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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  The Gold Standard of Luxury Sport Sedans - 2010 Acura TL
  By GP2000 - June 14 - 12:25 am

  I applaud Acura for finally taking the lead with a fresh bold design for the TL. The carÂ’s styling is simply brilliant inside and out. And the superbly integrated Tech. package brings the carÂ’s substance on par with its stunning looks. The drive is remarkably quiet and controlled. For the last 15 years, IÂ’ve only driven German cars. Before buying the TL, I also considered Audi A4, BMW 535xi, VW CC VR6, Infiniti G37x, and the Lexus ES350. In this group, the only serious contender for the TL w/ Tech. package is the VW CC VR6, but only if you can live with its two- seater rear arrangement and I couldnÂ’t! So, all things considered, my final analysis led me straight to the TL.

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  Solid, Reliable, Fun, Comfortable - 2004 Acura TL
  By seattle_maslow - June 13 - 9:16 am

  I bought this car new 6 years ago and intend to keep it indefinitely. I have been recently shopping for a car for my wife, which made me look at this again for kicks. If youre looking to pick one up used, just do it. My car has been everything Id hoped for. I wanted something with good straight line acceleration, nice interior and very reliable.

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  2010 RDX - 2010 Acura RDX
  By AG - June 12 - 11:01 pm

  I am very impressed with my RDX. Excellent on long drives. Power on demand with turbo is awesome! Even without technology package, tech features are great and way ahead of competitors. Solid feel with great agile handling. Cargo area very good for size (much better than BMW). Considering features, tremendous price/value. Gas mileage very acceptable for an SUV (23 mpg after only 3 wks. of ownership).

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  Excellent Value and Fully Loaded - 2010 Acura RDX
  By Mark - June 11 - 11:49 am

  After testing the BMW X3, Lexus, and Audi Q5 we happily selected the RDX. For the value the "base" model includes Bluetooth, heated seats, nice sound system, real time rear camera which shows up in the rear view mirror (pretty cool, just to name a few features. These features are additional packages in other crossovers and add a great deal to the cost. Moreover, the RDX is fun to drive with plenty of pick up, especially around corners.

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  This Car Was Made for Me - 2010 Acura TSX
  By DavidR - June 10 - 8:35 pm

  Forget all the hype saying that a sports oriented car has to be rear wheel drive to be fun to drive. My 2010 TSX is a blast to drive and it meets my requirements as a luxurious, daily, all weather driver without resorting to all wheel drive. No other car manufacturer offers the value of features that are standard in the Acura stable. My "aha" moment for FWD cars came in 1982 in the form of a Mazda GLC. This car out drove all of my earlier muscle cars and British Leyland products during slick road travel and Ive never looked back. The TSX steering is not numb as reported. Composed at freeway speeds, does not exhibit any unexpected movement/lurch during lane changes on tire grooved pavement.

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  More praise for an old dog - 1995 Acura Integra
  By Adrienne Ola - June 10 - 11:13 am

  I had to write a review after seeing all the great notes on this vehicle. Its true, this car is easily the most reliable car ever. I am hard on cars, forgetting oil changes, etc. but Im at 200k miles and i dont think this car will ever stop running! Great reliability, but I must complain that the INTERIOR is very uncomfy. Small seats, the back is a scrunch, and if you are tall, forget about it! These cars dont get great A/C, and on long drives youll get great gas, but youll be suffering in the summertime, and it always a stiff ride as the suspension in sporty this ride is definitely not Cadillac smooth. Paint also fades, but performance never has!

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  quality, value, fun - 2005 Acura TSX
  By dr - June 9 - 9:53 pm

  I have put 84,000 mi. on it and it is tight and rattle free. Still love the 6 spd manual. Everything functions as it should. I rent more expensive cars and miss the quality of the TSX. Premium gas is only real downside.

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  Love it! Love it! Love it! - 2010 Acura MDX
  By Denise - June 9 - 3:56 pm

  I picked this car up 2 weeks ago and I absolutely love it! While its still early in the ownership experience for me, I have had no problems at all yet. I have read some comments about the dashboard being cluttered with buttons, but this has not been an issue for me and I find everything easy to operate and understand. I purchased the Advance package with White Pearl exterior and Umber interior and its beautiful! Its so much fun to drive and the acceleration is swift and exhilarating! Im looking forward to many happy years with my new baby!

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  Very Impressed - 2004 Acura RL
  By AJ-1 - June 9 - 1:31 pm

  I recently purchased the Acura RL about a month ago, with 75,500 miles and one owner. I have to say it has a very smooth ride, I knew I wanted to buy it when I first sat in the drivers seat. I knew about the quality and reliability of Acuras and that #1 reason for purchasing a car that was 6 years old. I hope to get 200,000 miles out of this one. Everything that I have read about leaves me feeling confident about my choice. The navigation system works well and the XM satellite radio with the Bose Speaker system sounds incredible. The only complaints that I have is the acceleration is a little lazy, and the fuel economy isnt great. However my last vehicle was a 4 cylinder accord.

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  Nice change - 2009 Acura TL
  By catcher10us - June 9 - 7:45 am

  I just turned in my 08 TL and leased a new 10 TL. What a difference. The "08 looked great but was uncomfortable and not a fun drive. The 10 is like night and day. Very plush inside, ride is great and seems like its more powerful and smooth. The steering feels a bit loose in the 10 and it doesnt handle as tightly as the 08 but so far overall much more comfortable to be in. Acura quality is evident everywhere. Not crazy about the styling but with the right color choice its more than fine. Good deal on the new lease as well.