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 Best Car Ever Owned - 2005 Acura RL
  By Moore - November 30 - 11:33 am

  I have owned 6 different cars including 2 Acuras and have driven at least 5 different types of cars owned by my husband. This is the best car I have owned or driven. I would highly recommend it because of its reliability, technology, and styling. Thank you.

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  Whats not to love? - 2009 Acura TL
  By OldBarr - November 30 - 8:33 am

  I love this car. Its my 3rd Acura and my favorite by far. I wasnt sure about the rotating wheel on the navigation system at first but now that I have driven it for a few weeks, I have completely changed my mind. No more glare on the screen, it almost looks high def. I looked at other cars (infinity G35, Honda Accord and Nissan Maxima) just to see how it compared and I think I got the best car for my money. Its luxurious in the inside and and the tech package makes a tech freak like me very very happy.

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  5000 Texas miles with no regrets - 2009 Acura RDX
  By Dstew - November 29 - 9:38 pm

  IÂ’ve been on just about every type of terrain and this SUV has performed admirably. Highway and street ride and performance is great. Pickup is a little slow under 20 MPH but really winds up once the turbocharger is engaged. On the highway with the cruise set you can get 22-24 MPG at 75-80 MPG. Great pickup at high speeds for highway passing. In the city MPG is closer to 18. On the beach the all-wheel drive helps out and takes bumps and loose sand very well. Dirt roads are the same. I have not taken it on much worse than maintained dirt roads because of the somewhat low clearance and I bought it mostly as a highway vehicle. Almost every feature you need is included.

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  Best SUV I have owned - 2004 Acura MDX
  By cdorider - November 29 - 10:00 am

  I have owned 2 suvs before this one and after owning my 4Runner I thought no other suv in this price range would come close, but the MDX changed my mind.his is an awsome suv.

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  Dream SUV - 2004 Acura MDX
  By VirginiaBlues - November 29 - 10:00 am

  Having only had this vehicle for less than a month, some of my opinions could change. However, at this point in the game it is without a doubt the finest vehicle I have ever driven, including the Lexus, Cadillac, Jags and BMWs. I frequently put 50k miles per year on vehicles, so this was a consideration when choosing Acura. The resale on Acuras is extremely high, and talk to anyone who has ever had one; they LOVE them. After reading Consumer Reports rate it, I knew I couldnt go wrong.

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  Nice - 2004 Acura TL
  By TDW - November 29 - 10:00 am

  This car is a dream to drive. Cant beat the value this car offers, and it should hold up well if Acuras past performance is any indicator. I drove and researched a lot of cars in this class, and I dont think you can beat the TL for the money. NICE

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  2004 Acura TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By Freeman Craig - November 29 - 10:00 am

  Having had BMWs and Acuras for the past 30 years, I can assert this is one of my favorite two of all time. It is far far superior to my 2001 3.2TL and much more responsive on mountain curves than my previous 3.5RL. I love it!!

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  Nothing else close in its class - 2004 Acura TL
  By Piano Man - November 29 - 10:00 am

  Test drove most models in its class. Best combination of style (exterior and interior, fit & finish, sound system, and reliablity history, and VALUE for the money.

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  Great Car - 2007 Acura TL
  By TC in Chi - November 29 - 9:39 am

  Traded in my 4Runner for a 2007 Type S. Great car. Smooth and powerful acceleration, handling and braking are superb. I drive 60-70 miles a day, mostly highway. I used to hate driving to work, now its the best part of my day. Great all around car, especially considering the cost. I get 25-26 MPG. This car is best used as a highway cruiser. If you need an around town car look elsewhere. This thing wants to go fast.

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  Go Acura - 2004 Acura TSX
  By lxlsamiamlxl - November 28 - 11:26 pm

  Excellent vehicle with the service to match. Traded out of a 97 Passat VR6 and have yet to look back on the decision.