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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  Fun driving acura - 2005 Acura TSX
  By jay santos - May 31 - 9:03 pm

  Acura provides a very nimble and fun ride. Great acceleration & comfortable riding experience.

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  Greatest Machine on Earth - 2006 Acura TSX
  By rockthetsx - May 31 - 7:51 pm

  7 months into my ownership and I still wake up each and every morning with a smile on my face. I have a 35-mile commute to work and this car has been reliably fun to drive. Under the hood, you will find an engine that has a lot of potential and yearns to purr. Whenever I step out of my car, I always have this look of reluctance. If you get that look on your face after test-driving the tsx, then youll know exactly what I mean. If you dont and decide not to purchase a tsx, then THANK YOU! Unlike the TL, TSX is a rare breed in my code and Id prefer the status quo remains. >)

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  A fine piece of art - 2007 Acura TSX
  By Jubin - May 31 - 1:26 pm

  This car is a legend. Dont waste your time investigating other sedans. It has got everything you need in a mid size sedan. I have been driving this for the last 6 months. Apart from low mileage (I am getting 21m/g) I have no complaints. Moreover the navigation system is best in class. Perfect buy!!

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  Pure Joy - 2006 Acura TL
  By Darren Lanz - May 31 - 10:03 am

  I drive mostly in town and have had a few weekend road trip excursions. This car is fun to drive! The handling is responsive, cornering is almost too easy, and the "get-up-and-go" factor is there when you want it. The leather interior is quality all the way around. The car is perfect for a midsized family of four. It has the feel of a two seater, yet room in the back for 2 passengers, 3 if you really need it.

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  Great vehicle - 2007 Acura RL
  By Gearheadded - May 29 - 10:22 am

  If not the best vehicle for under $40K it has to be in the top five. Exceptional build quality, great performance, just a great vehicle. First time Ive had strangers compliment my vehicle. Would definitely buy again.

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  Great Price for a Way Above Average Car - 2007 Acura TSX
  By PeterG - May 29 - 12:38 am

  All the features I wanted stepping into an entry Luxury Sedan and more that I never thought about. I thought, based on the price of the car, why not go for the additional nav. system and complete the package.

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  This one is a great buy for the money - 2006 Acura TL
  By S Denis - May 29 - 12:00 am

  I test drove many cars in this class and I can honestly say that this is the one that I kept coming back to see again. There is a bit of torque in the steering but I am very impressed with the fit and finish and the options that are standard on this car. This is my first ever Acura and I think that they will have me as a customer for a while. I havent heard any rattles that I have read about so I hope that means that I lucked out. I love the Bluetooth and Voice Activate Nav which I use all the time. I wish you could update information in the Nav system (i.e. when it doesnt know a street name). I also have wrinkles appearing in the leather already at 3000K miles. All in all I love it

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  Trouble Free - 2000 Acura RL
  By G. Lay - May 27 - 8:35 pm

  The RL has been a dream to own and drive. With regular dealer maintenance it has performed flawlessly. If youre looking for quality and reliability dont overlook Acura.

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  Now I have TWO MDXs - 2007 Acura MDX
  By George - May 26 - 5:47 pm

  I purchased an MDX Tech with the Entertainment pack for my wife last year when it debuted. I love it. I was driving it so often that my wife said get your own and I did 4 days ago! I looked at the mercedes g450 but $70,000 with the options was $20,000 more than mine. I test drove Audi G7, Lexus GX470, Volvo x90, BMW X5, Cadillac Escalade and SR ALL more expensive cannot compare to the MDX. I purchased the Sport/entertainment Black. Quality and reliability 10, it drives like a dream. Great passing acceleration. Best Nav I have seen. The drive is smooth and comfortable. Bluetooth works well with my Verizon Treo700.

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  Finally a LEGEND owner - 1995 Acura Legend
  By DannyBoy - May 24 - 5:39 pm

  I just turned 35 and have loved the Legend coupes since 91. Never got around to owning one until now. I decided to buy and sat and waited for a year until the perfect one found me. I am now a proud owner of a white 95 LS coupe with 67k original miles in spectacular shape, its 2007 and it has 67,000 miles, I am on cloud nine The car looks stunning (to me), interior is immaculate and it drives fantastic. I actually turned in a 2006 Audi A4 I thought about keeping until I purchased this car. It will be pampered until I can no longer drive anymore. And then I will still keep it.