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 Only Car You Need - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Gotta_Shift_It - March 13 - 11:42 pm

  I needed a serious driving machine that could also take the wife and kids everywhere. The engine sounds exotic at WOT. The six-speed manual is the only way to "talk" to this car. What really endears me to the TSX is that it can be so much fun when Im driving solo, but can also be the trusty and protective car when hauling the family. Its good on gas, mechanically dependable, exhilirating to drive, fun to drive slow, has all the safety stuff, and big enough for a family of four. The TSX made ownership fun again after a disastrous and trouble-plagued 2 years with a 2002 Audi A4... blap!

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  Best Looking Sedan with the price - 2008 Acura TL
  By TL Fan - March 13 - 7:33 pm

  I only have less than 600 miles on my 2008 TL and I hate to leave the car alone. It is so much fun to drive this car. Like its name TL (Touring Luxury), you would love to drive the sporty sedan with its build in luxury experience that put you right in the driving mode (not commute mode). Unlike Lexus, Acura TL and BMW series give you the communication with the dirt on the road. If you like to drive on the air (like Toyota with small wheels and big rubber tire), TL is not for you. It is always a hardship to blend luxury with sporty features. Acura TL seamlessly combined them.

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  Awesome, Awesome Car!! - 2000 Acura TL
  By chicagodesi - March 13 - 10:44 am

  I just purchased this car almost 2 weeks ago and I could not be happier. Its got black on black, chrome wheels and spoiler, and upgraded wood trim. I love the roominess and the performance is more than wonderful. I love how quiet and solidly built the car is and I have not experienced any of the transmission issues that seem to have plagued these cars. I got a 4 year/48000 mile extended warranty so that does give me plenty of peace of mind with the car. I love how it handles and the looks still get plenty of rave reviews.

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  Great Decision To Buy This Model - 2007 Acura TSX
  By JanetM - March 11 - 3:30 pm

  Did a lot of research and test drove many different models. When I drove this car I knew I had finally found what I had been looking for. Everything is standard. No need to purchase options. Fun to drive. Handles great.

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  A Blast to Drive - 2007 Acura TSX
  By Jack in Manassas - March 11 - 5:12 am

  The last Acura I owned was a 91 Legend coupe, it was a great car. This car is as much fun drive as my old Legend. The car corners like a dream and feels like a 6 cyl. The car accelerates as smooth as silk. I drive a Prius to work because I can get into the HOV, I cant wait for the weekends to drive the TSX. Bang for the buck you cant beat this car. My gas mileage with about 300 miles on the car is a combined 26 mpg.

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  WOW - 2004 Acura NSX
  By matthew - March 7 - 8:11 pm

  What can I say? This is the exotic all cars that have come after it have had to set as a benchmark in terms of reliability and performance, and many cars costing twice as much still fail to meet the goal 15 years after the car was introduced.

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  A very good car - 2006 Acura TSX
  By STEVE - March 7 - 5:24 am

  I got this car last year for my graduation present, and I must say that I love my car. I used to drive a 2003 Acura TL and switching to this was "bittersweet." Going from 3.2L to a 2.4L was a bit of a bummer. I noticed this especially on the interstate. The TSX had a much more fun sport shift mode (hearing the engine switch gears). But the seats in the 03 TL were much more softer. This car is fun fun fun to drive in the city. The dash has a very simple design with clean contour lines. I love how the backseats fold down for me to put my band equipment. But I do not love how it is difficult to get change out of the change cubby when the car is parked because the shifter is in the way.

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  Perfection - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Michael - March 6 - 10:27 pm

  I am a young single male who works hard and plays hard. From what I have read that was the market segment Acura was hoping to target. They definitely hit the nail on the head with the RDX. This car fits my lifestyle perfectly. Whether its a night out on the town with friends, a business luncheon, or a snowboarding trip up north, the RDX handles all of my needs flawlessly. I was concerned about how fun it would be to drive since I was coming from a sports car, but boy was I wrong. This car is such a treat to drive, it doesnt matter where you are going. Its fun, comfortable, and has great features. This is one of the first cars I have owned that doesnt have a single rattle or squeak.

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  TL - 2005 Acura TL
  By TL - March 4 - 11:16 pm

  The Acura TL is one of the best values for a semi-luxury car I have seen, It has excellent acceleration and ride quality. The car has an awesome sound system and a very quiet interior.

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  smooth ride - 2017 Acura RLX
  By billy chambers - March 4 - 9:53 pm

  By far the best car i have every owned. Does all the bells and whistles in outstanding manner. Cons a bit pricey for most folks.