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Acura, the luxury vehicle division of Honda, produces premium vehicles known for their unique blend of style, comfort, performance, and reliability. Its lineup includes luxury sedans, crossovers, SUVs, and a supercar. This article highlights and discusses the top-ranked Acura vehicles.

A brief history of Acura

Acura company logo seen on one of their car dealerships
Acura dealership | John Nacion via Getty Images

Honda was a successful automaker in the U.S. in the 1980s, but it didn’t produce any luxury vehicles. So, it created Acura, a division dedicated to luxury and performance. Acura launched in May 1986 with the Legend and the Integra models, which were praised for their quality, reliability, and performance.

A few years after launching, Acura became one of the highest-selling luxury vehicles, beating the likes of Mercedes and BMW. This success inspired the launch of Toyota’s Lexus and Nissan’s Infinity. Over the years, Acura expanded its lineup and added SUVs, crossovers, and sports cars. Its lineup includes NSX, RL, TL, MDX, RDX, TSX, etc.

Acura sales fell in the mid-to-late 1990s but improved when the brand introduced new models and drastic redesigns in the early 2000s.

Today, Acura remains a popular luxury vehicle brand around the globe, and its lineup of sedans, SUVs, crossovers, and the NSX supercar is known for its quality and reliability. But which is the best Acura vehicle?

What is Acura’s best vehicle?

According to TrueCar’s rankings of the best Acura cars and SUVs, the best Acura vehicle is the 2023 Acura MDX, a luxury midsize SUV.

The 2023 Acura MDX has an attractive exterior design. It features the signature Acura grille with a large emblem at the center and sharp Jewel Eye LED headlights that give it an aggressive appearance. The hood creases flow toward the sides to give it a sporty look, and the sharp beltline from the front fender to the tail lights gives it a bold and muscular appearance. The rear end has a sloping roofline and a sleek spoiler.

Inside, the cabin has a premium look and feel with an ergonomic and sleek layout. The MDX offers several features for comfort, such as heated seats, leather upholstery, and automatic climate control. It also has many safety and driver assistance features.

The 2023 MDX has three rows of seats with a capacity of seven. However, unlike large SUVs like the 2023 GMC Yukon, the third row is too tight for adults. The seats are comfortable, supportive, and adjustable, and you can equip them with niceties like the massage feature. The second-row seats can recline and slide front and back for flexibility. The infotainment system, which features a 12.3-inch display, has a long learning curve to use.

It has plenty of cargo space for a luxury midsize SUV. It offers 16.3 cu-ft and 39.1 cu-ft behind the third and second row, respectively, and a maximum of 71.4 cu-ft when you fold the seats.

The 2023 Acura MDX has six trim levels: MDX, Technology, A-Spec, Advance, Type S, and Type S Advance. All trim levels but the Type S and Type S Advance feature a 3.5-liter V6 engine with 290 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque. Type S and Type S Advance have a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 with 355 hp. Both engines are mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. They provide enough power for almost all driving requirements.

The luxury midsize SUV is powerful, agile, and has good ride quality. It also has decent gas mileage, with the base trim levels rated at 19/26 mpg city/ highway, and the Type S has a 17/21 mpg city/highway. It can tow up to 5000 pounds.

The runner-up is an excellent choice

The 2023 Acura MDX is the best Acura vehicle. The luxury midsize SUV features an attractive exterior design, a premium interior, a powerful engine, and impressive ride quality. According to TrueCar, the second-best Acura vehicle is the 2023 Acura Integra. It is an affordable compact premium car with a handsome exterior featuring the versatile liftback body style, a spacious cabin that seats five, and an eager 1.5-liter engine with 200 horsepower mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

The runner-up is an excellent choice if you’re looking for the best Acura Sedan.

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MotorWeek Honors the 2023 Acura Integra as the Best in Its Class