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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  You get everything you desired in a car - 2004 Acura TL
  By danny - May 29 - 2:00 am

  This is a dream car, I have researched many cars like BMW 325, Lexus IS/ES 300 /es330, Volvo S60 and Infinity. But I fall in love with this one. No regret, my friends and neighbor still looking at it in the parking lot, makes me worry a little

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  Bought one, done that! - 2004 Acura TL
  By rosrea - May 29 - 2:00 am

  As advertised. HOT, HOT, HOT! Do not particularly like the low profile tires because of the bumpy ride. Will change to normal tires and wheels when the low profiles wear out. Around town it is acceptable, but on an extended road trip the ride may get tiresome. Second and third gears are phenomenal. Glad it is a front wheel drive, because at 270 horsepower, rear wheel traction would be a problem. Interior appointments look great-great visuals and all buttons are withing easy reach. With all the technological upgrades, would recommend the extended warranty.

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  front wheel shake - 2004 Acura TL
  By jvn - May 29 - 2:00 am

  Great car. Handling first class but could do with a rear wheel drive instead. Very dissapointed with the vibration coming from the front at about 50 to 55 mph.Is this harmonics from the engine?Styling first rate but quality of assembly suspect. Do they have quality control?

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  rmarctl - 2005 Acura TL
  By rmarc - May 28 - 11:40 pm

  I went from a 325 bmw to the TL. Its been the best decision I have made in a vehicle in 15 years. This TL is quick off a stop light. Very quiet. Sound system is the best on the market.

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  Love this car - 2008 Acura TL
  By Treetop Flyer - May 28 - 10:36 am

  Traded in a 2004 F150 supercrew which we really liked. We were looking for a sporty sedan with better mileage than the 14mpg we were getting with the truck. Went to the Seattle Auto Show and we liked three models. The first two dealers we went to didnt have the model we liked in stock. Then we went to our local Acura dealer and it was all over. We didnt want the test drive to end. We bought this car for better mileage and good looks and good handling. We averaged 22mpg on our first two tanks of gas; some highway and some city driving.

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  My good choice - 2002 Acura TL
  By stevesil - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Comfort is exceptional, particularly for drivers who need thigh support. Handling is a pleasure. The car is totally responsive at highway speeds for both acceleration and braking. The driving experience has been excellent.

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  No complaints - 2009 Acura TSX
  By barc2 - May 28 - 9:10 am

  Just leased the 2009 acura tsx without navigation. $400 month nothing down--I could not get a mazda 6 for that price!! Forget the audi 4, volkswagen cc and every other entry level luxury car- you are at $420-$470 oh and none of them have a trunk. My clubs, folding chairs and kids baseball equipment all fit nicely in the tsx. Car is beautiful paladium silver with gray interior-hard to find by the way--dealer was great - something about salesmen in suits as opposed to polo shirts at most other places. Car is solid and tight, very quiet, front seat hugs you nicely like a sports car should - 4 cylinder is not as peppy as my old passat but it is passable. Stereo is above average but not great.

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  Will own till it dies - 2003 Acura TL
  By Raider - May 27 - 4:09 pm

  Fantastic ride. Very comfortable, roomy interior with great sporty performance. Looking for some power at less cost - this car is a great option.

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  Wonderful Acura - 1999 Acura CL
  By D Cohen - May 27 - 1:56 am

  This is a very unique car. It is outstanding to drive has comfort, power, acceleration, quietness, and yet, it is reliable. The styling is classy and attractive. The lines are classic and elegant. Love the beautiful rear styling. Everyone looks at this car and comments how they like it. It will never go out of style and has never been a problem. I wish other things in life were as reliable as this car and had such longevity. We are not selling our CL. No other new car can compare in quality, comfort, reliability, and technology.

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  WOW! - 2005 Acura TL
  By Athlete21 - May 26 - 8:50 am

  Just awesome! A little bit different than my 2002 corolla, haha.