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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  I love my Acura TL Type-S - 2007 Acura TL
  By Michael Hayes - March 29 - 3:12 pm

  If God had created the perfect car, he would have created the Acura TL Type-S. This car is one serious piece of machinery. It is a triple threat all the safety of a Honda, all the power of a sports car, and the design to kill for. It is the perfect culmination of attributes looked for in sport sedan. Also, this car gets incredible fuel economy for being a 3.5L V6. The 5th gear overdrive enables the TL to cruise at 75 mph only spinning a mere 2100 rpms thats impressive by any standards. The average mileage at 75 mph with the AC cranked up and the lights and radio on is an incredible 35 mpg. This car is a hands down winner in all categories of sports sedan.

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  Very happy with purchase - 2008 Acura RDX
  By Tyler - March 28 - 7:49 pm

  It has great acceleration and hugs the road very well. The suspension is stiff and reminds me of my old RSX-S (could be good or bad depending on the driver). Ive driven from TX to CA in this and was not fatigued. All in all, it is a pleasure to drive. I do extensive research whenever I buy pretty much anything and I found this to be a better buy than the competitors.

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  Terrific car - 1996 Acura Integra
  By Raven - March 26 - 8:05 pm

  I recently traded in my Integra for a 3.2 TL Type S, and while I love my TL, my memories of that wonderful Integra will always be with me. Great acceleration, amazing handling on curves and the ability to get in and out of traffic make that car a joy to drive. The styling is great and theres just something about what Acura does with engines that creates a powerful sound that makes you love what youre driving. Reliability? Acura has cornered the market on it. I have owned 2 Acuras - now on my third - and I will never purchase any other brand. Not a thing ever went wrong with my vehicle and I drove it harder than I ever should have.

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  This why you buy an Acura - 1998 Acura RL
  By Rod - March 26 - 6:36 pm

  Always reliable. Even after ten years, the build quality of this is incredible. Leather, paint, and all interior trim pieces are still in great shape. I have test driven several cars in the last two years and none offer anything new or better quality. When driving this car, there is a tangible perception that you are experiencing engineering at its best.

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  The best is yet to come is here - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Brian - March 26 - 4:00 pm

  Figuring on higher gas prices in the future and not wanting to give up performance. I traded my 8 cylinder car for a 4 cylinder Acura TSX which has the pep of a well trained puppy dog. It loves to rev and with the sport mode stick shift in place you are Le Mans or Daytona in your mind !! Now I get quick performance at a very reasonable gas mileage. It is a drivers car that accomodates passengers !!

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  Newly Leased TSX no Nav - 2008 Acura TSX
  By DandO - March 26 - 12:06 pm

  Great car. Very fun to drive and very difficult to take foot off the gas to slow down even though the 0-30 mph could use some help after that its a rocket. Great standard features that require no further addition. Good price and overall value. Initial MPG is not so good. First 2 weeks of ownership: city: 16-18 mpg highway: 18-22 mpg. I hope it gets better as the car is broken into.

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  A Great Value for a Used Car - 1999 Acura CL
  By joe gonzo - March 25 - 6:10 pm

  We love the interior design of this car. It handles great on the open road and the Vtech has plenty of punch when you need it. This is our second Acura and the reason is their reliability. My Integra is ready to turn the odometer again and it still runs like a top. I do my own maintenence and these cars are easy to work on. The only problem with both cars is the radiator going bad but they are easy and cheap to replace. It doesnt cost 300 bucks to change the plugs either. By the way, the CL was designed and built in Ohio for those who think its an import and women really dig it.

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  Love my TL!! - 2008 Acura TL
  By HarleyTX - March 25 - 4:37 pm

  I was apprehensive about buying a car that would soon be redesigned, but from what spy-photos Ive seen, the 09 will not be nearly as handsome. After 15,000 miles, Im am utterly in love with this car. Faster and more comfortable than my 05 TSX, Ive never regretted buying this car. It still looks good, has a great performance/luxury compromise, and is built like a tank. Theres is no better car for the money!

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  Fun car to own and drive - 2002 Acura TL
  By Dave - March 25 - 10:17 am

  Our car is primarly driven by my wife. She loves it - in fact this is the first car weve owned that she truly loves. She always found fault with any of the other cars weve owned in 45 years of marriage. I rarely drive it except for long trips. It is a remarkable vehicle to drive on the highway.

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  first 90 days - 2006 Acura TL
  By WP Smith - March 25 - 6:50 am

  Mine is The A Spec setup, So far it has been a remarkable ride, The Looks with the A-Spec kit gets nothing but envious looks it is NightHawk Black Pearl, With dark tinted windows, the ride the performance are near perfect, Mileage is close to 25 mpg. No complaints greta value for the Dollars spent