3 Best Japanese Automakers

By Carl Keller

Japan has been manufacturing vehicles for nearly as long as America, to the wonder of some. Because the American car business has changed, so has Japan's. To this day, however, Japan still has the best concentration of automakers of any country on earth: 9 to be exact. 3, but, are real standouts producing not only top quality vehicles but reaching well beyond Japan to any or all corners of the planet. Let's take a peek at the prime 3 and how they're impacting the North American market.

Toyota - As the largest of all Japanese automakers, Toyota ranks only second to General Motors in international production. Toyota cars were first introduced to the North American market in the Nineteen Sixties and were, at the time, widely panned by critics as being too little and inferior in quality. By the late Seventies, Toyota excellence levels began to exceed the trade standard. Nowadays, some take into account Toyota the benchmark by which all car lines are judged; the corporate's Lexus line of luxury cars and Scion brand of youth oriented vehicles are leaders in their respective classes.

Honda - The sole thing Honda lacks versus Toyota is size. Still, after you compare Honda vehicles with comparable Toyota models, Honda holds its own. The first Honda, a Civic, was introduced to the North Yank market in'71 and was soon followed by the Accord further as the Prelude. Routinely, the Accord battles Toyota's Camry for the top spot in U.S. automobile sales year in and year out, while the Honda Odyssey battles the Toyota Sienna for the very best quality minivan [Chrysler's minivans still are the most effective sellers]. Acura is Honda's luxury automotive division which has additionally competed successfully with Toyota's Lexus line up.

Nissan - Toyota and Honda are the only 2 fully independent Japanese automakers left in the world these days as Nissan has since ceded management to Renault, France's largest automaker. The primary Nissans to hit the North American market did thus within the'60s underneath the Datsun model name. By the first Eighties the Datsun name was jettisoned in favor of Nissan and today the Nissan name is equated with some of the best quality cars on the road. Within the late'80s Nissan launched the Infiniti division, a maker of luxurious cars that routinely battles with the likes of BMW, Lexus, Acura, Cadillac, and Mercedes as a prime supplier of opulent vehicles.

Thus, there you have it. 3 top Japanese brands that have made a reputation for themselves. You'll not own a Toyota, a Honda, or a Nissan, however you've got to provide credit where credit is due: all three automakers are proven leaders during a highly competitive and every changing industry. - 29952

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here