty, you get fined. Because “social costs.”
I despise these totalitarian-minded people. I would make it a capital offense, if it were in my power, to attempt to impose anything on anyone. Like Crassus, I would have them crucified and strung up along the highway for 100 miles to make the point. (How ’bout them apples, Richard?)
I do not need a car with airbags because I am a damn good driver. Let those who question their ability to operate a machine safely buy machines with safety features. Leave the rest of us alone. I owned a 1982 Civic (1700 lbs) which had no air bags. I safely operated that vehicle with no accidents for hundreds of thousands of miles.
Have you all seen what a modern gas powered lawn mower looks like today?
LOL
I am of reasonable sound mind, I would not trying mowing a hedge with a lawn mower. Just because others have tried that, and lost arms is no reason to penalize me.
Nature does not care if you get it wrong. Nature does not care if you play with guns and shoot yourself. People shoot themselves by accident all the time. How would adding safety features to a gun make it more safe? Perhaps add a warning label to the cardboard shipping box, DO NOT OPERATE IF YOU ARE A MORON.
The US Government is not concerned about our safety (or even the precious wittle Jews of Israel – which Trump claims he loves). Trump attacked Iran illegally and immorally. Trump sent many soldiers on Iran missions which led to their deaths. Our soldiers stationed at numerous military bases around Iran also died when Iran retaliated. Furthermore, Iran also attack Israel which led to hundreds of Jew deaths.
IOW Donald John Trump killed the most Jews since Hitler.
BTW, online I’ve read comments by Jews who claim they are the smartest people. Is that so? Trump has made Jewish Israelis they less safe of any president so far – but these Israeli Jews love Trump and think of him as their savior.
That is the dumbest thing ever. By willfully doing the bidding of BB, the most insane psychopath on the planet, Israel is being literally destroyed because of what Trump is doing. That is real good short bus thinking. IMO the smart Jews have long ago left Israel. The really smart Jews, like Albert Einstein, refused to partake in the Zionist project.
Amen, Jack –
I’ve been driving a long damned time now and haven’t needed an air bag even once. I also don’t need Depends.
“ I despise these totalitarian-minded people. I would make it a capital offense, if it were in my power, to attempt to impose anything on anyone. Like Crassus, I would have them crucified and strung up along the highway for 100 miles to make the point. (How ’bout them apples, Richard?)”
Do you not see the irony?
Wuxi,
No, I don’t – because there isn’t any. Do you understand what self defense is? Apparently not. Let me try to explain. There is nothing totalitarian in defending oneself against totalitarian people.
Oy vey.
This is why I think small cars have no future here. Too many people have bought into the idea that they need a tank with at least 250HP to be safe. If you sold a car with only 150HP they would think it’s a death trap.
But it looks like FIAT is going to bring a tiny car here. Smaller than the 500. It’s a golf cart basically but it might sell well in Florida and other resort areas. EV of course. Can’t imagine Eric driving this thing to town!
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a69673631/fiat-topolino-ev-coming-to-united-states/
Hi Klink,
Yes – and that little Fiat 500 EV will sticker for close to $30k, if I remember right. What they don’t want is any type of viable car that costs a third that much. Imagine being able to buy something like this $10k Mazda, brand new. It probably has a driving range of several hundred miles and it absolutely can be fully refueled in minutes.
This thing is smaller than a 500. Target price is under $12k supposedly. It’s just a glorified golf cart.
There are a lot of countries in the world where cheap vehicles (both to purchase and to operate) are available. India, China, Indonesia, Russia, Japan, Thailand, and many more.
No one is asking what the long term consequences will be if America fails to provide the same for its own citizens.
Quit whining about Trump! He is the very best prez this country has ever had.
Hi Roy!
I hope you’re not serious…
I had hope about Trump. That he was actually going to focus on America – and Americans. I believed his bullshit about avoiding Middle East wars. I was surprised and delighted by the DOGE show – until I recovered my senses and realized it was just that. A show. A con, more precisely. I’m done with being conned. If that means I have “TDS” then it is an honorable diagnosis!
Calvin Coolidge was our very best POTUS, because he did practically NOTHING.
A woman once bet Silent Cal that he couldn’t get through a well-attended White House social event without saying more than two words. All evening Coolidge remained stone-faced and silent. As he stood at the front door showing the guests out, he told the woman, ‘You lose.’ Bwa ha ha ha …
The official poll implemented by Donald Trump
Respondents to poll:
Donald Trump
Eric Trump
Dol Trump, Jr.
