Japan has built some of the greatest cars known to man. And that shouldn't be surprising, given the breadth and depth of their car industry. Companies like Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan...they have all, at some point, produced a truly great car, sometimes a legendary one. These last a lifetime, and it would be hard pressed to find anything bad to say about these cars. You have the legendary NSX, and the unique but incredible RX-7. These are just two examples of some of the best JDM products that there has been.

But of course, not everything that a company builds is good, and there have been one or two flops along the way. In Japan I hear you ask? Yes. Even in Japan. Now granted, it has been very hard to find bad Japanese cars. In fact, it probably took me twice as long to really find truly bad cars to come from Japan as it did the great ones. And the problem is that some of these bad cars may actually last a while, even if they aren't up to NSX standards.

But of course, bad cars always crumble first. And so did these. Even bad cars that are...slightly good, well you would want to avoid them. So here are ten of the best JDM cars to ever grace the planet, and nine we really would urge you to avoid if you can.

19 Like a Rock: Mazda RX-7

Few cars hold such beauty as the wonderful Mazda RX-7. Even in 2018, this car still looks incredibly fast and beautiful, even when standing still, and it is a testament to the designers at Mazda that the car looks this good.

But it’s not just about looks.

Its twin rotor, 1.3 liter engine was undoubtedly the bell of the ball. Its beautiful soundtrack and driving feel made this a unique machine, despite its poor fuel mileage. It won multiple plaudits and was hailed as a true drivers car, something that is the ultimate compliment to any car that we see.

18 Like a Rock: Honda S2000

Small, nimble, and highly attractive, the Honda S2000 was a plucky little car with a punch 2.0 liter engine, which, when given enough grunt, would really allow the VTEC to kick in. Like the RX7, it was a real drivers car, and it truly rewarded those that could push it to the limit but keep it there, and not go over. Those sleek likes also gave it a stunning visual appearance, perhaps better than the Mazda MX5. In many ways, it is a huge shame that the S2000 is no longer in production. But that doesn’t stop us from loving it.

17 Like a Rock: Mazda MX5

The Mazda MX5 is a true classic, the original roadster and one of the finest machines to come out of Japan to date. It is little surprise that it is still in production to this very day.

Now it could be argued that today, the MX5 is quite a dull car and doesn’t produce the excitement a lot of other Japanese cars produce, like the current Nissan GT-R.

But the original MX5 was a game changer and is still sold in huge numbers worldwide and looked the part as well.

16 Like a Rock: Honda NSX

Built and designed to give Ferrari performance without breaking the bank, the NSX is one of the greatest cars to come out of Japan. No wait, it is THE greatest car to come out of Japan, and one of the best cars to have been built of all time. Tested by Ayrton Senna and built with the utmost care and precision, the NSX, with its VTEC and 276 bhp V6 could reach over 190 mph. That’s nearly 200 mph with less than 300 bhp! It shows you what an excellent performer this was, so much so that Honda produced a new version in 2016, with Hybrid power developed form its F1 project.

15 Like a Rock: Honda Integra Type R DC2

A true performance machine. The Integra Type R DC2 boasted some of the best handling ever seen on any car, ever. With VTEC assisted 8,500 rpm red line, the DC2 was another real drivers car that was in the same league as the wonderful RX-7 and one of the greatest front-wheel drive cars ever made.

Not only that, but Honda did a wonderful job in the styling department to make the car as sleek as possible.

Anything from this era and made by Honda usually ends up looking drop dead gorgeous. And the Integra Type R was no exception.

14 Like a Rock: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV

This was a golden era for rally fans, as two of the best cars of the 1990s went head to head, and one of these was the Lancer Evolution. A much revised 2.0-litre turbocharged 4G63T from the Evo I gave the IV so much horsepower, and also made it an incredibly sturdy engine as well. The car also spawned the legendary Tommi Makinen edition, named after the legendary Finnish rally driver who took four world titles for Mitsubishi. Six generations of Lancer were crammed into just ten years, and it is one of the finest products to ever leave Japan. And so was its arch-rival…

13 Like a Rock: Subaru Impreza WRX

Designed with the technology that made the car a world rally phenomenon, the Impreza WRX was an incredible all-round machine, and the direct rival to the Lancer Evolution.

Its boxer engine and all-wheel drive made it something truly special, and it is so special that many are still tearing around rally circuits to this day, and you could not forget that famous blue and yellow paint scheme that adorned this wonderful car.

The legendary Colin McRae won his only WRC title in this car, and that has led to this machine being immortalized in the UK. This truly is one of the finest cars ever built in Japan.

12 Like a Rock: Toyota 2000GT

Now reportedly worth over $1.2 million, the Toyota 2000GT is now incredibly rare and collectible, and one of the first limited run cars built in Japan. Two one-off topless models of the car made an appearance in the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice" which helped to seal this cars fame. What this car represented though was the first serious sign that the Japanese auto giants could make a sports car that could rival its European counterparts, and it certainly made them look up and pay attention. If you happen to own one of these cars, you are so incredibly lucky.

11 Like a Rock: Nissan Skyline GTR

When people hear the words ‘Skyline GTR’ their eyes light up and you can see the excitement building within them. The R-32 and R-34 are perhaps the most iconic members of the Skyline family, the R-34 a part of the "PlayStation generation" with its crazy onboard analysis systems.

