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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  Awesome Acura - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Rickster - March 17 - 10:00 am

  My Acura MDX has been great from day one. The handling of the vehicle has been better than my Grand Cherokee. My only complaint is that the gas mileage could be a little better in the city. Highway is great.

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  2007 RDX with Tech Pkg. - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Eric - March 16 - 10:26 pm

  An exceptionally fun to drive small suv with technology that will make you grin. Abundant power that is enjoyable but takes some getting used to. The turbo feels well tuned and is mild at first then spools up to deliver smooth, lag free acceleration. Its Nav system and voice recognition software really work well. The stereo is so good youll be the envy of not just audiophiles but anyone with ears! Its better than the several thousand dollar aftermarket set up I have in my other vehicle. Basically, consider it an impressive blend of MDX utilty, TSX performance and RL luxury.

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  Acura owner for life... stop debating, buy - 2009 Acura TSX
  By George - March 15 - 8:18 pm

  I owned a Mitsu Eclipse GT for 7 years and put 148K miles (ZERO problems with that car). After contemplating whether to finally buy "my tsx" or continue driving the eclipse, there was no question once I got in. The seats hug you, the interior is nicely laid out and stylish. Good visibility inside the car, love the headlights too. The car grabs the road around turns and cruises down the highway. Even when I hammer on the car, I get no less than 28mpg. When I pay attention to real time mileage, I can get 32mpg. There is a certain power band and it doesnt start until 3500rpms. DO NOT race anyone from a light... the car stumbles at the drop of the clutch until about 2K rpm.

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  Very Reliable - 1999 Acura CL
  By acuraowner - March 15 - 1:22 pm

  Purchased this car new in 99 and has been the most reliable car Ive owned. I get it serviced at scheduled intervals. Drivers side auto window feature has failed. Brakes and rotors seem to need replacing more often than normal. Currently have 95K miles. Repairs so far: brakes and rotors - twice, auto window control, brake caliper leak, brake & headlights, timing belt... Not too bad in 10 years.

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  Just close your eyes and hop into one - 1996 Acura RL
  By Ed - March 15 - 10:48 am

  No need to repeat others and state that the RL is a great car. Bought mine 6 and half years ago with 89K miles (now the car has 192K). Best ride, very luxurious, other than maintenance (oil change break pads, etc..) close to no issues for the 6years: O2 sensor, intermittent ABS light and rear windows regulators. Best car value, costs nothing to own and enjoy. Will get another one in a heart beat.

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  Look elsewhere - 2009 Acura RL
  By Jimbob - March 15 - 8:58 am

  For someone who has never owned a decent car, I imagine that they would think the RL is great. But I have had so many reliability problems with it, I will NEVER buy an Acura again. The handling is pretty good, the car is fun to drive, even though it is slow. Overall, I would rate it a 7 out of 10.

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  LOVE my 06 TL - 2006 Acura TL
  By bella_tl - March 15 - 2:56 am

  finally broke down and bought an 06 after buying a certified 03 TL (i had been w/out a car payment for so many years, i couldnt imagine spending that much on a car) but after drooling for 2 years, i couldnt take it anymore! this car is beautiful..from every angle and i absolutely love it!! i cant stop thinking about my next drive and i love it more than i could have imagined..almost obssesed with it.

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  Balanced Luxury Utility Vehicle - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Max - March 15 - 2:20 am

  My wife and I looked at several luxury and non-luxury 7-passenger SUVs. The list included the Toyota Highlander, Cadillac SRX, Volvo XC90, Honda Pilot, Mercedes ML, and more. The SRX was the most fun to drive, but the XC90 had more safety features. The ML had the best "luxury" interior, but the Highlander and Pilot were all priced considerably less. Well, the MDX has more HP than the SRX, is second in crash tests to only the XC90, has better reliability than the Benz, and is more prestigious than a Toyota and Honda combined. Winning combination in our book!

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  Great Value - 2006 Acura TL
  By Nick - March 14 - 11:50 am

  Ive had a Maxima for 4 years and had every intention of getting an 06. I drove the Mazda Speed 6, a handful of SUVs, the 06 Maxima and finally this TL. By far, the TL is the best vehicle for the money and a significant upgrade against the competition. The low-end torque is a plus over the Maxima. The build quality is truly in cut above the rest (at least in my snack bracket). For me, the blend of luxury and performance are what attacted me to the car and keep me smiling. Cant believe this is a base vehicle with no options!

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  Brand new - 2009 Acura TL
  By thomas1127 - March 13 - 9:00 pm

  Got my TL w/tech 3 days ago. A lot to learn but great fun. Never seen such a sophisticated system. Ride and drives great. Got a great deal - 12% off msrp plus full value on trade in. Acura is one of the top makers. If you buy one, get the tech package. Unbelieveable all of the features included.