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 - 2010 Acura TL
  By Slm - July 29 - 3:42 am

  I have owned this car for a few years now and the worst thing I can say is that I have to depart ways with it soon. I mostly trade every three to four years however drove this Acura longer. Its not the most appealing on the eyes but the tech is tremendous and it rides very well. The gas mileage is ok but thats all the only downfall about this vehicle. I actually love this car so much Im considering buying a 14 with the awd/tech package.

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  Big Letdown! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Mark - July 28 - 8:03 pm

  I bought this car new and was so excited. It is sharp, fast and nimble. My excitement quickly turned into a nightmare. From day one this car was a rattle trap, and in less than a week it was already back at the dealer. This car has spent 17 days in the shop since I have owned it. The bridgestone tires are terrible, and like other people writing reviews here the leather seats wear very quickly. I am so disappointed in acura. I expect better from a honda product. I seriously hope people read this review before buying this car. I wouldnt wish this nightmare on anyone else!!

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  Outrates my past Cadillac - 1996 Acura TL
  By Michael - July 28 - 5:24 pm

  I have had this acura for four years now and it out performed my previous STS Cadillac. The only repair which I have had to do in the last four years was to replace the muffler. Yes, I was quoted like $600 for a muffler but, what I did was buy one using the internet with a rebate costing me only $114 usd, and then had it installed at a local mechanic for $25 since it was just three bolts to deal with but it required a lift to replace it. Overall great car!!!! I take care of it so it will last, why deal with car payments for a new one... LOL

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  Disappointment! - 2009 Acura MDX
  By Marisol Wesson - July 28 - 4:42 pm

  I am a complete Acura fan. I have owned 3 Acura cars (all TLs) and now my great MDX. I fell in love with the MDX, its performance and reliability.. Feel safe and excited driving the MDX. However, for some reason, and for the first time, Ive had several electrical issues. First, the CD player got stuck and it had to be replaced. Now, the electronics on the seats do not work, the memory is gone. The Bluetooth for my phone sometimes works but most of the time, I have to take my calls from the cell phone directly as the calls do not get through. After paying so much money for this MDX, it is disappointing to be having so many problems. Yes, Acura dealer will correct all these problems.

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  My first foreign car - 2009 Acura TL
  By mike c - July 28 - 2:20 pm

  Coming off of a 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, I test drove almost every luxury car you can think of. None of these cars have anything on the TL especially the price. This car is amazing. I was loyal to my Lincolns but this car is on a whole different level. I got the car for under invoice and they ate my last two payments on my Zephyr, cant beat that. Smoother, quiet and a lot better looking than the G37x, the Lexus nice car but overpriced and the interior is ugly.

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  The Family Sportscar! - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Critical - July 27 - 11:28 pm

  Absolutely great car. Tech package is easy to use. Heres the bad things... interior plastic scratches easy, 19 to 20 mpg avg., 92 octane gas. That being said this is the best car Ive ever owned. Im a "car nut" and backyard mechanic, this car is extremely easy to maintain. Ill drive this car till it dies!

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  Great car - 2008 Acura MDX
  By De - July 27 - 3:45 pm

  I researched this car for over a year. My work paid off. The dealership is great and the automobile is fantastic. The only negative is I feel the paint is a little thin. It nicks very easily. I love the drive, the reliability, and handling. Is it fun to drive??? Really, it is an SUV not a Porsche!

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  Acura TL - Get One! - 2009 Acura TL
  By LMac - July 27 - 1:54 pm

  Excellent Car! The Tech Package is awesome - I purchased the car almost 2 weeks ago and I am still finding new neat features. Very pleased to find out that my family of 5 can ride comfortably in the car - me, my wife, my 9 year old, my 8 year old and my 15 month old (with car seat). Get one.

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  I love my car - 1999 Acura TL
  By I.luv.acura - July 27 - 1:41 pm

  I love my car! I bought it used with 189,00 miles. The previous owner treated it badly, so I have to replace fans and radiator, the relay system had to be changed, routers changed and a long overdue filter change. I also had to replace the struts and front wheel bearings. This didnt bother me too bad because all of these things were original parts from 10 years ago. All I do now is routine maintenance and she drives like a dream.

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  I Love This Car - 2009 Acura TL
  By hemjin26 - July 27 - 1:06 pm

  I have only had it for less than a month but everyday I love this car more and more. The nav, climate control, and other tech features it has takes a little time to get used to. It handles great, the ride is comfortable, and it looks awesome.