Despite the hardships of the past year, Japan has remained one of the world's top exporters of sleek, improbably beautiful cars - such as Suzuki cars. But which ones are the best of the best? Here are our top ten Japanese cars of 2011-2012.
10: Toyota Highlander Hybrid: Japan loves its hybrids, and the Toyota Highlander is no exception. With crazy acceleration and ever-gaining horsepower, this is the car to watch in the coming months.
9: Lexus RX 350: A hefty thing to look at, you wouldn't imagine that the Lexus RX 350 would be inexpensive to purchase and maintain - but it does, in fact, get some of the best mileage out of any Japanese car seen in the past decade.
8: Honda Accord Coupe: With leather seats, leather steering and a 4-cylinder engine purring under the hood, driving an Accord is like living your own action movie. Who can resist?
7: Subaru Legacy: After a complete redesign in 2010, the Subaru Legacy emerged in 2011 with all-wheel drive, a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, and tons of updated features. Change can be for the better!
6: Toyota Vitz: A 5/6 manual transmission and 1.3 L engine makes the Vitz a tempting choice for any car enthusiast. Also keep an eye out for its brother, the Yaris Hybrid, expected to hit the streets of Europe sometime later this year.
5: Infiniti M: With curves you haven't seen since the Jaguar, the Infiniti M is a sports car that will be the envy of everyone you ever meet. The name is Bond, sir. James Bond.
4: Nissan Maxima: Not only is it a sleek piece of machinery, but the Nissan Maxima is also the cream of the crop when it comes to safety and value - it won five stars from the NHTSA and four years of blue ribbons from ALG.
3: Suzuki Grand Vitara: This car ranks well for people looking for an affordable and compact SUV that’s great for city driving and reliability off-road as well.
2: Honda CR-Z: Improving on the usual two-part internal combustion engine, the Honda CR-Z has unveiled its Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) which combines both - and delivers a stronger, faster performance for anyone lucky enough to operate it.
1: Toyota Prius: The best-selling car in Japan for three years running, the Toyota Prius has also redefined the image of hybrids everywhere. For price, functionality and reputation, it gets our top spot as the #1 Japanese car of the year.
10 Best Japanese Cars of 2011-2012