Would You Recommend An Optioned Out Value Brand Model Over An Entry Level Luxury Ride?

Once upon a time, trading in your reliable foreign car for an entry-level luxury ride was an obvious process. You drove a Toyota Camry? A Lexus ES was in your future. Die-hard Honda Civic types stepped up to an Acura.

Yet the entry point to luxury has changed, as many inexpensive cars now offer scads of gadgets once only found on pricier vehicles. South Korea's Hyundai and Kia have muscled onto the scene, using the same techniques the Japanese once did — over-delivering good cars at even better prices.

Which might leave one wondering: What constitutes an entry-level luxury car these days, and where do Lexus and Acura fit in?

vdiv - 8/13/2012 2:05:40 PM

+1 Boost

It is hard to tell from the picture which one is the entry level luxury and which one is the optioned-out value brand ;)

Manufacturers that make both, create this artificial gap between their offerings which is absolutely ridiculous. People are so much driven by hype and labels that in the end substance does not really matter.

610looper - 8/13/2012 6:17:27 PM

+3 Boost

Never....if a luxury car is what you seek, then settling for the runner-up will never satisfy you. The extra money spent in luxury cars goes towards, safety, better handling, noise isolation, refinement, paint, resale value, warranty, service, etc..

Eyecarehawaii - 8/14/2012 1:20:20 PM

+1 Boost

The choice is subjective and based on what "features" each buyer considers most important. There is no right or wrong answer here.

macpowah - 8/14/2012 9:41:16 PM

+1 Boost

I would have to agree with 610looper here. You can definately feel where the money is spent in most luxury cars - much better ride and handling balance, thunk of the doors, the way the switches and buttons feel, the refinement, etc. I have a 2008 Honda Accord and a 2011 BMW 128i - both are good cars, but there is absolutely no way the Accord feels remotely as solid and hunkered down as the 128i - the highway ride on both is SO different it's amazing. And there is no way in hell I would rather have a loaded Focus over an Acura ILX 2.4.