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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  the best - 2004 Acura TL
  By wes1966 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  I was ready to purchase Acura TSX, great car but it was worted to wait and see new TL. Its the best package of performance and luxury for under 35k. I love it.

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  Great new design - 2017 Acura MDX
  By Chris - April 9 - 6:02 pm

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  Great Value - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Lori - April 9 - 3:19 pm

  I bought this car 4 months ago and love it! Quality materials and construction inside and out. This car feels more luxurious than many of the higher priced cars I drove and has so many more features when you add the Tech Package (totally worth the added expense, especially if you spend a lot of time on the road). I use the Bluetooth, the voice commands, and the Navi-traffic on every trip. Gas mileage could be better. My overall MPG (for 6000 miles) is 22.5. Not great when I compare it to my old Honda CRV, but is still better than I expected. To sum it up, if gas mileage is your primary concern, stick with the CRV or go to a sedan. Otherwise, you really cant go wrong with the RDX.

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  This car is incredible for the price! - 2006 Acura TSX
  By Megan - April 9 - 1:46 pm

  This is my third Acura. The car just feels solid and has great safety features. Its fun to drive, feels just like what you would want out of a sports car mixed perfectly with a luxury ride. I had the RSX type S before this, and I lost absolutely no engine power, and the braking system is amazing, the car really stops on a dime. I can say nothing bad about this car. The electronics are great, especially the information screen in the dash board. It tells you exactly what you need to know! I always installed aftermarket stereos in my car, and felt no need to do that in this car! Great comfort and fun!

• 

  Still Nice - 1999 Acura RL
  By edouble73 - April 8 - 11:57 am

  I just bought this car and it is in excellent condition for a car close to eight years old. It still drives smooth, the power is exceptional for a v6. And people think its a 2005 because the look did not change for a few years. I am totally happy with this car. And it still turns heads!

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  Very Nice Vehicle - 2007 Acura RDX
  By kenjr - April 8 - 11:46 am

  Drove home with the RDX w/Tech a few days ago and am absolutely loving this vehicle. The common complaints are gas mileage and bumpy ride but those are VERY easy to overlook with all of the other great features of this vehicle. The ride isnt THAT bumpy, but it certainly is a little rough. Freeway driving is very nice and Im averaging about 18-19 on my first tank of gas with a good mix of city/frwy. My wife will probably get better MPG as she doesnt have a lead foot like I do. Overall, great value - tech package is amazing... best on the market (and Im a geek) without question. Build quality is solid with a lot of little cool features.

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  Lot of value for the money - 2007 Acura RL
  By dalien - April 8 - 12:53 am

  Drove high end MBZ and Lexus for decades. Bought the RL for the seat (bad back) and took what came with it. For 20K+ difference Im more than pleased with the result. The RL is a dream to drive, and the cornering is amazing. The engine has all the power I need. I concur with all the positive comments seen here and have only one big squawk. I HATE THE STEERING WHEEL! Its not the wheel thats so bad even if it is too slippery, its that its loaded with so much stuff it looks like a game controller. The shift paddles are right in the way for a clean grip as are the telephone buttons which I dont use either. Remove that crap and sticky up the wheel and Id give "fun to drive" a 10 also.

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  acura - 2002 Acura MDX
  By tsukruk - April 7 - 10:00 am

  excellent car with character, nice design, excellent driving habits, very useful for trips and other

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  Quality and Performance - 2003 Acura TL
  By Chris Boyd - April 7 - 10:00 am

  Bought December/01. Love this car. Drive it every day to get to work and look forward to my commute. A blast to push up to double the speed limit and I love the passing power on two lane roads. I was going to buy an MDX and Im glad I didnt!

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  Like my 3.2TL - 2003 Acura TL
  By Honda driver - April 7 - 10:00 am

  I have owned it for 4 months now. Still loving it. Very good mix of luxury and sport. Just little disappointment with the noise and transmission hesitation at lower gears