standard-size car; ordinary passenger car
Refers to a regular passenger car, as opposed to a light car (軽自動車) or a larger vehicle. Common in contexts like rental cars, tolls, and vehicle classification.
レンタカーで普通車を借りた。
I rented a standard-size car.
高速道路
ordinary carriage; standard-class car
On trains, refers to the standard (non-reserved, non-green) car. Often contrasted with グリーン車 (first-class car) or 指定席 (reserved seat).
新幹線の普通車は自由席と指定席がある。
The ordinary cars on the Shinkansen have unreserved and reserved seats.
Expressway tolls differ for standard cars and light cars.
普通車でも十分快適だ。
Even the standard-class car is comfortable enough.
グリーン車 is a first-class train car with more spacious seating, while 普通車 is the ordinary car.
軽自動車 refers to the small, low-displacement vehicle category, while 普通車 refers to standard-size passenger cars outside that category.
軽 (kei car) refers to Japan's smallest vehicle class, while 普通車 refers to a standard-sized regular car.
Compound of 普通 (ordinary, standard) and 車 (car, vehicle).