German vs Japanese Cars – Which is Better?

Japan and Germany can be called as the two giants of car production in the world. Are Japanese cars better than German cars, or are German cars better?

Let’s use this article to talk about the differences between these vehicles, features, pros and cons, and how to choose the right vehicle for you.

But what needs to be said is that we cannot underestimate any of these vehicles. Because those companies are trying their best to send their vehicles to the market at the highest level.

Companies such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, MAN can be pointed out as German vehicle manufacturing companies. Then in the other group there are many companies like Toyota, Suzuki, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Lexus, Hino, Isuzu, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Komatsu, Daihatsu.

If you are looking to buy a car, you have many things to consider. I will also mention such things here. But no matter what, you should be able to be satisfied with the vehicle you buy. Therefore, the vehicle you buy should really be adjusted according to your taste and needs.

You can be satisfied when both your interest and need are fulfilled. Also, you need to think about how it affects your wallet when you buy a vehicle. But we are not talking about how to choose a vehicle in this article.

In this article, we are talking about the differences between the vehicles of these two countries, which country’s vehicles are more comfortable, which country’s vehicles are more powerful, which country’s vehicles are more durable and more reliable.

Here I hope to give you a very fair and balanced comparison. It also includes user experiences and general comments in between the technical details.

I am not trying to say that one of these two countries has better cars. Instead, I will tell you the pros and cons of both countries’ vehicles. Also, I have presented my personal views here.

11 Differences Between German & Japanese Cars

01. Fulfilling Customer Needs

I see the main difference between German and Japanese vehicles is that Japan often tries to satisfy the needs of the customer.

But the German manufacturers are trying to sell the vehicle by adding new and different features to their vehicles and creating a desire to use them in the customer.

Companies are usually very smart and consumers fall for their tricks very easily. If this is not viewed as a negative, but presented in a positive way, we can say that German companies often provide something beyond the customer’s needs.

But there is a small problem. That is, the customer has to pay more for those extra features. However, it is Japan that understands customer needs best and manufactures vehicles accordingly.

Winner: Japan 🇯🇵

02. Widespread in the World

Japan manufactures vehicles with mass production capacity. Thousands of vehicles of one model are produced and exported to many countries of the world. Compared to that, German companies have less vehicle production capacity.

According to the Statista website, Japan has exported approximately 3.82 million motor vehicles in the year 2021. That’s a really big number. Also, Japan often exports vehicles that have been used for a few years to low-income countries.

But German companies sometimes start building the vehicle only after a buyer places an order. Because German cars are bought after many extra features are added to the standard model. Then the companies customize the vehicle according to the customer’s request.

Japanese cars are also customized according to customer demand, but most of the time there are vehicles in the market with only standard features.

Winner: Japan 🇯🇵

03. Affordability

As mentioned before, Japan often produces vehicles that suit the needs of consumers. So sometimes those vehicles don’t include many extra features.

And because of the luxury preference of their company brand in German cars, they charge high prices for their cars. But people’s preference for Japanese cars is different.

Also, as mentioned earlier, Japan manufactures vehicles targeting the mass market. There, income levels are not the same in almost all countries. Therefore, they set a more reasonable price for Japanese vehicles so that people from different countries can buy them.

Winner: Japan 🇯🇵

04. Ease of Maintenance

Germany incorporates the most extravagant elements with the aim of providing a superior experience to the customer. Also they are very expensive and difficult to buy in some countries.

Some countries have to import spare parts especially for some German vehicles. Because there are only a very limited number of vehicles of that model in that country, spare parts are not imported and kept in advance.

Also, German automakers make many changes to their vehicles year after year. Therefore, spare parts from one model may not fit another model.

But Japan is not like that. As they produce a large number of vehicles, they also produce a relatively large number of spare parts. Also, since a country imports a lot of vehicles, it also imports the spare parts it needs.

Also, once Japan releases a vehicle, it doesn’t change the model until years later if it’s successful and there’s a lot of demand.

Hence the variance in spare parts is less. Even if Japan changes a vehicle, sometimes it is a very minor change. Skilled auto repairers adjust those minor differences and fit them into vehicles of other dissimilar models.

Also, sometimes the service centers that provide services for German vehicles are less in some countries. But there are many Japanese auto service centers.

Winner: Japan 🇯🇵

05. Improvements

Japanese companies are somewhat reluctant to make major changes and upgrades to their vehicles frequently. Because when they produce vehicles in large quantities, it is quite difficult to change the production chains simultaneously.

Therefore, after one model is successful in the market, it is produced and supplied to the market for several years without any changes or major changes. The most common change Japan makes is changing the appearance of the front and rear lights. They rarely make changes in engines and body.

In lights too, they only change the internal shape and appearance, there is no change in the external shape. Therefore, the new light can be easily installed on the previous model.

But German vehicles make a lot of big changes compared to it. Also, many technical improvements are being made. But sometimes a small change made in Japanese vehicles can seem like a big change. No matter how many changes are made in German vehicles, such a big difference is sometimes not visible.

The reason is that German companies give their vehicles a unique face. For example, BMW’s front grill comes in a nose shape. Audi vehicles offer the grille in the form of a large mouth. Even if they make changes in it, an amateur will not suddenly notice a big difference in it.

