Acura Excitement!

Ever since Honda launched their sport/luxury division in 1986, the offerings from the Japanese automaker have improved immensely. Gone are the days that most Acura's looked and drove like their Honda cousins. Instead, advancements in refinement, sport tuning, and luxury has made the Acura a classy car in its own right.

In the late 1980s, Acura fielded several noteworthy models - the Legend, Integra, and the Vigor - that quickly received recognition from the automotive press as being industry leaders. Indeed, Motor Trend gave the Legend coupe the "Import Car of the Year" award designation in 1987 while during that same year Car & Driver recognized the Integra as one of the 10 best cars on the road. Not bad, especially since Acura was new and Honda was raising the bar on all of its models.

Today, Acura remains a leader. Old model names have been retired while new names are now being marketed including:

<li>RL - a 5 passenger midsize luxury sedan</li>

<li>TL - a 5 passenger midsize sport luxury sedan</li>

<li>TSX - a 5 passenger midsize near-luxury sedan</li>

<li>RSX - a 4 passenger sporty coupe</li>

<li>NSX - a 2 passenger sports car</li>

<li>MDX - a 7 passenger luxury SUV</li>

Truly, the models have changed since the early years of Acura, but the latest offerings help keep Acura at the front of the pack. Indeed, the Acura label is a strong competitor to two other Japanese luxury lines: Lexus and Infiniti.

The Acura make has spawned a considerable following with enthusiasts who are happily maintaining their 20 year old Vigors with quality Acura parts. Integra parts are available through select dealers who can help you keep your classic running whether you are seeking to make modifications or repairs such as replacing your Acura radiator.

Honda certainly has hit a home run with the introduction of the Acura line up of sport and luxury models. If you own a classic Acura you know that the value of your car has remained strong. If you are considering purchasing a new Acura your car will compete favorably with any line up in the world.

Matt Keegan is a contributing writer for Car Parts Stuff, an online supplier of high quality and well priced automobile parts.