Chapter 2. Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage

Strengths: As said in its mission statement, Acura is focused on "worldwide customer satisfaction."
One of Acura's main competitive advantage is its reliability. It is backed by Honda's reputation for providing good customer service for many years. They also have a prodigious market share in Asia which is predicted to be maintained throughout the following years to come. Acura is also known to carry a strong brand image which enhances their features of luxurious and equipped with the latest technology.

Weaknesses: Claimed to be one of Acura's biggest weaknesses, their position in the European market is much to be desired. Their attempts to attract the European market are ineffective and give their opponents more room to work with. Another weakness can be their decreasing sales. Throughout the recent years, Acura's sales have been steadily decreasing which can be blamed by the increase of sales in European cars.

Opportunities: With progressive increases in fuel prices, Acura has the potential to push more fuel efficient cars than their competitors due to their expansive line of vehicles. With the support of Honda and their fuel efficient technology, an increase in fuel prices can actually help.

Threats: Increases in their competition with Mercedes, Audi, BMW, and Lexus pose as a threat to Acura. All of these companies have the tools necessary to make more fuel efficient cars with today's technology. Another threat to Acura can be an increase in raw materials used to make their vehicles. As the prices of aluminum, steel, rubber, and plastic increase, their cost of production increases as well.