Toyota Yaris Cross tops Japanese buyers' 2‑million‑yen car preference survey

A joint survey by NEXER Group and Goo-net, conducted on July 10, asked 350 Japanese men and women about the cars they would buy with a summer‑bonus budget of around ¥2 million. For that price range, the most popular body type was a kei‑car (38.6 %), followed by minivans (22.3 %), SUVs (21.1 %) and sedans (18.0 %).

Among specific models, the Toyota Yaris Cross received the highest number of votes (115) to become the top‑ranked SUV. In the kei‑car segment, Honda’s N‑BOX led with 98 votes, while the Toyota Sienta was the most favored minivan with 116 votes. Respondents highlighted interior space and family‑friendly practicality as key reasons for preferring the Yaris Cross and Sienta. When the budget was lowered to about ¥1 million, preferences shifted to the Suzuki Jimny (123 votes) for SUVs and the Suzuki Wagon R (94 votes) for kei‑cars, with comments focusing on cost‑performance and fuel efficiency.

The survey indicates that Japanese consumers with modest budgets prioritize practicality, space and affordability, with distinct model preferences emerging at different price points.