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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  Highly Recommended - 2008 Acura RDX
  By chicagordx - June 24 - 10:27 pm

  Checked out the Nissan Murano and BMW X3...Saved about $5k in regards to the Murano and $10k in regards to the X3 by opting for the RDX. This car is worth every cent...luxury, yet it feels like driving a sports car. Navigation/AcuraLink is fabulous and the best one out there. Definitely check it out before saying "Ill just buy a Garmin". Its worth the upgrade in price. Only negative is the gas mileage, I have 500 miles on the car and average about 14.4 mpg. The good thing is that my commute is only 2 miles each way to work so its not too bad. If youre in the market for something in this market, definitely be sure to check the RDX out..its so much fun to own.

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  08 Acura TL-S - 2008 Acura TL
  By dennis olson - June 23 - 4:11 pm

  My wife and I looked at several vehicles (Infiniti G35, Audi A4) before we decided on the Acura TL-S. My wife didnt like the others. I wanted performance - sporty handling and 0-60 in less than 6 seconds. The Acuras engine is very smooth with enough power. The handling is excellent - sporty but not stiff, slight understeer. Shifting is precise - I really love the shift paddles. The nav. system is easy to use with a big screen and many features. Its just really fun to drive.

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  Love it - 2008 Acura TL
  By oscars2212 - June 23 - 10:11 am

  Bought a base TL about 3 months ago, and just love it. Having had an 05 C230 before this TL, I can tell you that the interiors are identical quality. IF you want a little more luxury, a little sportier car, for a lot more money, then by all means look at the MS, BMW or infiniti. But if you want the best combination of value and luxury, look no farther than the TL.

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  1st Acura was better - 2005 Acura TL
  By Vesta28 - June 22 - 9:41 pm

  I had an 02 Acura RSX before and the build quality was much better. This one has some rattles and some fit and finish issues. Road noise. Now the pros, great looks, interior design, mpg 32 freeway, 22 city, great value, fast.

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  Still Love My Acura!! - 2006 Acura MDX
  By pearl - June 22 - 7:13 pm

  I still love my Acura after 2 years of ownership! This is my 2nd car made by Honda and my other was an Accord and I have been very happy with both. The Acura is like a Honda on steroids! Love the back up TV, navigation, onstar, Bluetooth, heated seats, and my kids love the DVD. I would definitely consider another Acura in the future!

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  One of the best affordable cars ever made - 2000 Acura Integra
  By shadokreep - June 22 - 1:05 pm

  I have owned this car for 6 years and it still runs great. The gas mileage is on par with most civics of this time. This car is still comfortable and was a great investment I made. Couple of months ago, I thought about selling my car and getting something bigger, but since gas prices went up I changed my mind.

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  Fun Stuff! - 2003 Acura TL
  By ConceitedDJL - June 22 - 10:00 am

  Has been a great experience. This is an excellent highway car. Great for trips. It has everything you need and maybe a little more. Functionally, the car is perfect. I definate strong buy.

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  Very Good Car - 2003 Acura TL
  By Shelley10 - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I love the car........I will definitely buy another one.

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  Love it! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Sold - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I went to test drive the TL, expecting to eliminate it from my search. As soon as I sat in it, I fell in love! The ride is so smooth, the interior design is great, the new exterior is so much sportier than last years model.

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  Great Car!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Chrisana33 - June 21 - 9:58 pm

  I have had two Acuras now and have no regrets! I get awesome mpg (25-29) per tank. The comfort of this vehicle is amazing. The car is very easy to handle and great on curvy roads. I have the anthracite gray which is very easy to keep clean! :) I have no problems with this TL or my previous 01 3.2 CL. I put 180K miles on my CL and currently have 72K on my TL. Both vehicles run excellent and I have absolutely no complaints to say about my choices!