Even today, the current GTR features dashboard graphics designed by the same team that did the HUD and display’s for the Gran Turismo game.

Its 2.6-litre RB26DETT engine, amazing styling and performance helped ensure its place in history. It is up there with the NSX. With the R-34, the GTR evolution was complete.

10 Like a Rock: Toyota MR2

Affordable, sometimes tricky, but a joy to drive, the Toyota MR2 was one of the best mid-engined, rear wheel drive sports cars that you could buy. Early editions could indeed be slightly tricky to handle, but once these kinks were ironed out the MR2 took a real hero’s following, and is regarded as a true JDM classic and one of Toyota’s finest machines. The changes may have slightly dulled the car down a bit though, and taken an edge off its wild side. But that’s okay, as it wasn’t mean to be driven by F1 drivers. It’s a classic Japanese sports car, that endures to this very day.

9 Like a Feather: Suzuki X90

There aren’t many reasons why I despise this car. I mean, just look at it! With the added bonus of not being able to tell which was the front of the car or the back of it, the Suzuki X90 was an absolute flop and, as expected, did not sell at all well.

Why Suzuki thought this was a good idea is beyond us.

An open top 4x4 on paper doesn’t sound bad and it isn’t. But it is when it isn’t executed properly. It was built on the same platform as the Chevrolet Tracker, and they didn’t half mess it up did they?

8 Like a Feather: Datsun 280ZX

The Datsun 240Z was a great car and universally loved, so they decided to improve it and create the 280ZX which was a great idea. But unfortunately, no one told Datsun that a great idea also has to become a great product. The 280ZX was fat, heavy and slow and nowhere near the same league as the 240Z. It had more power granted, but it took the advent of a turbo before it could even think of taking advantage of that extra grunt. It is not a horrible looking car, as not many Datsun’s were, but it was nothing compared to its predecessor.

7 Like a Feather: Subaru XT

I’m really unsure what this car Is mean to be. I’ve heard many machines described as cheese slabs but this really takes it to a whole new level. The XT was built in the 1980s, when everything could be a bit odd at times, but you have to wonder who at Subaru took one look at the prototype and went “yes, this is a truly magnificent car.” It looks like it’s been carved out with a cleaver. It also has the most ridiculous steering wheel ever to grace a car from the 1980s. Thankfully, it is a minor blot on Subaru’s copybook.

6 Like a Feather: Subaru Tribeca

This is another of those Subaru blots. And oh dear. Oh dear oh dear. You only have to look at the front end of this car to be instantly put off by it.

Its face looks so startled it’s clearly realized how ugly it is, and that grill Is just insanely small it’s incredible anyone bought this car.

As expected, the car didn’t sell all to well, and it was nowhere near being the best SUV that you could buy at the time. It’s surprising to see a Japanese company produce something so damn ugly.

5 Like a Feather: Eagle Talon

Partly made by Mitsubishi and a cross between a Chrysler and a Mitsubishi, the Talon was a car that made its owners walk. Because so much could go wrong with this car you would have been better off buying a bicycle. Everything from the air-conditioning, to the turbo to the gaskets, the talon was plagued by a multitude of reliability issues. Styling wise, it really isn’t bad and has a sleek sort of look to it. But not every car that looks good performs good, and the Talon is one of those cars. But you’d be foolish to expect otherwise.

4 Like a Feather: Suzuki Samurai

A little SUV, and Japan’s version of a Jeep. But without the quality. Ever seen that bit in Top Gear where the Reliant Robin rolled over? Yeah, this could roll too. It was very wobbly in strong winds and, unlike a lot of Japanese cars, the thing was not built to the highest standards.

Kids in school could probably build something that was stronger than this car.

Nothing wrong with the appearance, and it is kind of cute. But it was a bit pointless and Suzuki could have saved themselves so much time and effort. Still, it’s not as bad as their god-awful X90.

3 Like a Feather: Nissan Cedric

The Cedric is an odd one, because it's not a bad car. The problem is that it is Nissan’s attempt at taking the styling of a Rolls Royce and making something a lot more affordable. It isn’t one of those Chinese copies. It’s built by a proper car company, with the best intentions in mind and it’s just meaning to be similar. Thing is…it really is rather dull. And it doesn’t look great does it? And obviously, the quality is going to lack somewhat to what it is trying to be. It’s not the worst car, it’s not that bad. But it’s dull. Very dull.

2 Like a Feather: Infiniti QX56

This ugly thing is also dull. And much worse than the Cedric. The QX56 was an attempt by Nissan/Infiniti to compete with Range Rover, but they failed big time.

The brakes would apparently wear out after less than 3,000 miles and it would need constant oil changes.

The car was overweight with tiny brakes, which meant it took a lot of braking power to stop the thing which of course, is going to knacker up said brakes. Recent models have become much better and rather respectful. But in its origins, the QX56 was a nightmare.

1 Like a Feather: Mazda 626

Build quality and lasting a lifetime are not phrases you would associate with the Mazda 626. Granted, it would handle quite nicely and when new, was a good car. But this thing really did show its age as the years went on. There have been reports of this car downshifting at will and random whenever it felt like it. Warning lights would flash at random and it would develop a mind of its own. Unlike some cars from say, Britain, it was a good baseline. But, like the Morris Marina, it carried as much build quality as a slice of bread in water.

Sources: carthrottle, jalopnik, rac.co.uk, autoblog, motor1, wikipedia