Civic Type R

Make
Honda
Segment
Hatchback

The United States is very, very odd market for cars. It is very expensive to make a car conform to US safety and emissions regulations, so many models don't end up making it to our shores. Most consumers are unaware that there are tons of amazing models that they can't buy. Unfortunately, because of outdated legislation you can't just import what ever car you want unless it is 25-years-old. With that in mind, here are the top five cars that we desperately wish were available in the US.

If you want the most entry-level Mercedes-Benz in the US, you would be looking at the CLA sedan. The CLA is Mercedes' attempt to sell the A-Class hatchback to US consumers. Just looking at the lackluster sales of the Audi A3 hatchback in the US, Mercedes knew that a sedan would be more effective in the US. Even Audi now sells the A3 as a sedan. We wish that Americans could embrace hatchbacks, because the A-Class is one of the most handsome hot hatches that we have ever seen. Mercedes basically sells this car already, but it is raised up by a meaningless amount and branded as the GLA SUV. Come on, Mercedes, at least give us the CLA shooting brake!

The Volkswagen Scirocco is such an obvious choice for a car that should come to the US. The car is underpinned by same platform as the Golf, but is styled to be sportier with a lower roofline. Volkswagen used to sell the Scirocco here in the 1980s but refuses to reintroduce the car to the US market. Volkswagen claims that the Scirocco might make away from GTI sales, and we certainly don't disagree. We bet that many Americans would prefer the sexy styling of the Scirocco over the rather blend-in nature of the GTI. Until Volkswagen finally realizes that this car could be a hot seller, we will simply continue to lust over it.

In the United States, the "sportiest" Honda Civic is the Si. The last Si, which just went out of production, had a 205-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder. That is more than 100 horsepower less than the latest Civic Type R, which comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. The US has never actually received a Type R Civic, and this needs to change. Honda has announced that the newest Type R should make its way to our shores, but so far no official announcement regarding its arrival has been made. Even the previously Europe-only Focus RS came stateside, with celebrity fans in tow. We wouldn't mind if Honda offered a Type R as a sedan instead of a hatchback as long as we get the same 310-horsepower turbocharged engine.

In Europe, Audi offers many models that are not offered in the US. We would love to see the RS3, RS6, and S1 come to the land of the free and the home of the brave. But if we had to pick one model to bring over based on assumed sales success, it would be the A5/S5 Sportback. In the US, Audi does offer the gorgeous A7 Sportback, but it starts at almost $70,000. For those who love the idea of a sexy coupe roofline incorporated seamlessly into a hatchback's design, the A5 and S5 Sportback is the car for you. Audi has said that the next-generation A5 Sportback could come to the United States, and we can only hope that the twin-turbocharged V6 S5 is given the Sportback treatment as well.

Like other cars on this list, the Holden Maloo does have a US counterpart, the Chevrolet SS. However, unlike the other cars on this list, the Maloo is actually a truck. In Australia, one of the most popular types of vehicles on sale is the Ute. These are basically like El Caminos, except they never went extinct. Ford also built a Ute called the Falcon, which was just killed off. The Maloo's production will soon end as well, but we think that there would be a demand to keep making the Ute. The most powerful version of the Maloo comes with a supercharged LSA V8 with 580 horsepower. Americans love trucks, so why wouldn't a truck that is also a sports car do pretty well?