The Reason You Can't Buy Toyota's HiAce Cargo Van In America

The HiAce is a line of Toyota vans which can be configured either as passenger or cargo vehicles. You can expect anywhere from a 2.5L diesel up to a 3.5L gas-powered engine and a range of configurations depending on where you are in the world. According to Toyota, between 1967 and 2019, more that 6.24 million HiAce vans had been sold across several continents. Sounds great, so why can't you buy one in the U.S.? 

There are likely a few reasons the Japanese automaker hasn't pursued the North American market with its HiAce. First, Toyota did introduce a van in the 1980's, and discontinued it. Despite outselling its rivals Mitsubishi and Nissan at the time, the market began shifting toward minivans. So, the automaker opted to push the Previa in 1991, which was larger and a better fit with U.S. tastes at the time. 

In addition, believe it or not, van competition is fierce in the states, with the market held tightly by the likes of Ford and Ram, among others. Toyota would have to invest a significant amount of resources to try break into the U.S. market, with no guarantee of success. This would make the move a riskier business proposition than focusing their HiAce efforts elsewhere in the world. Lastly, North America has had an import tariff specifically targeting commercial vans since 1963, and some automotive enthusiasts are declaring "It's time for the Chicken Tax to die." The Chicken Tax is a 25% tariff on some vehicle types, including imported vans. This tariff essentially removes Toyota's ability to be competitive against Ford and Ram.

One of the big hurdles for a foreign automaker trying to launch a vehicle in the U.S. is ensuring it conforms to the latest safety and emissions rules. While Toyota has been selling HiAce vans for years around the world, it wouldn't immediately meet the required standards for U.S. markets. And due to the 25-year import rule on vehicles made outside the U.S., you'd be prohibited from legally driving a new HiAce for quite some time. This ban has been a thorn in the side of auto enthusiasts for years, who long to get their hands on certain foreign vehicles. We even asked readers a while back about it and received many great opinions on which 25-year-old cars they'd want to import if they could right now.

Fortunately, there are 1990's era Toyota HiAce vans for sale in the states, and they've already gone through the hassle of the import process. For example, a used HiAce can be purchased for between less than $13,000 up to around $20,000. The odometer can vary on these models, however, you can find options with mileage under 45,000. One of the most interesting aspects of these used HiAce vans are all the various customizations you can find. For example, you can find Coleman camper conversions, 4WD pickup conversions, custom paint jobs, and more.