Acura and Infiniti have been engaged in a fascinating rivalry since the late 1980s, when Infiniti was launched in North America. Acura arrived three years before that, and together with Lexus, the three Japanese brands announced themselves as a unique take on luxury motoring—and with the promise of greater dependability than their often complex German rivals. While Lexus remains the benchmark for durability in the luxury segment, separating Acura and Infiniti hasn’t always been as easy. But a new longevity study of cars most likely to last beyond 250,000 miles exposes a surprising gap between the two brands.
Related: America’s Most Satisfied Luxury Car Owners in 2026 Aren’t Driving Lexus or Tesla
Acura Durability Beats Infiniti
2015 Acura TLX
Acura
The new study was released by iSeeCars and is based on an analysis of over 395 million vehicles. The researchers determined which automakers’ vehicles are most and least likely to reach 250,000 miles or more, and Toyota and Lexus led all other brands. Acura performed well, with a ranking of fourth, placing it behind only Lexus in the luxury segment. But Infiniti was way down at 17th, behind other luxury makes such as Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo. Here’s a look at the top 10 overall brands and how Infiniti compares.
|
Rank |
Make |
% Chance of Lasting 250,000+ Miles |
Compared to Average |
|
1 |
Toyota |
19.7% |
3.7x |
|
2 |
Lexus |
14.4% |
2.7x |
|
3 |
Honda |
13.3% |
2.5x |
|
4 |
Acura |
9.5% |
1.8x |
|
5 |
GMC |
5.8% |
1.1x |
|
6 |
Mazda |
5.3% |
1.0x |
|
7 |
Lincoln |
4.7% |
0.9x |
|
8 |
Ram |
4.2% |
0.8x |
|
9 |
Ford |
4.1% |
0.8x |
|
10 |
Cadillac |
3.9% |
0.7x |
|
17 |
Infiniti |
2.5% |
0.5x |
Across all automakers, there was a 5.4% average chance of lasting to 250,000 miles. Acura was well above this mark, but Infiniti fell far short of it.
“Reaching 250,000 miles is an exceptionally high bar for any vehicle, which makes the distinction among the four highest-ranked brands meaningful,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst, Karl Brauer. “Toyota, Lexus, Honda and Acura don’t just lead the list, they substantially outperform the average vehicle’s chances of reaching that high-mileage threshold.”
Acura Vs. Infiniti Reliability
2015 Acura TLX
Acura
Durability and longevity are not the same things as reliability. Many cars can last for years and hundreds of thousands of miles, but some will require a lot more intensive maintenance to get there. So, while Acura leads in the 250,000-mile study, is it also considered a more reliable brand than Infiniti?
The short answer is yes, based on our recent reliability analysis between Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus. While Lexus led overall, here’s how the other two brands matched up.
|
Acura |
Infiniti |
Winner |
|
|
Ranking: 20th |
Ranking: 27th |
Acura |
|
|
Problems per 100 vehicles: 233 |
Problems per 100 vehicles: 233 |
Tied |
|
|
RepairPal Reliability Ratings |
Ranking: 2nd |
Ranking: 16th |
Acura |
Acura also placed seventh in Consumer Reports’ reliability rankings. Infiniti was not ranked, due to it not meeting the study’s minimum requirements. Overall, Acura leads Infiniti in reliability studies, which cover the initial ownership period as well as dependability several years down the line.
We also found that annual average repair costs are cheaper for Acuras, at $501. Infiniti’s average annual repair costs are $638, and its models have a higher chance of those repairs being severe.
Related: Acura vs. Lexus vs. Infiniti Reliability: The Results Flip With Age
Final Thoughts
Acura
Not everyone searching for an older, high-mile used car is willing to settle for a basic compact from a mainstream automaker. For the group of people with less than $10,000 to spend but who want the quality and refinement that can only be had from a luxury brand, Acura stands out as the smarter choice versus Infiniti. Its vehicles have a better chance of lasting beyond 250,000 miles, and you’ll likely spend less on maintenance costs to get them there.
Related: 320,000 Miles Later, This 1995 Acura NSX-T For Sale Is Still Pristine
