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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  Teggy - 1999 Acura Integra
  By jeff - May 5 - 8:59 pm

  Have had the car for about 4 years now. The only money I had to put into it besides regular check ups was a completely new set of brakes, which the old set wore out at about 80,000 miles. Quick acceleration, fun and easy to drive. Not the best stock paint job but I can live it with. I really enjoy my integra and am glad I purchased it.

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  Acura MDX = Amazing Sport SUV - 2008 Acura MDX
  By CLEW - May 4 - 3:27 pm

  We just purchased an 08 MDX with Tech and Entertainment with the power rear door. I drove X5 (3.0 and 4.8), Caddy SRX, and Mazda CX9 and hands down the Acura was the choice to make. It handles like (or better really) than the BMW with so many more options for the price. If you want a great, luxury SUV and want the best quality and value go with the MDX. The handling is so impressive, and the power from the 3.7 litre V6 will shock you. Navi is so easy to use and the whole sound system is unreal!

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  Great Car - 2004 Acura MDX
  By rtcxyz - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Extremely well designed. Excellent build quality. Classy and functional interior. Accelerates and corners beautifully, rides great. We evaluated the Lexus RX330, BMW X5, Volvo XC90 but the MDX was the clear choice. Only bad news is due to high demand/quality, the dealers arent willing to negotiate from MSRP. At least they are no longer adding a premium over MSRP.

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  awesome car for awesome price - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Thien Nguyen - May 3 - 10:00 am

  The rsx type-s is an awesome car! I just got one and it is just as good, if not better, than what everyone says. The car is an absolute thrill to drive, and everyone just looks at the car. It has a demanding presence, and you feel really confident driving it. Its comfortable and fast. Its also a lot roomier than the celica. Its a better car than the celica in every way.

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  Still a big WOW! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By mrfoxman - May 3 - 10:00 am

  This car is so much fun to drive I keep catching my self smiling as I drive down the road (especially the twisty ones). I also love the fact all the tricked out kids look at me in awe.

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  Great Car - 2001 Acura CL
  By decided - May 3 - 10:00 am

  This car is a perfect blend of comfort and performance. Fun to drivw, looks great and as reliable as a car can get.

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  3.2TL TYPE S NAVI - 2003 Acura TL
  By GEORGEP - May 3 - 10:00 am

  GREAT CAR PREVIOUS OWNER 3.5RL & ACCORD I THINK HONDA PRODUCTS ARE THE BEST OUT THERE. I DIDNT LOOK AT OTHER BRANDS, BECAUSE I NEW FOR THE MONEY IT COULDNT BE BET. YES THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE TO INHANCE THE CAR, BUT LETS DONT GET TO PICKEY FOR THE $$$. I HAVE OWNED BMW AND FOR THE MONEY THE TL HAS IT HANDS DOWN.

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  Right Choice - 2008 Acura MDX
  By Albert - May 2 - 4:47 pm

  Test drove Lexus RX 350, Volvo XC90, Pilot, and 2009 Murano before selecting the MDX. Its the best in class. Great SUV. It runs much better after the initial 500 miles or so. GPM got better too. Some of the accessories should have been made standard (roof rail, side molding). The plastic door handle and the same color plastic on the steering wheel make the interior look cheap. Acura should have made them better and add a few hundred dollars to the based. This is sold by Honda/Acura as a luxury SUV.

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  My best ride - 2005 Acura TL
  By BWood - May 1 - 9:48 am

  I really love this car. I have had several sedans including Cadillac STS and Lincoln LS and this is my favorite. Very comfortable and looks so good!

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  My 3rd MDX - 2008 Acura MDX
  By Ryki - May 1 - 8:04 am

  This is my 3rd MDX, I have had a 2001, a 2005 and now a 2008. This is the Best Bang for the Buck SUV on the road. Looks great inside and out. Good performance, good handling, decent feul economy (16 mpg on mixed driving) for a 300 horsepower engine and all these vehicles have proved very reliable.