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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  Great car - 2005 Acura TL
  By Mark Gatley - January 21 - 8:36 am

  Weve only had the vehicle about 6 mos. now and we could not be happier, unless, of course the driving mileage was better. The car is a great driving machine, especially with the 6spd transmission. It is, without a question, the best car Ive owned, and Ive had a bunch!!!!

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  Closing the Gap - 2005 Acura TL
  By PACA - January 21 - 6:34 am

  My wife bought this car 6 weeks ago. We have been driving Acuras for 13 years. I currently own a 03 TL-S. We took the 05 on the road and wow! what a difference from my 03 Type-S. Tight gears, smooth clutch, and throaty exhaust. Torque steer is noticeable with the front drive however cornering is superb with the Limited Slip Differential.

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  Luxury does not need to cost more... - 2005 Acura RL
  By Gerry - January 21 - 12:25 am

  When you determine the price you wish to pay for a luxury sedan and compare features with peer groups the choice is a snap especially with the all the "ginger bread" tech features. Will drive this car for many years to come... and style its a beauty.

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  Excellent Buy! - 2005 Acura TL
  By Chris - January 20 - 10:00 pm

  Fell in love with the style and was sold on performance and fantastic options that came standard. Between the Bluetooth, the DVD Audio sound system and the XM satellite radio I was in technology heaven. As a sales rep, the comfort, layout, driving enjoyment and trunk space have NOT been a disappointment. WELL worth the price and boy, does the car get looks! 8 months into ownership and 12,000 miles on it, I have zero complaints and would only caution that the MPG is slightly lower than on the sticker. Tire wear has been brought to my attention by other owners, but no official concern from me yet. I would recommend this vehicle for those who appreciate performance, speed, reliability and sound

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  Why I bought this car over others - 2007 Acura RDX
  By cg - January 20 - 8:40 pm

  I have a BMW 323i and love it. I bought a lexus 330 3 years back b/c BMW does not do well in snow :) Lexus is a smooth car but NO excitment to drive.. I was looking for a car w/ good in the snow, comfortable to drive long distance, fun to drive, can hold 4 people comfortably, good cargo area - the RDX fit the bill for all these. Being a female, I find most of the SUVs are TOO big and too heavy for me. This car feels like a sports sedan, except that it is taller and wider. The turbo give you the peep of sporty ride. Yes there is more driving noise then a Lexus, but its a trade off for performance.

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  Ultimate Driving Machine - 2005 Acura RL
  By Nayeem - January 20 - 7:22 pm

  The ride and the drive are EXCELLENT. Drive 65 mph and you get 30+ mpg Road handling in rain & snow ? Handles without pain. The radio (XM) and the Bose!! Feels like you are in a concert hall.

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  Youll fall in love... - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Mary - January 19 - 9:18 pm

  This vehicle handles like a dream. I was reluctant to purchase an SUV because of their traditional fuel consumption but this vehicle gets pretty decent milage. The interior has the feel of a sports car and the turning radius is awesome. Safety was a big deal for me and the RDX has almost everything you could ask for in security at an affordable price. This is my second Acura and it is every bit as impressive as the first. There is also much to be said about the way Acura cares for their customers. Im an Acura customer for life.

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  The Diamond in the Rough - 1992 Acura Vigor
  By Brandon - January 19 - 12:09 pm

  For a first car, Acura has spoiled me senseless. To be honest, I didnt really want it because it was $3500 (little more than what I intended on paying for a car). The car had only 98k and all its maintenance records though, so my father encouraged me to get it. I had not even driven the thing yet, mind you... and I was buying it. It took 3, yes THREE seconds behind the wheel to realize that I absolutely loved this car. I call it my baby, and plan on buying a party hat for it on its first birthday (Jan 22nd). If you find one in good shape, heavily consider it - Ive only seen around 10 Vigors on the road since I bought mine nearly a year ago. They are built to LAST (over 200k w/care).

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  The funnest car to drive - 2007 Acura RDX
  By The Boss - January 18 - 6:25 pm

  The car is great. It drives like a sports car, but it is a safe, small suv. Highly recommended.

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  MY RL - 2005 Acura RL
  By xxxx - January 18 - 1:57 pm

  A great car. Driven weekly and often for short trips. No issues. One trip, Chicago to Orlando. Pleasure to drive, navigation system works well. Climate control and audio flawless. Would recommend this auto to anyone including grandmother.