Overview & Reviews

Acura is an upscale automaker known for offering cars with impressive levels of luxury, features and performance. It's come a long way in a short time, however, as the history of Acura is relatively brief. Parent company Honda introduced the Acura brand to the U.S. market in 1986 in an effort to create a separate luxury division for its products. At first, it was just a two-car show: the Legend sedan, which was the first true Japanese luxury car sold in America, and the Integra sport coupe and sedan.

Though essentially a marketing creation for the North American market, the Acura brand was immediately successful. Consumers liked the features, performance and upscale image of Acura cars, along with the fact that Acuras were backed by Honda's reputation for reliability and low ownership costs. In 1991, Acura introduced its crown jewel: the all-aluminum NSX sports car, which offered performance close to that of other exotic cars while undercutting them in price.

As Acura's product line grew in the 1990s, however, the company struggled a bit. Some of its products were duds, and it risked alienating loyal customers when it replaced the Legend and Integra names with alphanumeric designations. The company jumped on the hot luxury SUV bandwagon in the mid-'90s with the SLX. Unfortunately, the SLX was just a rebadged version of an Isuzu SUV, and its quality did not match customers' expectations.

For the new millennium, Acura revamped its product range. An all-new SUV called the MDX debuted, sporting numerous family-friendly features, including a third-row seat. The Integra was replaced with the RSX sport coupe, and an all-new entry-level sport sedan called the TSX was introduced after that. A complete redesign of its most popular model, the midsize TL sedan, followed, as did a redesign of its flagship RL luxury sedan.

By mid-decade the NSX was gone, but Acura filled out its model lineup with the street-performance-oriented RDX compact crossover, the TSX wagon and the ZDX, a fastback-styled crossover that placed unique styling over practicality. Today Acura is still trying to find its ideal niche but there's no denying the quality of Acura's vehicles, nor their appealing mix of performance, technology and value.

User Reviews:

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  Amazing Car - 1999 Acura TL
  By Lucky13 - August 5 - 11:19 am

  Great car, I bought it from a friend for 2500 dollars dirt cheap with all the gizmos i took out the GPS because i never really used it and added a pioneer stereo system.Nice smooth ride very fast. the stereo system rocked when i got it i have made a g=few changes now like a 12" Mtx sub and its even better. Love driving the car. I buying a Wings West body about $800 total but makes the car have a little more presence on the street. If you are looking for a tuner car this car is great the V-Tec engine is great engine to start with.

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  Excellent Blend of Sport and Technology - 2010 Acura TSX
  By CarGuy - August 4 - 10:17 pm

  The TSX V6 Tech is a true pleasure to drive - great performance, awesome technology, comfort & build quality. Only have 600 miles so far. Compared to my 2003 BMW 330i w/Sport package, and dealer experiences - this is a great car and an improvement in dealer service as well as refined performance. Everyone compliments the "lines"/ style of the car - coworkers and strangers. Its very quiet, so watch your speed! 1st two tanks were 23 mpg - combo local/highway.

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  Will buy another Acura - 1999 Acura TL
  By Roger - August 4 - 1:29 pm

  I bought my Acura with 44k miles and I have 238k now. Ive only had to replace a burnt ignition coil. Had to change the motor mount...going too fast over a RR track..my bad!!! I changed all belts at 144k and do my own maintenance. No tranny problems. This is a great car and my girlfriend wants one now.

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  Convinced About Acura / Honda Technology - 2009 Acura TL
  By Lee - August 3 - 10:49 pm

  I live in New England and drive 33,000 miles a year for my sales position. I recently purchased 09 TL AWD with the Tech Package. I upgraded from a 2004 Honda Accord V6 that had 163K Miles on it. What convinced me to buy and Acura was the reliability of my Honda and the trade-in value of my car. When the dust settled I walked out the door paying $30K with my trade-in. I looked at several competitors but kept coming back to Acura. The handling of the TL AWD and the Tech Package won me over. I plan to keep the car for 5-years and expect it will be very reliable and hold its value when it comes time to trade it in. If you dont look at the TL you miss out on an excellent vehicle.

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  Super sporty - 2018 Acura TLX
  By Dan - August 1 - 7:33 am

  Good performance

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  Love It! - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Jerrold - July 31 - 11:24 pm

  Ive had two Audi A4s and a Ford Fusion, all of which I liked very much. However, for the money, the Acura TSX is the best car Ive had. Excellent fuel economy, great features, nice design, and Honda/Acura reliability made this a no-brainer to buy. I, like many, am not overly thrilled with the electronic steering, and it took some getting used to. Frankly, now, however, I dont notice that its any different from any other car Ive driven. Its really only noticeable on highways city driving is just like any other.

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  I keep going back to Acura - 2007 Acura MDX
  By FlewByU - July 31 - 5:58 pm

  I just moved to Germany two months ago and bought an 07 MDX from another military member. It has everything I could want. We just returned from a week driving through the Alps and this SUV is simply amazing. Granted, I get to drive it much faster than I could in the states, but even at 120 MPH, it was rock solid. We need the AWD for the snow and the kids stay entertained with the AV system. Plenty of passing power and very comfortable on long trips. Acuras are rare in Germany and I get stares all the time by curious Bavarians wondering what kind of vehicle I have. If you are in the market for a luxury SUV for family touring, with cool tech toys to play with, MDX cant be beat.

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  Luxury + Peformance = TL - 2005 Acura TL
  By EverydayDriver - July 31 - 2:50 pm

  Picked up a pre-owned black Acura TL about 4 months ago. I love this car. One of the best cars Ive ever owned. My TL came with an OEM body kit and 18" A-spec wheels, looks very clean and aggressive. Interior is nice and comfy. Nice aluminum and wood trim. Big touch-screen navigation is very helpful but software seems dated compared to my wifes Benz navigation. The car picks up pretty quick on the freeway. Ill be going 80 but it feels like Im going 60. It does drink gas like crazy though. $40 of gas will last about 260 miles only. This is an overall GREAT car. You will not be disappointed.

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  My TSX experience - 2009 Acura TSX
  By AlansAcura - July 30 - 11:30 pm

  I read a ton of reviews before buying my TSX 09. I found most of the things people did not like, were things I actually liked. Steering, power, number of buttons, front grille and similar items were all big dings from the auto magazines and car enthusiasts. But my experience, so far, is its a great car. I know its the lower end of the high end automobiles, but Im a techy kind of guy, and this car is more to my liking than some of the high end cars. I like not having to stop to fully use the nav system. I like talking to my car to control almost everything in the car. Its even fun to say a few things to it that are not in the guide and find a few actually work I love my car!

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  To the Moon and back... - 1991 Acura Legend
  By Joey the K - July 30 - 7:49 pm

  289,000 miles and counting. Of course it burns oil & hesitates a little at launch but then it moves like it was new and powers the highways. QUiet inside and solid. Little things have gone like the alarm system that drove me crazy at 3am until I disconnected the horn and re wired it directly to the battery, thereby by passing the defect motherboard. Now when the alarm goes off the 20amp fuse blows for my brake lts so I keep a box in the console. The AC doesnt work anymore and the new refrigerant does not seem to be able to load. Leather shot in the front but hey...it refuses to die and my wife is begging me to put it to sleep! It is so good that it doesnt qualify for Cash 4 Clunkers.