If you’re in the market for a luxury vehicle, there are various high-end brands you can choose from. While many drivers associate manufacturers such as Mercedes and Lexus with luxury, other brands make luxury vehicles alongside their more economical cars. One of these brands is Acura, most famously known for its commuter cars and SUVs.

Here, we’ll examine the history of this popular car manufacturer and the luxury vehicles it produces.

History of Acura

As one of the leading automotive brands worldwide, Acura has a reputation for offering stylish and high-performance vehicles. Acura has done a great job balancing its offering between everyday consumers and car enthusiasts, expanding its customer base across multiple genres. Established in 1986 in Tokyo, Acura was created by popular car manufacturer Honda in response to the growing demand for luxury vehicles in the North American market.

Acura kicked things off with its Legend luxury sedan in 1986. With great feedback from consumers and critics, the design team built on this platform and introduced other successful models, such as the Integra and NSX. The NSX is one of Acura’s most famous performance cars to this day, with the original models still bringing nearly six-digit numbers.

Throughout the years, Acura followed consumer trends and produced luxury SUVs, crossovers, and hybrids. As with all Acura vehicles, their core values of innovation, performance, and style can be seen in almost every vehicle they produce. Acura has seen so much success in the North American vehicle market because they design their vehicles to meet American design trends while retaining advanced Japanese engineering and technology. This makes for a luxurious, technologically advanced vehicle that appeals to their target demographic.

Features of Luxury Cars

Luxury cars are quite different from everyday commuter cars as they feature premium upgrades, advanced technologies, and higher-end materials. Each manufacturer will have different standards for their luxury vehicles, but for most, you can expect the following features:

High-Quality Materials

One of the most common features of a luxury car is the quality of the materials used. While not many changes are made to the exterior, the interior comfort features help bring a sense of luxury to a vehicle. Starting with the seat upholstery, most luxury cars will feature leather seats in various colors to provide a plush feel and upscale look. You might also find leather or suede on the dashboard, door panels, and center console on some luxury vehicles to add a more custom feel.

Advanced Technology

Another great feature of luxury cars is their more advanced technology compared to other vehicles in their class. Luxury cars can be found with touchscreen infotainment systems, digital speedometers, wireless charging, and built-in navigation. On many Acura models, you will get advanced driving features such as adaptive cruise control, parking assist, and lane departure warnings to help increase safety while maintaining comfort.

Comfortable Seating

In addition to leather seats, most luxury cars feature various seat adjustments to increase comfort for the driver and front-seat passengers. Most luxury cars have upgrades from base models in the form of heated and cooled seats, more seat adjustability, and even massaging seats in some specialty vehicles.

Driver-Assistance Systems

As cars have become more technologically advanced and manufacturers are leaning into new safety features, driver-assisted systems are quickly becoming more popular. Over the past few years, luxury cars have been seen with smart sensors, more cameras, and electronic stability programs to help drivers avoid accidents. Driving has become much easier with night vision systems, heads-up displays, and cross-traffic alerts. While these make a car feel more luxurious, it also helps make driving the vehicle much safer.

Premium Performance

Luxury car brands offer more than advanced features and a comfortable ride; they are also outfitted with high-performance engines. While there are luxury versions of gas-sipping vehicles, most luxury cars will have higher horsepower engines than other comparable models. When purchasing a luxury vehicle, you can expect sporty suspension, superior brakes, and a high-performance engine to make driving more enjoyable.

Superior Ride Quality

To give a high-end car a luxurious feel, premium suspension components must be used to keep your car riding smoothly. This can include higher-quality dampers, electronically controlled suspension, air suspension, and much more. These components offer a more comfortable driving experience than standard shocks and struts.

Climate Control

Lastly, advanced climate control features can be found in luxury cars, giving you more control over your air conditioning and heating. While most cars come standard with a single or dual-zone climate control system, luxury cars might feature tri-zone or quad-zone controls that allow for more control over rear passenger comfort.

Is Acura a Luxury Brand?: An Analysis

The Acura lineup offers a good balance of economical and luxury vehicles, giving consumers plenty of options. The conservative Acura Integra with standard features is a good choice for those shopping for a fuel-efficient commuter car. If you want a more luxurious SUV, the Acura RDX offers more room, power, and all the bells and whistles.

While Acura has been building luxury vehicles for quite some time now, it has also started to develop its advanced technology. AcuraLink, an Acura-exclusive technology, is a suite of connected services that enhances the driving experience. It allows you to remotely access your vehicle, start the engine, and lock or unlock the doors. Acura vehicles are also known for their consumer-favorite features, such as heads-up displays, heated seats, advanced HVAC controls, and more.

Is Acura’s Reputation and Market Perception Good?

Acura has maintained a positive reputation in the Asian and American markets since its debut in the late 1980s. This is no surprise, as its parent company, Honda, has been highly successful for decades and provides some of the most reliable vehicles on the market.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Acura frequently ranks in the top half of the list in their annual Best Car Brands rankings for reliability. Acura’s focus on quality is evident in its manufacturing practices, with the brand using top-of-the-line materials and exceptional craftsmanship to create some of the most durable and long-lasting vehicles on the market.

How Does Acura Stand Up To Other Luxury Brands?

Several things help Acura stand out from the competition compared to other luxury brands. Due to its Japanese engineering, Acura has capitalized on fine-tuning the performance of its vehicles to help make its SUVs handle like performance cars. A quick test drive of the Acura MDX and RDX will showcase the performance capabilities of Acura’s SUVs. With powerful engines, tuned suspension, and luxurious features, these SUVs are the epitome of affordable luxury SUVs.

Reliability is another advantage that Acura has over other car manufacturers. For years, Acura has consistently been ranked among the most reliable car manufacturers on the market. They have also ranked very high for safety ratings, making their vehicles some of the safest on the roads today.

Protecting Your Acura With Endurance

Acura luxury models blend high-end features with affordability for the everyday consumer. If a new vehicle is in your future, you will want to protect its luxurious features from unexpected breakdowns. While new Acura cars will come with a factory warranty from the dealership, you will have to pay for repairs out of pocket once this manufacturer’s coverage expires.

Endurance offers a wide range of extended warranties, more accurately called vehicle service contracts, each designed to match its customers’ unique needs and budgets. From the Secure Plus plan, which provides competitive and stated protection, to the Supreme coverage plan, which offers near bumper-to-bumper protection, Endurance has a plan for everyone.

In addition to the comprehensive coverage, each Endurance contract comes with a year of Elite Benefits, which can be activated for a small fee. These benefits include up to $1,000 in total loss protection, complete tire coverage, and more.

With hundreds of millions in paid claims since 2012, Endurance has been a valuable choice for those seeking extended warranty coverage. To shop for an auto protection plan, call our award-winning customer service team at (800) 253-8203. You can also request a FREE quote online.

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