Best Japanese Cars: 10 Top Picks

What are the best Japanese cars currently on sale?

It depends on who you ask as everyone has their preferences. In fact, even us at AutoGuide can’t come to a concrete, clear decisions amongst ourselves. We all have our personal favorite Japanese cars. But to compile this list, we sat down, deliberated, debated, and finally came a conclusion. Below are our top picks for cars currently sold by manufacturers from Japan. They are spread across 10 popular segments and for the purposes of this list, we stuck with mainstream offerings, avoiding super niche vehicles as well as luxury offerings.

Let us know in the comments which choices you agree or disagree with.

The Honda Civic‘s recent overhaul transformed the car from great to fantastic. We liked it so much, it won the AutoGuide 2022 Car of the Year award. Many refer to the new generation Civic as a baby Accord due to its increased size and exterior styling. We tend to agree and consider this a compliment for the compact car. The Civic looks, feels, and drives like a more premium vehicle than its price point would suggest.

There’s also a lot of choice with the Civic. Two body styles are offered, a traditional sedan and a five-door hatchback. Regular versions of the car can be had with a naturally aspirated or small turbocharged engine. Those wanting a bit more sportiness can step up to the sedan-only Civic Si with a more powerful version of the turbocharged engine. But if it’s serious performance one is after, there’s also the Civic Type R with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that makes over 300 hp.

When Nissan unveiled the latest Rogue, we immediately liked the small SUV. Once the variable compression turbocharged engine joined the lineup a year later, it quickly became one of our segment favorites. Last year in an eleven-vehicle shootout, the Rogue finished third, and as expected, was the highest placing Japanese entry.

The Rogue is comfortable in terms of seats and ride quality. The small three cylinder turbocharged engine provides plenty of power around town and returns impressive fuel economy for a non-hybrid drivetrain. We’re also fans of the styling and the high feature content inside.

There aren’t a whole lot of wagons left on the market so this is an easy choice. Even if the Subaru Outback is technically considered a crossover/SUV, in essence, it’s still a lifted Subaru Legacy wagon with a ruggedized exterior. That extra ride height has many benefits, like a better view of the road ahead. But the the best aspect of the long travel suspension on the Outback is ride comfort. Nothing short of a speed bump is needed to really upset this chassis.

The Outback is available with a choice of engines, including a turbocharged BOXER four-cylinder similar to the one found in the sporty WRX. Those looking to really take this Subaru off the beaten path will appreciated the Outback Wilderness with its increased capabilities, all terrain tires, and impressive 9.5-inches of ground clearance.

Honda’s passenger car game is really strong right now, as evident with a second sedan from the Japanese manufacturer appearing on our list. All-new this year, the Honda Accord‘s lineup looks a bit different than before. It’s been simplified with the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine seeing duty in lower trimmed models while higher-spec cars receive the 204 hp hybrid set-up.

The Accords combination of appealing styling, good road manners, high feature content, and impressive fuel economy continue to keep it a segment front runner. Even with the family sedan market in a continual decline, there are still great products available like this Honda Accord.

Only a pair of minivans are left standing from Japanese manufacturers. The Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna. Although both are great choices, we give the nod to the Sienna for its greater choice and efficiency. All Siennas now come standard with a hybrid drivetrain that still generates a healthy 245 hp, but is capable of returning 36 mpg in relaxed, combined driving. Unlike the Odyssey, the Sienna can also be had with all-wheel drive, a nice bonus for those living in climates that experience a full four seasons every year.

There’s also a new trim now available called the Woodland Edition. It looks to bridge the gap between minivans and SUVs. With increased ground clearance, standard all-wheel drive, and a more rugged exterior, it should allow the Sienna to travel places few other minivans can.

There are so many great choices when it comes to three-row SUVs sold by Japanese manufacturers. They range in size from the compact Mitsubishi Outlander to the full-size Nissan Armada and Toyota Sequoia. But the bread and butter of the segment is with the mid-size vehicles, like our pick, the Mazda CX-9. Although it’s one of the older vehicles amongst its peers, it still offers the most premium interior coupled to appealing exterior styling. The turbocharged engine is a torque monster and the vehicle handles better than any three-row SUV should.

It may not be the most comfortable or spacious offering within the segment, but none of the Japanese three-row SUVs particularly excel in those categories. The CX-9’s reign may soon be over as Mazda is about to release a new model called the CX-90.

Pickup trucks have been part of the Japanese automotive scene for several decades. Currently there are a handful on sale today ranging from mid- to full-size trucks. Top amongst all the offerings, and our recommendation, is the Toyota Tundra. All new last year, the Tundra has dropped the V8 engine in favor of a turbocharged six-cylinder that can be had with or without hybrid assistance.

As a half-ton pickup, it is offered in a variety of cab and bed configurations to suite owner’s needs. The Tundra easily holds it own against the likes of the Nissan Titan as well as anything America has to offer. This year also saw the introduction of a new range-topping luxurious trim level called the Capstone.

It might come as a shock that we haven’t selected something in this category that’s more potent like the Nissan Z, Toyota Supra, or Nissan GT-R. But when it comes to thrills-per-dollar, nothing beats the Subaru BRZ (and its Toyota GR86 cousin). In real world driving at legal speeds, there aren’t many cars that produce more smiles per mile by simply commuting to and from work. The Subaru BRZ is the kind of car that makes one want to seek out the long way home (especially if it involves a lot of curves).

All new last year, the second generation BRZ/GR86 come with a larger, more powerful 228 hp 2.4-liter engine, but haven’t lost any of their predecessor’s razor sharp reactions. And in case you are wondering, yes, these cars can still drift quite easily.

Always a favorite choice amongst enthusiasts, the current MX-5 hasn’t lost any of that joy. In fact, this may well be the best version of Mazda’s little roadster yet. A fast revving 181 hp 2.0-liter engine sends power to the rear wheels through a choice of transmissions,. But to get the full MX-5 experience, the six-speed manual is a must.

Rounding out this list is our pick for the best electric vehicle. Compared to manufacturers from other countries, there are very few all-electric offerings from Japanese brands. One of the first EVs to come from Japan was the Nissan LEAF and it’s still the best. With a starting price of just over $28,000 before any tax credits, the Leaf is also one of the most affordable electric vehicles on sale today.

Now in its second generation of existence, The LEAF features more grown-up, contemporary styling and a very usable interior. It comes in a choice of two configurations which differ by motor output and battery size.