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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  Filler up and GO !!!! - 1992 Acura Integra
  By MadRacer - December 23 - 9:44 pm

  Ive had this vehicle now since Dec. 1992 and no problems whatsoever. 225K and still on original engine and transmission. Even radiator is OEM. Only thing needed to change was pass. window motor, clutch at 175K, muffler at 190K. I lose about 1/2 qt. of oil per 4000K oil change. Have used synthetic since new.

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  Priceless - 1994 Acura Integra
  By CM221975 - December 21 - 10:47 am

  I purchased this car for $2000 dollars here in southern california and what a steal it was. I love this car, its powerful, fun, great ride, I feel like im 18 again. This is by far one of the best two cars ive ever had (my other car being a 94 honda civic ex). The v-tec is amazing and very responsive even after the 170k miles it has on it.

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  Better than BMW 5 Series - 2004 Acura TL
  By exbeemer - December 21 - 2:00 am

  Traded our 01 BMW 5 series for the new TL. The Acura has lots more power, its faster, handles better, has more interior room, a modern interior and more luxury features--best of all $15,000 less than a new 525i. Plus it has Honda/Acura reliability (BMW is a nightmare when the warranty expires). Thankfully, we traded before it ran out. Loved our Bimmer. Love our Acura even more...and we love having the extra luxury and performance for a LOT less money!

• 

  Great Car! - 2004 Acura TL
  By AJMTaylor - December 21 - 2:00 am

  After several weeks of lusting after the new TL, I succumbed and went in and bought one. The car has exceeded expectations (which were high)in every way. It looks great and runs better still. I was after a car that was nice, but not a statement car (like a BMW) and one that not every Joe on the street owned (like an Audi). The Acura TL is perfect - fast, fun to drive and uncommon. Perfect!

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  Zoooooooooooommmmmm!!!!!!!!!!! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Ghost Rider - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Just take one for a test drive. It handles awesome and is a huge improvement over the Integra it replaced. Sporty fun!

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  Clean lines and agility - 2006 Acura TSX
  By Bobby O - December 18 - 11:46 pm

  Superbly designed and heck of a lot of fun to drive! This is the very first new car ever purchased and I am 100% sure I made the right choice. I did a lot of research too and couldnt find a better value for the money.

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  325i to TSX - 2008 Acura TSX
  By mstew0102 - December 18 - 2:31 pm

  I recently returned a lease of a 2006 BMW 3251 6M. I am a loyal Honda-ist and am very pleased to be back on familiar ground. The BMW was a great car, but this is more like putting on a familiar old coat. The TSX may have missed by not having a V6, but overall this car is more satisfying and full of features that I love. The handling is not the same as RWD, but I have quickly forgotten that car and feel more confident in this TSX. I couldnt be happier.

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  Blown Away - 2004 Acura TL
  By steve_boris - December 17 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the TL for over a month now and I love it. The thrill of being able to maneuver on highways without worrying about whether the car has enough power and the way the TL handles turns at high speeds with such ease continues to awe me everyday. This is simply the best car in its class for your hard earned dollars.

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  Could not be happier - 2008 Acura TSX
  By John - December 16 - 9:57 pm

  My previous car was a VW Jetta (w/ Turbo). I was looking at 3 series BMWs, Lexus IS 250 and the TSX. I ended up with the TSX and could not be happier. After reading reviews I was worried that the car would not have the pick-up I desired. I envisioned it being like my brothers civic. Not the case and in fact I dont notice much of a differnce outside of not have the turbo kick-in at 6000 rpms. I also thought the body was somewhat plain at first, but have since grown to love it. This is a great car for anyone in the entry level luxury sedan market.

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  If feels so great, what power - 2005 Acura TL
  By Acura lover - December 16 - 2:06 am

  It is a great car and is just not bland like previous models. I have put it on the road and it is a marvel to drive.