#JapaneseAutomakers

While the 2012 Honda Civic has clearly not impressed the staff at Consumer Reports, the same can’t be said for its smaller sibling the Fit.

Imported vehicles in the United States are selling at their highest price premium in more than a decade, as a result of a weak US dollar compared with other currencies like the Euro and Yen.

As Typhoon Roke made landfall on the Pacific Coast of Honshu, Japan’s largest island on September 22, automakers in the country, including Toyota, Honda and Nissan had shuttered plants and other facilities in anticipation of potential damage.

This year hasn’t been the kindest to Japanese automakers Honda and Toyota. The devastation wrought by March’s earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, resulted in severe disruptions to their supply chains, causing dealer inventories to run low and other automakers to gain ground in sales.

The Earthquake disaster in Japan may prompt European car makers to seek suppliers closer to them, the chief of Europe’s automobile association said.

Given the aftermath of the horrendous earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, the Japanese economy, not surprisingly has been struggling to stay on track.