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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  Acura RL the best automobile - 2008 Acura RL
  By caborchitra wilson - June 2 - 12:50 pm

  After I saw my friends beautiful RL I didnt hesitate to buy one for myself. This car has everything you can ask for. The 290 horsepower engine is too powerful for my needs (got 2 speeding tickets with this Acura). I love my Acura RL, it has 10000 miles already and has no signs of any problems. Averaged 31.8 mpg on a 2000 mile roadtrip which is the best of other cars.

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  Acura RL beats all competitors - 2008 Acura RL
  By podrapadda - June 2 - 12:36 pm

  I bought a 2008 Acura RL in March and its by far the best car I have ever bought. The Acura RL is very powerful, very smooth and quiet, has great handling. Acura (Honda) cars have excellent quility and are reilible. If you are looking for a new luxury car give the Acura RL a chance.

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  Best For Four - 2008 Acura MDX
  By OC MDX - June 1 - 6:53 pm

  If you are moving 4 adults, this is the best vehicle in the segment. Lots of others have uncomfortable second row seats. It is as fun to drive as something this size can be. Great power to weight ratio once you are rolling. Great highway cruiser, effortless and it does not wear you out in transit. We have not gotten to really use the 4WD yet. We have had it for 7 months.

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  TSX forever - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Robert E - June 1 - 9:03 am

  My 2005 TSX handles like a dream. In the 3 years I have owned it, it has never given me a moments problem. I do the routine maintenance and in return I have a car that I can rely on 100%. By far the best car I have ever owned

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  This is a special sports sedan - 2008 Acura TSX
  By Bob in Beaufort SC - May 31 - 1:21 pm

  The steering, transmission, clutch and the running gear are all in tune. This is a very solid sports car feel, in a small sedan, still with ample room for 4 people. Having had Hondas since 1986, this was a major step up for me, and the car is solid, planted and fun to drive. Too bad that it has to use premium gas, buy thats the way Honda gets 205 HP out of the 2.4L four cylinder. This is a drivers car, with a nicely snubbed-up ride that is not harsh.

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  For the Most Part -- Happy Owner - 2008 Acura RDX
  By RDXer - May 31 - 8:02 am

  The style, speed, handling, AWD aspects are great. The fuel economy could be better but is improving as the miles drive increases. Dealer did have to replace the left front brake caliper due to a rattle noise but dealer assured me it was a new, factory replacement part not rebuilt. Would be nice if it had auto on/off headlights and if the air conditioning "auto" function would always work with the recirculating button engaged -- living in the city you have to pretty much keep the recir button on all the time.

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  Why spend more when you dont have to! - 2008 Acura TL
  By Michael in Montreal - May 31 - 7:33 am

  My brother, who had recently purchased a 2008 Acura TL S-Type, recommended that I test drive the car, and stop looking at more expensive cars that I was considering, such as the Jaguar XF and the Audi A6. Well, we are both now driving the same car, except his is Silver and mine is Pearl White. The car is solid, fast and luxurious. In Pearl White, the car is a very sexy sharp-looking car. I was sold within 5 minutes of the test drive, and the driving experience just gets better with time. It will take me time to learn how to use all the features that come with the car, but with the money I saved, I will study the owners manuals as I tan on the beaches in Southern Italy this summer

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  Still a great car - 1995 Acura Legend
  By Janice - May 31 - 1:20 am

  I have owned my car for 12 years. I recently have had some work done cv boots inner and outer, new tires etc., but in all these years other than normal maintenance it has been terrific. I love this car and although i also own a jaguar i just cant sell or trade it. It looks great, never had any accidents, only 80000 miles. So although it is 13 years old it still looks great and I still get compliments on the car. Cant beat that.

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  Awesome first luxury car! - 2005 Acura TL
  By Elizabeth - May 30 - 12:53 pm

  I am so glad to be in a well-made vehicle. I am 25 and getting into my career as a commercial interior designer, so this car is still fun to drive for my age, but has the luxury that I need to take my clients around.

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  Best entry level sedan for the price - 2004 Acura TSX
  By ManG - May 30 - 10:00 am

  Test drove the A4, Mazda6, BMW 325i, and TSX. This car is the best overall value in its class. Handling is terrific for a FWD car, and the only option is the nav system - which is the best in the industry! Interior design is near flawless, big gauges, big nav screen, nice heated leather seats, good lumbar support..on par with Audi.