Check out this thread:
http://www.benzsport.com/forums/show...threadid=14167

They claim that an Acura CL/TL/RL/NSX is not considered a luxury car. Check these quotes out:

"But will they ever be in the Luxury car segment? Will Honda cars ever be parked in the front line of a valet at an expensive hotel?? Probably until they can make a luxury Honda that can be PAR with MB, BMW, Audi's and Porsches... Truth hurts"

"Don't say that they have Acura, cause there ain't no acura in japan"

There reason is that since Acura is not available in Japan Acura is nothing but an imaginary brand. What a load of bull. How quick people are to forget that the TL is called the Honda Saber in Japan. I could go on about how you could call the 360 modena a fiat or a Ford XJ sedan.

What do you guys think?
Does Brand mean much to you?

 

I don't consider my cl to be a luxury car and cld care less what the benz boyz say. It is Honda's luxury division and as close as they're gonna get is the current RL. Guys who drive Bentleys/RR's might think Benzes aren't luxury cars either, it's all relative!

 

Is it possible to rice out a Benz? I saw some M3 mirrors on thier cars and look at this wiper and there are two pages of comments and people that want to do it

 

Brand (i.e. logos and symbols) means nothing. The car itself is what I'm buying. The MB people can think highly about themself all day long for all I care. If they want to trash Acura, then that's their problem, not ours.

 

haha That's some Sauerkraut right there

 

How dumb is this guy...

Does he not realize MB is Chrysler??

 

Well, yeah but its not the same thing. Its more like Chrysler is Mercedes.

People can always say that an acura is just a honda and a lexus is just a toyota and sometimes that a jag is just a ford (At least all the new jags) but you cant really say that a merc is just a chrysler. And then BMW - you really cant say anything about them.... anyways, there will always be snobs. I should get my friend whos family has a bentley to come on the boards and start talking shit about how much mercs suck... that would be funny!

AdamR

 

my CLS is in no way a luxury car... honda/acura make fun cars... they cut too many corners though... MB still makes the best luxury cars... if I could afford one I'd drive it... Honda/Acura make great economy cars... that's what the CLS and TLS are.. ECONOMY luxury cars... poor man's luxury... like a Lexus or an Infiniti... MB still stands for class and prestige... Acura stands more for young enthusiasts and fun to drive... compare them.. RL to S class? CL to CLK? TL to E class? no way Acura can compete on the stands of luxury if price is no object... that just imho though..

 

Good points but you cant compare a car point blank like that w/o looking at price range. I still believe a honda among some of the best engineered cars. Now, if a TL was going to cost 50-60K like an E then I think you would have something to talk about but otherwise its apples and oranges....

AdamR

 

MB, BMW, Audi, Porsche. Bentleys, TVRs, Lotus... those are luxury cars... hondas and acuras haven't yet earned the prestige that would park them in front line valet... The only japanese brand that has come close to this level is Lexus... we may out perform them but tehir classic styling and design has made them move in the lines of luxury cars...

 

you've got a good piont there... price is a factor... but when you talk luxury you no longer talk about price I think... money is no object eh? baller is a baller... if I had more money I tihnk I would have gotten a 330CI or IS300 or CLK320... but b/c of my personal limits the CL was the bets I could get for under 30K... even though none of these cars performe even close to my 6spCLS I'd love to drive them still b/c of their luxury standpoint... dont' get me wrong though... I think the CLS is a great car for it's price range... the best I'd say... you can't find anything under 30K that performs like this... G35C or 350Z all are priced WAY beyond this... no coupes out there can compete for performance per $$$ ...

 

Well, money is money. You said that when you talk about luxury then price is no object.... then everybody would be driving around aston martins and bentleys. I think that there are really different classes of luxo .... you got your entry level, your mid, your high, and your ultra which would be your bentleys and your aston martins. I still believe that if honda was going to build a 70k TL it would be freaking amazing but honda is all about bang for buck. I mean look at the NSX, they are abour 80k right but handling wise they are some of the best around... The interior might not be there like an 80k car but you are paying for the engine, the suspension and hondas engineering.

AdamR

 

You got to give MB some credit it makes a living on selling these $80K to $120K luxury cars and they have been doing it for a lot longer than honda/acura even started in the 70's. We all know the CL can run with their $55K ClK 430 but people are still buying it because of the MB prestige.

 

What about Lexus?

Anyone that tells me that a $65k LS430 isn't as good as an $80k S430 (assuming it's even that cheap) is going to have a hard time convincing me they are sober.

Admittedly Acura is staying in the lower end of the near-lux/lux segment, but that guy's argument that only BMW/Merc/Porsche are true lux (compared to Japanese) is full of it.

 

You are kidding right? Have you ever been in an LS430? It reeks of toyota ... all the buttons are still cheap ass toyota ones. The door handles are the same as in the camry ... c'mon ... I mean the outside looks nice and they are nice cars but that is just a toyota and I would spring for the S if I was going to pay that much. Or, I would even get the new Q. It may be just a Nissan but inside it dont look like one at all .... JMO

AdamR

 

Actually, when I used to work Valet, we just used to throw the normal MB in the back. Unless it was a 55 series, or the new Sl or CL, we just chucked them in the back with the economy cars. The rare occasions we had with the NSX, we kept right next to the entrance, the smae with the S2000, after a litle fun that is. Valet keep certain cars "up front" based on uniqueness, not cause of price.