Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Peak Japanese Luxury Era?Perhaps it's age, but '90s Japanese luxury cars were some of the greatest sedans ever built. Buoyed by the bubble era, these range-topping sedans gave German and American automakers a good scare, and it wasn't just because these undercut the establishment; these cars were great on merit alone.These showed America and the world that 90s Japanese sedans weren't just economy cars anymore. Admittedly, some were underrated and deserved greater success, but the five models we're about to list are either revered, respected, or waiting in the wings to be appreciated.LexusAcura LegendWhile the first-gen was rather underrated, it's justifiably overshadowed by the second-generation model. The second Acura Legend was such a massive step up from the original model in terms of design, performance, and luxury. The Legend's glow-up for its second act was reflected in its sales as it easily surpassed the figures from the first generation.AdvertisementAdvertisementSure, it's stubbornly front-wheel drive, as is the case with any Honda, but contemporary reviews from the early '90s practically raved about it. While it was more a 5 Series-sized car at the time, the Acura still punched above its weight class despite topping out with a 3.2-liter V6 engine. Dare we say it, but we'd like to think that this car played a role in forcing the Germans to step up their respective midsize offerings.AcuraInfiniti Q45Say 'V8-powered, rear-wheel drive Japanese flagship sedan,' and the first response you'll typically get is a certain car with an L badge on the grille. We can't fault anyone for doing that, but the original Infiniti Q45 does deserve more love. It was the car of many firsts for Nissan, and showed the brand's bolder and daring side.The Q45 was the springboard for the Infiniti brand and Nissan's luxury ambitions outside of Japan. Its 4.5-liter V8 was unlike anything its parent company had built before, and it tried to redefine the large luxury market with its wood-free dash and grille-less nose. Admittedly, it ultimately didn't fail in that, but we can't fault the car for trying. Besides, it featured the world's first Hydraulic Active Suspension in a luxury sedan.InfinitiLexus LS 400What else is left to say about the Lexus LS? It's easily and deservedly the most legendary car in this list (sorry, Acura), but the tale of the LS will never get old. It stole the thunder from the E32 7 Series and forced Mercedes-Benz to blow the budget (again) on the W140 S-Class in response to the threat from BMW. It caused a seismic shift in the luxury sedan market that we'll probably never see again.AdvertisementAdvertisementFrom its buttery smooth 4.0-liter V8 to its impeccable build quality and reliability, it was one of the many 1990s Japanese cars that put the world on notice. Mercedes-Benz can claim that it's engineered like no other car in the world, but Lexus can snap back and say its original LS was overengineered like no other car in the world.Mazda 929The Mazda 929 was a lot of things, but a sales success it was not. That's a shame, especially because it was highly advanced for its time, and critics at the time gave it high praise. It was, by all means, a great luxury sedan that didn't have a luxury badge.Then again, it was supposed to have a luxury badge, as it was allegedly supposed to be an Amati. Amati was Mazda's stillborn luxury marque that was later scrapped as the Japanese economic bubble had burst. With Acura, Infiniti, and especially Lexus having a higher desirability factor, Mazda had to sell the 929 with one hand behind its back. It wasn't even a big seller in its home market, lagging behind other 90s JDM sedans offered at the same price. Still, it was a great car, and hats off to anyone still managing to keep one on the road.Bring a TrailerMitsubishi DiamanteThe Mitsubishi Diamante would've been a good match for the Acura Legend. It had a V6, was front-wheel drive, advanced for its era, and was even crowned as Japan Car of the Year in 1990. Mitsubishi's flagship genuinely had a lot going for it, but the market barely noticed it.AdvertisementAdvertisementLike the Mazda, it was held back by its badge, and Mitsubishi had no intention of ever coming up with a luxury division, either. No amount of engineering-led development could ever overcome that, which is why the Diamante remains a hidden gem among its peers. Still, at least it found more success in Japan and Australia, where it was known as the Magna in the latter market.MitsubishiWhere Are They Now?In case you haven't noticed, all the nameplates mentioned here are gone. Okay, the Lexus LS is barely hanging in there in select markets, but its future is still very much in doubt. It's ironic, given that it was a car that shook up the market and was hugely impactful.Acura abandoned the Legend name in 1996 in favor of RL, but Honda kept using it until 2021. Infiniti canned the Q45 in 2006, tried to revive it in spirit as the Q70L in 2015, but then axed that in 2019. Mazda discontinued the 929 in 1995 and indirectly replaced it with the Millenia, but the Japanese-market version called the Sentia hung on for one more generation until 1999. As for Mitsubishi, the Diamante lasted two generations and production dragged on until 2005.With the way things are going, the age of the large Japanese sedan has well and truly passed. SUVs and crossovers are what the majority wants these days, and there's virtually no chance of these flagship sedans ever coming back again. Still, what a time it was for big Japanese sedans, and all the more reason the '90s is a decade that's fondly remembered in the car world.AcuraThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Aug 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Features section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.