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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  Great Car - 2004 Acura TL
  By TxEx84 - December 9 - 2:00 am

  Very fun to drive. Great value compared to BMW 330i. Also considered the G35 but the added features on the TL (DVD-Audio, Bluetooth, XM Radio standard, ...) and interior quality has the Infiniti beat.

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  Awesome Fun - 2004 Acura TL
  By Goocher - December 9 - 2:00 am

  Before buying this car, I test drove the BMW 330, Infiniti G35, Mazda RX8, Lexus IS300. I heard about it last minute from friends and the Internet. After driving the car, I knew this was the car for me. The base equipment is hard to beat for the price and the performance is outstanding

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  Luxurious, Refined and Sporty - 2004 Acura TL
  By Blacura TL - December 9 - 2:00 am

  This car as thought of everything. World class one-of-a-kind stereo, 270HP,and silky smoothe. One of the fastest Front wheel Drives out there. Be fast... but be classy too.

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  VERY GOOD CAR - 2004 Acura TL
  By JOSEPH H - December 9 - 2:00 am

  BEST CAR FOR YOUR MONEY

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  Best Car Ive ever owned - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Drum Major - December 9 - 1:10 am

  All the performance of a sports car, with all the reliability of a top of the line Japanese car.

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  just hatched - 2003 Acura CL
  By Paleo 1 - December 8 - 10:00 am

  The CL is new and I have only 2500 miles. The interior is very Accord like. Handles well and is very quick with the standard engine. The headroom with the sunroof just clears my head. I am 6 tall. Gas mileage is poor so far.

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  Brilliant design and execution! A joy! - 2009 Acura MDX
  By NHHawk6 - December 7 - 5:39 am

  Test drove everything over a three month period. Decided on the MDX because of its styling, handling, and technology. Nothing else in the segment came close. Now that I own it, I enjoy this vehicle far more than I ever imagined possible. I knew it was a great SUV, but the package in total, leaves you shaking your head at times. It is a precise vehicle, inside and out. Fit and finish is exceptional. Performance receives an A++ for a seven passenger vehicle, and it makes you want to drive the long way home everyday. The luxury, entertainment, and technology features lead you to believe you are already "home"! I recommend the Acura MDX Sports and Entertainment edition w/out hesitation!

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  Type-S is a blast! - 2003 Acura TL
  By TLMAN - December 7 - 2:00 am

  Dealership experience was wonderful. The car is very, very tight and solid. Workmanship/fit/finish are exceptional. Accelerates quickly and smoothly, 5-speed automatic is very smooth. Great engine sound during hard acceleration. Not much road noise, some wind noise but FAR QUIETER than my previous car: Chrysler 300M. The Acura is a better car in nearly all respects.

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  My Wife Loves this Car - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Big Fan - December 7 - 1:08 am

  This is a great car. Comfortable seats, quiet, smooth. My wifes friends always ask her to drive because they all love this car. Very reliable - transmission replaced under warranty, no other problems.

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  Best of the Best - 2009 Acura MDX
  By CarNut - December 6 - 1:59 am

  The sales consultant showed me a competitive comparison of the MDX vs GX470, X5, XC90, etc. It said the MDX was #1 and I didnt believe it so I went and drove all the competitors and I admit I was wrong. The MDX is the best out there. Perfect blend of luxury, power safety and reliability. No buyers remorse here.