The Sports Sedan That Rivals BMW With Honda Reliability

The Sports Sedan That Rivals BMW With Honda Reliability frames Acura as a Japanese answer to German luxury, emphasizing durability alongside performance. The article explains that German makers have delivered refinement and handling, but often struggle with long-term longevity tied to complex electronics and tightly managed maintenance. By contrast, it argues that models from Acura and other Japanese brands tend to keep running even when owners neglect routine upkeep. It recalls that Acura launched in the U.S. in 1986 to expand Honda’s reliability reputation into a higher-end segment where BMW and Mercedes had dominated. The push was also influenced by Voluntary Export Restraints limiting Japanese exports, making smaller volumes of higher-priced vehicles more attractive. Acura became the top-selling U.S. import luxury performance brand within a year, later followed by Lexus and Infiniti in 1989. It also notes an overlooked Acura coupe with a VTEC redline can still be found for about $12,000.