by Gabrielle DeSantis

Toyota SUVs tend to be long-lasting and reliable. For that reason, they tend to hold their value well, even with 100,000 miles or more. If you’re looking for a clean low-mileage 1990s 4×4, it’s worth considering one that has been imported from the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM). Once a foreign vehicle is 25 years past its production date, it becomes eligible for import to the US.

Many Japanese drivers put on fewer miles per year than we generally do in the US. With relatively low-mileage examples still available, a JDM Toyota SUV can be a fantastic option. Here are some models that you can now buy and potentially drive in the US, depending on your local regulations.

1990-1995 Land Cruiser Prado

The Land Cruiser is legendary worldwide for being one of the most rugged and reliable SUVs around. The Prado models are no exception and they were new additions to the Toyota lineup for 1990. Though related to the Land Cruiser 70-series, they had unique sheet metal and integrated more conveniences and modern features. Vented disc brakes were standard on both two-door and four-door models of the Prado.

Original JDM Prados had a 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel called the 2L-TE. While not exactly bristling with power at 95 hp and 141 lb-ft of torque, it is known for being robust and durable. From 1993, the Prado range was updated with the more gutsy 3.0-liter 1KZ-TE, producing 130 hp and 212 lb-ft of torque. An intercooled version of the 1KZ was also available with 145 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque.

1996-1997 Land Cruiser Prado

The next generation of the Land Cruiser Prado came in 1996, with longer, wider, and more rounded bodywork. Toyota also improved the suspension with a double-wishbone independent configuration up front, and a new multi-link setup out back. Head and legroom inside were increased as well.

For ’96 Toyota offered a choice between the 1KZ-TE turbo diesel or the 3.4-liter DOHC V6, known as the 5VZ-FE. The V6 was available in the US-spec 4Runner from 1995 through 2004, so parts will generally be more common than those for JDM Toyota diesels. The Prado was also available in a short wheelbase three-door variant called the RX.

1984+ Toyota Hilux Surf: a.k.a. JDM 4Runner

We’ve had the 4Runner in the US since the mid-1980s, but clean low-mileage examples of the early ones are getting pretty rare. Known in Japan as the Hilux Surf, it was available with a wider range of engines than the US-spec 4Runner. JDM models were powered by gasoline inline-fours and V6s, as well as turbo diesels.

With the 2.7-liter and 3.4-liter gasoline models, parts availability should be very similar to the US versions, aside from anything specific to right-hand drive. While that’s a plus, the diesel variants have their own unique advantages in torque and general longevity as well. Plue, there’s the exclusivity factor.

Final thoughts

Thankfully, buying a JDM import isn’t as difficult or time-consuming as it used to be. Toyota SUVs like these are frequently available at auction sites like Bring A Trailer, as well as import-focused dealerships like Japanese Classics. If you like driving something different and can handle the right-hand drive aspect, it’s a neat way to go.

RELATED: 5 Toyota SUVs That We Can’t Have in the States

The post 1990s JDM Toyota SUVs You Can Buy Now In the US appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

When the 2021 Lexus RC F Fuji Speedway Edition was initially dropped off to me, I marveled at the amount of carbon fiber that the car was wearing. There’s a carbon fiber hood and roof cap, and let’s not forget that large carbon fiber wing sitting on the trunk. It looks like a car from the Fast and Furious franchise. Truth be told, I knew almost nothing about this particular Lexus RC at the time. But after spending some time in it, I’ve realized that it is really fast, but I don’t feel like it’s that furious.

The Lexus RC F Fuji Speedway Edition is a very limited production car

The Lexus RC is a bit of an odd duck in the lineup. It’s a two-door coupe that’s meant to be sporty but feels really soft instead. The Lexus RC F kicks things up a notch with a V8 engine under the hood, so I gather that it feels even sportier (I’ve actually never driven one). However, the RC F Fuji Speedway Edition turns things way up by offering race-ready parts like the aforementioned carbon fiber bits in addition to other sporty features.

Those features include large carbon-ceramic brakes that sit behind 19-inch alloy wheels in addition to a Torsen limited-slip differential. All of that hardware works harmoniously with its stout 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces 472 hp @ 7,100 rpm and 395 lb-ft of torque. The power is routed through an eight-speed transmission and out to the rear wheels. But all of that stuff isn’t what makes this car special.

Instead, what makes it special is the fact that I’m driving 1 of only 60 Lexus RC F Fuji Editions that will ever be produced. And somehow, I’m left feeling like I want a little more out of it.

It’s fast, but it doesn’t feel fast

Car and Driver said that the RC F Fuji Edition looks like “a race car stripped of its numbers and sponsorship decals,” and I completely agree. They also put the car through its paces on their test track, which resulted in a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.0 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 12.4 seconds. That’s a fast car, especially considering it weighs 3,839 pounds, but I’m still not convinced. Then again, I realize that it’s probably because I don’t have a race track to drive this thing on.

I have driven it around town and on the freeway, though, just like many of the lucky 60 owners of this car will do. In “comfort mode,” the RC F feels almost as sedate and easy-to-drive as its ES sedan stablemate. The suspension softens up and the steering feels somewhat light.

However, throw it into “sport” or “sport +” and the steering stiffens up, the throttle is more responsive, and the car sounds more lively. In those modes, it’s hard not to bury the throttle every chance you can get. I can tell you that the sonorous roar of the monstrous V8, especially in the upper RPM range, made me want to keep my foot to the floor.

But since I could only drive the RC F Fuji on the street, and mash the pedal between stoplights, that’s where the fun ended for me. Don’t get me wrong, the car feels quick off the line. But the shifts from the traditional automatic transmission bog it down a little whereas a dual-clutch transmission might not. Additionally, its high-rpm nature is probably a blast to drive on a track, but on the street, it can be tough to keep it there without inadvertently speeding into the triple digits.

The car makes getting on the freeway a lot of fun, though.

I can’t afford a speeding ticket

Ultimately, the 2021 Lexus RC F Fuji Speedway Edition is an extremely well-built and very fast sports coupe. But there’s a reason that it’s named after a racetrack and not a street. It belongs in a place where the driver can take advantage of its high-revving nature and relentless agility.

And yes, technically, I could drive it like that on the street, but I can’t afford a speeding ticket. So for now, I’ll drive it normally. It’s too bad that it doesn’t feel as impressive when you can’t drive it at its full potential. But at least it looks really cool with all of that carbon fiber.

RELATED: Is the 2021 Lexus RC Your Only Choice for a Luxury Coupe?

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