In vehicle ratings, that is. And the Japanese auto manufacturers did not only win against their American counterparts but against major European auto manufacturers as well. In the nine-year history of the “Top Picks”, Customer Reports’ annual car ratings survey, this was the first time that Japanese automakers grabbed all the top honors. The result, however, was not that surprising, considering that the Japanese auto manufacturers also bagged 9 out of the 10 top spots in last year’s edition of the survey.

In the said survey, Honda led the way for the Japanese automakers by getting four of its vehicles in the coveted list. The company’s luxury line, Acura, neither went empty handed as the Acura TL was named as the top luxury sedan. Toyota, on the other hand, had their name on the list with two hybrid vehicles, which were actually the only hybrid vehicles to make it to the “Top Picks”. Wrapping up the year’s list-makers were Subaru and Infiniti. Here’s a list of those vehicles that made it to the Top Picks list of Consumer Reports:

SMALL SEDAN: Honda Civic

FAMILY SEDAN: Honda Accord

UPSCALE SEDAN: Acura TL

LUXURY SEDAN: Infiniti M35

FUN TO DRIVE: Subaru Impreza WRX/STi

SMALL SUV: Subaru Forester

MIDSIZED SUV: Toyota Highlander Hybrid

MINIVAN: Honda Odyssey

GREEN CAR: Toyota Prius

PICKUP TRUCK: Honda Ridgeline

Japanese dominance, however, did not end on the Top Picks, because Japanese vehicle brands also populated the top spots of the magazine’s vehicle reliability survey. Topping the list was Lexus, followed by Honda and Toyota. Other vehicle brands that entered the list were Mitsubishi, Subaru, Acura, Scion, Mercury, Mazda, and Suzuki.

Because of the Japanese dominance, critics have instantly speculated about a bias on the survey’s outcome. James Guest, president of Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, however dismissed all the speculations. According to Guest, the Union “have one standard, and it’s based on our rigorous testing and what’s best for the consumer. The bottom line is these cars won their place by beating the competition in all the test categories.”