Official Result:
Donald Trump proclaimed to be the best leader in the history of the world
( also the best general after winning the battle of the reflecting pool )
“Quit whining about Trump! He is the very best prez this country has ever had.”
Thanks for the good laugh. I assume you are being sarcastic.
He has TWS, Trump Worship Syndrome! 😆
I am in no way in support of trump but this system of keeping the market controlled so that only the big boys can profit is not trumps system, it was established long long long before he was even a glimmer in israels eye…
That’s so, Just –
But it is also true that Trump led people to believe that “tiny cars” would be available. It was a lie. He is a serial liar. The most audacious and prolific liar to occupy the office during my lifetime. He makes Clinton seem honest.
The Flair is a rebadged Suzuki Hustler built specifically for Japan’s kei class. Mazda’s U.S. lineup is tailored to American tastes, regulations, and profitability, so a kei‑class crossover doesn’t fit the market
Mazda faces high tariffs on imported Japanese vehicles (around 15–25% depending on policy) To protect margins, Mazda sells larger, higher‑profit SUVs like the CX‑70 and CX‑90, reducing imports of smaller, less‑profitable models. The Flair, being a small, low‑margin import, is a candidate for this cutback. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026 (FY2026), Mazda Motor Corporation’s net profit margin was only 0.62%.
Automakers pay between $200 and $400 total to equip a new vehicle with two front and two side airbags. This wholesale price includes the nylon bags, chemical propellants, basic impact sensors, and integration into the vehicle’s main computer. Having 4 mandatory front airbags to the Flair would not increase the cost that much
Really, Richard?
How would you or anyone else know whether that is so? The answer is you don’t. You assume – and assert.
Why not let the market decide? why not remove the legal barriers to the availability of such cars? Then we’d know.
I think there is a huge market for $10,000 new cars. Can you imagine being able to write a check for a new car? Or pay it off in three years, making payments of $300 per month? How about $175 per month for five years? A car with everything necessary to be viable as well as comfortable for daily driving? That also gets 50 MPG? You really don’t think there’s a market for that?
How about being able to buy a used three-year-old one that’s like new (with low miles) for $5,000 or so?
You are a wealthy old man, probably pensioned and collecting SS and so utterly disconnected from the economic realities young people and working people have to deal with. Such as being in hock for six years on a car loan that costs $600 per month.
Also, your claim re air bags is fatuous. It also shows you apparently know next to nothing about vehicles. The air bags themselves are not expensive. But designing a vehicle around the SRS system is. Also, these cars would have to be completely redesigned to comport with roof crush/side and rear impact standards.
Oy vey.
“Richard’s” colorless, fact-filled replies strongly suggest a oppo-bot.
I’d like to meet his coder. 🙂
Eric, some have no ability to reason. That’s why AI is a good idea for some. They have a hard time putting thoughts togethersoare more than happy to let an Al Gore Ism fake thought on their behalf.
I just so happened to see this ad for a Honda Today car in Portland, Oregon last night:
nice pictures – interior is very basic like the old civics
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1022491943509144
Honda Today Car: Features a 656 cc (0.66 L) engine. Its curb weight is roughly 1,499 to 1,609 lbs
As we approach the Farce of July, it has become so painfully obvious how America is not only not the most free country, we seem to be one of the *least* free. Everyone is so surveilled, controlled and circuited. Everything requires a “mother, may I?”.
Regarding this little car, hell, if it were available, even I might be interested in buying one. But we are *not* free. It has been said that there is one message in government: You are not to be trusted.
Amen, BaDnOn!
A brand new little knocking around car for $10k? Hell yeah! It’s a Mazda, too – so probably very well-made and reliable/durable, too.
You Can’t Buy Mazda’s $10,000 Flair Crossover, And Not Just For The Obvious Reason
BY AAKASH BADREE JULY 2, 2026 7:29 AM EST
Read More: https://www.jalopnik.com/2206584/mazda-refreshed-flair-crossover-kei-car-10000-dollars-not-sold-in-usa/
New pen name?
The entire kei car class has fascinated me since I learned of them over 40 years ago. Ideal as first or economy cars, and second or commuter rides, i was always baffled why they weren’t allowed here until I became more educated in how political the entire transportation industry in the USA has been for decades. Unless the Japanese begin building them here in existing factories, i wouldn’t hold your breath to ever see them here, except from JDM importers.
Oy Vey!!! YMMV….