However, things like the front grill and lights of that one model are not suitable for another model like Japanese vehicles.

Also, there seems to be a slight lag in the use of technology in Japanese vehicles. Compared to German vehicles, the technical profile of Japanese vehicles is much lower.

Winner: Germany 🇩🇪

06. The Appearance

Generally, most Japanese cars have a cute look that will win everyone’s attention. And it can be a very simple aerodynamic look. You may not see the striking bodylines of Japanese vehicles. Even things like front grill and lights in many vehicles are designed in a very simple way.

But German vehicles are quite different. German cars have a very classy, exciting, inherently aggressive look. Also, they even put a lot of effort into their lights to give them the highest technology and look. And they are expensive.

In addition, German cars are quite large compared to Japanese cars and you can see crazy body lines on German cars. Also, German vehicles often feature nickel trim and give the exterior of the vehicle a more elegant and royal look.

Winner: Germany 🇩🇪

07. Interior

The interiors of Japanese cars are beautiful and comfortable but not too much frills included. In that respect, the interior of German vehicles is really attractive.

Among German vehicles, my favorite interiors are those of Audi cars. Steering wheel, meter cluster, big screens, beautiful AC vents, very high quality buttons, cute gear lever etc. can be seen in German vehicles.

Also, German cars use soft materials like leather for most of the interior. But solid materials consisting of plastic are seen in Japanese vehicles.

Japanese cars use such hard materials for durability, but German cars have soft materials inside that are more spectacular.

Winner: Germany 🇩🇪

08. Comfort

If we talk about the suspension system of the vehicles, Japanese vehicles are able to provide enough comfort. But German vehicles have a very complex suspension system.

Most Japanese vehicles have coil springs, but German vehicles offer air suspension. In comparison, traveling in a German vehicle is as comfortable a travel experience as traveling in a flight.

Also, German companies are working to provide passengers with really great comfort with interior materials, seats and other components / features.

Winner: Germany 🇩🇪

09. Performance

The point to be repeated here is that Japanese car companies focus on customer needs. They only provide their vehicles with a level of performance that fulfills the customer’s need and safeguards customer satisfaction.

In no way does it say that Japanese vehicles are weak, or that Japanese vehicles have low performance and low engine power.

But German vehicles put too much power into their vehicles. While Japanese cars focus on fuel efficiency, German cars focus on creating more powerful engines.

But if we pay attention, the German vehicles are ahead in terms of technical specifications like cylinder capacity, cylinder size, horsepower, torque, and acceleration etc.

Winner: Germany 🇩🇪

10. Durability & Reliability

The way German companies change and improve their vehicles very quickly means that they don’t want customers to use their vehicles for a long time.

They want to create vehicles that give the maximum satisfaction to the customers by using a vehicle for a short period of time and then getting rid of it and buying a new vehicle.

But Japanese cars are not like that. Japanese vehicles are used in Japan for two to three or maximum five years and in the importing country they are used for another 30 years.

Also, Japanese vehicles have many spare parts and they are relatively cheap. Also, maintenance cost is low and maintenance is easy. A German car needs to be taken to someone with expertise for maintenance, but problems with Japanese cars can sometimes be easily fixed by even an average mechanic.

Japanese vehicles are in such high demand because of their durability and reliability. Japanese cars bother people less. Japanese vehicles have fewer problems and faults.

In vehicle manufacturing, there are some excellent vehicles created by Japan. Toyota HiAce LH 50 – 100 models, Isuzu Elf trucks, Toyota 6th generation Hilux, Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero 2nd and 3rd generation, Toyota Corolla 7th generation, Honda Civic 6th and 7th generation, Nissan Patrol are some of them.

These vehicles are very rarely broken. And people have taken many jobs from these vehicles. These vehicles can be used rough and over the limit. Even today, these vehicles are very well maintained, modified and used in some countries.

Winner: Japan 🇯🇵

11. Vehicles for Different Fields

Germany is generally known for producing luxury vehicles. Germany is generally known for producing luxury vehicles. Although companies such as Mercedes-Benz and MAN produce trucks and buses, Germany has a higher reputation for producing luxury vehicles.

There are European companies like Scania, Volvo, DAF, Renault that produce heavier vehicles. But they are not German vehicles.

But if we take Japan, companies like Isuzu, Mitsubishi Fuso, Nissan UD, Hino produce huge and powerful, reliable trucks and buses.

Also, companies like Komatsu, Furukawa, Yanmar, Kubota, Hitachi manufacture vehicles important to various sectors like excavators, wheel loaders, harvesters, tractors.

Winner: Japan 🇯🇵

Bottom Line

In this comparison, 6/11 are marked as Japan and 5/11 as Germany. But that does not mean that Japanese cars are the best German cars are useless. Look again at the title of this article. We are talking about “which is better?”.

If you are looking for a vehicle that suits your needs for long-term use and is more cost-effective, then it is wise to go for a Japanese vehicle. But if you are looking for a fancy big car to drive like a gentleman, then a German car is for you.

The vehicles of both countries are relatively good and bad at their respective levels and criteria. This is not to say that vehicles from a particular country or a particular company are better. But some good things and shortcomings have been pointed out.

The articles about “10 Most Luxurious Cars in the World” and “10 Most Luxurious SUVs in the World” can be accessed and read through these links.