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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  Great car so far... - 2008 Acura TL
  By swobig - April 3 - 2:39 pm

  Bought my 08 in March of 09 and have been pleased with it so far. Good car - does everything well, probably not the best in anything, but is very good at everything. Good power, handling, comfort and layout. Looked at a 09 Accord V6, but the layout and features of this 08 were much better. The styling of the 09 seems a little off to me, plus the price was much higher. The 08 is much more conservative, but classy. Happy with my purchase and would recommend - I dont have the rattles that some talk about although it takes some getting used to how the engine seems to brake when you let your foot off the gas instead of coasting like most cars do...

• 

  I love to drive my Acura - 2009 Acura TL
  By Actingout - April 3 - 2:00 pm

  Having always driven Lincolns, I wanted to look around when I was ready to trade. As soon as I drove the Acura TL, I knew this was the car I wanted. I cant say enough good about it. It beautiful to look at, rides like a dream and has everything I wanted on it without having to pay for the extras...moon roof, heated seats, premium sound system. Because Im hearing impaired, Ive never been able to enjoy a car sound system. Now, I open the roof, turn on the XM radio and hear clearly....wow! I drove several other brands and none compared with the Acura TL. Do yourself a favor...go get one...youll be glad you did.

• 

  Nice Car - 2009 Acura TSX
  By bhel - April 3 - 4:26 am

  My wifes car, but I drive it frequently. For the most part, I like it and it is a nice step up from the RSX she had. My one complaint is the drivers seat lumbar support... it hits just too high on the back and it isnt really possible to dial it back enough to really find a comfortable setting for the seat. This would not be my choice of car for a longer journey. Otherwise, it is quiet, plenty powerful, and offers good road feel. Steering is a little light but one gets used to it. Id prefer an easier to read set of dash readouts.... black on gray isnt as good as my Accord which has brighter displays.

• 

  Acura RDX - 2008 Acura RDX
  By Medina Wood - April 2 - 4:03 am

  Had this car for 8 years and not once in shop. Very reliable and stayed looking brand new after 8 years. Very pleased with this purchase.

• 

  Excellent Drive - 2007 Acura TL
  By RexDaddy - April 2 - 3:46 am

  My TL has proven to be the best value for the money car I have ever owned. The interior is comfortable, great nav system and bluetooth are extremely convenient, engine is powerful providing great pickup on the highway when needed. The number of features is immense and make it a car I hate to leave in the parking garage all day during work.

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  3rd TL & still pleased - 2009 Acura TL
  By TMR - April 1 - 8:20 pm

  All I can say is, same old story in a good way. This TL is a great car at a good price. As with my other two TLs I could find no better bang for the buck in this class. I love the styling.

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  Best car I have ever owned. - 1995 Acura NSX
  By enkrypt3d - April 1 - 4:26 pm

  This is my second NSX. My first one was a black 1991 NSX coupe. I kind of miss having the coupe due to the better handling, but the NSX-T can be a lot of fun in the summer time! My current NSX is a 95 Midnight Pearl. This thing turns heads and no one really knows what it is. I have many performance mods - custom coilovers suspension, stiffer sway bars, intake, headers, hiflo cats, and exhaust and this thing screams! It can out run just about anything on the road.

• 

  LOVE 09 TSX - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Stephanie - April 1 - 1:09 pm

  I had been looking for a car for several months. When the new body style was released I fell in love. I use my vehicle to drive to and from work and school. She (my TSX) has taken good care of me. I look forward to getting in my vehicle every morning, traffic or not she is amazingly comfortable.

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  Honest and thorough review - 2005 Acura RL
  By victorCA - April 1 - 1:06 pm

  This is one unbelievable automobile. It is probably one of the most technologically advanced vehicles out there! However, I expected much better acceleration for a 300hp car!! My cousins TL feels much faster. Handling is also a couple notches below the German vehicles, but overall very good. Ride and comfort are great and it is very quiet, though not as quiet as my friends LS 430. Seats are ultra comfy, and interior materials are first class!

• 

  *Insert Smiley Face Here* - 2008 Acura RDX
  By ALB - March 31 - 4:13 pm

  This car just makes me smile every time I get in it. Roomy interior, comfortable seating, out-handles any small SUV Ive ever driven. If there were one car to completely embody my persona, this would be it-- spunky, sporty, with the perfect mix of practicality and luxury.