10 Japanese Cars That Have Dominated The US Market

Japanese brands have made a name for themselves as some of the most reliable manufacturers in the world. Like many other countries, the US has adopted Japanese cars quite well. Multiple cars like the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, Ram 1500, and Tesla Model Y are among the best-selling cars in the country in 2022.

But there are many Japanese cars and trucks from the likes of Toyota, Honda, Mazda, and Nissan that are just as popular as the ones we mentioned above. If you look at the 10 most popular cars in the US in 2022, exactly half of them are from Japanese brands, so clearly they are doing something right, especially for the American citizens.

Some of these shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of us, for two reasons. Since they are so popular, chances are, you or someone you know already has one of these, or at least considered them. Another reason is that these cars have been popular household names for a long time now. There aren’t many people, if at all, that haven’t heard of a Toyota Tacoma or a Honda Civic before.

10 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Units Sold In 2022: 6,172

Not many MX-5s got a new owner in 2022 compared to the past few years, but in the sports car segment, it’s still in the elite group. The Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang are the top-selling sports cars, but if we exclude muscle cars and focus only on sports cars, then the MX-5 comes out as the winner.

Also, Mazda MX-5 is the best-selling two-seat sports car in the world, let alone the US. During a time when sports cars are getting more and more complex, the MX-5 stays refreshingly simplistic and offers an unmatched driving experience for its price yet again. It’s also been a great cheap sports car for tuning.

2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata (Non-RF) Specifications:

Related: Here’s Why The 2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata Is One Of The Best Sports Cars Today

9 Honda Civic

Units Sold In 2022: 133,932

The Honda Civic has been around for more than half a century now. The Civic has evolved into a lot of things over the years, a hatchback, compact car, subcompact car, and a fully-fledged sports car. Over the years, the Civic has also become one of the best-selling cars of all time.

The heavy sales figure of the 2022 Civic suggests Honda has nailed the formula, and we can see why people would go for a Civic compared to something like an Elantra or Impreza. The new 2023 Civic features sharp handling, better-than-average fuel economy, and lots of modern tech features.

2023 Honda Civic Specifications:

Related: This Video Reviews Every Honda Civic Over Its 50 Year History

8 Nissan Altima

Units Sold In 2022: 139,956

The other Nissan that teamed up with the Rogue to outsell every other Nissan combined is none other than the Altima. The 2022 Nissan Altima got lots of praise for its mature exterior looks, spacious and sleek interior, decent power, good fuel economy, and value for money.

The 2023 Altima comes with a new face at the front, albeit, still a part of the 2019-present sixth generation. The new one also brings a handful of new features, including a new optional 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay. So we’d say things are looking good for this midsize sedan.

2023 Nissan Altima Specifications:

Related: The Redesigned 2023 Nissan Altima Offers Unadulterated Fun In An Alluring Package

7 Honda Accord

Units Sold In 2022: 154,612

Honda Accord is one of the most revered cars in the market today with its exceptional technology and safety features. This has also allowed it to become one of the best-selling cars of all time. The American market saw a similar trend, with over 150,000 units sold in 2022. The new 11th generation of the sedan expects to see the same from 2023 onwards.

Safety is the Accord’s top priority, and every Accord in the market comes with Honda Sensing, a collection of sophisticated drive aids like lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, front collision warning, and automatic brakes. Honda’s strong brand reputation helps as well, and the Accord has always remained an affordable and sensible choice for people all over the world.

2023 Honda Accord Specifications:

6 Nissan Rogue

Units Sold In 2022: 186,481

Nissan hasn’t enjoyed quite the number of sales and popularity as fellow Japanese manufacturers Toyota or Honda. But two of Nissan’s models are so popular, they outsell all the other Nissan models combined, almost every year. One of those uber-popular models is the Nissan Rogue.

In 2022, the small SUV saw 186,481 new owners seeking a decent SUV for a cheap price, and it seems like that trend will keep going this year as well. The 2023 Nissan doesn’t seem to have any major faults regarding comfort, storage, price, efficiency, or power.

2023 Nissan Rogue Specifications:

5 Toyota Tacoma

Units Sold In 2022: 215,853

The Ford F-150 may remain the best-selling truck in America. But the Toyota Tacoma has become the best-selling midsize pickup in America. Like most other Japanese cars, the Tacoma is an affordable alternative in its segment, and it offers a great resale value.

With almost a quarter of a million units sold in 2022, the Tacoma’s sales dipped ever so slightly compared to 2021, but it’s still a chart-topper as far as the midsize pickup segment goes.

2023 Toyota Tacoma Specifications:

Related: 2024 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter: Pros And Cons

4 Toyota Corolla

Units Sold In 2022: 222,216

The Toyota Corolla is a legendary Japanese car that redefined its segment with more than 50 Million units made so far and is the most popular Japanese car in the world. In 2022, Toyota sold 222,216 Corollas in the US alone, with another million of them in the rest of the world.

The Corolla was also the best-selling vehicle overall in Florida and Puerto Rico in 2022. The 2023 Corolla comes with minor updates to its style and powertrain, and a next-gen infotainment system.

2023 Toyota Corolla Specifications:

3 Honda CR-V

Units Sold In 2022: 238,155

The Civic and Accord may be popular cars, but they’re not Honda’s best-selling cars of 2022. That title would go to the CR-V. SUVs are getting more popular by the year, and the CR-V is yet another example of an SUV outselling a very popular car. One of the main reasons behind the CR-V’s popularity is its high competency in multiple areas.

It’s tech-loaded, fuel-efficient, reliable, practical, and has decent power. Honda managed to squeeze all of that into an affordable package as well! There aren’t many threats to the fully-redesigned 2023 CR-V except maybe fellow Japanese small SUVs, Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-50.

2023 Honda CR-V Specifications:

Related: How The All-New 2023 Honda CR-V Raised The SUV Bar

2 Toyota Camry

Units Sold In 2022: 295,200

The Toyota Camry remains a go-to choice for a lot of Americans wanting to buy a new car. Like most other Japanese cars, the Camry is reliable and Toyota has been offering quite a decent powertrain in the last few models.

The top-of-the-line Camry TRD, for example, comes with a 3.5-liter V6 that churns out 301 hp. Apart from that, the Camry also maintains good fuel efficiency and offers some of the best tech in the market for its price. These are some of the reasons why the still remains one of the best-selling sedans in the USA.

2023 Toyota Camry Specifications:

1 Toyota RAV4

Units Sold In 2022: 366,741

Washington, Oregon, Illinois, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The Toyota RAV4 was the best-selling vehicle in all these states in the year 2022. If this isn’t a clear indication of market dominance, we don’t know what is.

What’s more baffling is that there are other SUVs that are slightly better than the RAV4 in certain areas. But the RAV4 delivers where it matters most: Affordability, reliability, and practicality. Pair that with Toyota’s image and trustworthiness, and the RAV4 enjoys a healthy dose of new owners every year.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Specifications: