2000 Daihatsu Hijet 4WD Kei Truck

This 2000 Daihatsu Hijet came in with 30,341 miles on the clock, which is genuinely low for a 25-year-old kei truck that's spent its life doing farm and utility work in Japan. It's a 4WD model with the full 5-speed manual gearbox and a proper hi/low transfer case, not the 2WD-with-a-lever setup you see on some import lots. We went through the drivetrain, checked the bed and frame for rust, and confirmed everything shifts and engages the way it should before it went up for sale at $4,500.

The Hijet is the truck most American kei truck owners end up recommending to their neighbors. Daihatsu built it in huge numbers for Japanese farmers, landscapers, and municipal crews, so the design has been beaten on and refined for decades. The 660cc three-cylinder isn't going to win any drag races, but it sips fuel, revs happily all day, and parts support in the US has gotten a lot easier to find over the last few years thanks to the number of these trucks now on the road.

What the 4WD and Transfer Case Actually Get You

Low range matters more than most first-time buyers expect. On flat gravel or pavement you'll run it in 2WD high like any other truck, but drop into low range and this Hijet will crawl up a muddy pasture incline or ease a loaded trailer down a boat ramp without drama. The 5-speed manual gives you real control over engine braking on grades, which the automatic Hijets can't match. Combined with the tight turning radius and narrow stance typical of the model, it's an easy truck to place in spots a full-size pickup simply can't reach.

Practical uses for a truck like this one show up fast once it's on your property:

• Hauling feed and fencing on a ranch
• Running gear between rows on a small farm or nursery
• Pulling duty around a hunting camp or deer lease
• Trail and firebreak access at a campground
• Job site errands that don't need a full-size truck
• Snow and mud travel with low-range 4WD

It's not a highway cruiser and we won't pretend otherwise — kei trucks top out around 55-60 mph and this one is built for low-speed work, not interstate miles. But for the price of a used ATV, you get an enclosed cab, a real bed, and a drivetrain that's proven itself over a couple decades of service. We deliver door-to-door anywhere in the lower 48, and the whole purchase runs through a secure bank transfer, so there's no dealership back-and-forth involved. If you want more photos or a walk-around video of this specific Hijet before you commit, just ask.