Honda Car Forum

I bought a Toyota Camry XLE which is more expensive and luxurious than the Acura TSX or RSX. Why is it so? I thought Acura was supposed to be more luxurious and expensive?

First of all, Toyota and Acura are completely different companies. You might be misunderstanding Toyota's upperclass cars because they are not Acura. Acura is the luxury line from Honda and LEXUS is the luxury line for TOYOTA. Honda and Toyota are completely separate companies aswell.

A Camry XLE would compete against a Honda Accord EX-L trim. Honda's 4 cyl version probably starts around $24K+, and the 6 cyl version with all the goodies probably goes for close to $30K. Acura's TSX lines up against Toyota's Lexus IS250. And the RSX (no longer manufactured) has functionally been replaced by Honda's relatively new Civic Si. Comparing chassis-to-chassis,Toyota has no direct answer to the RSX, though perhaps they would position their Corolla S model against it...the RSX (and Civic Si) are more than a cut above the Corolla in virtually every respect. Toyota's only other close comparison might be the discontinued Lexus IS300, which was essentially a very high end Corolla.Honda has positioned Acura as its USA entry level luxury prestige brand. Honda is rethinking how it markets this lineup and is reposturing for a more direct, head-to-head competitive stance. Expect upcoming Acura models to reflect this philosophy. Also, Toyota's Lexus brand sells more to older drivers who demand greater opulence & luxury. Though Toyota & Lexus put some stout motors into some of their models, overall, their machines mostly are not tuned for performance handling & excitement the way Nissans & Honda's are...it's a different philosophy in engineering & marketing.

Acura is the luxury version of Honda.But the Honda Accord EX-L is just as luxurious and expensive as an Acura.I have driven the Camry XLE.I do not think it is more luxurious as an Acura. I have driven Acura's too.The Camry XLE is just as luxurious as its twin, the Lexus ES.

I have to wonder what your definition is of "more luxurious" is since you are comparing Toyota to Acura. I don't think you can compare because they are not the same.Yes Toyotas are more expensive. But to me that's not necessarily a good thing. I work hard for my money, and I would like to buy more with my $1 than to say I spent more than the next guy. But if it makes you happy to say that you spend more than the next guy - then go for it.I felt when I purchased my RSX I got more for my money and a more luxurious car than a Corolla / Celica (which is more what an RSX compares to in the Toyota lineup) with a lower cost of ownership. I also got a better performing car, again in my opinion. If you want to compare a Camry to an Acura (which I don't think you can as other answers have indicated they are catered to different markets) you would need to compare it to a TL and possibly a TL Type S (sorry I'm not familiar with the specific specs of a "XLE"). You may even have to compare it to the RL depending on the "luxury" features you paid so much for. An RL could cost you 60k and I hope you didn't pay that for a Camry.