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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  Very happy - 2006 Acura TL
  By JOHN - June 30 - 11:49 am

  Purchased 06 TL plus nav. What a vehicle! I get almost 30 mpg, it has plenty of power and is exactly right for me.

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  Excellent Car! - 2001 Acura CL
  By Cash - June 30 - 12:43 am

  Got this car with 58K on it and now has less than 65K. Absolutely love this car, no probs so far. ABS and side airbag turned on and dealership took care of it. Wish I had bought a type S. When I got it, I tinted my windows black, recently put some black rims on it and smoked out the front and rear tail lights. Next project to put some lambo doors and pop up navi and dvd player. This is my 3rd Honda/Acura and will absolutely stick with them! Next car is the TL.

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  An SUV for Driving Enthusiasts - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Malyel - June 27 - 10:46 am

  After 3,000 miles I am in love with my MDX Sport. The MDX handles like a sports car. The brakes are amazing. It stops on a dime. Gas mileage is better than expected (17c/21h). Best of all, the MDX moves! The MDX has more features than any other SUV in its class. The MDX won out in our comparison with the GL450, X5, GX470 and Q7. The MDX actually drives like a sports sedan and not an SUV. The same cant be said about the other SUVs we tested.

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  Still Love my Teg - 1992 Acura Integra
  By TVS - June 27 - 9:26 am

  I bought my Teg used with 115k miles Ive added 40k since then. The car has been solid with minimal repairs. My dad was speculative at first, but he has been won over by its excellent reliability. I still enjoy driving this fun car every day. Although I usually drive rather conservatively, I appreciate the performance this car can offer. Its great when I need it (or just want it). :) The looks are classic, too, in a way that the car still looks sharp at 15 years. I love to wash and wax it by hand. The Teg is like a friend to me, and I hope itll keep running strong for many more years.

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  Love this Acura - 2004 Acura MDX
  By Robert B - June 27 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE this car or I mean SUV. It performs & drives like a car. So smooooooth. Great look!!! Navi is very nice to have but does need upgraded, missing a few older streets. Breaks click kind of loud when applied & the shocks thump alittle when taking off. Not big deals but for a $45000.00 vehicle it shouldnt be there. Leather could be a little softer.

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  TL 04 - 2004 Acura TL
  By Lou Van Horn - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Sporty vehicle, good acceleration and handling

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  2004 Acura TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By gracey - June 27 - 2:00 am

  I have only had the TL for one week but it is everything the reviews say it is. The fit and finish is excellent inside and out. It had no defects or problems. I had an Audi A4. This car is a much better value and reliablity should be much better.

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  The Blind Spot - 2004 Acura TL
  By kristin1 - June 27 - 2:00 am

  I have had my car for about a month and have loved everything about it except one thing, the blind spot. The Blind spot on both sides is enough to drive you crazy. If you are sitting in traffic you can watch cars disapear into it.

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  What a Ride!!!!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By BeachBum5 - June 27 - 2:00 am

  In all honesty, this has to be one of the best cars of 2004. Test drove everything else above and below this category and nothing comes close for the all mightly $$$$$$.

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  Greatest TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By AmyLou - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Fantastic inside, outside and under the hood.