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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  Expected better! - 2008 Acura TL
  By Bae - July 3 - 11:23 am

  I drove 1993 Honda Accord LX Coupe for 15 years, 400,000 miles. and I traded in for this 08 Acura TL. I really liked the accord and it gave me no pain. But this TL has been proven to be a Rattle box. It makes rattling sound almost everywhere. I went in to the dealer about 4 times in one month starting 2 days after purchasing the car and stayed at the dealer for 2 weeks total in the first month. The first, sunroof problems and engine check light on and drive light blinking not shifting from 3rd to 4th gear, etc. It wasted a lot of my time and gave me so much stress. And all they gave me was the extended warranty. After the first month, I had to keep going back to dealer

• 

  The good and the bad. - 2007 Acura RDX
  By johnnymauler - July 1 - 11:30 pm

  After owning this vehicle for a year I am already tired of the non responsive automatic transmission. I have driven manual transmissions for most of my life, but I wanted to have a SUV for the snow and portability. I have to say I love everything else about this vehicle. The handling is great, comfortable, roomy, tech package kicks, even the turbo 4 isnt so bad. But the paddle shifters and transmission are sub par. Shifts are slow and sloppy. This vehicle should have made with a 6 spd manual. Also the GPS is outdated.

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  A nice step up after owning 2 Accords - 2008 Acura TSX
  By Andrew - July 1 - 9:57 pm

  After a 92 and 98 Accord, I decided to upgrade to the Acura TSX. So far after almost 6 months I am not disappointed. This car is fun to drive and sporty, yet still gets awesome mileage (I have gotten mid 30s on pure highway). Commuting mileage is OK and can get mid 20s. For the price you get so many features found in many higher level models. Audio is OK, but not the cars high point. However almost all the features can be found on the new 8th gen Accord (minus HID headlights and bluetooth phone), in a much bigger but more powerful car. Above all, this car is a Honda. Dependable, great resale value, laundry list of standard features.

• 

  Great car - In love with it - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Sid Arora - July 1 - 10:21 am

  I bought this car in 2002. This car has been my first sports car right from the dealership. I loved it on the first day and still have admiration for it. Car has cute reddish dash board thats eye pleasing. Secondly car has been extremely reliable. The car currently has 93000k miles and only changes I have done is brake jobs, tires, emission issue. At 93000 car still feels like new with same amount of acceleration as it was new.

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  Bulletproof Beuty - 1992 Acura Integra
  By maxzando - June 30 - 2:42 pm

  My Integra GS-R is a rare Aztec Green 1992 model. It is absolutely bulletproof. Aside from regular maintenance and tires, it has never needed extra service. It is a joy to drive, especially past gas stations. I get almost 27 mpg. It carves up curves as well as the day it came home from the dealer. And you cant adequately put into words the sheer joy from seeing young men pressing their faces against the windows of passing cars to get a longer look at a true dream car. People stop me almost weekly, intently asking, "Do you want to sell?" Well, maybe, if the price is really right. See, I know what I have in my garage and I think Ill keep it.

• 

  Its not a BMW - 2006 Acura TSX
  By Mudit Tandon - June 29 - 11:26 pm

  This car does everything well, and theres nothing wrong with it on paper. Unfortunately, theres nothing exciting about it in real life - a jack of all trades. I was in the market for a BMW 325, an Audi A4 1.8T and a TSX. I drove all three, and was not very impressed with the way the Audi drove. The TSX gave me everything I wanted in a car and more for 3K less. I wish I had paid that 40 bucks a month more to get a 3 series. I am looking to trade my car in in less than a year. Dont get me wrong - this is an OUTSTANDING car for the 27 odd you spend. Tremendous value - Its certainly a great alternative to a Camry. But if youre comparing it with a 325... spend the extra 3k.

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  Pleasure for All - 2008 Acura MDX
  By twosweetbabes - June 29 - 9:21 pm

  As a busy mom of 6 year old twins, I needed the size of an SUV, but didnt like the size of my Expedition. My kids love the ease of this vehicle and I love all the bells and whistles. The navigation is by far the easier I have ever used, the voice recognition is very useful, can command even climate control! All controls are easy to use and the dashboard is just beautiful. Very smooth ride and an absolute pleasure to own. Fuel economy is not as good as I had hoped, but to be expected in this size vehicle/motor. I would recommend the MDX to anyone w/ children, my kids can open/close the doors w/ ease and the back seat is very comfortable. The safety features are top-notch as well.

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  Love this car - 2006 Acura TL
  By larpine - June 29 - 1:11 pm

  Just bought this 06 with ten thousand miles. Great car, ample power, a little too fun to drive, (hard to get where you are going when you never want to get out of the car), sleek design. After researching I found that this car holds its value better than ANYTHING in its class, beats Mercedes and BMW, and offers so much more with Honda reliability. Rear visibility is not good, thinking the back up sensors may be worth the money considering what bumpers cost. People complain of the back end design of the car so I added a spoiler, looks great. Got it for my 45th birthday, great investment for the young at heart.

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  Dont by an Acura - 1999 Acura RL
  By SHOOTER270 - June 29 - 10:23 am

  I bought mine and it was used with 110k they say they will run forever well they dont. I lost the tranny at 149k. For a rebuilt it is 3000.00 with labor. When you by an Acura you might want to check into the price of a timing belt 1200.00. If it breaks your done. All parts are expensive and you really need to have it repaired by the dealership because most of the shops do not understand how to work on them correctly. The front end pulls and I have had it aligned 3 times. Again the dealership needs to be the one doing it or your wasting your money. The valves also need adjustment at 110k that will cost 400.00. It adds up fast for a car that only gets 20 on the highway.

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  Little motor that could - 2008 Acura TSX
  By TCC0247 - June 29 - 9:11 am

  The TSX is a study in less being more. It may only have 205-hp and a 4-cylinder, but the power delivery is so smooth and the revs come so quickly that it feels quick none the less. Itll never win you pink slips, but it will certainly move you on the back roads. Its not RWD, but it still feels supple and balanced. Steering is too heavy for the Camry crowd, but enthusiasts will appreciate the extra weight and feel. The 6-speed and clutch are so slick and easy to use that the car is easy to wring out when the desire arises (or every time you drive it). The interior build quality is excellent, though the sound system is flat. Never liked Hondas before the TSXs Euro-breeding fixed that