Japanese Car Brands: Which Makes Come From Japan and How They Differ

The main Japanese car brands

A Japanese car brand is one whose parent company is headquartered in Japan. The brands most US shoppers will encounter are listed below, grouped by their parent company.

Toyota – Japan's largest automaker, with a lineup that spans compact cars, family sedans, SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks. Lexus – Toyota's luxury division, positioned as a premium alternative with higher equipment levels and refinement. Honda – Known for cars, SUVs and minivans, and also a major maker of motorcycles, power equipment and engines. Acura – Honda's premium and performance-oriented division. Nissan – Offers a broad range of cars, crossovers, SUVs and trucks, and was an early mass-market electric vehicle maker. Infiniti – Nissan's luxury division. Mazda – A smaller automaker with a reputation for driver-focused handling and design. Subaru – Best known for all-wheel drive, which is standard across most of its US lineup. Mitsubishi – A smaller presence in the US market, focused mainly on crossovers and compact models. Suzuki – A major small-car maker globally, but no longer sells new cars in the US. Daihatsu – A Toyota subsidiary specializing in very small cars, not sold in the US. Isuzu – Focused on commercial trucks and diesel engines; in the US it sells commercial vehicles rather than passenger cars.

Japanese brands you can buy new in the US

Regional availability changes the practical answer for American buyers. Several Japanese brands are well established in Japan and other markets but either never sold passenger cars in the US or withdrew from it. If you are shopping new in the US, your realistic choices are these brands:

Toyota and Lexus; Honda and Acura; Nissan and Infiniti; Mazda; Subaru; Mitsubishi

Suzuki vehicles still appear on the US used market, and Suzuki continues to sell motorcycles and marine engines there. Isuzu passenger vehicles also turn up used from the years when the brand sold them in the US. Daihatsu cars and the tiny Japanese "kei" cars sometimes reach the US as imported used vehicles. Kei cars are a Japanese class of very small vehicles with limits on dimensions and engine size. Importing them is subject to US age and compliance rules rather than ordinary dealer sales.

Discontinued and lesser-known Japanese names

Some names you may see on older vehicles or in automotive history are Japanese but are not current mainstream brands in the US. Scion was a youth-oriented Toyota sub-brand that has since been folded back into Toyota. Datsun was the name Nissan originally used in export markets, including the US, before it standardized on Nissan. Hino, part of the Toyota group, builds medium and heavy trucks rather than passenger cars. Japan also has small specialty and boutique manufacturers that sell mainly in the domestic market.

Japanese brand vs. made in Japan

People asking what car brands are made in Japan often assume every Japanese-brand car is built there, and that is frequently not the case. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru and Mazda all operate assembly plants in North America. A large share of the Japanese-brand vehicles sold in the US are built in the US, Canada or Mexico. Some models, or certain versions of a model, are still imported from Japan.

Where a specific vehicle was built can depend on the model, the model year, the body configuration and sometimes the powertrain. Two examples of the same nameplate may come from different plants. Production locations also shift between generations, so a brand's general reputation tells you little about one specific car.

There are two simple ways to check a particular vehicle:

Look at the first character of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). A VIN starting with J indicates the vehicle was built in Japan. Vehicles built in the US typically start with 1, 4 or 5, Canada with 2 and Mexico with 3. Read the window sticker (Monroney label) on a new car. It lists the final assembly point and the country of origin for the engine and transmission, along with the share of US and Canadian parts content.

How the major Japanese brands differ

Japanese automakers are often grouped together, but each has its own priorities. The comparison below reflects their broad positioning rather than the details of any one model. Lineups, powertrain options and equipment levels vary by model year and market.

Brand | Market segment focus | General character; Toyota | Mainstream, very broad lineup | Wide choice of body styles; extensive hybrid offerings; Lexus | Luxury | Comfort and refinement; many hybrid versions; Honda | Mainstream | Practical cars and SUVs with an engineering-focused reputation; Acura | Premium | Sportier, upscale versions of Honda engineering; Nissan | Mainstream | Broad range including trucks and electric models; Infiniti | Luxury | Premium sedans and SUVs; Mazda | Mainstream, upper end | Emphasis on driving feel and interior design; Subaru | Mainstream | All-wheel drive on most US models; popular in snowy regions; Mitsubishi | Budget-oriented mainstream | Smaller lineup centered on crossovers

Ownership ties between Japanese automakers

Several Japanese brands are linked through corporate ownership or partnerships. That is why you will sometimes see shared engineering or jointly developed vehicles. Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino belong to the Toyota group. Toyota also holds equity stakes in Subaru, Mazda and Suzuki, and has worked with them on specific projects. Nissan and Mitsubishi are partners in an alliance with France's Renault. These ties can mean two vehicles from different brands share a platform or components, even when their badges and styling differ.

How to use this when shopping

Start by picking a brand whose overall focus matches your priorities. Toyota and Honda offer breadth, Mazda leans toward driving enjoyment, Subaru toward all-wheel drive and the luxury divisions toward comfort and features. Then compare individual models, since reliability, efficiency and features vary by model, generation and trim. If country of manufacture matters to you, check the VIN or window sticker of the exact vehicle rather than relying on the brand's home country.