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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  Very Good Mid Size SUV - 2008 Acura MDX
  By Rich - April 12 - 11:52 am

  Just turned 40,000 miles and still love my vehicle except for poor gas mileage and weak exterior paint that nicks/chips easily. Car rides very smoothly with lots of passing power. Quality and Reliability up to my current mileage have been excellent.

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  Real nice car - 2010 Acura TL
  By dpnyy - April 10 - 1:23 pm

  Traded my 07 lexus is350 with no regrets. car is fun to drive. awd is great. have not seen one like it yet while driving.

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  Great with a few exceptions - 2008 Acura TSX
  By Skip - April 9 - 10:20 am

  I couldnt find another entry level luxury car that came even close to the TSX for features at the price. I handles well, if a little slow off the line. They need to equip it with better tires and a more reliable braking system. The heating on a cold day takes a long time to come up to temperature. See suggested improvement section for comments on tires and brakes which are terrible.

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  Integrity - 1995 Acura Integra
  By D Man - April 9 - 3:25 am

  This is a follow up to a previous review. Its been about 2 years and 21,000 miles later and so far the only problems Ive had is the ac compressor went out and the engine eats oil but not too bad. All the money I put into it is voluntarily as parts are cheap and easy to come by. Good investment for a quick, reliable car that looks good (type r clone) just dont put a stupid muffler on it.

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  Best car ever had. - 1998 Acura SLX
  By Bob - April 8 - 5:19 pm

  I just love the SLX. If youre looking for a reliable car this is it. This car has almost 200,000 miles on it and its still running great. All ive done on the car was change the oil the brakes and tires. I read some reviews saying that this car tips over very easily but trust me from the way i drive it Im surprised that it hasnt tipped over yet. This is a great car compact from outside and extremely roomy in the inside. IF acura continued the production of this car, hands down i would have one. I currently drive a BMW but i still have the acura on the side for emergencies and Im happy i never sold it since my BMW only gives me problems.

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  Great trip car - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Cat - April 8 - 9:21 am

  Love the MDX, it is very comfortable on the highway. We are averaging around 21 mpg in mixed driving. We bought ours used and have had a problem with the drivers side mirror rotating down in reverse, then not coming back up to the correct position. Also, after driving a Lexus RX300 the steering in this SUV makes the SUV feel heavy, not as nimble as the RX300.

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  The Ususal Well Built Honda - 2009 Acura MDX
  By acurahappy - April 7 - 2:38 pm

  Have owned two Hondas before the MSX, and have been happy with the reliability of both vehicles. Was looking for another SUV, but more upscale from my 94 explorer. All the other stuff out there didnt appeal to me or was too expensive. Since I have had the mdx (sept. 09) I am completely happy with my purchase. The ride is very comfortable and quiet. Has been a pleasure to drive in the city, long trips and in the mountains. The all wheel drive system makes it handle very well on turns of windy roads. My mileage in the city has averaged 18-19 mpg, and up to 25 on the hwy. Impressive for a 300 hp motor. I like the style. Dont mind the "beak" in front. It gives it its character. A lot of car for the money.

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  Other reviewers are too picky. - 2006 Acura TL
  By Jennie - April 7 - 2:20 pm

  I owned the 2003 TL before updating to the 2006. I also worked in Service at an Acura dealership. The most common complaint is the rattling, but a conscientious technician can fix that. (My car doesnt rattle and it doesnt happen in all of them.) Depending upon your personal driving habits, you *may* go through brakes and tires. If you want a good quality, reliable vehicle, get a TL. My two 80-pound dogs dont damage the interior and neither will your kids. The TL is also mechanically sound. Ive worked in Service for other brands so believe me, Im loyal to Acura for a reason. Compare cost, features, and reliability and its no wonder that Acura has the highest resale value.

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  Love this car - 2006 Acura TSX
  By garyk - April 6 - 4:00 pm

  I researched cars and found that by far this is one of the best buys out there. Honda quality and very fun to drive. My best friend liked it so much he also bought one.

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  Comprehensive Review! Nice SUV for a fam - 2010 Acura MDX
  By triceptive - April 6 - 12:25 pm

  Just purchased the MDX Tech Package a week ago and so far I love it. With the addition of our second child we needed a bigger car because our sedans were just not cutting it. I looked at: BMW X5(way overpriced - smaller then MDX) AUDI Q7(Overpriced - did not enjoy the ride) Buick Enclave(GM quality is not so good after years of use and I plan to keep this car for 10 years) I chose the MDX because the price was right. Another reviewer said that they dealer would not lower the MSRP. HA. I say that person has no negotiation skills. I got mine for $41, 700, a few hundred below invoice and over $4000 off MSRP. ($47,400 out the door). 1.9% APR is great too. Buy at end of the month!