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 car, some suggested improvements - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Davispandk - September 13 - 4:11 pm

  First the positive - this is by far the best vehicle I have ever owned. It is an awesome vehicle for sure. The technology is like a science fiction movie, at least for someone like me who has never owned a luxury car before. Everything is easy to use if you take the time to read the manual and practice. There are so many minor details that Acura does right to make this car so much more than just a car. I do have some complaints, though, and they mostly relate to practicality: 3rd row legroom could be better based on experience in similar size cars 2nd row seat buckles are poorly spaced for booster seats 2nd row climate control vents do not adequately reach the 3rd row.

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  In love with my Acura TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By Dionne - September 13 - 7:08 am

  I absolutely love my car. It has so much power along with so much beauty. I will update my car every 4 yrs. to an Acura. The colors available can not be better than what color I have. My car is like a pearl white. Beautiful.

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  90% of Porsche 918 at 80% discount - 2017 Acura NSX
  By T. F Malik - September 12 - 4:53 pm

  Super handling super car that blends the qualities of Ferrari and Porsche nicely in a relatively affordable package if ordered with the only essential option of Carbon Ceramic disk brakes. Can be a daily use car except in snow and ice unless equipped with proper tires and clearance issues with snow as it has pretty low clearance and no option to raise the car to clear the snow. Acceleration is instant, thanks to electric assist that takes away the turbo lag, torque vectoring with the front electric motors works transparently to assist in carving turns at any speed.

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  Best Luxury - 2001 Acura RL
  By Gwen Titsworth - September 12 - 2:56 pm

  I have owned many different luxury cars Lexus, Jag, etc., because I like to try out the different varieties and to say I have driven them, but my Acura has beat them all hands down. I went to buy a Mercedes and was disappointed in the test drive. For the heck of it I tried the Acura RL and bought it. I usually buy a new car every two years but I hated to let this one go. I am planning to buy another one though this year. The car I would buy beyond the Acura is a Bentley Cont. GTS.

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  2008 RDX - 2008 Acura RDX
  By lwfineny - September 12 - 1:53 pm

  Ive had the 2008 RDX for just a few days - very impressed so far. Handling and acceleration are great. Im 65" and have over 3 inches of space between my head and the roof - pretty amazing for a car with a moonroof. Initial fit and finish seem perfect. All in all, its a lot of fun to drive.

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  Very nice surprise - 2009 Acura TSX
  By ljp - September 11 - 1:46 pm

  I have been driving German cars for the past 5 years, but rising gas prices made me look into an entry level sport-luxury sedan with a 4 cylinder NA engine. The TSX is unique in the market, and the car drives like a dream. Its light and agile-feeling, power with the 6 speed manual is good, the comfort is right on the money and the tech features are a bonus. The fuel economy so far is excellent! There seems to be some controversy surrounding the looks of the car, but park it next to a 2008 or earlier model, and it makes the old car look instantly dated. It definitely has more street and parking lot presence than the previous model.

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  The best for under 30K - 2004 Acura TSX
  By kimas - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I have been shopping for a car for about a month -- test drove New Maxima, Accord, Passat. I was looking for a V6 car - but the moment I drove TSX, I knew this is the car for me. Though a 4 cylinder car, Honda/Acura has given enough zip to make the pick- up attractive, the drive smooth, the turns w/o any body-rolls.... The interior is awesome - unfortunately I couldnt get the NAV. I had a chance to check it out - it is the best NAV in the circuit.

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  Awesome car!!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Shobizz - September 11 - 10:00 am

  Its about 3 weeks I bought this car and just love it. It drives smooth, amazing acceleration in highways, looks very cla$$y....

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  My Acura - A beauty - 2007 Acura TL
  By Gene Shaw - September 11 - 2:36 am

  I test drove BMW 330i, Lexus IS 350, Lexus ES 350, and Acura TL. I eventually decided to get TL. Ive had my Acura for a month now. I often have to resist the urge to just drive it for fun. For those of you who are still searching out there, buy an Acura and you will not regret it.

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  Worth Every Penny - 2000 Acura TL
  By KingGeorge - September 10 - 1:26 pm

  August 31, 2007 marked the 7th anniversary for my ownership of this solid machine. Bose sound system is unsurpassed. Smooth ride, far more superior than the 2005 330BMW xi. Paramount level of precise engineering when it comes to areodynamics...the car basicall hugs the road. I only replaced tires once, battery once, transmission fluid once, brake fluid once, and periodic oil change. Thats it. Make sure to read the owners manual and not to go about replacing stuff that are not listed.